Japanese Useful Phrases for N5: 25 Essential Sentences

If you are starting JLPT N5 Japanese, learn a small set of polite phrases you can actually use: greet people, say thank you, apologize, ask for an item, state that you do not understand, and ask for help. These Japanese useful phrases give you immediate survival skills while teaching the sentence patterns that recur throughout N5 grammar.

Japanese has roughly 123 million first-language speakers, concentrated mainly in Japan, with learner communities worldwide. That scale means you will hear regional accents and casual styles, but polite standard Japanese is the right starting point for N5. For a wider foundation, pair this guide with our Japanese greetings guide.

Why these phrases matter at N5

JLPT N5 is the introductory level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. The Japan Foundation describes it as a level for understanding some basic Japanese, not a test of fluent conversation. Still, the phrases below make that basic knowledge usable outside a textbook.

The key is politeness. Japanese choices change according to age, setting, distance, and role. Linguist Sachiko Ide's work on Japanese politeness distinguishes between deliberate respect and the socially expected behavior of fitting a situation. For an N5 learner, polite forms are a practical default rather than a stiff performance.

Japanese also runs on a mora-timed rhythm. A mora is a short beat, so long vowels and final sounds matter. For example, こんにちは is pronounced /koɲ.ni.tɕi.wa/ in five beats, not as one rushed English-style word.

Essential greetings and polite basics

こんにちは

こんにちは /koɲ.ni.tɕi.wa/ means hello, usually from late morning through the afternoon. Although it is written with the particle は, its final sound is /wa/, not /ha/.

In Japan, greeting a cashier, receptionist, neighbor, or teacher does not always require a long conversation. A clear こんにちは /koɲ.ni.tɕi.wa/ and a small nod show awareness of the social setting.

For more time-specific and casual options, see how to say hello in Japanese.

ありがとうございます

ありがとうございます /a.ɾi.ɡa.toː ɡo.za.i.ma.sɯ/ is the standard polite way to say thank you. The long vowel in とう takes two beats, so avoid compressing it.

You will also hear どうも /doː.mo/ as a quick thanks, especially in shops. It is useful to recognize, but ありがとうございます /a.ɾi.ɡa.toː ɡo.za.i.ma.sɯ/ is the stronger N5 habit because it works nearly everywhere.

すみません

すみません /sɯ.mi.ma.seɴ/ is one of the most valuable phrases in Japanese. It can mean excuse me, sorry, or thank you for the trouble you took.

This flexible phrase is a useful example of context-driven meaning. Makino and Tsutsui, in A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, show how Japanese expressions often depend on social context as much as direct dictionary meaning. You do not need a different phrase for every situation at first, but you do need to notice the situation.

はじめまして

はじめまして /ha.dʑi.me.ma.ɕi.te/ means nice to meet you when you meet someone for the first time. Use it at the start of an introduction, not every time you see the person afterward.

A simple N5 introduction is: はじめまして。わたしは アナです。よろしく おねがいします。 /ha.dʑi.me.ma.ɕi.te wa.ta.ɕi wa a.na de.sɯ jo.ɾo.ɕi.kɯ o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/. It means: Nice to meet you. I am Ana. I look forward to knowing you.

The final phrase, よろしく おねがいします /jo.ɾo.ɕi.kɯ o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/, does not have one exact English equivalent. It signals goodwill at the beginning of a relationship, task, or request.

Phrases for shopping, cafés, and travel

これをください

これをください /ko.ɾe o kɯ.da.sa.i/ means please give me this. Pointing is fine, and it is often more natural than trying to name an unfamiliar item.

For an item farther away, use それをください /so.ɾe o kɯ.da.sa.i/, meaning that one, please. Use あれをください /a.ɾe o kɯ.da.sa.i/ for that one over there. The three-way distinction is central to beginner Japanese: これ is near the speaker, それ is near the listener, and あれ is away from both.

At restaurants, these words make ordering much easier. Build on them with our Japanese restaurant phrases.

おねがいします

おねがいします /o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/ means please, I would like that, or I request it. It often follows a noun rather than a full sentence.

For example, みずを おねがいします /mi.zɯ o o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/ means water, please. これを おねがいします /ko.ɾe o o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/ is another polite way to request an item.

The phrase is useful when you know what you want but have not learned a complex sentence yet. In real speech, it sounds natural precisely because Japanese often leaves predictable information unstated.

いくらですか

いくらですか /i.kɯ.ɾa de.sɯ ka/ means how much is it? It is essential in markets, small shops, and any situation where a price is not visible.

The ending ですか /de.sɯ ka/ turns a statement into a polite question. Learn it as a reusable pattern: これは なんですか /ko.ɾe wa naɴ de.sɯ ka/ means what is this?, while トイレは どこですか /to.i.ɾe wa do.ko de.sɯ ka/ means where is the toilet?

