Common Japanese words and expressions. Insidious transcription of Japanese words and their pronunciation Japanese language pronunciation and translation

It’s good that when you come to a country, you can freely communicate with local residents in their native language - this is an ideal option. But not everyone and not always have such knowledge, and although I believe that simply memorizing individual phrases, without a general knowledge of the language, will not lead to mutual understanding with local residents, perhaps some phrases can still be useful.

From my own experience, I know that a foreigner’s attempt to pronounce at least generally accepted phrases, such as good morning, thank you, goodbye, in the local language, always causes a good response.

So as not to read everything written on the screen, if you need these hint words for a trip to Japan or for communicating with Japanese friends download them for yourself for free, print and use. On this page the words are published partially, as clear example what you will see in electronic version.

And for the correct pronunciation of words, it is better to read a couple of articles, since in the Japanese language there are such concepts as reduction - abbreviation and, as a result, words are pronounced differently from how they are written. This is especially true for words with the endings - です - desu, します - shimasu, in fact, the sound “u” is not pronounced.

Useful words and expressions in Japanese.

Greetings:

ohayo gozaimasu - good morning!

konnichiwa - hello (good afternoon)!

konbanwa - good evening!

hajimemashite - nice to meet you

douzo eroschiku - nice to meet you

o-yasumi nasai - Good night

sayunara - goodbye!

Politeness formulas:

namae-o oshiete kudasai - what is your name?

then moushimasu is my name...

sumimasen - sorry

o-genki des ka - how are you?

genki des - thank you, ok

ie - no

arigatou - thank you

doumo arigatou gozaimas - thank you very much

douitaschite - no need for gratitude

onegai... - please (if informal request)...

douzo - please (if invited)...

kekkou desu - no thanks

chetto matte kudasai - please wait

shitsurei shimashita - sorry (for disturbing you)

itadakimasu - bon appetit

gochisou-sama deshita... - thank you for the treat

Expression of basic needs:

onaka-ga suku - I'm hungry

nodo-ga kawaku - I'm thirsty

koohi-o kudasai - please give me a cup of coffee

tsukareta - I'm tired

nemuy des - I want to sleep

o-tearai-wa dochira desu ka - where is the toilet?

Doko desu ka - where is...

are-o misete kudasai - please show me this...

Communication in stereotypical situations:

douschitan des ka - what happened?

daijoubu desu ka - are you okay?

daijoubu desu - everything is fine

ikura desu ka - how much does it cost?

dochira-no go shushushchin desu ka - where did you (arrive) from?

Sagashite imas - I'm looking for...

michi-ni mayomashita - I got lost (in the city)

koko-wa doko desu ka - where am I?

eki-wa doko desu ka - where is the train station?

Basutei-wa doko desu ka - where is the bus stop?

Ginza-wa dochi desu ka - how to get to Ginza?

nihongo-ga wakarimasen - I don't understand Japanese

wakarimasu ka - do you understand?

wakarimasen - I don't understand

shitte imas - I know

Shirimasen - I don't know

kore-wa nan desu ka - what is it?

kore-o kudasai - I'll buy it...

eigo-o hanasemas ka - do you speak English?

roshchiago de hanasemasu ka - do you speak Russian?

eigo no dekiru-hito imasu ka - does anyone here speak English?

nihongo-de nanto iimasu ka - how do you say it in Japanese?

eigo-de nanto iimasu ka - how would it be in English?

Groveago de nanto iimasu ka - how would it be in Russian?

mou ichi do itte kudasai - say it again, please

yukkuri hanashite kudasai - please speak more slowly

E itte kudasai - please take me to... (in a taxi)

Made ikura desu ka - how much will it cost to travel to...

aishiteiru - I love you

kibun-ga varui - I feel bad

Questions:

Dare? - Who?

Nani? - What?

daughters? - which?

dore? -Which?

itsu? -When?

nan-ji desuka? - what time is it now?

doko? - Where?

naze - why?

Basic formulas for a telephone conversation:

power-power - hello!

Tanaka-san-wa imasu ka - can I please Mr. Tanaka?

donata desu ka - please tell me who is on the phone?

Ivanov desu - Ivanov is on the phone

rusu desu - he is not at home

gaischutsu shiteimasu - he left the office

denwashimasu - I'll call you

bangouchigai desu - you dialed the wrong number

Main health-related complaints:

onaka-ga itai - my stomach hurts

kaze-o hiita - I have a cold

kega-o shield - I got hurt

Samuke-ga suru - I'm chilling

netsu-ga aru - I have a high fever

nodo-ga itai - my throat hurts

kouketsuatsu - my blood pressure has risen

kossetsu - I have a fracture

haita - I have a toothache

shinzoubeu - my heart worries me

jutsuu - I have a headache

haien - I have pneumonia

mocheuen - I'm having an attack of appendicitis

yakedo - I have a burn

hanazumari - I have a runny nose

Gary - I have diarrhea

arerugia - I have allergies

Most used nouns:

