Conversation phrases: Stage 2

284 phrases in 71 chunks: getting to know you, likes and free time, what do you think, small talk and 10 more.

284 phrases in 71 chunks, learned alongside Stage 2 of the main list. Start with Studies and job hunting and use Next at the bottom of each page.

1. 1Studies and job huntingGetting to know yousenkou wa? what's your major?; what are you studying?daigaku de ... o benkyou shiteru I study ... at uniryuugaku shiteru I'm here studying abroad; I'm an exchange studentima wa shigoto sagashichuu I'm job hunting at the moment; I'm between jobs
2. 2Age and birth yearGetting to know youtoshi ikutsu? how old are you?onaidoshi da! we're the same age!nannen umare? what year were you born?ketsuekigata wa? what's your blood type?
3. 3Partner kids and petsGetting to know youkekkon shiteru? are you married?kodomo iru? do you have kids?petto katteru? do you have any pets?
4. 4Polite first-meeting questionsGetting to know youonamae wa? what's your name?dochira kara desu ka where are you from?shitsurei desu ga excuse me, but (may I ask)
5. 5Getting into their hobbyLikes and free timewatashi mo yatte mitai I'd like to give it a try tookondo oshiete you'll have to show me sometime; tell me sometimezettai hamaru yo you'll love it, trust me; you'll get hooked
6. 6Eating and drinking outLikes and free timeosake nomu? do you drink?karai no daijoubu? are you okay with spicy food?osake yowai n da I can't hold my drink; I'm a lightweightokiniiri no omise aru? got a favourite place to eat or hang out?nattou taberareru? can you eat natto?
7. 7Which type are youLikes and free timeinu ha? neko ha? dog person or cat person?indoa ha da yo I'm more of a homebody; I like staying inyougaku to hougaku dotchi kiku? do you listen to Western or Japanese music?
8. 8Tastes differWhat do you thinkhito sorezore everyone's different; to each their ownsuki na hito wa suki da yo ne it's not for everyone, but fans love itkonomi ga wakareru people either love it or hate it; it divides opinionatari hazure ga aru it's hit and miss; some are good, some aren't
9. 9Picking a sideWhat do you thinkdotchi ga ii to omou? which do you think is better?dotchi ka tte iu to if anything; I'd lean toward; if I had to choosedotchi ha? which side are you on?; which do you go for?watashi wa ... ha kana I'm more of a ... person, I guess
10. 10Rating wordsWhat do you thinkwarito fairly; relatively; quiteigai to surprisingly; more than you'd thinkfutsuu ni honestly, genuinely; normally, as usual... no wari ni wa for ...; considering ...
11. 11Kind of likeWhat do you think-ppoi -ish; kind of like; seems like... mitai na like, ...; something like ... (trailing hedge)... ni niteru it's like ...; it looks like ...; it's similar to ...
12. 12Weighing their pointWhat do you thinkiitai koto wa wakaru I see what you're getting at (but ...); I get your pointsou iu kangaekata mo aru ne that's one way to look at it; fair pointkangaeta koto nakatta I'd never thought about that; that never occurred to mesore wa sore de ii that's good in its own way; that works too
13. 13Impressions and stereotypesWhat do you think... tte imeeji ga aru I picture it as ...; my impression is ...imeeji to chigau it's not what I imagined; not what I expected... tte iu hito mo iru kedo some people say ..., but... wa dou ka to omou I'm not so sure about ...; I have my doubts about ...henken kamo shirenai kedo this might be a stereotype, but ...; maybe I'm biased, but ...
14. 14Shrugging it offWhat do you thinkmaa ii ka oh well; never mindtaishita koto nai it's no big deal; nothing serioussou iu mon that's just how it issaa well, who knows; come on, let's go
15. 15Days off and plansSmall talktoku ni yotei nai no plans, reallykyou wa yasumi? are you off today?; is it your day off?yasumi no hi wa nani shiteru? what do you do on your days off?hayaku shuumatsu ni naranai kana can't wait for the weekend
16. 16Seeing someone againSmall talkgenkisou da ne you look well; you seem goodkawatte nai ne you haven't changednannenburi? how many years has it been?
