This document provides an introduction to basic Japanese language concepts in the first lesson. It covers greetings used in different times of day, common phrases like "thank you" and "I'm sorry", ways to say "yes" and "no", and notes that Japanese culture prefers to avoid direct refusal and spare others' feelings. It also explains that some Japanese words are homophones but have different meanings and Chinese characters.

1. Introduction to
Japanese Language
はじめてのにほんご
Hajimete no Nihon go
Lesson 1

2. Hajimete no Nihon go
• はじめて（ hajimete ） =first time
• の（ no ） =of
• にほん（ nihon ） =Japan
• ご（ go ） =language
Hajimete no nihon go
=Learning Japanese language for the first
time
(Japanese language of first time)

3. Greetings
• Greeting in the morning time
= おはよう
(ohayou)
• Greeting during the day
= こんにちは
(konichiwa)
• Greeting during the night
= こんばんは
(konbanwa)

4. Thank you and sorry.
• Saying sorry can ease feeling of
communication with Japanese people.
• Japanese are often prefer to be polite and
afraid to be rude to other people.
• Japanese will say "I'm sorry" in many
occasions to ease feeling of the others.

5. Thank you.
• Thank you.
= ありがとう
(Arigatou)
• I am sorry.
= ごめんなさい
(gomen nasai)

6. Yes and No
• Yes
= はい
(hai)
• No
= いいえ
(iie)

7. Yes and No
• Japanese will use "Yes." frequently rather than
"No". This comes from the hesitation to hurt
other people's feeling and fear of being rude by
saying "No".
• "hai" will be used during the conversation
frequently just to mean "I am listening to you."
• Japanese prefers not to object to other peoples
opinion and have the tendency to hide their own
opinion or have no opinion at all.

8. Words that sounds the same but
different word.
• In Japanese language, there are many
words sounding pretty similar but actually
is totally different words. This sometimes
derives from the fact that Japanese
language can be written in different
Chinese characters but pronounced the
same.

9. Words that sounds the same but
different word.
• For example, the word かき (pronounced
as ''kaki" can mean persimmon or oyster.
But when it is written in Chinese character
"kaki" that means persimmon is written as
柿 and "kaki" that means oyster is written
as 牡蠣 .
柿 牡蠣

10. Words that sounds the same but
different word.
• For example, the word かき (pronounced
as ''kaki" can mean persimmon or oyster.
But when it is written in Chinese character
"kaki" that means persimmon is written as
柿 and "kaki" that means oyster is written
as 牡蠣 .
柿 牡蠣