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Core foundations of Japanese – HearSay

Japanese A1

Master essential Japanese greetings and counting while on the go. Practice speaking and listening to navigate personal introductions with confidence.

Lessons

Basic Japanese greetings
Start your journey into Japanese by learning how to greet people at different times of the day with proper respect.
Vocabulary
- おはようございます (Good morning)
- こんにちは (Good afternoon)
- こんばんは (Good evening)
- はい (Yes)
- いいえ (No)
Objectives
- Greet someone in the morning
- Greet someone in the evening
- Say yes and no
Nice to meet you
Learn the essential phrases for making a strong first impression and expressing your desire for a good relationship.
Vocabulary
- はじめまして (Nice to meet you)
- よろしくおねがいします (Please treat me well)
- 私 (I)
- あなた (You)
- です (Am/is/are)
Objectives
- Introduce yourself formally
- Express a desire for a good relationship
- Use the basic copula to state facts
Farewells and politeness
Master the art of parting ways and expressing basic gratitude in everyday situations.
Vocabulary
- さようなら (Goodbye)
- またね (See you later)
- おやすみなさい (Good night)
- ありがとうございます (Thank you)
- すみません (Excuse me/I'm sorry)
Objectives
- Say goodbye in formal settings
- Wish someone a good night
- Express thanks and apologize
Casual hellos
Not all situations require strict formality. Learn how to casually greet friends and ask how they are.
Vocabulary
- やほ (Hi/Yahoo)
- 元気 (Healthy/Energetic)
- ですか (Question particle)
- おかげさまで (Thanks to you)
- どうも (Thanks/Very)
Objectives
- Greet a friend casually
- Ask how someone is doing
- Respond positively to a greeting
Introducing your name
Practice stating your name properly and inquiring about the names of others.
Vocabulary
- 名前 (Name)
- 何 (What)
- と申します (Am called)
- こちら (This person/way)
- さん (Mr./Ms.)
Objectives
- State your name formally
- Ask someone's name politely
- Introduce a third person
Where are you from
Share your origin and hometown, an excellent icebreaker in both casual and formal settings.
Vocabulary
- 出身 (Hometown/Origin)
- イギリス (UK)
- 日本 (Japan)
- アメリカ (USA)
- からきました (Came from)
Objectives
- State your home country
- Ask where someone is from
- Recognize common country names
Sharing your profession
Discuss your job or current status as a student to give others context about your life.
Vocabulary
- 学生 (Student)
- 会社員 (Office worker)
- エンジニア (Engineer)
- 医者 (Doctor)
- 仕事 (Job/Work)
Objectives
- State your profession
- Ask what someone does for work
- Identify common job titles
Exchanging business cards
Navigate the vital business custom of exchanging meishi (business cards) with both hands.
Vocabulary
- 名刺 (Business card)
- どうぞ (Here you go/Please)
- 頂戴します (I humbly accept)
- 会社 (Company)
- 会議 (Meeting)
Objectives
- Offer your business card politely
- Accept a business card with respect
- Discuss your company
Pronouns and honorifics
Understand how to address others respectfully without relying heavily on personal pronouns.
Vocabulary
- 彼 (He)
- 彼女 (She)
- 誰 (Who)
- さま (Formal title)
- くん (Informal title for young men)
Objectives
- Use appropriate name suffixes
- Ask who someone is
- Refer to a third person
Counting from one to three
Start learning the Sino-Japanese numbering system, perfect for counting money and mathematics.
Vocabulary
- 一 (One)
- 二 (Two)
- 三 (Three)
- 数字 (Number)
- 数える (To count)
Objectives
- Count from one to three
- Recognize basic kanji for numbers
- Discuss numbers in general
Counting from four to six
Continue counting upwards, while learning about the cultural superstitions surrounding the number four.
Vocabulary
- 四 (Four)
- 五 (Five)
- 六 (Six)
- 電話 (Telephone)
- 番号 (Number/Series)
Objectives
- Count from four to six
- Understand unlucky numbers in Japan
- Ask for a telephone number
Counting from seven to ten
Complete the base ten Sino-Japanese numbers, allowing you to combine them for larger values.
Vocabulary
- 七 (Seven)
- 八 (Eight)
- 九 (Nine)
- 十 (Ten)
- ゼロ (Zero)
Objectives
- Count from seven to ten
- Use zero in numbers
- Read basic number sequences
Asking for contact information
Exchange digital contact information politely without being overly intrusive.
Vocabulary
- メール (Email)
- アドレス (Address)
- 教える (To teach/tell)
- 携帯 (Mobile phone)
- スマホ (Smartphone)
Objectives
- Ask for an email address
- Share your phone number
- Politely request contact details
Sharing your age
Learn to talk about age, keeping in mind that it can be a sensitive topic in formal Japanese culture.
Vocabulary
- 歳 (Years old)
- 誕生日 (Birthday)
- 二十歳 (20 years old)
