Here are 60 Japanese words for an ordinary day, from 起きる (okiru, to get up) to 寝る (neru, to go to bed), each with a romaji reading. Verbs are listed in dictionary form; in polite speech they end in ます: 起きます, 寝ます. The list also covers the commute, shopping, weather, chores and greetings.
- Words
- 60: routine, commute, weather, chores, greetings
- Verbs
- dictionary form here; polite form ends in ます
- Level
- A1–A2
- Read them in
- Contos stories (chapters 1–2 free)
60 Japanese words for the day
Words are in their usual spelling with a Hepburn reading. Several entries are short phrases, such as 歯を磨く (to brush your teeth), because Japanese builds them from a noun, a particle and a verb. This is the daily-life pack the Contos web app uses for flashcard review.
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 目が覚める | me ga sameru | to wake up |
| 起きる | okiru | to get up |
| 服を着る | fuku o kiru | to get dressed |
| 歯を磨く | ha o migaku | to brush your teeth |
| シャワーを浴びる | shawā o abiru | to take a shower |
| シャワー | shawā | shower |
| 目覚まし時計 | mezamashi dokei | alarm clock |
| 寝る | neru | to go to bed |
| 通勤する | tsūkin suru | to commute |
| バス停 | basutei | bus stop |
| 駅 | eki | station |
| ホーム | hōmu | platform |
| 切符 | kippu | ticket |
| 時刻表 | jikokuhyō | timetable |
| スーパー | sūpā | supermarket |
| 買い物をする | kaimono o suru | to do the shopping |
| 並ぶ | narabu | to queue |
| レシート | reshīto | receipt |
| 現金で払う | genkin de harau | to pay in cash |
| カードで払う | kādo de harau | to pay by card |
| 天気 | tenki | weather |
| 晴れ | hare | sunny |
| 曇り | kumori | cloudy |
| 風が強い | kaze ga tsuyoi | windy |
| 雨が降っている | ame ga futte iru | it is raining |
| 雪が降っている | yuki ga futte iru | it is snowing |
| 傘 | kasa | umbrella |
| 今日 | kyō | today |
| 明日 | ashita | tomorrow |
| 昨日 | kinō | yesterday |
| 今夜 | kon'ya | tonight |
| いつも | itsumo | always |
| たいてい | taitei | usually |
| よく | yoku | often |
| 時々 | tokidoki | sometimes |
| 全然〜ない | zenzen … nai | never |
| 早く | hayaku | early |
| 遅く | osoku | late |
| 毎日 | mainichi | every day |
| 週末 | shūmatsu | weekend |
| 洗濯する | sentaku suru | to do the laundry |
| 皿を洗う | sara o arau | to do the washing-up |
| 片付ける | katazukeru | to tidy up |
| ゴミ箱 | gomibako | rubbish bin |
| 近所の人 | kinjo no hito | neighbour |
| 鍵 | kagi | key |
| エレベーター | erebētā | lift |
| 階段 | kaidan | stairs |
| 急ぐ | isogu | to be in a hurry |
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | hello |
| ようこそ | yōkoso | welcome |
| おやすみなさい | oyasumi nasai | good night |
| さようなら | sayōnara | goodbye |
| お願いします | onegai shimasu | please |
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | thank you |
| ごめんなさい | gomen nasai | sorry |
| すみません | sumimasen | excuse me |
| お元気ですか | ogenki desu ka | how are you |
| また後で | mata ato de | see you later |
| はじめまして | hajimemashite | nice to meet you |
How do you describe your day in Japanese?
Put the time first with に, then the verb in its polite ます form: 七時に起きます (shichiji ni okimasu), I get up at seven. Japanese has no separate future tense, so 起きます also means "I will get up". Two verb types cover almost everything in this list: verbs ending in -iru or -eru, such as 起きる and 寝る, drop る and add ます; most others change their last sound from -u to -i before ます.
| Dictionary form | Polite | Polite past | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 起きる (okiru) | 起きます (okimasu) | 起きました (okimashita) | to get up |
| 寝る (neru) | 寝ます (nemasu) | 寝ました (nemashita) | to go to bed |
| 歯を磨く (ha o migaku) | 歯を磨きます (ha o migakimasu) | 歯を磨きました (ha o migakimashita) | to brush your teeth |
| 急ぐ (isogu) | 急ぎます (isogimasu) | 急ぎました (isogimashita) | to hurry |
| 通勤する (tsūkin suru) | 通勤します (tsūkin shimasu) | 通勤しました (tsūkin shimashita) | to commute |
今日 も さくら は 急いで います。Kyō mo Sakura wa isoide imasu.
毎朝七時に起きて、シャワーを浴びます。
Maiasa shichiji ni okite, shawā o abimasu.
Every morning I get up at seven and have a shower.
電車で通勤します。
Densha de tsūkin shimasu.
I commute by train.
昨日は早く寝ました。
Kinō wa hayaku nemashita.
I went to bed early yesterday.
いつも, よく and 時々: how often?
Frequency words usually come near the start of the sentence, after the topic: 私はいつも…. 毎日 (mainichi, every day), like 今日 and 明日, takes no particle, while a clock time takes に.
毎日 この 時間 に、 同じ 場所 に 立つ。Mainichi kono jikan ni, onaji basho ni tatsu.
いつもバスで行きます。
Itsumo basu de ikimasu.
I always go by bus.
週末はたいてい家にいます。
Shūmatsu wa taitei ie ni imasu.
At weekends I'm usually at home.
時々スーパーで買い物をします。
Tokidoki sūpā de kaimono o shimasu.
I sometimes do the shopping at the supermarket.
お酒は全然飲みません。
Osake wa zenzen nomimasen.
I never drink alcohol.
Weather, chores and the greetings people really use
Talk about the weather with 天気 (tenki): いい天気ですね (ii tenki desu ne), lovely day, isn't it? Rain and snow "fall" with the verb 降る (furu), so the list's 雨が降っている is "it is raining" right now.
雪 が 降っていた。Yuki ga futte ita.
Chores use the same patterns: 洗濯する (sentaku suru) for the laundry, 皿を洗う (sara o arau) for the washing-up. ゴミ箱 (gomibako) is written with katakana ゴミ even though ゴミ is a native Japanese word, not a loanword; katakana is also used to make a word stand out.
Three greetings in the list need a word of warning. お元気ですか (ogenki desu ka) is for someone you have not seen for a while, not a daily "how are you?". さようなら (sayōnara) sounds final; friends say じゃあね (jā ne) or また明日 (mata ashita). And すみません (sumimasen) does three jobs: excuse me, sorry, and thank you for the trouble. See how to say excuse me and how to say goodbye for more.
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Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between 起きる and 目が覚める?
目が覚める (me ga sameru) is waking up: your eyes open. 起きる (okiru) is getting up out of bed. In casual speech people use 起きる for both, so 何時に起きますか means what time do you get up.
How do you say "every morning" in Japanese?
毎朝 (maiasa). The same 毎 builds every day (毎日, mainichi), every night (毎晩, maiban), every week (毎週, maishū) and every month (毎月, maitsuki).
Does お元気ですか mean "how are you?"
Only when you haven't seen someone for a while, or in a letter. Day to day, Japanese doesn't ask how are you; people greet each other with おはようございます or こんにちは.
When do you say おやすみなさい?
When someone is going to bed, or when you leave people late at night. With family and friends, the short おやすみ (oyasumi) is normal.