Looking to learn Japanese? Here are 37 must-know Japanese expressions you won't find in your textbook! Read to the end and get a free Japanese lesson at italki!

1. MUST-KNOW37
JAPANESE EXPRESSIONS
You Won’tFindinYour Textbook
by Professional Japanese Teacher Yurika Matsuo
(StephenKelly,CCBY2.0)
StartspeakingJapanesenow.

2. ReadtotheendandgetafreeJapanese lesson!
(YiannisTheologosMichellis,CCBY-SA2.0)

3. Hereare16Japaneseexpressionsthatare
describedinEnglish,but arenotnecessarily
spoken by Englishspeakersin thesamecontext.
(FreedomIIAndres,CCBY2.0)

4. (halfrain,CCBY-SA2.0)
1. いただきます
itadakimasu / we saythisbefore eating

5. 2. ごちそうさま
gochisousama/ we saythisaftereating
(TANAKAJuuyoh,CCBY2.0)

6. (Eddiepics,CCBY-ND2.0)
3. ね?
ne? / agreed,yes?(particleof confirmation)
LearnJapaneseonline.

7. 4. びみょう
bimyou/ iffy(feelingof uncertainty)
(ThiloHilberer,CCBY-ND2.0)

8. (halfrain,CCBY-SA2.0)
5. じょうだんだよ!
joudandayo! / I’m kidding!

9. 6. おかえり
okaeri/welcomehome
(TANAKAJuuyoh,CCBY2.0)

10. 7. ちょっとね
chottone/ yeah,well…youknow
(Japanexperterna.se,CCBY-SA2.0)
FindaprofessionalJapaneseteacher.

11. (Jamiecat*,CCBY2.0)
8. ただいま
tadaima / I’m home

12. 9. とりあえず
toriaezu/ for now
(halfrain,CCBY-SA2.0)

13. (SurianSoosay,CCBY2.0)
10. ヤバイ!
yabai!/ big trouble!

14. 11. とにかく
tonikaku/ anyway
(halfrain,CCBY-SA2.0)

15. (brettjordan,CCBY2.0)
12. いってらっしゃい
itte rasshai / bon voyage
TakeyourJapanese learningtonewheights.

16. 13. しんどい
shindoi/ thisistiring
(A.Davey,CCBY2.0)

17. 14. おまたせ
omatase / sorryto keepyouwaiting
(DannyChoo,CCBY-SA2.0)

18. (typexnick,CCBY2.0)
15. しまった!
shimatta!/ oops!
BecomefluentinJapanese.

19. 16. おつかれ
otsukare/ thankyoufor yourhardwork
(RolandTanglao,CCBY2.0)

20. Hereare21Japaneseexpressionsthatare
consideredinformalslang.Onlyusethese
incasualsituationswithyourclosefriends.
(JoshuaDamaslo,CCBY2.0)

21. 17. くそ!
kuso!/ damn!
(RichardFisher,CCBY2.0)

22. 18. なんか...
nanka.../it’slike...
(Cliff,CCBY2.0)

23. 19. いいんじゃない?
iin janai?/ sure,why not? (soundsgood to me!)
(UniqueHotels,CCBY-SA2.0)

24. 20. え? なに?
e?nani?/what?
(kaybee07,CCBY2.0)
FindyourJapaneseteachernow!

25. 21. はじまった...
hajimatta... / thereyougo again...
(MaurícioKanno,CCBY-SA2.0)

26. 22. なになに?
naninani? / what’sgoing on?
(CamSwitzer,CCBY2.0)

27. 23. かんけいないね...
kankei naine... / Idon’treallycare...
(dat',CCBY-ND2.0)

28. 24. かんけいある
kankeiaruyo!/ I do care!

29. 25. へぇ!
hee!/ gee!
(JordanBajc,CCBY2.0)
IfPikachucan,socanyou.

30. 26. 言いにくいんだけど...
ii nikuinda kedo... / it’shardto saybut...
(Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung,CCBY-SA2.0)

31. (AdityaRakhman,CCBY2.0)
27. いいなぁ
iinaa / Ienvyyou

32. (Daisuketashiro,CCBY-SA2.0)
28. すごい!
sugoi!/ wow!

33. 29. まえに言ったように...
mae niittayouni... / like Isaidbefore...
(MOTOKIPlasticboystudio,CCBY2.0)

34. (amira_a,CCBY2.0)
30. 行かないと
ika naito / gottago

35. 31. がんばって!
ganbatte!/ good luck!
(PaulVanDerWerf,CCBY2.0)

36. 32. じゃあね
jaa ne / seeyou,takecare
(EvanBlaser,CCBY2.0)
Practice1-on-1withaJapaneseteacher.

37. 33. さいきんどう?
saikin dou? /what’snew?
(TheMicroscopicGiant,CCBY2.0)

38. 34. びっくりした!
bikkurishita!/ youscaredme!
(TommasoMeli,CCBY2.0)

39. (DAVIDDAVIS,CCBY-ND2.0)
35. ふざけるな!
fuzakeruna!/ don’tmesswithme!

40. (KyleHasegawa,CCBY2.0)
36. またね
matane / seeyou,havea niceday

41. (Mdsaadandalib,CCBY2.0)
37. やったね!
yattane!/ youdid it!
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(TANAKAJuuyoh,CCBY2.0)
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