17. 17Asking about their peopleSmall talkkazoku wa genki? how's your family?dou shiteru how are they doing?; what are you up to these days?ii hito iru? seeing anyone?; anyone special?
18. 18Casual check-in textsSmall talkima nani shiteru? what are you up to?; what are you doing now?gohan tabeta? have you eaten?chanto tabeteru? are you eating properly?
19. 19Noticing changesSmall talkkami kitta? did you get a haircut?fun'iki kawatta ne you look different; you seem differentyaseta? have you lost weight?saikin chotto futotchatta I've put on a bit of weight lately
20. 20Time fliesSmall talkjikan tatsu no hayai ne time flies, huhkotoshi mo ato sukoshi da ne the year's almost over, huhoshougatsu wa kaeru no? going home for New Year?
21. 21No way unbelievableReactingarienai no way; that's impossible; that's outrageousiya iya no, no; not at all; oh, come onshinjirarenai unbelievable; I can't believe ituso mitai it's unreal; I can hardly believe it
22. 22What you're kiddingReactingnani sore what's that?!; what's that supposed to meanmaji de itteru? are you serious?; you're not joking?uso tsuke yeah, right; liar!nan datte what?!; what did you say?
23. 23Wow and whoaReactingwaa wow!; whoa!uwa! whoa!; ugh!iyaa man...; wow; well...o! oh!; hey!ara oh!; oh my
24. 24Well done never mindReactingyaru jan not bad!; nice goingyatta ne you did it!; way to godonmai never mind; don't sweat ityoku yatta well done; good jobatari! bingo!; you got it
25. 25Yes I did itReactingyatta yay; yes, I did ityossha yes!; all right!rakkii lucky!; what luckyoshi right; okay then; all right!dekita done; I did it; it's ready
26. 26Oh that's allReactingnaanda oh, is that all?; oh, it's only thate, sore dake? wait, that's it?; that's all?haa huh?!; sigh; uh, okay
27. 27Huh that's oddReactingnani kore what is this?!sonna koto aru? how is that even possible?okashii na that's strange; something's not right
28. 28Oops oh noReactingshimatta oh no; damn (my mistake)arara oh dear; oopsotto oops; whoa thereyarareta got me!; they got us; I've been had
29. 29What's new with youAsking and following upnani shiteta no? what were you up to?; what were you doing?are kara dou? how's it been since then?nanika atta? did something happen?; is something wrong?nanka ii koto atta? did something good happen?
30. 30Since when who toldAsking and following upitsu kara? since when?nani ga? what is?; what about it?dare kara kiita no? who told you that?nande shitteru no? how do you know that?
31. 31Asking first asking adviceAsking and following upkiite mo ii? can I ask you something?dou shitara ii? what should I do?ii no? are you sure?; is it really okay?
32. 32Fair pointAgreeing and disagreeingsore wa sou that's true; fair enoughsore wa aru that could be it; that's part of itieteru you said it; good pointsore mo sou da ne that's true too; fair pointiwarete mireba now that you mention it
33. 33I don't think soAgreeing and disagreeingsou wa omowanai I don't think sochigau chigau no, no, that's not itsore wa nai no way; that's not fair; that won't happensore wa chigau to omou I don't think that's right
34. 34Getting to the pointTelling what happenedhonto wa actually; the truth isyousuru ni basically; in shortnande ka tte iu to and the reason is...; because...... tte hanashi ...and that's the story; I hear that...
35. 35Opening a storyTelling what happenediroiro atte a lot happened, so...; it's a long storymou ittakke? did I already tell you?dou natta to omou? guess what happened?
