Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Chapter 1: I Say It How? Speaking Japanese 5
Basic Japanese Sounds 5
Vowel sounds 6
Consonant sounds 8
Sounding Fluent 10
Don’t stress 10
Get in rhythm 10
Pitch perfectly 11
You Already Know a Little Japanese 12
Japanese words in English 12
English words used in Japanese 12
Picking Up Some Basic Phrases 13
Chapter 2: Grammar on a Diet: Just the Basics. 15
Using Appropriate Speech Styles 15
Forming Sentences 16
Introducing particles 17
Telling the topic 20
Dropping Understood Words 21
Using Pronouns 22
Demonstrative pronouns 22
Personal pronouns 23
Working with Verbs 25
Understanding basic verb forms 25
Doing the conjugation thing 26
Deciding on tense: Past or not past, that is the question 29
Speaking politely 30
Enhancing verbs with suffixes 31
Using the Verb Desu (To Be) 33
Describing Adjectives 34
Chapter 3: Numerical Gumbo: Counting of All Kinds 39
Knowing Your Numbers 39
Numbers from 1 to 10 39
Numbers from 11 to 99 40
Numbers from 100 to 9,999 41
Numbers from 10,000 to 100,000 42
Counting with Counters 44
Counting the months 45
Counting the days 48
Reeling off the years 50
Specifying dates and times 51
Changing with the Seasons 53
Talking about the Days of the Week 54
Telling Time 55
Telling Time Relative to Now 58
Money, Money, Money 59
Exchanging money 59
Opening a bank account 60
Making deposits and withdrawals 61
Chapter 4: Making New Friends and Enjoying Small Talk 63
Meeting and Greeting 63
Saying hello 63
Asking people their names 64
Addressing friends and strangers 65
Greeting all day long 68
Paying attention and saying so 69
Saying good-bye 69
Expressing Gratitude and Regret 70
Making Small Talk 71
Breaking the ice and asking questions 71
Talking about the weather 72
Asking people where they’re from 73
Talking about where you’re going 74
Talking about your family 74
Existing and possessing: The verbs iru and aru 76
Talking about your regular activities 78
Giving out your contact information 79
Chapter 5: Enjoying a Drink and a Snack (or Meal) 81
Making the Most of Breakfast and Lunch 81
Eating breakfast in two cultures 83
Munching your lunch 84
Dining Out 85
Ordering fast food 85
Making dinner reservations 86
Ordering in a restaurant 89
Setting your table 91
Chatting with the waiter or waitress 92
Paying for your meal 93
Expressing Your Likes and Dislikes 94
Using Proper Table Manners 95
Chapter 6: Shop ’til You Drop 97
Asking for a Particular Item 97
Comparing Items 98
Saying cheaper, more expensive, better, or worse 99
Comparing two items 100
Pointing out the best one 101
Comparing three or more items 101
Shopping for Clothes 104
Asking about color 104
Using chotto for a variety of reasons 105
Finding the right size 106
Going to a Department Store 108
Negotiating Prices 109
Paying for Your Purchases 110
Going Grocery Shopping 111
Going to a butcher 111
Buying vegetables and fruit 111
Buying fresh fish 112
Chapter 7: Making Leisure a Top Priority. 113
Using the Verb Suru (To Do) 113
Exploring Fun Places 115
Visiting museums and galleries 115
Going to the theater 116
Going to bars and clubs 117
Singing like a star at a karaoke bar 119
Talking about Your Hobbies 119
Exploring Nature 119
Living the Sporting Life 121
Saying “I Can” 121
Using Your Artistic Talent 123
Giving and Receiving Invitations 125
Making a suggestion using “why don’t we?” 125
Saying “let’s go” and “shall we go?” 126
Inviting friends to your house 127
Chapter 8: When You Gotta Work 129
Talking about Your Job 129
Managing Your Office Equipment 130
Searching for a Job 132
Talking on the Phone 134
Calling a friend 135
Calling hotels and stores 136
Asking for what you want 137
Calling a client 139
Leaving a message 140
Chapter 9: I Get Around: Transportation 143
Getting Around at the Airport 143
Getting on board 143
Going through immigration 146
Going through customs 146
Getting Around Town 147
Asking about the best 148
Getting on a bus 149
Hopping on a train 150
Hailing a taxi 153
Renting a car 153
Dealing with Directions 156
Asking “where” questions 156
Answering “where” questions 158
Giving precise directions 160
Using ordinal numbers 160
Specifying how far 162
Asking “how do I get to” questions 163
Referring to locations on the street 164
Providing actions with directions 165
Chapter 10: Finding a Place to Lay Your Weary Head. 169
Getting the Accommodations of Your Choice 169
Reserving a Room 171
Checking out room size 171
Counting the number of guests 172
Indicating the length of your stay 173
Talking with insiders and outsiders 174
Comparing costs 175
Keeping track of what’s yours with possessive pronouns 175
Checking In to a Hotel 177
Checking Out of a Hotel 179
Chapter 11: Dealing with Emergencies 181
Shouting out for Help 181
Calling the Police 184
Reporting an accident to the police 184
Finding the lost and found 187
Getting Legal Help 189
Getting Medical Help 190
Looking for a doctor 190
Pointing at your body parts 191
Complaining about your discomfort 192
Getting a diagnosis 193
Getting treatment 194
Chapter 12: Ten Favorite Japanese Expressions 195
Chapter 13: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Like a Local 197
Index 199
