Japanese Vocabulary and Phrases Review

A collection of practice flashcards covering Japanese grammar rules, particles, essential greetings, family terms, and cultural vocabulary based on the Collins Japanese 3000 Words and Phrases guide.

What is the most understandable system for writing Japanese in Roman characters for English speakers according to the text?

The Hepburn system

How are long vowels typically written in the Hepburn system used in this book?

With a bar over the top (ā, ē, ō, ū), except for the double i (ii)

Identify four ways Japanese grammar is described as simpler compared to European languages.

No gender, no articles, no difference between singular and plural, and verbs do not change according to the subject.

In Japanese grammar, what are the only two tense forms verbs have?

Past and non-past (present or future)

What is the polite ending for Japanese verbs?

-masu

What is the basic word order in a Japanese sentence?

Subject – Object – Verb

In Japanese, what particle is used as the topic marker?

wa

Which particle functions as the direct object marker?

o

Which particle indicates the means by which an action is carried out or where an action take place?

de

What particle is used at the end of a sentence to mark a question?

ka

How do you say 'Good morning' politely in Japanese?

ohayō (gozaimasu)

What is the Japanese word for 'Good evening'?

konbanwa

How do you say 'Excuse me' or 'I'm sorry' in Japanese?

sumimasen

What phrase is used for 'You're welcome' in Japanese?

iie (dō itashimashite)

How do you ask 'Where are you from?' in Japanese?

shusshin wa dochira desu ka?

What is the polite word for another person's wife?

oku-san

How do you say 'elder brother' politely when referring to someone else's brother?

onii-san

What is the Japanese word for 'Teacher' or 'Professor'?

kyōshi or sensē

How do you say '9:30' (half past nine) in Japanese?

ku-ji han desu

What is the Japanese word for 'Monday'?

getsuyōbi

How do you say 'January' in Japanese?

ichigatsu

What is the word for the 'rainy season' in Japan?

tsuyu

What are the Japanese words for '100' and '1,000'?

hyaku (100) and sen (1,000)

What is the Japanese term for the 'bullet train'?

shinkansen

In a Japanese home, what is a 'shōji'?

A paper wall panel

What are 'tatami' in the context of a Japanese room?

Matting used for flooring

What is the Japanese term for 'fermented soy beans'?

nattō

How do you say 'soy sauce' in Japanese?

shōyu

What is the word for a Japanese boxed lunch?

(o)bentō

What is the Japanese word for 'sumo wrestler'?

sumō-tori

How do you say 'cherry blossom viewing' in Japanese?

(o)hanami

What is 'mochi'?

Sticky rice cake often eaten during the New Year

What is the Japanese term for 'forest bathing'?

shinrin-yoku