36. 36Own little slip-upsTelling what happenedmachigaechatta oops, I got it wrong; I made a mistakenebou shita I overslepttsui ... shichatta I couldn't help it; I ended up doing it without meaning towasuremono shita I left something behind; I forgot something
37. 37Hazy memory and hindsightTelling what happenedtashika if I remember right; I'm pretty sureyoku oboetenai kedo I don't remember exactly, but...isshun ... ka to omotta for a second I thought...ima omoeba looking back now; in hindsight
38. 38Had enoughFeelings and empathymou muri I can't anymore; no waymou yada ugh, I've had it; I hate thismou dame I can't go on; it's hopeless; I'm done formou ii enough; forget it; never mindhottoite leave me alone; mind your own business
39. 39Checking on someoneFeelings and empathydaijoubu desu ka are you all right?; are you okay?genki nai ne you seem downmou daijoubu? are you feeling better now?; are you okay now?kega nai? are you hurt?
40. 40Oh no momentsFeelings and empathydou shiyou what do I do?; oh nokinchou suru I'm nervous; I get nervouskomatta na this is a problem; what do I do now?ma ni awanai I won't make it in time; there's not enough time
41. 41Feeling relievedFeelings and empathyanshin shita what a relief; I feel reassuredhotto shita I'm relieved; phewraku ni natta I feel better; it got easier
42. 42Low moodsFeelings and empathyochikonderu I'm feeling downyaruki ga denai I can't get motivatednayanderu I'm torn; something's weighing on mesonna kibun ja nai I'm not in the mood
43. 43Easing someone upFeelings and empathyki ni shisugi da yo you're overthinking itkiraku ni ikou take it easy; don't stressyukkuri de ii yo take your time; no rushochitsuite calm down; take it easyaseranakute ii yo no rush; take your time
44. 44Too much food or drinkFeelings and empathyonaka ippai I'm fulltabesugita I ate too muchnomisugita I drank too muchyopparatta I'm drunk; I got drunkmou taberarenai I can't eat another bite
45. 45Being movedFeelings and empathynakeru it makes you cry; such a tearjerkeriyasareru so soothing; it melts my stress awaytereru aw, you're making me blush
46. 46Cheering someone onFeelings and empathyyoku ganbatta ne you did really well; great effortmuri shinaide don't overdo it; don't push yourselffaito go for it!; you can do it!
47. 47Inviting someone outPlans and invitationsgohan ikanai? want to grab a bite?nomi ni ikanai? want to go for a drink?ocha demo dou? how about a tea or something?; want to grab a coffee?issho ni kuru? want to come along?uchi kuru? want to come over?
48. 48Finding a time and placePlans and invitationsaiteru? are you free (then)?yotei aru? got any plans?itsu ga ii? when works for you?; when's good?nanji ga ii? what time works for you?doko de au? where shall we meet?
49. 49Saying yes to plansPlans and invitationsikeru ikeru yeah, I can make it; sure, easysono hanashi notta count me in; I'm intsukiau yo I'll come along; I'll keep you companyyorokonde gladly; with pleasure
50. 50Turning down softlyPlans and invitationskyou wa chotto... today's not good for meikitai kedo... I'd love to, but...kyou wa pasu I'll pass todayenryo shite okimasu I'll pass, thanks
51. 51Deciding what to doPlans and invitationsdou suru? what do you want to do?; what shall we do?dotchi demo ii either is finenani taberu? what shall we eat?; what are you having?awaseru yo I'll fit around you; whatever suits youmakasete leave it to me
52. 52Settling the planPlans and invitationssou shiyou let's do thatjaa sore de okay, let's go with thatkimari! it's a deal!; settledyakusoku ne it's a promise, okay?
