The Japanese Language for Travelers

PART TWO:

Numbers and The Easy 11

In our experience, at least trying to learn a bit of a language before traveling to a foreign country, improves your experience ten-fold.

When traveling anywhere that uses a language you don’t know, we advise picking up a phrase or two. Even it it is just the “Easy 11”:

Hello, Goodbye, Excuse me, Please, Thank You, Yes, No, Where is…, How much?, and How to ask for the check.

LEARNING NUMBERS IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE

Pre-trip Prep

We find using pneumonic devices to help remember new words in foreign languages makes the learning process far more easy, fun, and we actually retain the information.

Sing-a-long!

For example, when learning numbers 1-14+ in Japanese. We used part of the lyrics and chorus from Lee Ann Rhymes, “Can’t Fight the Moonlight”. Try it out!

Eg. “But you know,

But you know that you,

Can’t fight the moonlight,

ichi, ni, san,

yon, go, roku, nana,

hachi, ku,

ju, ju-ichi, ju-

ni, ju-san, ju-yon

. . .

________________________________________

NUMBERS

Why is it helpful to learn numbers when traveling abroad? Communicating addresses, making purchases, reading menu prices, etc!

0 rei

1 ichi

2 ni

3 san

4 yon

5 go

6 roku

7 nana

8 hachi

9 kyu

10 ju

11 ju-ichi

12 ju-ni

13 ju-san

14 ju-yon

. . .

10’s – HUNDREDS

20 ni-ju

30 san-ju

40 yon-ju

50 go-ju

60 roku-ju

70 nana-ju

80 hachi-ju

90 kyu-ju

100 hyaku

200 ni-hyaku

300 san-beeyaku

400 yon-hyaku

500 go-hyaku

600 rop-hyaku

700 nana-hyaku

800 hap-hyaku

900 kyu-hyaku

1,000 sen

10,000 man

. . .

THE EASY 11

Not big on learning new languages? Stick with the Easy 11. Or use this as a starting point on your longer language learning quest.

COMMON CONVERSATIONAL PHRASES FOR TRAVELERS

Hello , Konnichiwa

Goodbye , Sayonara

Excuse me , Sumimasen

Please , Onegai

Thank You (very much) , Arigato (Gozaimasu)

Good morning , (Ohayo) Gozaimasu

ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS

Where is that? , Doko desu ka?

Forward , Massugu

Left , Hidari

Right , Migi

EATING/ORDERING

ASKING FOR THE BILL

Doko de haraimasu

For more information on traveling to Japan, check out our Japan Destinations Page, here!

August 29, 2024

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