juusche - address

Kuukou airport

ginkou - bank

yakkyoku - pharmacy

beuin - hospital

okane - money

bangou - number

keisatsu - police

yuubinkyoku - post office

jinja - Shinto shrine

Otera - Buddhist temple

eki - station

denva - telephone

kippu - ticket

denshcha - electric train

sakana - fish

yasai - vegetables

kudamono - fruit

niku - meat

mizu - water

fuyu - winter

haru - spring

Natsu - summer

aki - autumn

ame - rain

Most used verbs:

kau - buy

dekiru - to be able

kuru - to come

nomu - to drink

taberu - to eat

iku - to go

uru - sell

hanasu - talk

tomaru - rent (hotel room)

vakaru - to understand

aruku - to walk

kaku - write

Pronouns:

vataschi - I

wataschitachi - we

anata - you, you

kare - he

kanojo - she

karera - they

Most used adjectives:

ii - good

varui - bad

ookii - big

chiisai - small

You can also get acquainted with the phonetics of the Japanese language, learn the pronunciation of adverbs, colors, numerals, directions, see the writing of useful hieroglyphs indicating the days of the week, months, announcements and signs, the names of cities and regions, you can download a free Japanese phrasebook. I would be glad if he helps you navigate when visiting Japan. Additionally, I recommend reading the article about the Japanese language and

To receive the Russian-Japanese phrasebook, you must subscribe to receive the electronic version of the phrasebook, located in the sidebar of the blog.

We present to your attention a short Japanese phrasebook; if you need everyday, frequently used words and phrases in Japanese, then go ahead!

Greetings

Ohayo gozaimasu (Ohayou gozaimasu) - "Good morning".

This is a variant of a fairly polite good morning wish.

It is worth recalling that "y" don't pronounce in Japanese after voiceless consonants. So they say it "Ohae gozaimas".

Ohayou- This is an informal option, can be used among friends and youth.

Ossu– a very informal and very masculine version (pronounced like "oss"). Girls are strongly advised not to use masculine pronunciations.

Konnichiwa- “Good afternoon”, “Hello”, “Hello”. Probably one of the most famous Japanese words.

Yahho! (Yahhoo)– an informal version of the word “hello”.

Ooi! (Ooi)– also an informal version of “Hello”, used by men. Often to attract attention at a great distance.

Yo! (Yo!)- an exclusively informal male version of the same greeting.

Gokigenyou– a rather rare and very polite female greeting, which can be translated as “Hello.”

Konbanwa- "Good evening".

Hisashiburi desu- "Long time no see". Pronounced like "hisashiburi des." A female informal option would be - Hisashiburi ne? (Hisashiburi ne?), male Hisashiburi da naa... (Hisashiburi da naa) .

Moshi-moshi– used when answering a phone call as “hello”.

Farewells

Sayonara– the usual “Farewell” option if there is little chance of a new meeting.

Saraba– an informal option like “bye.”

Mata Ashita– the usual “see you tomorrow” option. Female - Mata ne, male - Mata naa.

Dzya, mata (Jaa, mata)- "See you". A very commonly used informal option.

Jia (Jaa)– a very informal option, often used by friends.

De wa- a little more formal than "Jia (Jaa)".

Oyasumi nasai- "Good night". A somewhat formal option, an informal one would be simple - Oyasumi.

Everyday phrases in Japanese:

Answers

Hai – “Yes.” Universal standard answer. Often it can mean anything, but not agreement, but, for example, only “continue”, “I understand”, “yeah”.

Haa (Haa)- “Yes, sir,” “I obey, sir.” This is a very formal expression.

Uh (Ee)- "Yes". Not very formal.

Ryoukai- "Yes sir". Military response.

Ie- "No". Standard polite expression. Also used as a polite form of declining gratitude or compliment.

Nai- "No". Used to indicate the absence or non-existence of something.

Betsu ni- "Nothing".

Naruhodo- “Of course,” “Of course.”

Motiron- "Naturally!" Expression of confidence.

Yahari- "I thought so".

Yappari– too, but not so formally.

Maa... (Maa)- "Maybe…"

Saa... (Saa)- "Well…". Used when they have difficulty agreeing and doubt.

Honto desu ka? (Hontou desu ka?)- "Is it really true?"

Honto? (Hontou?)– Less formal.

So desu ka? (Sou desu ka?)– Formal form of the phrase “Wow...”. Informal - So what? (Sou ka?), can be pronounced as “Su ka!”

So desu nee... (Sou desu nee)- “That’s how it is...” Formal version.

So da na... (Sou da naa)- Male version.

So nah... (Sou nee)– Female version.

Masaka! (Masaka)- "It can not be!"

Everyday phrases in Japanese:

Requests

Onegai shimasu- A very polite form of request. Especially often used in requests like “do something for me.”

Onegai– A less polite and much more common request.

- kudasai- Polite form. Added as a suffix to a verb.