53. 53On the wayPlans and invitationsima doko? where are you?ima mukatteru I'm on my waymou sugu tsuku I'm almost theretsuita yo I'm here; I've arrivedmatteru ne I'll be waiting; I'll wait for you
54. 54No I meanClarifyingsou ja nakute no, I mean...; that's not what I meantchotto chigau kana not quite, I thinkima no nashi scratch that; forget what I saidnan demo nai it's nothing; never mind
55. 55Did I get itClarifyingatteru? is that right?; did I get it right?iitai koto wakaru? you know what I mean?kikoeru? can you hear me?
56. 56Joking aroundTeasing and banterjoudan da yo just kiddinguso uso just kidding, just kiddingochi wa? and the punchline is...?subetta that joke bombed; it fell flatjaan ta-da!
57. 57Laughing it offTeasing and banternai nai no way; not at all; nopeki no sei da yo it's just your imaginationmata mata oh, come on; you're kiddingsore ga nanika so what?; is there a problem?
58. 58Stop teasing meTeasing and banteryamete stop it!; don't!karakawanaide stop teasing mekanben shite yo give me a break
59. 59Told you soTeasing and banterhora ne see?; told youdakara itta ja nai I told you somata hajimatta here we go again
60. 60Calling out braggingTeasing and banterjiman? are you bragging?sore jibun de iu? you're saying that about yourself?yoku iu look who's talking; you've got some nervechoushi ni noru na don't get cocky
61. 61Managing a long storyOpening and changing the subjectmaa, sonna kanji so yeah, that's about ittsuzukete go on; keep goinghanashi kiku yo I'm all ears; tell me about itnagaku naru kedo it's a long story, but...doko made hanashita kke where was I?
62. 62Got a minuteOpening and changing the subjectima daijoubu? is now a good time?; got a minute?chotto hanashi ga aru n da kedo there's something I want to talk to you aboutonegai ga aru n da kedo I have a favour to askooi hey!; hello? (calling out)nanka you? what do you want?; what is it?
63. 63Late or out of touchGreetings, thanks and sorryokurete gomen sorry I'm lateomatase sorry to keep you waiting; here I ammatta? did you wait long?; have you been waiting?renraku shinakute gomen sorry I haven't been in touchdenwa derarenakute gomen sorry I missed your call
64. 64At the tableGreetings, thanks and sorrykanpai cheers!ogoru yo it's on me; my treatgohan da yo food's ready!; dinner time!meshiagare enjoy your meal; dig insamenai uchi ni while it's still hot
65. 65Asking a favourGreetings, thanks and sorrywarui kedo sorry, but...chotto tetsudatte give me a hand for a sectanomu yo please; I'm counting on youchoudai give me; please (after a -te verb)
66. 66Take care wishesGreetings, thanks and sorrygenki de ne take care; look after yourselfkarada ni ki o tsukete look after yourself; take care of your healthkaze hikanai you ni ne don't catch a cold; stay warmoki o tsukete take care; safe travels (polite)
67. 67Offering helpGreetings, thanks and sorrytetsudaou ka shall I help?; want a hand?nanika attara itte ne let me know if you need anythingki ga kiku ne how thoughtful of you
68. 68Heading offGreetings, thanks and sorryosaki ni I'm heading off (before you); after youmata raishuu see you next weekyoroshiku tsutaete say hi to them for mesayounara goodbye
69. 69CongratulationsGreetings, thanks and sorryotanjoubi omedetou happy birthdaygoukaku omedetou congrats on passing (an exam)sotsugyou omedetou congrats on graduatingkekkon omedetou congratulations on your wedding
70. 70Visiting a homeGreetings, thanks and sorryojama shimasu sorry to intrude (on entering)irasshai welcome!; come inojama shimashita thanks for having me (on leaving)oagari kudasai please come in (into the house)youkoso welcome
71. 71Go ahead and help yourselfGreetings, thanks and sorrydouzo douzo go ahead, please; after youyokattara douzo help yourself if you like; please have someenryo shinaide don't be shy; go aheadraku ni shite make yourself comfortable; relaxosaki ni douzo after you; go ahead