Japanese Cheat Sheet
One printable page with everything you need for travel or your first month of study — 30 essential phrases, the full hiragana and katakana charts, the 10 most-used particles, and number words. Free, no sign-up.
Japanese Travel & Beginner Cheat Sheet
Greetings & basics
- こんにちはkonnichiwahello (daytime)
- おはようございますohayou gozaimasugood morning
- こんばんはkonbanwagood evening
- さようならsayounaragoodbye
- またねmata nesee you
- ありがとうございますarigatou gozaimasuthank you
- すみませんsumimasenexcuse me / sorry
- はい / いいえhai / iieyes / no
Travel & food
- 駅はどこですかeki wa doko desu kawhere is the station?
- トイレはどこですかtoire wa doko desu kawhere is the toilet?
- いくらですかikura desu kahow much is it?
- これをくださいkore o kudasaithis one, please
- メニューをくださいmenyuu o kudasaimenu, please
- お会計をお願いしますokaikei o onegai shimasucheck, please
- おすすめは何ですかosusume wa nan desu kawhat do you recommend?
- もう一度お願いしますmou ichido onegai shimasuone more time, please
Emergency
- たすけてtasuketehelp!
- けいさつを呼んでくださいkeisatsu o yonde kudasaicall the police, please
- 救急車を呼んでくださいkyuukyuusha o yonde kudasaicall an ambulance, please
- 英語が話せますかeigo ga hanasemasu kado you speak English?
- 日本語が分かりませんnihongo ga wakarimasenI don't understand Japanese
- 迷っていますmayotte imasuI'm lost
Numbers
- 1いちichi
- 2にni
- 3さんsan
- 4よん / しyon / shi
- 5ごgo
- 6ろくroku
- 7なな / しちnana / shichi
- 8はちhachi
- 9きゅうkyuu
- 10じゅうjuu
- 100ひゃくhyaku
- 1000せんsen
Hiragana
Katakana
Particles
- はtopic marker私は学生です — I am a student
- がsubject marker雨が降る — rain falls
- をdirect object本を読む — read a book
- にdestination / time東京に行く — go to Tokyo
- でlocation of action家で食べる — eat at home
- とand / with友達と行く — go with a friend
- のpossessive私の本 — my book
- からfrom東京から来ました — came from Tokyo
- までuntil / up to駅まで歩く — walk to the station
- もalso / too私も学生 — me too, a student
How to Get the Most from a Japanese Cheat Sheet
What Belongs on a First Cheat Sheet
A useful starter sheet covers greetings (ohayou, konnichiwa, sumimasen), numbers 1 to 100 for prices and times, polite question words (nan, doko, ikura, itsu), and the handful of phrases you'll need at restaurants, train stations, and shops. Adding direction words and a few apology forms covers most beginner situations without overwhelming the page.
Romaji vs Kana Memory
Romaji helps on day one but plateaus fast — every Japanese sign and menu uses kana. Use this cheat sheet as a bridge: read each phrase in romaji to get the sound, then look at the hiragana or katakana version beside it. Within a few weeks the romaji column should feel redundant. That's when you know the kana has stuck.
Printing for Real-World Use
The page is designed to print onto a single sheet that folds into a pocket. Take it when your phone might die, when you have no signal on a rural train, or to practise before a conversation. Highlighting three phrases each week and using them out loud beats memorising the whole page passively — physical paper turns vocabulary into something you actually reach for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in this Japanese cheat sheet?
One printable page covering essential travel and beginner Japanese: 30 daily phrases (greetings, food, directions, emergencies), the full hiragana and katakana charts, the 10 most common particles, useful number words, and key counters. Designed to fit one A4 / Letter page when printed.
Is it really free? Any watermark or sign-up?
Yes, it is 100% free with no watermark and no sign-up. We do not track which pages you print or how many copies you make. Use it for travel, classroom, or club distribution as you like.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Click the "Print / Save as PDF" button or press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on Mac). In the print dialog, change the destination to "Save as PDF". The page is laid out specifically for one-page printing so the result is sized correctly.
Is this for travelers or for serious learners?
Both. The phrase section is travel-focused (restaurants, transit, asking for directions), but the kana charts and particle reference are core learner content. The same page works as a Tokyo trip cheat sheet AND a permanent desk reference for JLPT N5 students.
Should I learn the kanji on the cheat sheet?
For travel, no — the romaji and kana columns are enough. For serious learning, yes, but only the ones you see in the wild (駅 station, 出口 exit, 入口 entrance, 男 / 女 for restrooms). Our JLPT N5 kanji list has the full 103-kanji starter set.
Why are some phrases in hiragana and some in katakana?
Loanwords (especially food and tech terms) are written in katakana — コーヒー (coffee), ホテル (hotel), カメラ (camera). Native Japanese words and grammar are in hiragana. The cheat sheet preserves the natural script choice so you build muscle memory for which is which.
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Read the guide →Going beyond the cheat sheet?
Our free JLPT N5 course takes you from these phrases to genuine conversation in about 150 study hours. Vocabulary lists, grammar lessons, and practice tests included — no sign-up needed to start.
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