Japanese Sayings gives you a practical set of Japanese words and expressions in one place, so you can study useful vocabulary without digging through scattered sources.
Each row is designed for quick review with meaning, example usage, and any available pronunciation help. When you want an offline copy, use the free Download PDF button below the table.
Want more than one list? Browse our Japanese section for more Yak Yacker study pages, printable lists, and quiz-friendly review material.
How To Study Japanese Sayings More Naturally
Japanese sayings are useful because they often carry a full idea, warning, or bit of advice in a compact expression. Even if you do not plan to use them constantly in conversation, recognizing them helps you understand dramas, books, subtitles, and everyday cultural references much more naturally.
The important thing is not to memorize only a literal translation. A saying usually makes more sense when you study three layers together: what the words literally say, what the expression really means, and the kind of situation where someone would actually use it. That extra context keeps the phrase from feeling like a strange riddle.
This list is designed for that kind of study. Work through the saying, its reading, its learner-friendly meaning, and the example sentence as one unit. If you can picture when someone would say it, you are much more likely to remember it and recognize it later in real Japanese.
Japanese Sayings Quiz
Feeling brave? The quiz below will test how many of these sayings have already wormed their way into your brain. Give it a whirl before or after you study the list.
Japanese Sayings List
| Expression | Reading | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| いただきます | itadakimasu | Thanks for the food (before eating) | Said before meals. | Thanks for the food (before eating) |
| いってきます | ittekimasu | I'm leaving | Said when leaving home. | I'm leaving |
| いってらっしゃい | itterasshai | Take care / see you | Response to ittekimasu. | Take care / see you |
| エレクトリック | エレクトリック | electric | electric | electric |
| おかえりなさい | okaerinasai | Welcome back | Response to tadaima. | Welcome back |
| おめでとうございます | omedetō gozaimasu | Congratulations | Celebrations. | Congratulations |
| お久しぶりです | ohisashiburi desu | Long time no see | Greeting after absence. | Long time no see |
| お先に失礼します | osaki ni shitsureishimasu | Leaving before others (work) | Excuse me for leaving first. | Leaving before others (work) |
| お大事に | odaiji ni | Get well soon | To someone ill. | Get well soon |
| お疲れ様です | otsukaresama desu | Good work / thanks for your effort | Common workplace phrase. | Good work / thanks for your effort |
| お邪魔します | ojamashimasu | Sorry to intrude | Said when entering someone's home. | Sorry to intrude |
| かしこまりました | kashikomarimashita | Certainly / understood | Service industry. | Certainly / understood |
| ごちそうさまでした | gochisōsama deshita | Thanks for the meal (after) | Said after meals. | Thanks for the meal (after) |
| このようにして | このようにして | thus | thus | thus |
| ご苦労様 | gokurōsama | Thanks for your hard work (casual) | To subordinates/peers. | Thanks for your hard work (casual) |
| しなければならない | しなければならない | must | must | must |
| しょうがない | shōganai | It can't be helped | Resigned acceptance. | It can't be helped |
| そうですね | sō desu ne | That's right; let me see | Agreement / thinking. | That's right; let me see |
| ソリューション | ソリューション | solution | solution | solution |
| ただいま | tadaima | I'm home | Said when returning home. | I'm home |
| どういたしまして | dō itashimashite | You're welcome | Response to thanks. | You're welcome |
| なるほど | naruhodo | I see; indeed | Showing understanding. | I see; indeed |
| まあまあ | mā mā | so-so; not bad | Moderate assessment. | so-so; not bad |
| よろしくお願いいたします | yoroshiku onegai itashimasu | Please treat me well (formal) | Very polite request. | Please treat me well (formal) |
| よろしくお願いします | yoroshiku onegaishimasu | Please treat me well | Used when asking a favor. | Please treat me well |
