Japanese Lesson #2

Nice to see some of you using this in e-mails, msn etc. Part two of basic greetings follows. Are there any other topics or areas you’re interested in? Again, in order is the English meaning, the word/phrase in Japanese and the pronunciation phonetically (small letters = soft, capitals = hard; ~ = hold the letter before for double the length), the hiragana and the katakana:

How do you do
Hajimemashite / ha-jEE-meh-mash-te
はじめまして / ハジメマシテ

Pleased to meet you
Douzo yoroshiku / do~zO yo-rosh-kOO
どうぞ よろしく / ドウゾ ヨロシク

Same here*
Kochira koso / ko-chi-ra ko-so
こちら こそ / コチラ コソ

Thank you very much
Arigatou gozaimasu / a-rEE-ga-toe goh-zaI-mass
ありがとう ございあす / アリガトウ ゴザイマス

Thank you very much**
Doumo arigatou gozaimasu / do~moe…
どうも / ドウモ

You’re welcome
Dou itashimashite / dO~ i-ta-shEE-mash-te
どう いたしまして / ドウ イタシマシテ

Excuse me
Sumimasen / sOO-mEE-mah-sen
すみません / スミマセン

I’m sorry
Gomen nasai / go-men na-saI
ごまえん なさい / ゴメン ナサイ

*pleased to meet you too / the pleasure is mine
**overly-polite form. Said if a) someone saves your life or b) by a shop-worker when you choose their till.