by C. P. Santi
Hai (はい) : (interjection) yes, okay
Eeee (えええ) : (interjection) exclamation of surprise (e.g. No! Really?)
Ganbatte (頑張れ) : (interjection) You can do it!
Gomenasai (ごめんなさい) / gomen (ごめん) : (interjection) I’m sorry
Goukon (合コン) : (noun) An organized group date
Honto ni? (本当に) : (adverb) really, truly
Hoshii (ほしい) : (verb) to want something
Iie (いいえ) : (interjection) No
Iru? (いる) : (noun) to be present
Itadakimasu (いただきます) : (expression) expression of gratitude before partaking of a meal
Itai (痛い) : (interjection) That hurts!
Ja (じゃ) : (interjection) See you, then
Kanamara Festival : A fertility festival held on the first Sunday in April in Kawasaki prefecture
Kangekai (勧化会) : Welcome party, usually at the start of the school year
Kanpai (かんぱい) : (noun) toast or drink in celebration of something
Karaage (唐揚げ) : (noun) fried chicken
Kawai sou (かわいそう): (adjective) poor, pitiable, pathetic
Konbanwa (こんばんは) : (greeting) Good evening
Konnichiwa (こんにちは) : (greeting) Hello
Kouhai (後輩) : (noun) Junior, pertains to the younger people who belong to the same program / laboratory / group
~kun (~くん): (honorific) appended to the end of a name; used for younger males
Maa (まあ) : (adverb) I guess...
Maekawa Kunio (前川国男): (person) Japanese architect; key figure in modern Japanese architecture
Matsuri (まつり): (noun) festival
Nande? (何で) : (adverb) Why? What for?
Nani? (何) : (interjection) What?
Nattou (納豆) : (noun) traditional food made from fermented soybeans, eaten with soy sauce
Ne (ねー) : (interjection) Hey; used to call someone’s attention
Nomikai (飲み会) : (noun) Drinking session / party
Nori (のり) : (noun) seaweed
Obaasan (おばあさん) : (honorific) old lady
Ohayou (おはよう) : (greeting; from Ohayou gozaimasu) Good morning
Oh (おう) : (informal greeting) Hey
Oi (おいー) : (interjection) Hey you! (Note: can be a bit aggressive)
Omedetou (おめでとう) : (greeting) Congratulations
Omoshiroi (面白い) : (adjective) interesting
Onegai (お願い): (interjection) please; to plead
Oneesan (お姉さん): (honorific) older sister, also used to call random female
Osoi (遅い) : (adjective) slow: Osoi no yo (you’re so slow)
Otaku (おたく) : (noun) a young person obsessed with computers or a particular aspect of pop culture
Otsukaresama (お疲れ様です)/ Otsukare (お疲れ様) : (greeting) job well done; thank you for working hard
Oyasumi (おやすみ) : (greeting) good night
~san (~さん) : (honorific) appended to the end of a name (usually last name) to show respect; akin to Mr. or Ms.
Sanshiro Pond : A pond in the middle of the University of Tokyo’s Hongo campus; Formally known as Ikutokuen Shinji- ike, but more popularly known as Sanshiro pond after the publication of “Sanshiro” by Soseki Natsume
Sayonara (さよなら) : (greeting) formal goodbye
~sensei (~先生) : (honorific) appended to the end of a name of a teacher or professor
Senpai (先輩) : (noun) Senior, pertains to the older people who belong to the same program / laboratory / group
Sento (銭湯) : (noun) Japanese communal bath; requires paid entrance
Shashin totte ii desu ka? (写真とっていいですか?) : (phrase) Can I take your picture?
Shochu (焼酎) : (noun) Japanese hard liquor; distilled spirit made from grains or vegetables
Sou (そう) : (interjection) so, really, seems so (really, you can use this for almost anything)
Soubetsukai (送別会) : (noun) Farewell party
Sou desu ka (そうですか) : (interjection) used to express surprise at a statement; oh really?
Sugoi (すごい) : (adjective) amazing
Sumimasen (すみません) : (interjection) Excuse me; may also mean ‘sorry’ in some instances
Tabehoudai (食べ放題) : (noun) eat-all-you-can
Take tonbo (炊けとん棒): (noun) Japanese flying toy made of bamboo
Tantakatan (タンタカタン): (noun) alcoholic drink; shochu made from basil
Tsumaranai (つまらない): (adjective) boring
Un (うん) : (expression; slang) Yes, yeah, uh huh
Yatta (ヤッター): (interjection) Yes!
Yubaba (ユウババ) : (noun) In Hayao Miyasaki’s movie “Spirited Away,” Yubaba is the proprietor of the bathhouse
Yokatta (よかった) : (adjective) good, excellent, fine, agreeable, that’s great
Yukata (浴衣) : (noun) light summer kimono
Zannen (残念) : (expression) That’s too bad