Basic Nouns

1. 水

   mi-zu

   Water

   Usage

   The basic word for drinking water; works with a gesture

2. 食べ物

   ta-be-mo-no

   Food

   Usage

   The general word to use when you are looking for something to eat

3. お金

   o-ka-ne

   Money

   Usage

   The basic word when talking about paying or changing money

4. トイレ

   to-i-re

   Toilet

   Usage

   This single word is usually enough for someone to point the way

5. ティッシュ

   tis-shu

   Tissue

   Usage

   For asking for paper at an eatery or a public toilet

6. 薬

   ku-su-ri

   Medicine

   Usage

   The general word to lead with at a pharmacy

7. 荷物

   ni-mo-tsu

   Luggage

   Usage

   For storing, carrying, or collecting your bags

8. 鍵

   ka-gi

   Key

   Usage

   At a hotel front desk when handing over or collecting a key

9. 切符

   kip-pu

   Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both travel tickets and entry tickets

10. パスポート

    pa-su-poo-to

    Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at check-in, money changers, and immigration

11. 電話

    den-wa

    Phone

    Usage

    Used both for the device and for making a call

12. 充電器

    juu-den-ki

    Charger

    Usage

    When you want to borrow one at a hotel or café, or buy one

13. 駅

    e-ki

    Station

    Usage

    The most common landmark word when asking for directions

14. 病院

    byou-in

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word to say when you feel seriously unwell

15. 警察

    kei-sa-tsu

    Police

    Usage

    Who to ask for after a theft or an accident

16. 店

    mi-se

    Shop

    Usage

    The general word when asking where you can buy something

17. 部屋

    he-ya

    Room

    Usage

    For booking, changing, or checking availability at a hotel

18. 道

    mi-chi

    Road

    Usage

    For asking the way, usually while showing a map

19. 家族

    ka-zo-ku

    Family

    Usage

    Comes up constantly in introductions and small talk

20. 名前

    na-ma-e

    Name

    Usage

    For confirming a booking or introducing yourself

21. 頭

    a-ta-ma

    Head

    Usage

    Body-part word for pointing at where it hurts

22. 目

    me

    Eye

    Usage

    For eye trouble; also used at an eye clinic or when buying eye drops

23. 歯

    ha

    Tooth

    Usage

    For a toothache; also useful when looking for a dentist

24. 喉

    no-do

    Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat; for pain on the outside of the neck use "kubi"

25. お腹

    o-na-ka

    Stomach / belly

    Usage

    Points at abdominal pain or discomfort

26. 背中

    se-na-ka

    Back

    Usage

    The upper back; for the lower back use "koshi"

27. 腰

    ko-shi

    Lower back / waist

    Usage

    The lower back above the hips — the word used for back pain in Japanese

28. 足

    a-shi

    Leg / foot

    Usage

    Covers both the whole leg and the foot — point at your own body to make clear which

29. 手

    te

    Hand

    Usage

    The hand from the wrist down; the whole arm is a separate word, "ude"

30. 胸

    mu-ne

    Chest

    Usage

    The chest — used to report chest pain or palpitations to a doctor

31. ホテル

    ho-te-ru

    Hotel

    Usage

    For asking where a hotel is; ryokan and minshuku are different words

32. 空港

    kū-kō

    Airport

    Usage

    Show it as your destination in a taxi or at a ticket counter

33. バス停

    ba-su-tei

    Bus stop

    Usage

    For asking where the bus stop is

34. 地下鉄

    chi-ka-te-tsu

    Subway (metro)

    Usage

    For the metro specifically — distinct from surface lines such as JR

35. 大使館

    tai-shi-kan

    Embassy

    Usage

    For getting to your embassy, e.g. after losing a passport

36. ATMコーナー

    ē-tī-e-mu kō-nā

    ATM (cash machine)

    Usage

    Where the cash machines are; banks, convenience stores, and post offices use exactly this label

37. 両替所

    ryō-ga-e-jo

    Currency exchange

    Usage

    For asking where you can exchange foreign currency

38. コインランドリー

    ko-in-ran-do-rī

    Laundromat

    Usage

    For asking where a self-service laundry is

39. 領事館

    ryō-ji-kan

    Consulate

    Usage

    The office where a consul works in the host country; a different word from the embassy in the capital

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