Meeting new people, be it at a party or first day at school or office, can either be very exciting or terrifying. It all depends on whether you are an extrovert or introvert. You see, for an extrovert, socializing comes naturally to them as they feel comfortable even in a large crowd.
However, whether you are an outgoing or a demure person, traveling or living in a new country (where the majority of the people there only speak their native language) and trying to make new friends can be tough.
You are going to make a friend or two eventually and for that, you will need to strike up a conversation, and most of the time in Japanese. So, in this article, we have compiled a list of Japanese conversation starters that we are sure would come in handy to make a new friend in Japan. And, even help you talk to your new friend in Japanese language.
Conversation Starters In Japanese
So, if you are going to talk to anyone from Japan or a friend in Japanese language, check out the table below containing different ways on how to start a conversation in Japanese-
| ENGLISH | ROMAJI | JAPANESE |
| It’s an honour to meet you. | O ai dekite kōeidesu. | お会いできて光栄です。 |
| Do you mind if I sit here? | Koko ni suwatte mo yoidesu ka? | ここに座っても良いですか？ |
| What brings you here today? | Kyō koko ni anata o tsuretekuru mono wa nanidesu ka? | 今日ここにあなたを連れて来るものは何ですか？ |
| How long have you been in this class? | Kono kurasu ni dono kurai imasu ka? | このクラスにどのくらいいますか？ |
| How long have you been working here? | Dore gurai koko de hataraite imasu ka? | どれぐらいここで働いていますか？ |
| The weather today is wonderful. | Kyō no tenki wa subarashīdesu ne. | 今日の天気は素晴らしいですね。 |
| Do you come here a lot? | Koko ni takusan kimasu ka? | ここにたくさん来ますか？ |
| I like your shoes. | Watashi wa anata no kutsu ga sukidesu. | 私はあなたの靴が好きです。 |
| Do you have time to talk? | Hanasu jikan wa arimasu ka? | 話す時間はありますか？ |
| What is the best drink here? | Koko de saikō no nomimono wa nanidesu ka? | ここで最高の飲み物は何ですか？ |
| Do you have any recommendations for delicious food here? | Koko de oishī ryōri no osusume wa arimasu ka? | ここで美味しい料理のおすすめはありますか？ |
| If you had to eat just one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? | Nokori no jinsei de 1-shoku dake tabenakereba naranakatta to shitara, sore wa nanideshou ka? | 残りの人生で1食だけ食べなければならなかったとしたら、それは何でしょうか？ |
| If you had to watch one movie for the rest of your life, which one would you choose? | Nokori no jinsei de 1-pon no eigawomiru hitsuyō ga aru to shitara, dore o erabimasu ka? | 残りの人生で1本の映画を見る必要があるとしたら、どれを選びますか？ |
| How long have you lived here? | Koko ni dorekurai sunderu? | ここにどれくらい住んでる？ |
| What is your favorite thing about this place? | Kono basho no sukina tokoro wa nanidesu ka? | この場所の好きなところは何ですか？ |
| Thank you for inviting me! | Shōtai shite kurete arigatō! | 招待してくれてありがとう！ |
| What do you enjoy most about your job? | Anata wa jibun no shigoto de nani o ichiban tanoshinde imasu ka? | あなたは自分の仕事で何を一番楽しんでいますか？ |
| What do you think is the most important thing to succeed in this company? | Kono kaisha de seikō suru tame ni mottomo jūyōna koto wa nanida to omoimasu ka? | この会社で成功するために最も重要なことは何だと思いますか？ |
| What are you studying? | Nani o benkyō shite iru no? | 何を勉強しているの？ |
| What do you plan to do when you finish your studies? | Benkyō o oetara nani o suru tsumoridesu ka? | 勉強を終えたら何をするつもりですか？ |
| Who is your favourite soccer player? | Anata no sukina sakkā senshu wa daredesu ka? | あなたの好きなサッカー選手は誰ですか？ |
| Did you watch the game last night? | Sakuya shiai o mimashita ka? | 昨夜試合を見ましたか？ |
| Do you like cats and dogs? | Anata wa neko ya inu ga sukidesu ka? | あなたは猫や犬が好きですか？ |
| If you could spend your time doing anything, what would you do? | Yaritai koto ga nandemodekiru to shitara,-dōshimasu ka? | やりたいことが何でもできるとしたら、どうしますか？ |
| Which country do you want to visit most? | Ichiban ikitai kuni wa dokodesu ka? | 一番行きたい国はどこですか？ |
Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen – the different ways to start a conversation in Japanese or talk to a friend in Japanese language. We hope your stay in Japan becomes even a tad easier with our Japanese conversation starters.
We will leave you here with our best wishes.
Until next time, sayonara for now!
