N5–N4 · 30 lessons · Lessons 1–3 free
Everyday situations: Japanese you can use in Japan
Thirty scenes, from shops, ordering and trains to the doctor, the phone, a first day at work and renting a flat: what people say, how to reply, then practice.
Lessons
- Greetings through the day: morning, out, home, goodbyeいってきます。Greetings for morning, afternoon and evening; set phrases for going out, coming home and meals; and how to say goodbye to friends, teachers and colleagues.Free
- Thanks and sorry: ありがとう, すみません, ごめんなさいすみません。ありがとうございます。How strong a thank-you or apology to choose, the three uses of 「すみません」, and how to reply when someone thanks you or apologises to you.Free
- More about yourself: origin, home, work, interests上海から来ました。Say where you are from, where you live, what you do and what you like, introduce a friend to others, and learn the basic etiquette of exchanging business cards.Free
- Convenience stores: understand the staff, say yes or noはい、お願いします。The questions staff ask at a convenience store till, how to say “yes, please” and “no, thanks”, and paying by cash, IC card or QR code.Paid
- Restaurants: party size, ordering, extras and the billおすすめは何ですか。Say how many you are, get seated, ask for recommendations, order, order more, then pay together or separately. Catch the staff’s set questions; answer briefly.Paid
- Cafés: hot or iced, size, here or takeaway, your number持ち帰りでお願いします。Order a café drink: choose hot or iced and a size, ask for less ice or soya milk, say whether it’s to have here or take away, and catch your number.Paid
- Shopping: trying on, sizes, prices, returns and tax-free試着してもいいですか。Browse, try things on, ask about sizes and colours, read prices and discounts, choose gift wrapping, then returns, tax-free and finding everyday items.Paid
- Asking the way: ask, follow the directions, read maps駅までどう行けばいいですか。Ask a passer-by the way, whether a place is near and how far; follow directions like “straight on, right at the second lights”; read maps and signs; say thanks.Paid
- Trains: ask staff, change, announcements, missed stopsすみません、桜町に行きたいんですが。Ask station staff the way, where to change and whether a train stops there; use IC cards and top up; catch announcements; handle missed stops and wrong trains.Paid
- Taxis and buses: destination, stopping, boarding, payingここで止めてください。Taxis: give your destination, direct the driver, say where to stop, pay and get a receipt. Buses: which door, when to pay, check the route, press the bell.Paid
- Hotels: checking in and out, luggage, room problemsお湯が出ないんですが。Check in and out at reception, catching room numbers and breakfast and check-out times; leave your bags; report problems like no hot water with 「〜んですが」.Paid
- Seeing a doctor: symptoms, questions and adviceきのうから咳が出ています。Show your insurance card and fill in the questionnaire; say what hurts, whether you have a fever or cough, since when; follow the doctor’s questions and advice.Paid
- Pharmacies: finding medicine, allergies, dosage風邪薬はありますか。Find cold medicine and painkillers; tell the pharmacist your symptoms, allergies and other medicines; follow how often and when to take it; get prescriptions.Paid
- Post office and bank: parcels, stamps, ATMs, forms航空便でお願いします。At the post office, say where and how to send things and buy stamps and postcards; read the boxes on forms; know ATM words for withdrawals, deposits, transfers.Paid
- Phone calls: ask for someone, leave a message, ask again佐藤さんはいらっしゃいますか。Calling a company, school or shop: give your name, ask for someone, ask for a call back, give your number, and ask people to repeat or slow down.Paid
- Making plans: time and place, changes, running late土曜日の二時でいいですか。Ask if someone is free, suggest a time and place, check with 「〜でいいですか」, offer another time, and get in touch early if plans change or you’re late.Paid
- Saying no and asking for help, gently今日はちょっと…。Turn down invitations softly with 「ちょっと…」 and half a reason, ask for help with 「〜てもらえませんか」, and recognise a soft no when you hear one.Paid
- Small talk: weather, weekends, hobbies, keeping it going週末はどうでしたか。Open with the weather, ask about weekends, hobbies and food, respond with 「そうですね」, 「へえ」 and 「そうなんですか」, and ask a follow-up.Paid
- Compliments: giving them and accepting them modestlyいえいえ、まだまだです。Praise people’s things and skills, accept praise with 「いえいえ、まだまだです」 or 「〜さんのおかげです」, and answer 「日本語、上手ですね」.Paid
- Visiting a home: arriving, gifts, the meal, leavingおじゃまします。Visiting a Japanese home: 「おじゃまします」 at the door, giving a gift, declining fuss and second helpings, and leaving with 「そろそろ失礼します」.Paid
- First day at work: introductions, asking, greetings今日からお世話になります。Introduce yourself, ask with 「〜を教えていただけますか」, reply 「承知しました」, and greet with 「お疲れさまです」 and 「お先に失礼します」.Paid
- Meetings and reporting: opinions, soft disagreementわたしは、SNSのほうがいいと思います。Give opinions with 「〜と思います」, disagree gently with 「確かにそうですね。でも…」, and report progress and consult your boss: report, inform, consult.Paid
- Emails and messages: work emails and LINE with friendsいつもお世話になっております。Work email openings, closings, requests and thanks; plain style and abbreviations on LINE. Know which suits whom, and never send 「りょ」 to your boss.Paid
- Renting a flat: what you want, what to ask at viewings一人で住む部屋を探しているんですが。Tell an estate agent your budget, layout and area; read listings and fees; ask about sun, storage, rubbish and noise at a viewing; say you’ll think about it.Paid
- The ward office: address, insurance, counter staff引っ越しの手続きをしたいんですが。Say what you need at the ward office; follow numbers, forms, ID checks and “go to another counter”; read form boxes; ask staff to slow down or write it down.Paid
- At the hairdresser’s: booking, your style, the length前髪はそのままでお願いします。Book a cut and give your name; explain the style with 「少し短く」, 「三センチ」, 「そのままで」; answer wash questions; ask for shorter or say it’s fine.Paid
- Emergencies: 110 and 119, your location, lost property救急です。友だちが倒れました。110 is police, 119 fire and ambulance. Tell the operator where and what happened; call for help in short sentences; report lost things at a police box.Paid
- Hobbies and experiences: chat, recommend, inviteよかったら、今度一緒に行きませんか。Talk about days off and hobbies in more detail, share experiences with 「〜たことがあります」, recommend with 「〜がおすすめです」, and invite people along.Paid
- Feelings: joy, worry, tiredness; comfort and supportきっと大丈夫ですよ。頑張ってください。Say how you feel with 「うれしい」, 「楽しみ」, 「心配」, 「残念」 and 「疲れた」, don’t speak for others’ feelings, and respond to news kindly.Paid
- Travel: tickets, rooms, sightseeing, photos, souvenirsすみません、写真を撮っていただけますか。Book the shinkansen and a ryokan, ask about hours and photos at sights, ask for a photo, buy local treats, and review the key phrases of the whole course.Paid