Common Japanese words and phrases

These are common Japanese words and phrases that often appear in anime and manga.
 * These words and phrases are in R&#333;maji which is transliteration of Japanese characters into Roman letters for easier recognition and pronunciation...

Items in orange are just alternate Romaji spelling.


 * Common words/phrases
 * Daijōbu (Daijoubu) (?) - (I'm) okay/(are you) okay?
 * Daisuki - love it/you lots
 * Dokidoki - heart pounding, exciting
 * Dōshite? (Doushite?) - why? what's the reason for?
 * Fuwafuwa - fluffy
 * Genki (?; 元気) - (I'm) in good health; in good spirits/(are you) healthy? in good spirits? sometimes used interchangeably with heiki
 * Goshujinsama - lord, master, husband; used to address male customers at a maid cafe
 * Heiki (?; 平気) - (I'm) calm; psychologically good/(are you) calm and cool? psychologically good? sometimes used interchangeably with genki
 * Himitsu - a secret
 * Itai - ouch! (usually "itai!"), it hurts
 * Imōto (Imouto) /Otōto (Otouto) - younger sister/brother (when talking about them to other people, usually)
 * Jōdan - I'm joking, just kidding (usually "jōdan jōdan")
 * Joshi kōsei (Joshi kousei) - high school girl, often abbreviated as "JK" (roman characters)
 * Kaichō (Kaichou) - president, chairperson
 * Kakkoī (Kakkoii) - cool!
 * Kawaī (Kawaii)  - adorable, cute, pretty
 * Kira kira - sparkly, sparkling, pretty
 * Kirei - beautiful, pretty
 * Kōhai (Kouhai) - junior; younger colleague
 * Kowai - scary (sometime shortened to just "kowa")
 * Korosu - kill
 * Kuso - shit, crap, fuck (usually "kuso!")
 * Nīsan (Niisan) /Nēsan (Neesan) - brother/sister (close or same age)
 * Nani? - what? what's that?
 * Oishi - delicious
 * Okāsan (Okaasan) - mother
 * Onīsan (Oniisan) /Onēsan (Oneesan) - older brother/sister; can also be used for older male/female strangers
 * Onsen - hot springs
 * Otōsan (Otousan) - father
 * Sakura - cherry blossoms
 * Seifuku - school uniform; technically sailor type school uniform (aka sailor fuku)
 * Seitokai - student council
 * Senpai - senior; older colleague
 * Shiranai - I don't know
 * Sugoi/Sugei - amazing, awesome, great (most common/boys)
 * Suki - love, like (usually "suki desu", but meaning depends on context)
 * Tomodachi - friend
 * Umi - sea, ocean (often "umi da!" for: Oh the sea!)
 * Unmei - destiny, fate
 * Ureshī (Ureshii) - happy, makes me happy
 * Wakaranai - I don't understand
 * Wakuwaku - trembling, getting nervous, excited
 * Yakusoku - a promise
 * Yōkoso (Youkoso) - welcome
 * Yuki - snow
 * Yume - dream
 * Less common
 * Bijin - beauty (technically gender neutral, but mostly used with women)
 * Chichi (父/ちち) - father (informal archaic) when talking to someone about your father; from Chichioya
 * Gakuen - academy
 * Gakuran - western school uniform (seifuku is a subset)
 * Haha (母/はは) - mother (informal archaic) when talking to someone about your mother; from Hahaoya
 * Ikemen - handsome (usually for good-looking adult men)
 * Kanchō (Kanchou) - butt poking (very strange)
 * Naisho - state of secrecy
 * Shushō (Shuhou) - captain (like of a ship)
 * Umibe - beach
 * Yūjin (Yuujin) - friend
 * Yūki (Yuuki) - courage