Learn Japanese: Daily Activities
This lesson focuses on the essential verbs and phrases used to describe your daily routine in Japanese. Mastering these terms is a vital step for any learner, as they form the foundation of everyday conversation and allow you to share the details of your life with others. You will learn everything from your morning habits, such as waking up (okiru) and brushing your teeth (ha o migaku), to evening activities like cooking (ryōri suru) and eventually going to sleep (neru).
As you study these phrases, pay close attention to the use of the particle o, which marks the object of an action. For instance, in the phrase terebi o miru (watch TV), the particle connects the object to the verb. You will also notice several suru verbs. In Japanese, many nouns can be turned into actions by adding suru, which means to do. Examples in this list include benkyō suru (study) and sōji suru (clean the room). Understanding this pattern will help you expand your vocabulary quickly, as it applies to many different activities. Whether you are heading to work (shigoto ni iku) or just checking your email (mēru o kakunin suru), these expressions provide the tools needed to navigate a typical day in Japanese.
Vocabulary list
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Wake up | 起きる okiru |
| Wash face | 顔を洗う kao o arau |
| Brush teeth | 歯を磨く ha o migaku |
| Take a shower | シャワーを浴びる shawā o abiru |
| Get dressed | 服を着る fuku o kiru |
| Eat breakfast | 朝ご飯を食べる asagohan o taberu |
| Drink coffee | コーヒーを飲む kōhī o nomu |
| Go to work | 仕事に行く shigoto ni iku |
| Go to school | 学校に行く gakkō ni iku |
| Study | 勉強する benkyō suru |
| Work | 仕事をする shigoto o suru |
| Eat lunch | 昼ご飯を食べる hirugohan o taberu |
| Read a book | 本を読む hon o yomu |
| Go home | 家に帰る ie ni kaeru |
| Cook | 料理する ryōri suru |
| Eat dinner | 晩ご飯を食べる bangohan o taberu |
| Watch TV | テレビを見る terebi o miru |
| Listen to music | 音楽を聴く ongaku o kiku |
| Take a bath | お風呂に入る ofuro ni hairu |
| Sleep | 寝る neru |
| Clean the room | 掃除する sōji suru |
| Do laundry | 洗濯する sentaku suru |
| Go shopping | 買い物をする kaimono o suru |
| Exercise | 運動する undō suru |
| Walk | 歩く aruku |
| Wash dishes | 皿を洗う sara o arau |
| Call a friend | 友達に電話する tomodachi ni denwa suru |
| Check email | メールを確認する mēru o kakunin suru |
Practice this lesson with spaced repetition, multiple study modes, and daily streaks.
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