kara anata no ofisu made dono kurai arimasu ka?
(hoh-tay-rue kah-rah ah-nah-tah no oh-fee-suu mah-day doe-no koo-rye ah-ree-mahss kah?)
How long will it take to get there?
そこまでどのくらいかかりますか。
Soko made dono kurai kakarimasu ka?
(soe-koe mah-day doe-no koo-rye kah-kah-ree-mahss kah?)
What floor is your office on?
オフィスは何階ですか。
Ofisu wa nankai désu ka?
(oh-fee-suu wah nahn kie dess kah?)
What year was your company founded?
会社は何年に設立しましたか。
Kaisha wa nan nen ni setsuritsu shimashita ka?
(kie-shah wah nahn nane nee sate-sue-reet-sue she-mahssh-tah kah?)
How many employees do you/does it have?
大体どのくらい従業員がいますか。
Daitai dono kurai jūgyōin ga imasu ka?
(die-tie doe-no koo-rye juu-g’yoe-een gah ee-mahss kah?)
What kind of work do you do?
どんな仕事をしていますか。
Donna shigotó wo shiteimasu ka?
(doan-nah she-go-tohh oh she-tay ee-mahss-kah?)
What are your business hours?
営業時間は。
Eigyō jikan wa?
(egg-y’yohh jee-kahn wah?)
Do you have a branch office in Osaka?
大阪に支店がありますか。
Ōsaka ni shiten ga arimasu ka?
(ohh-sah-kah nee she-tane gah ah-ree-mahss kah?)
How long does it take to go to Osaka?
大阪までどのくらいかかりますか。
Ōsaka made dono kurai kakarimasu ka?
(oh-sah-kah mah-day doe-no koo-rye kah-kah-ree-mahss kah?)
I would like to go by Bullet Train.
新幹線で行きたいです。
Shinkansen de ikitai désu.
(sheen-kahn-sin day ee-kee-tie dess.)
Where can I buy a ticket?
切符をどこで買う事ができますか。
Kippu wo doko de kau koto ga dekimasu ka?
(kee-puu oh doe-koe day kow koe-toe gah day-kee-mahss kah?)
Let’s go out drinking tonight.
今晩飲みに行きましょう。
Komban nomi ni ikimashō.
(kome-bahn no-me nee ee-kee-mah-show.)
Shall we go to the Ginza?
銀座に行きましょうか。
Ginza ni ikimashō ka?
(gheen-zah nee ee-kee-mah-show kah?)
Ginza is too expensive!
銀座は高すぎます。
Ginza wa takasugimasu!
(gheen-zah wah tah-kah-suu-ghee-mahss!)
I’d like to meet a hostess. Let’s go to a cabaret.
ホステスに会いたいです。キャバレーに行きましょう。
Hosutesu ni aitai desu. Kyabarē ni ikimashō.
(hohss-tay-suu nee aye-tie dess. k’yah-bah-ray nee ee-kee-mah-show.)
Shopping
I would like to go shopping.
買い物に行きたいです。
Kaimono ni ikitai désu.
(kie-moe-no nee ee-kee-tie dess.)
I need a new cell phone.
新しい携帯電話が必要です。
Atarashii keitai denwa ga hitsuyō désu.
(ah-tah-rah-shee no kay-tie dane-wah gah heet-sue-yohh dess.)
Where can I buy one?
どこで買う事ができますか。
Doko de kau koto ga dekimasu ka?
(doe-koe day kow koe-toe gah day-kee-mahss kah?)
I would like to go to the famous Akihabara Shopping District.
有名な秋葉原商店街に行きたいです。
Yūmei na Akihabara shōtengai ni ikitai désu.
(yuu-may nah ah-kee-hah-bah-rah shohh-tane-guy nee ee-kee-tie dess.)
Is it far?
遠いですか。
Tōi désu ka?
(tohh-ee dess kah?)
Sightseeing
I would like to go sightseeing this weekend.
今週の週末は観光に行きたいです。
Konshū no shūmatsu wa kankō ni ikitai désu.
(kone-shuu no shuu-mah-t’sue wah kahn-koe nee ee-kee-tie dess.)
Can you recommend a good place?
いい所をおすすめできますか。
Ii tokoró wo osusume dekimasu ka?
(ee toe-koe-rohh oh oh-sue-sue-may day-kee-mahss kah?)
I have heard that the scenery in Hakoné is especially beautiful.
箱根の景色が特に美しいそうです。
Hakoné no késhiki ga toku ni utsukushii sō désu.
(hah-koe-nay no kay-she-kee gah toe-kuu nee uut-sue-kuu-shee sohh dess.)
Are all of the train seats reserved?
列車の席は全部指定ですか。
Resshá no séki wa zembu shitei désu ka?
(ray-shahh no say-kee wah zim-boo she-tay dess kah?)
I would also like to go to a hot spring spa.
温泉にも行きたいです。
Onsen ni mo ikitai désu.
(own-sen nee mohh ee-kee-tie dess.)
For very helpful Japanese language guides read the author’s Instant Japanese and Survival Japanese (Tuttle Publishing).
A
abacus そろばん soroban (soe-roe-bahn)
■ Do you know how to use an abacus?