If you’re just starting to learn Japanese, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Textbooks are full of vocabulary that will take some serious study time to master. You may just be interested in learning some of the most useful common Japanese simple words and phrases. In this article we will list 10 simple Japanese words and common phrases that will be a very useful start to learning Japanese.

1. ‘Konnichi-wa’: You may already know that this one means ‘Hello’
2. ‘O Genki Desu Ka’ this is the way of asking ‘How are you?’
3. ‘Genki Desu’ – ‘I’m fine’ – this is the answer to the question ‘How are you?’
4. ‘Ohayo Gozaimasu’ – ‘Good morning’ – this can also be shortened to just ‘Ohayo’
5. ‘Hai’ ‘Yes’ – ‘Hai’ is also used in conversation to indicate that you understand what is being said.
6. ‘That is’ ‘No’
7. ‘Arigato’ ‘Thank you’ There are different ways to say thank you, the simplest is ‘Domo’. You can also say ‘Domo Arigato’, ‘Arigato Gozaimasu’ or putting it all together, ‘Domo Arigato Gozaimasu’.
8. ‘Do Itashimashite’ ‘You’re welcome’
9. ‘Sumimasen’ ‘Excuse me’
10. ‘Gomen Nasai’ ‘I’m sorry’

Here are some of the most common simple Japanese words and common phrases used in everyday Japanese conversation. Remember this list and you will find that you can use these words every day. The key to learning a new language is to use the language after learning it. With this list you will have many opportunities to use a few simple words that you can learn in a very short time.