[JAPANESE PHRASES] How to Ask People in Japanese

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Asking

●あ の

あ の

A no

It is used to say before asking.

●ちょっといいですか？

ち ょ っ と い い で す か ？ (A bit more polite than "あの.")

Chotto i i de su ka ?

●ここって...ですか？

こ こ って  ...  で す か ？ (It's used to when you ask about a place)

Ko ko tte ... de su ka ?

e.g., ここって東京(Tokyo)ですか？

●これはなんですか？

 こ れ は な ん で す か ？ (It's used to when you ask about a thing)

Ko re wa na n de su ka ?

 "これ" in the sentence means "This."  If you want to know about things over there, " あれ(Are)/That" is used instead of "これ."

●あのひとはだれですか？

あ の ひ と は だ れ で す か ？ (It's used to when you ask about a person)

A no hi to wa da re de su ka ?

"あの" in the sentence means "That." If you want to know about a person who is near from you, "この(Kono)/This" is used instead of "あの."

Answering

●うん

う ん (Informal)

U n

"うん" is used to agree with someone.

●ええ

え え

E e

"ええ" is used to ease the flow of conversation.

●はい

は い

Ha i

"はい" is a common word to agree with someone.

●いいえ

い い え

I i e

"いいえ" is a common word not to agree with someone.

●ちがう

ち が う

Chi ga u

"ちがう" is used to say directly to someone that it's wrong.

●うれしい

う れ し い

U re shi i

"うれしい" is used to when the speaker has said something good for you.

●ありがとう

あ り が と う

A ri ga to u

It means "Thank you."

●そうなんですけど...

そ う な ん で す け ど ...

So u na n de su ke do ...

It is used to when the speaker has said is correct, but you want to discuss something more about it.

●ほんとに？

ほ ん と に ？

Ho n to ni ?

It means "Really?"

●わかりました

わ か り ま し た

Wa ka ri ma shi ta

it means "OK."

●りょうかいです 

りょ う か い で す (Formal)

Ryo u ka i de su

It means "OK."

●しょうちいたしました

しょ う ち い た し ま し た (More formal than "りょうかいです")

Sho u chi i ta shi ma shi ta

Backchanneling

●うん

う ん

U n

"うん" is also used as a backchanneling. It is used to keep conversation going and often used with nodding.

●へ～

へ～

Heeee

"へ～" is similar to "うん." But it's not used with nodding.

●まじ？/うそ！？

まじ？／うそ！？

Ma ji? / U so ! ?

These are used to when you are surprised(amazed) by someone has just said.

●ほんとに？

ほんとに？

Ho n to ni ?

"ほんとに？" is used to when someone has said is a bit unbelievable, or you are surprised by that.

●しらなかった！

し ら な か った ！

Shi ra na ka tta !

"しらなかった！" is used to when you hear at the first time that a thing someone has just said, or you don't know it so far.

 

●よかったね～

よ か った ね～

Yo ka tta neeee

It is used to when the speker has said good news.

●またまた～

ま た ま た～

Ma ta ma taaaa

It is used to when you tease the speaker.

Ask the speaker to repeat

●なに？

な に ？ (Informal)

Na ni ?

なんですか？

な ん で す か ？ (It is a bit more polite than "なに？"）

Na n de su ka ?

●もういちどおねがいします

も う い ち ど お ね が い し ま す (Formal)

Mo u i chi do o ne ga i shi ma su

Japanese TIPS

How importance "Aizuchi"

It is so imoportant for Japanese to あいづち(Aizuchi) because it makes ease to the flow of conversations. and it's also important "Nodding." it is often used with "うん," "はい," etc...

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