Japanese Greetings & Basics Vocabulary
The 40 beginner words (A1–A2) for greetings & basics, with their English translations and part of speech, across 2 themed lists. These are the ones worth knowing first.
The 40 beginner words (A1–A2) for greetings & basics, with their English translations and part of speech, across 2 themed lists. These are the ones worth knowing first.
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| family | 家族kazoku | noun | A1 |
| friend | 友達tomodachi | noun | A1 |
| goodbye | さようならsayounara | interj | A1 |
| hello | こんにちはkonnichiwa | interj | A1 |
| here | ここkoko | adv | A1 |
| house | 家ie | noun | A1 |
| no | いいえiie | interj | A1 |
| please | お願いしますonegai shimasu | interj | A1 |
| sorry | ごめんなさいgomennasai | interj | A1 |
| thank you | ありがとうarigatou | interj | A1 |
| there | そこsoko | adv | A1 |
| yes | はいhai | interj | A1 |
| excuse me | すみませんsumimasen | interj | A2 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| age | 年齢nenrei | noun | A1 |
| all | 全てsubete | det | A1 |
| always | いつもitsumo | adv | A1 |
| and | とto | conj | A1 |
| answer | 答えkotae | noun | A1 |
| because | なぜならnazenara | conj | A1 |
| birthday | 誕生日tanjoubi | noun | A1 |
| but | しかしshikashi | conj | A1 |
| every | すべてのsubete no | det | A1 |
| inside | 中naka | adv | A1 |
| many | 多くのooku no | adj | A1 |
| name | 名前namae | noun | A1 |
| never | 決してkesshite | adv | A1 |
| often | 頻繁にhinpan ni | adv | A1 |
| or | またはmatawa | conj | A1 |
| outside | 外soto | adv | A1 |
| phone | 電話denwa | noun | A1 |
| some | いくつかのikutsuka no | det | A1 |
| together | 一緒にissho ni | adv | A1 |
| usually | たいていtaitei | adv | A1 |
| address | 住所juusho | noun | A2 |
| メールmeeru | noun | A2 | |
| enough | 足りるだけのtariru dake no | adv | A2 |
| few | 何人かのnannin ka no | adj | A2 |
| help | 助けるtasukeru | verb | A2 |
| so | それでsorede | conj | A2 |
| understand | 理解するrikai suru | verb | A2 |
Watch Your LanguageVocabulary widgets for iPhone & Apple Watch
These lists stop at A1–A2, the words a beginner needs first. The greetings & basics packs keep going through B1, B2 and C1 inside Watch Your Language, along with every other topic.
The app shows them to you a few at a time, in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and brings back the ones you keep forgetting.
