Phrase guides
Japanese phrase guides for your trip
The Japanese you'll actually say in Japan, one situation at a time: what to say, what you'll hear back, and the manners around it. Every phrase comes with its reading, its JLPT level and a note on when to use it.
Why you can read Japanese but freeze when you speak — and the weekly routine that fixes it
Why reading ahead of speaking is normal, a weekly routine that closes the gap, and the phrases that rescue a conversation.
How to order food in Japanese: every line you'll say, and every line you'll hear back
From 「何名様ですか」 at the door to 「ごちそうさまでした」 on the way out, including allergies and paying separately.
Japanese for trains, buses and taxis: the three phrases that get you anywhere
The ticket counter, platforms, directions, taxis and rural buses — and the lost-property office when it goes wrong.
Japanese for hotels and ryokan: check in smoothly, and complain without sounding rude
Checking in, ryokan dinners and baths, and complaining about a cold room without sounding rude.
Japanese small talk: the five questions everyone will ask you, and how to answer them
The questions you'll be asked, how to react, and how to turn a chat into plans.
Japanese for shopping: the register script, sizes, and how to shop tax-free
Prices, sizes and fitting rooms, paying, tax-free shopping and souvenirs.
Japanese for when things go wrong: the phrases to learn before you need them
Emergency numbers, the pharmacy, the koban and lost property — the phrases you hope not to need.
Japanese etiquette phrases: the one pattern that gets you forgiven at shrines, temples and onsen
Asking permission, praying at a shrine, onsen rules, and recovering when you get it wrong.
Kiko
Knowing the phrase is half of it
The other half is saying it with someone waiting. Kiko plays the other person in each of these situations, by voice, and shows you what to fix. Join the waitlist for 25% off for life.