- kudasaimasen ka? (kudasaimasenka)- More polite form. It is also added as a suffix to a verb. It can be translated as “could you do something for me?”

Everyday phrases in Japanese:

Acknowledgments

Doumo– “Thank you” is used in response to everyday small help. For example, when you were let ahead or served something.

Arigatou gozaimasu– A polite and formal form, the expression is usually pronounced as “Arigato gozaimas“.

Arigatou— Less formal polite form.

Doumo arigatou- "Thank you very much".

Doumo arigatou gozaimasu– A very polite and very formal phrase of gratitude.

Osewa ni narimashita- “I am your debtor.” Very polite and formal uniform. Informally they say - Osewa ni natta.

Iie- "My pleasure". Informal form. Polite option - Dou itashimashite.

Everyday phrases in Japanese:

Apologies

Gomen nasai– “Excuse me, please”, “I beg your pardon”, “I’m very sorry.” A very polite form. Expresses regret for some reason, say, if you have to disturb someone. Often not an apology for a significant offense (unlike “sumimasen”).

Gomen– Informal form of the same.

Sumimasen- "I'm sorry". Polite form. An apology for committing a significant wrongdoing.

Sumanai/Suman– Not very polite, male version.

Shitsurei shimasu- "I'm sorry". Very polite formal uniform. Used, say, as “I’m sorry to bother you” when entering a superior’s office.

Shitsurei– too, but less formally.

Moushiwake arimasen- “I have no forgiveness.” A very polite and formal form, more often used in the army and in business.

Moushiwake nai- not such a formal option.

Dozo- "Ask". A short form, an offer to enter, take an item, and so on. The answer is something we already know “Domo”.

Chotto... (Chotto)- "No worries". Polite form of refusal. For example, if you are offered coffee.

Everyday phrases in Japanese:

Everyday phrases

Itte kimasu– Literally can be translated as “I left, but I’m going to come back.” Use when leaving home for work or school.

Chotto itte kuru– Not a formal form, something like “I’ll go out for a minute.”

Itte irashai- “Come back quickly.” In response to " Itte kimasu."

Tadaima- “I'm back” or “I'm home.” It is also used as a spiritual return home.

Okaeri nasai– “Welcome home,” in response to “Tadaima” . Okaeri- not a formal option.

Itadakimasu- pronounced before eating. Literally – “I accept [this food].” They often fold their palms as if in prayer.

Gochisousama deshita- “Thank you, it was delicious.” When finishing a meal. Another variant - Gochisousama

Everyday phrases in Japanese:

Everyday and necessary phrases

Kawaii! (Kawaii)- “Wow!”, “How cute!”, “How lovely!” . Often used in relation to children, girls, and also very handsome guys. This word has a strong meaning of “manifestation of weakness, femininity, passivity (in the sexual sense of the word).”

Sugoi! (Sugoi)– “Cool” or “Cool/cool!” In relation to people, it is used to denote masculinity.

Kakkoii! (Kakkoii!)- “Cool, beautiful, awesome!”

Suteki! (Suteki!)– “Beautiful, charming, delightful!”, pronounced “Stacky!”

Hide! (Hidoi!)- “Evil!”, “bad.”

Forge! (Kowai)- "Scary!" . With an expression of fear.

Matte! (Matte)- “Wait!”, “Stop!”

Abunay! (Abunai)– warning – “Danger!” or “Look out!”

SOS phrases in Japanese:

Tasukete! (Tasukete)- “Help!”, “Help!” - pronounced as “Taskete!”

Yamero!/Yamete! (Yamero/Yamete)- “Stop!”, “Stop it!” or “Stop it!”

Dame! (Dame)- “No, don’t do that!”

Hanase! (Hanase)- “Let go!”

Hentai! (Hentai)- “Pervert!”

Urusai! (Urusai)- "Shut up!"

Uso! (Uso)- “Lie!”, “You’re lying!”

) Japanese expressions with comments on usage.

– A –

Asobu – play
Abunai – dangerous (`Abunai!` = `Caution!`)
Aho – fool, idiot
Ai – romantic love
Akachan – child
Akarui – bright, cheerful (individuality)
Akuma – demon, devil, evil spirit
Animeeshon - animation. Please note that animeeshon (unlike its usual abbreviation anime) is not limited to Japanese animation, it can be used to refer to any kind of animation
Аite – opponent. Be careful, the word has several variations. It can also be used in relation to a dance partner
Aniki/aneki is a slang expression meaning something like 'big brother'/'big sister'
Aki – fall, overthrow
Amadare - raindrop
Ame – rain
Ara – `O`k`, `Hello` or `Oh` (as an interjection)
Aruiwa - either, or, perhaps
Atama – head
Ayashi is fantastic
Ashita – tomorrow

