Welcome to the Nihongo Lesson feature. We strive to give you useful manga-based Japanese language tips and maybe even a glimpse into the translation process. Konnichi wa! Watashi wa Urian Brown desu! I recently went to Japan, and since Alexis has run out of Nihongo Lesson ideas, he asked me to write one. So here are some basic phrases that will help you if you go there!

DOKO DESUKA (どこですか)

One of the most useful phrases for traveling! It means "Where is it?" And if you’re lost, Japanese people are really nice about helping you. All you have to say is the name of the place you want to go to followed by DOKO DESUKA, and many people will try their best to assist you. When I tried to find Shueisha, one guy apologized profusely because he didn’t know, and the next guy busted out his cell phone and found it for me. So nice!

HOSHII DESU (ほしいです)

Another really useful phrase! This one basically translates to “I want it.” You can put anything in front of it and get your point across. Want pizza? Say to your friend, "Pizza HOSHII DESU." In a store looking for Sanji plushie? "Sanji plushie HOSHII DESU." It works for just about everything.

IKURA DESUKA (いくらですか)

If you go crazy in a Don Quijote, Japan’s insanely fun novelty store, this is a very useful phrase. It means "How much?" Although Don Quijote usually marks their prices, other places like Nakano Broadway, a mall full of mind-boggling Japanese and American pop memorabilia, may not. So pointing at something and saying “IKURA DESUKA?” is useful. After you get the price, you can make a frowny face and say “TAKAI!” (expensive) or smile and say “YASUI!” (cheap) if you want to seem like a smart shopper.

Get more tips by listening to our PODCAST!