Page 16 - Easy Japanese - Learn to Speak Japanese Quickly! (TUTTLE)

LESSON 1

Greetings and Everyday Expressions

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
千里の道も一歩から Senri no michi mo ip-po kara

In this lesson, greetings and some common expressions are introduced. To learn
each item and pronounce it like a native speaker, use the accompanying audio.

Greetings
Ohayō おはよう Good morning

Ohayō gozaimasu おはようございます Good morning (polite)
Kon’nichiwa こんにちは Hello

Kon’ban’wa こんばんは Good evening

Gozaimasu indicates politeness and formality. People who know each other well
(e.g., family members, good friends) can use just Ohayō. You should never use
the short form with your superiors (e.g., customer, teacher, supervisor).

Kon’nichiwa and kon’ban’wa cover both formal and informal situations.
Kon’nichiwa and kon’ban’wa are not used among family members but Ohayō
is.

Addressing Someone and Responding

Satō-san 佐藤さん Mr/s. Sato
Satō-sensei 佐藤先生 Prof./Dr. Sato

hai はい that’s right; I’m here; here
you are

The ending -san is a title indicating deference that is usually attached to a
person’s given name or a family name, and even some job titles. Never attach it
to your own name or the names of people in your group when speaking about
yourself or you group.

The ending -sensei is a title that can be attached to teachers, professors,