– B –

Baka – fool, idiot
Bakudan - bomb
Bangasa is a traditional Japanese umbrella made of wood and paper.
Bataa – oil
- food placed in a plastic, varnished or wicker box, which the Japanese take on a trip, for a walk or on an excursion, to work, to school. Most often consists of rice
Bideo – video, videotape. Derived from English word`video`
Bikkuri – surprise
Bijin – beautiful woman
Bishoujo – lovely girl, beauty
Bishounen – an attractive young man
Bokken (bokken) - wooden sword for training
Boushi – hat

– C –

Chotto – a little (`chotto matte` = `wait a little`)
Сhanto – properly, exactly
Cha – Japanese green tea
Chigao – wrong, difference
Chisai - small, tiny
Сhoppiri – small quantity
Chibi – small, young; in anime, this term refers to cartoonishly small images of heroes (a sign that the hero is behaving childishly)
Cho – super
Chojin - superman
Chojo - super woman
Сhigau is a verb used to indicate that someone is wrong
Сhikara – strength, power, might

– D –

Daijobu – `I'm fine`, or used as a question (`How are you?`, `Are you OK?`)
Damaru – be silent
Damasareru - to be deceived
Dare - who

Densetsu (densetsu) - legend
Desu is
Deta - appear
Doko – where
Doko ni – where?
Domo - very
Dorekurai – how
Dojo (dojo) – training hall
Doshite - why
Doyatte - how
Douzo (dojo) – `Please`. A short form, an invitation to enter, take a coat, and so on. The usual answer is `Domo`

– E –

Echi – perverted, pervert
Eiyu – heroic
Engi – theater
Erai – big

– F –

Fubuki – blizzard, snowstorm
Fuenukkusu – phoenix
Fuku – women's school uniform

Furoba – bathroom
Fushigi – mystical, magical, mysterious
– in traditional Japanese houses they sleep on futon mattresses, which are put away in the oshi-ire closet in the morning. The bedding set also includes a pillow and blanket
Fuyu – winter
Fuzakeru - to play, fool around

– G –

Gaikokujin/Gaijin – foreigner (from a Japanese point of view)
Gaki – young, immature person
Gambatte! – `Good luck!`, `Try hard!`
Ganbaru – persist
Ganbare – endure, persist
Ganjitsu – January 1st
Gekiga – drama, game
Genki – spirit, courage, courage, energy, hefty, strong
Genki desu – good, excellent
Genso - illusion
Geta is a traditional Japanese shoe consisting of a wooden sandal with two parallel slats of wood.
Giku – lie
Giri – duty, obligation
Giri-giri – approaching the limit, boundaries
Ginga – Galaxy. In a narrower sense - the Milky Way
Ginzuishou – silver crystal

– H –

Ha – foliage
Hachimaki (hachimaki) - a white ribbon on the head, a symbol of complete concentration on one’s work
Hanabi – fireworks
– skirt-like, often pleated, pants similar to wide trousers
Hana – flowers
Hanabira – petal

Hareru – sunshine
Haru – spring

Hashiru - to run
Hatsukoi (hatsukoi) – first love (platonic)

Hatsuyume – illuminated (lit); literal translation `Dream first` (hatsu = first, yume = dream)
Hajimemashite – `How are you doing?`
Hayaku – quickly, early, hurry up
Hazukashii – embarrassment
Heisei – peace, tranquility
Henshin - transformation, transformation
Hidari – left
Hentai – porn anime/manga. Literally translated as `perverted`
Hidoi – serious, harsh
Hime – princess; noble girl
Himitsu - mystery
Higasa – sun umbrella or beach umbrella
Hon (hon) - book
Hoshiboshi (hosh(s)ibosh(s)i) – stars
Hotaru – firefly
Hoseki – gemstone
Hoshi - star
Hyoeyu - exile, outcast

– I –

Iichi – one
Ichiban - first, best
Iie – no; used as a negation of the interlocutor's message
Ikenai – not allowed
Iku- go
Imouto – younger sister
Inoch – life
Inu – dog
Irrashaimase – `Welcome!`
Itai – painful; used as an interjection `Oh!`
Itazura – prank
Itsu – when, if
Itekimasu – `I left!`
Iterashai – moving, translation
Itoko – cousin
Izumi – fountain

– J –

Jigoku - hell
Jagaimo – potatoes
Joou – queen
Juu – weapon, rifle
Ja ne -`See you again`
Juku – school
Jyu – ten
Joshikousei – high school student
Jiji – grandfather, grandfather
Josei – encouragement

– K –

Kai – shell, mollusk
Kaidashi – shopping trip
Kaiju - monster
Kage – shadow, tint
Kakumei – revolution
Kamawanai – regardless
Kame – turtle
Kamen – mask
Kami – paper (single sheets and material)
Kaminoke – hair (on the head)
Kami-sama – God, divine
Kanarazu – `I swear!`/ `Whatever it costs me! `
Kanojo – she (3rd person, feminine); girlfriend

