The 100 most common words in Japanese

Learning Japanese often begins with mastering the basic words that form the basis of everyday communication. Whether you are a lover of Japanese culture or a future traveler to the Land of the Rising Sun, knowing these key words will be very useful to you. So let's not wait any longer and dive straight into the fundamentals of the Japanese language.

私 (watashi) - I, me
あなた (anata) - You
彼 (kare) - He
彼女 (kanojo) - She
それ (sore) - That
これ (kore) - This
それら (sorera) - Those
これら (korera) - These
どれ (dore) - Which
だれ (dare) - Who
どこ (doko) - Where
いつ (itsu) - When
なぜ (naze) - Why
どう (dou) - How
そして (soshite) - And
または (matawa) - Or
だから (dakara) - So
しかし (shikashi) - But
もし (moshi) - If
これから (korekara) - From now on
それから (sorekara) - And then
まだ (mada) - Still
もう (mou) - Already
今 (ima) - Now
後で (atode) - Later
前に (mae ni) - Before
一緒に (issho ni) - Together
だけ (dake) - Only
もっと (motto) - More
少し (sukoshi) - A little
たくさん (takusan) - A lot
全部 (zenbu) - All
何 (nani) - What
何も (nanimo) - Nothing
どちら (dochira) - Which one
どれほど (dorehodo) - How much
どれくらい (dorekurai) - How long
どのように (dono youni) - How to
どうして (doushite) - How come
お願いします (onegaishimasu) - Please
ありがとう (arigatou) - Thank you
ごめんなさい (gomennasai) - I'm sorry
はい (hai) - Yes
いいえ (iie) - No
大丈夫 (daijoubu) - It's okay
分かりました (wakarimashita) - I understand
わかりません (wakarimasen) - I don't understand
行きます (ikimasu) - Go
来ます (kimasu) - Come
見ます (mimasu) - See
聞きます (kikimasu) - Listen
話します (hanashimasu) - Speak
読みます (yomimasu) - Read
書きます (kakimasu) - Write
食べます (tabemasu) - Eat
飲みます (nomimasu) - Drink
寝ます (nemasu) - Sleep
起きます (okimasu) - Wake up
行ってきます (itte kimasu) - I'm going
行ってらっしゃい (itterasshai) - Have a good trip
おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu) - Good morning
こんにちは (konnichiwa) - Hello, Good afternoon
こんばんは (konbanwa) - Good evening
さようなら (sayounara) - Goodbye
おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai) - Good night
たくさんあります (takusan arimasu) - There are many
ほとんどありません (hotondo arimasen) - There are hardly any
一つ (hitotsu) - One
二つ (futatsu) - Two
三つ (mittsu) - Three
多い (ooi) - Many
少ない (sukunai) - Few
速い (hayai) - Fast
遅い (osoi) - Slow
長い (nagai) - Long
短い (mijikai) - Short
新しい (atarashii) - New
古い (furui) - Old
良い (yoi) - Good
悪い (warui) - Bad
安い (yasui) - Cheap
高い (takai) - Expensive
青い (aoi) - Blue
赤い (akai) - Red
白い (shiroi) - White
黒い (kuroi) - Black
色 (iro) - Color
大きい (ookii) - Big
小さい (chiisai) - Small
広い (hiroii) - Wide
狭い (semai) - Narrow
上 (ue) - Up
下 (shita) - Down
前 (mae) - Front
後ろ (ushiro) - Behind
中 (naka) - Inside
外 (soto) - Outside
左 (hidari) - Left
右 (migi) - Right
上手 (jouzu) - Good at

Thanks to this list of 100 words, you now have the basics to understand but also to make yourself understood in the land of the Rising Sun. These essential Japanese words for your next trip will allow you to approach your journey with complete peace of mind. So, ready to discover this magnificent country that is Japan? Don't hesitate to tag us on the networks and send us your most beautiful photos of Japanese landscapes!