トイレはどこですか

トイレはどこですか /to.i.ɾe wa do.ko de.sɯ ka/ is a direct, polite question for locating a restroom. トイレ /to.i.ɾe/ is common in daily Japanese and appears on signs.

In stations and department stores, you may also see お手洗い /o.te.a.ɾa.i/, a more formal word for restroom. At N5, recognize it on signs, but use トイレ /to.i.ɾe/ confidently in conversation.

Phrases for communication problems

わかりません

わかりません /wa.ka.ɾi.ma.seɴ/ means I do not understand or I do not know. It comes from わかる /wa.ka.ɾɯ/, to understand.

Do not feel pressure to pretend. Saying わかりません /wa.ka.ɾi.ma.seɴ/ is more useful than saying yes automatically. Japanese speakers often respond by repeating, pointing, simplifying, or using an app.

ゆっくりおねがいします

ゆっくり おねがいします /jɯk.kɯ.ɾi o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/ means slowly, please. The small っ in ゆっくり creates a held consonant, so it has four beats: /jɯk.kɯ.ɾi/.

A fuller sentence is ゆっくり はなしてください /jɯk.kɯ.ɾi ha.na.ɕi.te kɯ.da.sa.i/, meaning please speak slowly. Even if you only remember ゆっくり おねがいします /jɯk.kɯ.ɾi o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/, your meaning will be understood.

もういちどおねがいします

もういちど おねがいします /moː i.tɕi.do o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/ means one more time, please. Use it when you heard something but need it repeated.

The long vowel in もう /moː/ matters. Hold it for two morae: /mo.o/, not one quick /mo/.

These repair phrases are especially valuable for listening practice. Short scenes in dramas and everyday clips help you hear how speakers reduce or repeat these expressions. See our guide to Japanese listening practice for a structured way to train that skill.

Daily conversation phrases

だいじょうぶです

だいじょうぶです /da.i.dʑoː.bɯ de.sɯ/ can mean I am okay, it is okay, or no thank you, depending on context. It is convenient, but pay attention to the situation.

If someone asks whether you are all right after a minor bump, say だいじょうぶです /da.i.dʑoː.bɯ de.sɯ/. If a shop worker offers a bag and you do not need one, the same phrase can politely decline it.

Jorden and Noda, in Japanese: The Spoken Language, emphasize learning expressions as part of an interaction rather than as isolated word-for-word translations. だいじょうぶです /da.i.dʑoː.bɯ de.sɯ/ is an excellent case: its function changes with the question before it.

いいです

いいです /iː de.sɯ/ means it is good, that is fine, or yes, please. It can also be confusing because intonation and context can make it sound like a polite refusal.

For a beginner, use it mainly to accept something: はい、いいです /ha.i iː de.sɯ/, yes, that is fine. When declining an offer, だいじょうぶです /da.i.dʑoː.bɯ de.sɯ/ is often clearer.

じゃあね

じゃあね /dʑaː ne/ means see you, spoken with friends, classmates, or close peers. It is casual, so do not use it as your default farewell to a teacher or shop employee.

For a safe polite goodbye, say さようなら /sa.joː.na.ɾa/ in some formal departure contexts, or しつれいします /ɕi.tsɯ.ɾeː ɕi.ma.sɯ/ when leaving a workplace, classroom, or appointment. In everyday life, Japanese farewells vary strongly by setting. Our Japanese goodbye guide explains the differences.

How to turn phrases into N5 speaking ability

Memorizing a phrase is useful, but changing one word inside it is what makes it productive. Take これは なんですか /ko.ɾe wa naɴ de.sɯ ka/ and substitute objects you see. Take これをください /ko.ɾe o kɯ.da.sa.i/ and practice it with menu photos or a pretend shop.

Try this five-minute routine:

1. Listen to one phrase spoken naturally.
2. Repeat it while matching each mora.
3. Say it with a real object, image, or imagined situation.
4. Change one noun, place, or response.
5. Return to the phrase the next day.

Do not copy fictional dialogue without checking the relationship between characters. Anime speech can be intentionally rough, old-fashioned, exaggerated, or gendered. If you enjoy media-based practice, our guide to learning Japanese with anime explains how to use it without adopting inappropriate lines.

The phrases to master first

Prioritize こんにちは /koɲ.ni.tɕi.wa/, ありがとうございます /a.ɾi.ɡa.toː ɡo.za.i.ma.sɯ/, すみません /sɯ.mi.ma.seɴ/, これをください /ko.ɾe o kɯ.da.sa.i/, わかりません /wa.ka.ɾi.ma.seɴ/, and もういちど おねがいします /moː i.tɕi.do o.ne.ɡa.i ɕi.ma.sɯ/. Together, they allow you to begin an interaction, be polite, ask for something, and repair a misunderstanding.

That is a much stronger N5 goal than memorizing random word lists. Learn the phrase, hear it in context, and say it out loud with an even Japanese rhythm.