Kanrinin (kanrinin) – manager, owner, hostess
Kanpai – toast
Kantai – fleet
Kappa (kappa) - water spirits
Kare – he (3rd person masculine); Friend
Karui – light (weight)
Kasumi – fog, haze
Kata (kata) is a system of combat movements that contains all the basic technical actions and movements existing in style. The performer of the kata conducts a meditative duel against several opponents attacking simultaneously, varying in strength, height, technique of blows and weapons. Kata recreates the conditions of a real fight and forces you to act at the subconscious level. As a result, automaticity of movements and reflexes is developed Katana (katana) - a samurai sword with a curved blade 65-80 cm long
Kaze – wind (Kamikaze=`Divine Wind`)
Kau (kau) – buy
Kawa – river

Kawaiikune (kawaiikune) - unkind or simply disgusting
Ke – hair; fur; wool
Kechappu – ketchup
Kedo - but, after all, but, however,
Keiki (keiki) – child or children
Keisatsu - police
Kega – wound, damage
Ki – essence, energy, spirit, air, feeling, mind; forest or tree (the categories of number and gender are practically not used)
Kiba – sun
Kibun – mood; feeling
Kiiroi – yellow
Kinryoku - shrine
Kimagure – whimsical
Kimochi – sensation, feeling, mood, disposition

Kinishi nai – `Don't worry about it`
Kirai – hatred, dislike
Kiri – fog
Kishi – knight
Kissaten - small cafeteria-type eatery
Kitsune – fox
Kitsunegari – fox hunting
Koibito – lover/beloved; boyfriend/girlfriend
Kodomo – child
Kodachi – group of trees, grove
Koi – love
Koinu – puppy
Kokoro – heart
Kompeki – azure blue
Kono – this, given
Koneko – kitten
Kori – ice
Korosu - to kill
Kotaete – respond
Kotchi – here, here
Kouhai (kohai) – junior in position
Kouma – foal
Kowai – scary
Kurai – dark; gloomy. Mostly used literally to describe a lack of light, but can also be used figuratively to describe a mood
Kuru – arrival
Kuro – black
Kunoichi (kunoichi) - ninja girl
Kuroi – black (color); dark
Kusa – grass
Kuso (kuso) – annoying, impudent
Kyu – nine
Kyuuketsuki – vampire

– M –

Maho – magic
Makaseru – to place, to trust
Makeru – lose, lose, lose
Mainichi – every day
Majime – diligent, diligent, diligent, decent, honest
Mamono – monster; ghost; range; spirit; daemon
Mamoru – to protect, guard

Manga-ka is a professional manga creator (and this profession combines artist, director and screenwriter)
Manga-kissa – `manga-cafe`. This is a store that contains a large assortment of manga. People pay for half an hour or an hour to sit and read various manga
Manmo - demon
Masaka - incredible
Masutaado – mustard and relish
Matsu - wait
Matte – wait
Mazoku – ma = evil, zoku = people... mostly monsters and demons
Meishi – business card
Megami - goddess
Migi – right, right
Miko – priestess or maiden
Minaku – surrounded by love and beauty
Misairu - rocket
Mizu – water
Mochi – rice cake
Mochiron – of course, without a doubt, naturally
Mononoke – spirit; ghost minna (mina) - friends (or simply “everyone” who is nearby at this second)
Mori – forest
Moshi-Moshi - informal telephone greeting
Musume – young woman; often used to refer to a daughter
Muteki - invincible, invulnerable

– N –

Nagare-boshi (nagare-bosh(s)i) – shooting star
Naruhodo – `I see`, `I understand`
Namida – tear
Nani – what (can also be used as exclamation or confusion)
Nasakenai - pathetic, shameful
Natasuyasumi – summer vacation
Natto is a Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans that even most Japanese people refuse to eat.
Natsu – summer
Ne (ne) – a particle (usually at the end of a sentence) that encourages the interlocutor to agree with the words spoken

Nezumi – mouse
Nippon - Japan(Nippon has a slightly more traditional character than Nihon)
Ni – two
Nigeru – to run away, to run away

Niji – rainbow
Nijizuishou (nijizuisyou) – I (feminine)
Niku – meat; flesh
Ningen – man; humanity
Nihon – Japan
Nodachi is a relatively rare form of curved Japanese sword, similar to the katan but longer

– O –

Obaa-chan – grandmother (more polite version)
Obake – ghost, spirit
Obasama (Obasama) – mother, middle-aged woman
Ofukuro (ofukuro) – mother

