Communication is very important in your day to day conversation with your family members, friends, co-workers, and anyone you interact with at various locations. In today’s article, I would like to introduce you to some of the most useful Japanese expressions that you can use during your conversation. These expression will definitely make your partner feel good about communicating with you.

Arigato (ありがとう) – Thank you

I am sure many people would already know this expression, but to show your gratitude, Arigato (ありがとう) is a must know. We all say Thank you to strangers, but don’t forget to say Arigato (ありがとう)- Thank you, even among your close friends or your immediate family members!

 ~ sugoi desune. (~すごいですね。）- ~ is awesome.

When you praise someone, it sounds much better if you specify what exactly you are praising for. For example: in stead of just saying, “wow, that’s awesome! (へぇー　すごいね。), it sounds much more exciting if you say, “wow, the way you handled the project was awesome! (あのプロジェクトのこなしかたは、すごかったよ)-Ano project no konashi kata wa sugo katta yo.”  That will sound much more sincere towards your partner.

Puro desune. (プロですね。) – You must be professional.

When you are impressed with someone, this is a friendly expression that you can use to praise the person. Instantly, your partner will feel good about communicating with you. Often times, we also use the expression, “~hakase (博士、はかせ)-~ expert” towards smaller children or school children. When he/she is proudly talking about something that excites them,  if the topic is about insects, we often say, “wow, you know so much about insects! You must be a bug expert!’-“そんなに虫のことをよく知ってるなんて、虫博士だね！” -Sonnani mushi no koto o shitte irunante mushi hakase dane!

Kondo wa ~ shimashou (今度は~しましょう。) – Let’s do ~ next time.

Try ending your conversation with your partner with something you and he/she would look forward to doing in the near future, or something fun for the next time. If you went to lunch with someone, end your lunch with the conversation, saying “Let’s go to ~ next time.” “次は、~行こうね”。Tsugi wa ~ ikoune!

These are the expressions that you might be already using in your native language, but try these in Japanese next time when you communicate with someone in Japanese.