If you're an anime otaku, you're bound to come across a few situations where you don't want to seem like an ignorant Gaijin (foreigner).  Here to help you in those cases is the ToT's "Turning Japanese" Vocabulary and Common Phrase" Guide!  Even though I've only taken a year and a 1/2 of Japanese, I know enough to pass on my knowledge to other people.

This guide can be used for many things, such as:

• Impressing your friends and family with a few Japanese words

• Understand DBZ and other subtitled anime a little bit more

• Writing fanfics with a little bit of authentic Japanese added for spice

• Just learning for the hell of it. ^_^

Hiragana Chart

courtesy of Super Majin Tom

Katakana (for foreign words) Chart

courtesy of Super Majin Tom

Lesson 1:  Greetings/Salutations

Ohayoo gozaimasu = Good morning

Konnichi wa = Hello; good afternoon

Konban wa = Good evening

Sayoonara = Good bye

Lesson 2:  Common, Every-day Phrases

Ee, soo desu = That is right

Iie, chigaimasu = That is wrong; you are mistaken

Kyoo wa ii tenki desu ne = Nice weather today, isn't it?

Sumimasen = Excuse me

Arigatoo (gozaimasu) = Thank you (polite form)

Doo itashimashite = You're welcome

Hajimemashite = Nice to meet you

Chooto maate = wait for a moment

Ii desu = it's ok

Hai (ee) = yes

Iie = no

NAME-san = Mr./Ms./Mrs.

NAME-senee = Teacher; Professor

COUNTRY-jin = [Nationality]

COUNTY-go = [Language]

NOUN + desu = to be; am; is; are

NOUN + wa = [Topic]

SENTENCE + ka = [Question]

Lesson 3:  Numbers

Lesson 4: Time

NUMBER + ji = __ o' clock

NUMEBER + ji-han = half past....

Gozen = A.M.

Gogo = P.M.; afternoon

Ima = Now

Asa = Morning

Hiru = Daytime; noon

Yoru = Night; evening

Lesson 5: Vocabulary - Part 1

Hon = Book

Jisho = Dictionary

Enpitsu = Pencil

Tsukue = Desk

Isu = Chair

Kasa = Umbrella

Tokee = Watch; clock

Kaban = Bag

Kutsu = Shoes

Kustu-shita = Socks

Mado = Window

Tatemono = Building

Gakkoo = School

Toshokan = Library

Byooin = Hospital

Lesson 6:  Colors

Akai = Red

Shiroi = White

Aoi = Blue

Kuroi = Black

Lesson 7:  Common Questions

Ikura desu ka? = How much is it?

Nan-ji desu ka? = What time is it?

Wakarimasu ka? = Do you understand?

Ii desu ka? = Is it ok?

O-namae wa nan desu ka? = What is your name?

Lesson 8: Places

Daigaku = University; college

Kyooshitsu = Classroom

Yuubinkyoku = Post office

Ginkoo = Bank

Kissaten = Coffee shop

Shokudo = Dining room

Hoteru = Hotel

Chikatetsu = Subway

Lesson 9:  People

Watashi = I; me

Hito = Person; people

Kodomo = Child

Otoko = male

Otoko no hito = man

Otoko  no ko = boy

Onna = female

Onna no hito = woman

Onna no ko = girl

Go-shujin = Husband

Okusan = Wife

Gakusei = Student

Sensei = Teacher

Lesson 10 : Locations

Ue = Top; on; above

Shita = Bottom; underneath; below

Naka = Middle; inside; in

Mae = Front; before

Ushiro = Back; behind; rear

Tonari = Next to; adjacent

Soba = Near; close by

Yoko = Side; beside

Koko = this place; here

Soko = this place; there

Asoko = that place; over there

Doko = which place?