Ojii-chan – grandfather (more polite version)
Ojisama (ojisama) - uncle, middle-aged man
Ojisan (ojisan) - uncle, middle-aged man
Ojousama – an honorific for the daughter of an upper class person (also used as an insult for a girl/girl, implying that she is overly naive or spoiled)
Okaa – mother
Okaasan (Okaasan) - mother
Okaeri (oh-kaeri) – welcome home
Okairinasai – welcome home
Okami – wolf
Okane – money
Okashii - strange, unexpected
Okonomiyaki (okonomiyaki) - `Japanese pizza`, thick flatbreads fried in an iron frying pan. Meat (pork, beef) and vegetables are added to the dough, and the finished okonomiyaki is poured with sauce.
Oku – one hundred million (100, 000, 000)
Okaa-chan – mother (more polite version)
Omedeto – congratulations
Omake - premium
Omocha – toy
Omoi – heavy; important
Omoshiroi – funny, amusing, interesting
Onbe-san - elder sister, or sister-in-law, or any young woman
Oneechan (oneetian) – older sister
Oneesan (oneesan) - also an older sister, but more polite (suffix -san, not -chan)
Onegai - please
Oni – fabulous cannibal giants
Onii-chan – older brother (more polite version)
Onna (onna) – girl, woman
Orenji – orange

Otanku – stupid
Oto-chan - father
Otoko – person
Otouto – little brother
Otome – girl; young lady
Otou-chan – father (more polite version)
Otousan - father
Ou – king
Oyaji (oyaji) - old man meaning father
Oyasumi - good night

– P –

Prinsess (princess) - princess
Pika – shine of light

– R –

Raion - lion (transcription of the English word)
Ramen - noodles cooked in meat or vegetable broth
Ringo – apple
Roku - six

Ronin (ronin) - who left his clan for some reason and was left without an owner
Ryu - dragon

– S –

Saa - an evasive answer indicating that what was said was food for thought
- the main component from which this Japanese is prepared alcoholic drink(about 16-18°)
– petals of Japanese cherry blossoms
San – three
Saru - monkey
- raw fish dish
Sayonara - Goodbye!
Sebrio – suit
Segei – justice
Sei – divine
Seihuku – school uniform
Seinen – refers to young, adult males

Senki – centenary
Sennoujuku – preparatory school, classes in which are aimed at preparing for exams
Senpai (senpai) – senior in position
Sensei – mentor, teacher (sometimes used as a suffix)
Senshi – soldier, warrior
Sentai - team
. In Japan, this is a separate profession, many of them are very famous and popular, they have their own fans and fan clubs, Internet sites, and so on.
Setsuhen – snow flakes
Shabon - soap
Shi – four
Shiawase – happiness/to be happy
Shichi – seven
Shikashi - however, but
Shi kuretto - secret
Shimatta (simatta) - damn, damn, bummer
Shinnai (sinai) - Japanese training sword made of four strips of bamboo bound with leather
Shin - new
Shinjiru – faith, trust
Shinkai – deep sea
Shinto is Japan's oldest religion (based on worship and coexistence with the natural world)
Shinobi – sneaking, secret. This word is usually combined with other words. For example `shinobi ashi` = `go calmly`; `shinobi koe` = `whispering`; `shinobi komu` = `sneaking in` Shinu – die (Shinda = Dead, Shinanaide = Don't die, Shine = Die)
Shiroi – white (color)
Shiruba – silver
Shita – bottom
Shitsukoi – constant, tireless

Shojo (shojo) – girl
Shonen (shonen) – boy
Shotai - squad
Shonen-Ai - literally means 'boy's love', a close (very!) relationship between men
Sono – those, these
Sora - sky
Spatula (spatula) – shovel, spatula
Suishou – crystal
Sugoi is one of the three superlatives. The other two are suteki and subarashii. All three degrees are interchangeable. However, sugoi often expresses admiration for someone (power or talent) and can be mixed with a feeling of fear.
Suru – to do
Sukebe - obscene, perverted
Suki – sympathy, affection (Suki da = I love you)
Suteki – wonderful, amazing, big
Sumimasen - I'm sorry
– rice balls prepared in a special way, and all the variety of fish, seafood and vegetables. Contrary to popular belief, “sushi” in Japan is any dish that uses rice and vinegar in its preparation.

– T –

Tachi – sword
Tadaima – `I'm home!`
Takaramono - treasure
Tai – organization or club
Taihen - extremely
Taisen – battle, war
Taiyou – fang, poisonous tooth
Tankoubon – manga volume
Tanto (tanto) - Japanese knife
Tanoshii – fun, funny
Tanteidan - detective
Tamago – egg
Tamashi – soul; spirit
Tasukeru – help (Tasukete Kure! = Help me!)
Тatakau – fight, battle
Tatsu – stand
Teki - enemy
Tenku – sight, sight
Teriyaki - fried pieces of meat, previously marinated in soy sauce with lemon and onion, sweet and sour sauce or barbecue sauce
Tempura (tempura) - vegetables or fish products fried in batter
Tennou – Emperor
Tetsewon – powerful
Tsukue – table
Tsuru – crane
Terebi – television
Toki – time
Tomodachi - friend
Tonikaku – in any case/one way or another
Tora – tiger
Tori – bird
Totemo - very, extremely
Tsuchi – dirt; Earth; the soil
Tsuki – moon

Among people studying Japanese, the transcription of words is a real reason for a quarrel. Which is better to write: “ti” or “chi”, “si” or “shi”? Why is it that when a Japanese scholar sees that an anime character's name is "Senjougahara", blood starts flowing from his eyes? You will learn about the types of transcription and how to pronounce Japanese sounds in this article.