- 若い (Young)
- 年齢 (Age)
Objectives
- State your age
- Ask for someone's birthday
- Use the special term for twenty
Ordering one to three items
Switch to the native Japanese counting system, essential for ordering food and counting small objects.
Vocabulary
- 一つ (One thing)
- 二つ (Two things)
- 三つ (Three things)
- これ (This)
- ください (Please give me)
Objectives
- Order a single item at a cafe
- Order up to three items
- Point to and request an object
Ordering four to six items
Continue with the native counting system for objects, expanding your ability to shop and dine.
Vocabulary
- 四つ (Four things)
- 五つ (Five things)
- 六つ (Six things)
- それ (That)
- あれ (That over there)
Objectives
- Count objects up to six
- Distinguish between this, that, and that over there
- Request multiple items
Ordering seven to nine items
Finish the native counting system and learn to ask about prices and quantities.
Vocabulary
- 七つ (Seven things)
- 八つ (Eight things)
- 九つ (Nine things)
- いくつ (How many)
- 注文 (Order)
Objectives
- Ask how many items are needed
- Place a complex order
- Count objects up to nine
Introduction to family
Start talking about your own family using humble terms, a cornerstone of Japanese conversational modesty.
Vocabulary
- 家族 (Family)
- 父 (My father)
- 母 (My mother)
- 兄弟 (Siblings)
- 何人 (How many people)
Objectives
- Talk about your own parents
- Ask how many people are in a group
- Discuss your family size
Your own siblings
Detail your family structure by naming your siblings using humble Japanese terminology.
Vocabulary
- 兄 (My older brother)
- 姉 (My older sister)
- 弟 (My younger brother)
- 妹 (My younger sister)
- ひとり (One person)
Objectives
- Name your brothers and sisters
- State that you are an only child
- Count one person
Polite family terms
Learn the honorific terms used to discuss someone else's family, maintaining group harmony (wa).
Vocabulary
- ご家族 (Family - polite)
- お父さん (Father - polite)
- お母さん (Mother - polite)
- 両親 (Parents)
- ふたり (Two people)
Objectives
- Ask politely about someone else's family
- Refer to another person's parents
- Count two people
Privacy and boundaries
Understand Japanese views on privacy and learn how to tactfully avoid sharing certain personal details.
Vocabulary
- 秘密 (Secret)
- 個人 (Personal/Individual)
- 情報 (Information)
- 内緒 (Confidential)
- 言う (To say)
Objectives
- Express that something is a secret
- Discuss personal information generally
- Politely decline to share details
Marital status
Discuss your relationship status simply and respectfully when appropriate.
Vocabulary
- 結婚 (Marriage)
- 独身 (Single)
- 夫 (Husband)
- 妻 (Wife)
- しています (Doing/Is)
Objectives
- State if you are single or married
- Refer to your spouse
- Understand marital status questions
Discussing your home
Talk about where you live without giving away an exact address, balancing openness with privacy.
Vocabulary
- 住む (To live)
- どこ (Where)
- 東京 (Tokyo)
- 京都 (Kyoto)
- アパート (Apartment)
Objectives
- State the city where you live
- Ask where someone resides
- Describe your type of housing
Languages you speak
Share your linguistic abilities and ask others what languages they are comfortable with.
Vocabulary
- 英語 (English)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- 語 (Language)
- 話す (To speak)
- 少し (A little)
Objectives
- State that you speak English
- Explain you speak a little Japanese
- Ask what language someone speaks
Hobbies and interests
Find common ground by discussing your hobbies, a universally safe and polite topic.
Vocabulary
- 趣味 (Hobby)
- 映画 (Movie)
- 音楽 (Music)
- 読む (To read)
- 見る (To see/watch)
Objectives
- Talk about your hobbies
- Express interest in music or movies
- Ask what someone likes to read
Likes and dislikes
Express your preferences for food and drink to make social dining easier and more fun.
Vocabulary
- 好き (Like)
- 嫌い (Dislike)
- 食べ物 (Food)
- 飲み物 (Drink)
- 美味しい (Delicious)
Objectives
- Express what food you like
- Comment on delicious meals
- Politely state a dislike
Weekend activities
Ask colleagues and friends about their weekend plans to build better relationships.
Vocabulary
- 週末 (Weekend)
- 何を (What - object)
- しますか (Do you do?)
- 友達 (Friend)
- 遊ぶ (To play/hang out)
Objectives
- Ask about weekend plans
- State you are hanging out with friends
- Describe basic actions
Reviewing personal details
Bring together greetings, numbers, and personal info in a comprehensive wrap-up lesson.
Vocabulary
- 本当 (Truth/Really)
- いつも (Always)
- 楽しい (Fun)
- 嬉しい (Happy)
- また (Again)
Objectives
- Express joy at meeting someone
- Confirm personal details
- Propose meeting again