Lesson 11: Vocabulary - Part 2

Tenki = Weather

GOHAN! (hehe, I couldn't resist) = meal; cooked rice

Mizu = Water

Ocha = Tea

Terebi = Television

Eega = Movie

Shinbun = Newspaper

Zaashi = Magazine

Uchi = home; house

Kaisha = Office; company

Eki = (train) station

Neko = Cat

Inu = Dog

imasu = there is; (for things that are alive)

arimasu = there is; (for things that are not alive)

Lesson 12:  Days of the Week

Nichiyoobi = Sunday

Getsuyoobi = Monday

Kayoobi = Tuesday

Suiyoobi = Wednesday

Mokuyoobi = Thursday

Kinyoobi = Friday

Doyoobi = Saturday

Nan-yoobi = what day of the week

Lesson 13:  When Things Occur

Kyoo = Today

Ashita = Tomorrow

Kinoo = Yesterday

NOUN + no + ato = after...

Taitei = Usually

Tokidoki = Sometimes

Sugu = Immediately

Mada = Not yet

Mou = Already; any more

Hayai = Early; fast

Osoi = Late

TIME + goo = around...; about...

Lesson 14:  Verbs

Wakaru = to understand

Hajimaru = to begin; to start

Owaru = to end

Kaeru = to return

Iku = to go

Yomu = to read

Nomu = to drink

Taberu = to eat

Miru = to see

Okiru = to wake up

Neru = to go to sleep

Kuru = to come

Benkyoo shimasu = to study

Shigoto shimasu = to work

Au = to see (a person); to meet

Tariru = to be enough

Hanasu = to talk; to chat; speak

Korosu = to kill

Kiku = to listen to; to hear

Tsukau = to use

Mitsu = to wait

Yobu = to call; to invite

Shinu = to die

Isogo = to be in a hurry

Tatsu = to stand up

Yakutatatsu = to be helpful

Ganbaru = to try one's best

Tasukaru = to be saved; to  help out

Agaru = to enter a Japanese style house

Lesson 15: Vocabulary- Part 3

Yakyuu = Baseball

Suiei = Swimming

Supootsu =  Sports

Ame = Rain

Yuki = Snow

Kami = Paper

Shosetsu = Novel

Koukou = High school

Bangumi = Progam (t.v, radio)

Koto = Thing

Tesuto = Test

Suteeki = Steak

Sarada = Salad

Beeru = Beer

Nooto = Notebook

Rekuudo = Record

Iroro = Various

Takai = Expensive

Demo = But; however

Hanashi = Story

Paatii = Party

Kaijyoo = Place of meeting

Tomodachi = Friend

Niku = Meat

Toriniku = Chicken

Yasai = Vegetable

Sakana = Fish

Tamago = Egg

Mise = Store

Tokoro = Place

Mono = Thing; object

Doo = How

Dooshite = How come?

Lesson 16:  Sentence Particles

wa = [topic of sentence] example: watashi was genki = I am healthy (wa comes after the noun)

mo = [showing similarity; also] example: sensee wa nihon-jin.  gakusee mo nihon-jin = The teacher is Japanese.  The student is also Japanese.

e = [to go to a place] example:   toshokan e ikimasu = go to the library

de = [to show that something is taking place somewhere] example: kissaten de benkyoo shimasu = study in the coffee shop

ga = [shows the noun as an object] example: neko ga imasu = there is a cat

ni = [shows location]  example: Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu = there is a book on top of the desk

no = [noun modification] example:   watashi no hon = my book

o = [to show that something is being done to something] example:  Mary ga John o korosu = Mary killed John

Lesson 17: Vocabulary - Part 4

Ookii = Large; big

Chiisai = Small

Yasui = Cheap

Atarashii = New

Furui = Old (not someone's age)

Oishii = Delicious

Hiroi = Spacious; wide

Isogashii = Busy

Hima = To have free time

Shizuka = Quiet

Nigiyaka = Lively; bustling

Kireina = Pretty; clean

Riipa = Impressive

Genki = Healthy; well; full of energy

Taihen = Tough

Zannen = Regrettable; too bad

Kouen = Park

Taihen = very; extremely

Omoshiroi = Interesting

Tsumaranai = Uninteresting; boring

Kiipo = Ticket