Before directly studying the signs of the Japanese alphabet, it is necessary to understand how certain sounds are pronounced and by what means they are conveyed in writing in other languages. We will consider three recording options:

1) Hepburn system (Latin);

2) kunrei-shiki (Latin);

3) Polivanov system (Cyrillic).

Hepburn system
(The Hepburn romanization system)

James Curtis Hepburn (March 13, 1815 – September 21, 1911) was a physician, translator, teacher, and Protestant missionary. In 1867, he published a Japanese-English dictionary in Shanghai. Later, the Japanese society "Romajikai", developing projects for the romanization of Japanese writing, borrowed and slightly modified English transcription Japanese words used in the second edition of this dictionary. In 1886, in the third edition, published in Tokyo, Hepburn presented a new transcription that completely coincides with that created by the Romajikai society.

After World War II, Hepburn's transcription quickly gained popularity. The Japanese use it to write down names on passports, names of places on road signs, and names of companies. Japanese language textbooks for foreigners also use Hepburn's transcription. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the characters of the Latin alphabet convey the sound of Japanese words from the point of view of native speakers in English, without taking into account how sounds are perceived by the Japanese themselves.

Kunrei-shiki (訓令式)

This version of the transcription was created in 1885 by Professor Tanakadate Aikitsu (September 18 - May 21, 1952). The presence of two ways to write Japanese words in Latin letters caused controversy and confusion, so it was decided to choose only one of them. Thus, in 1937, the Kunrei-shiki system was established as a nationwide transcription standard.

This notation system is more scientific. It is most often used by the Japanese themselves and linguists studying the Japanese language. In the majority primary schools In Japan, in native language lessons, this particular way of writing Japanese words is explained.

Kunrei-shiki is a more faithful transcription from the point of view of the language system, reflecting sounds as the Japanese themselves perceive them. ABOUThowever, it may cause a non-native Japanese speaker to pronounce words incorrectly (more on this later).

Polivanov system

Evgeniy Dmitrievich Polivanov (March 12, 1891 – January 25, 1938) - Russian and Soviet linguist, orientalist and literary critic. He was involved in the study and research of various dialects of the Japanese language, phonology, as well as teaching and political activities. In 1917, he proposed a system for writing Japanese words in Cyrillic, which is still widely used today.

In its structure, Polivanov's system is similar to kurei-shiki: it is scientific and logical, but can contribute to misunderstanding of the rules of pronunciation of some Japanese sounds. Therefore, at present there are many disputes, as well as discrepancies in the Cyrillic recording of Japanese words.

Polivanov’s recording method conflicts with the so-called “folk” transcription, which, due to its unsystematic nature, will be considered in this article only in comparison with Polivanov’s.

Let's look at all three transcription methods in a comparative table:

Comparative table of transcriptions

Pay attention to the syllables in bold. They are the ones that always cause confusion when writing Japanese words in Cyrillic or Latin.

You may have noticed that in Russian transcription, for example, the letter “sh” is not used. That is why knowledgeable people are outraged that the word “sushi” is written this way, and not as “sushi.” There is no letter “e” in Cyrillic transcription. However, many words like “sushi”, “geisha” and “anime” have already firmly entered into everyday life in such a modified form.

Several factors contribute to the incorrect writing of Japanese words in Cyrillic. For example, when translating English-language texts in which Japanese realities are found, people, not knowing about the existence of Polivanov’s system, will write words in Russian, relying on their Latin version. Accordingly, “sh” can easily turn into “sh”, “j” into “j”, etc.

But another, most important factor is the auditory perception of the sounds of the Japanese language and, accordingly, their recording in a different way. So how are they pronounced?

Japanese pronunciation

In general, for a Russian person Japanese pronunciation will not seem difficult. Some confusion may arise due to attempts to read the transcription in the manner of the Russian language. Below we will describe how certain sounds are pronounced in the syllables of kana. However, to better understand the peculiarities of pronunciation, we advise you to use the Internet to listen to Japanese pronunciation. For example, here you will find, and here. The resource provides the opportunity to listen to the pronunciation of syllables of the Japanese alphabet by clicking the mouse.

A - looks like Russian A; pronounced the same way as in the Russian word “sam”.

And – sounds like the Russian sound in the word “world”; if I is in a word after a vowel sound (except uh), it starts to sound like th.

U - lips do not round and do not stretch forward, as when pronouncing Russian at, but on the contrary, they stretch slightly, as when pronouncing And. The Japanese sound u resembles a sound average between Russians at And s.

E - sounds like a Russian sound uh in the word “these”; does not soften the preceding consonant sound (therefore, it is incorrect to convey it in writing with the Russian letter “e”, as often happens in “folk” transcription).

O - pronounced like a Russian sound O, however, the lips do not stretch, but are only slightly rounded.

K and G - these sounds are pronounced in all syllables in the same way as Russian To And G.

S – in the syllables SA, SU, SE, SO, pronounced the same way as the Russian sound With. In the syllables SI, SYA, SYU, SYO, the first sound is a soft hissing sound and is pronounced as an average sound between Russians sya And sch(accordingly, there can be no question of transcribing it with the letter “sh”).

DZ - in the syllables DZA, DZU, DZE, DZO sounds like a fusion of sounds d And h(that is, you don’t need to say it first d, and then h). In the syllables DZI, DZYA, DZYU, DZIO, the first sound has no analogue in Russian. It can be described as a fusion of sounds d and soft and.

T – in the syllables TA, TE, TO coincides with the Russian sound T. In the syllables TI, TYA, TYU, TYO it is pronounced as a sound, average between Russians t And h.

D - in the syllables DA, DE, DO coincides with the Russian sound d.

Ts – pronounced the same way as the Russian sound ts.

N - in the syllables NA, NI, NU, NE, BUT, NYA, NU, NIO, pronounced the same way as in Russian.

X - in the syllables HA, HE, XO is pronounced more quietly than the Russian sound X; in the syllable HI is pronounced the same as in the Russian word “giggle”.

F – sound, average between X and Russians f.

P and B - pronounced the same way as Russian sounds P And b.

M – coincides with the Russian sound m.

R – sound, average between Russian sounds l And R(pronounce the Russian sound r, but so that your tongue does not vibrate). Due to lack of sound l the Japanese use sound instead R in borrowed words. So, for example, Russian names A l ina And A R ina they will sound the same in Japanese.

The syllables Ya, Yu, Yo are pronounced the same way as Russians I, yu, yo. They are called syllables because they consist of two sounds: a consonant (th) and a vowel (a/u/o).

В – represents a sound intermediate between Russians V And at. The syllable O (を/ヲ), once part of the series VA, is not read as in, and coincides with the Russian sound O.

N (in the syllable ん/ン) – at the end of words or before vowels, pronounced as a nasal sound (as if you are saying the sound n not with your mouth, but with your nose); before the sounds b, p, m reads like Russian sound m; in all other cases it is pronounced as a Russian sound n.

Japan is a country of opportunity and the latest technology. But in addition to technological innovations in Japan, there are places untouched by progress that are shrouded in secrets and heart-warming legends. In this country the incompatible can be combined. Incredible landscapes created by nature and the tallest skyscrapers in the world, Newest technologies and ancient tales, new and old. Anyone who has visited this amazing and incredibly beautiful country at least once will want to come back here again and again.

And in order to get the most out of your trip to Japan, we want to offer you a Russian-Japanese phrasebook, which you can download or print directly from our website. There are the following topics.

Common phrases

Appeals

At customs

At the station

Walking around the city

In transport

At the hotel

Emergencies

Dates and times

Numerals

In the shop

In a cafe, restaurant

Tourism

Greetings – in order not to seem uncultured, you should be able to greet locals correctly. Just the translation and correct pronunciation of such words are collected in this topic.

Standard phrases - a list of all kinds of common phrases that will be simply necessary during communication or discussion with representatives of the local population.

Station - all the words that you need at stations are collected in one topic, here you will find any phrase you need at the station.

Passport Control – Even if you go through such strict customs and passport control as in Japan, you will find the right words To explain the purpose of your profit and where you are going, to do this you just need to open this topic.

Orientation in the city - Japan is a huge country, and if you decide to walk around megacities such as Tokyo without a Russian-Japanese phrasebook, you will most likely get lost and spend a long time looking for where you came from. Therefore, while walking around a big city, keep this topic open.

Transport - using public transport Make sure that you have this particular topic open in the phrasebook, because here there is a translation of all the necessary questions and words related to transport.

Hotel - staying at a hotel can be even more enjoyable if you have a phrase book at hand, which contains all the necessary questions and words, for example, to ask for your room to be cleaned or for lunch to be brought to your room, and much more.

Emergencies - in a foreign city, and even more so in a foreign country, you always need to be sure that you have enough funds to protect yourself from emergencies. If something happens to you in Japan, you can always open this topic and call passers-by for help, call an ambulance or representatives of the law.

Dates and times – if you have a meeting or some kind of event scheduled for a certain time, and you forgot your watch in your hotel room, don’t worry, you can always find out what time it is from passers-by by opening a topic that has a translation of all the questions necessary for this and phrases.

Shopping - when visiting stores, you need to know how to pronounce and translate the name of a particular product in order to ask the seller to give you what you are looking for. In this section you can find a large list of products and phrases that are often used in stores.

Restaurant – If you want to visit a Japanese restaurant, you will want to know what the dishes on the menu consist of. For this purpose, this section has been created, with translations of the most frequently asked questions in the restaurant.
Numbers and figures – full list figures and numbers, with translation and correct pronunciation.