Classroom Expressions in Japanese

Have you ever wondered what expressions Japanese people use in the classroom? In this article, we will look at some greetings, responses, and expressions that students and teachers use in the classroom in the Japanese language.

Classroom expressions may be necessary if you live in Japan or are curious about school dialogues or want to improve your Japanese. Let’s keep the article as simple as possible.

This article is not just about a Japanese lesson; we will notice various customs and cultural issues within the classroom in Japan, so even if you have no interest or knowledge of the language, this article is interesting for you, the reader.

At the Beginning and End of Class in Japan

At the start of class in a Japanese school (up to high school), each student stands up and bows to show respect to the teacher. When the bell rings, a designated student will lead the process with the following instructions.

	Kana	Rōmaji	Meaning
1.	起立	Kiritsu	Stand up
2.	気をつけ	Ki o tsuke	Attention
3.	礼	Rei	Bow
4.	着席	Chakuseki	Be seated

The teacher usually bows as well and then starts the class. When the bell rings to end the class, the ritual is repeated. Depending on the region, the way these instructions are pronounced may change or vary.

Expressions from Teachers IN JAPANESE

This list shows some of the phrases that teachers usually say in the classroom.

Kana	Rōmaji	Meaning
繰り返して下さい	Kurikaeshite kudasai.	Please repeat (after me).
気を付けてください	Ki o tsukete kudasai.	Please pay attention (to something).
静かにして下さい	Shizuka ni shite kudasai.	Please be quiet.
宿題を出してください	Shukudai o dashite kudasai.	Please submit your homework.
立ってください	Tatte kudasai.	Please stand up.
座ってください	Suwatte kudasai.	Please sit down.

Meaning of some expressions:

• kurikaesu means to repeat
• ki o tsukeru is an expression that means “to pay attention”
• Shizuka ni suru means “to make something quiet” (in this case)
• dasu means “to put / take out”

Other Expressions IN JAPANESE

Here are some common expressions that you can say as a student.

Kana	Rōmaji	Meaning
トイレに行ってもいいですか	Toire ni itte mo ii desu ka?	May I go to the bathroom?
水を飲んでもいいですか	Mizu o Nonde mo ii desu ka?	May I drink water? (Go get a drink)
はい、いいです	Hai, ii desu.	Yes, that is fine.
いいえ、ダメです	Iie, dame desu.	No, that is not good.

• Here, the adjective ii [良い] means “good” or “OK,” and DAME [ダメ] means “not good.” The TTEMO [っても] literally means “even if I…”

• e ii desu ka [良いですか] means “Is it all right?”. Thus, a request in Japanese is always in the form “Is it all right if I…”;

And here is an expression that you will hear quite often:

Kana	Rōmaji	Meaning
よく出来ました	Yoku dekimashita.	Good job (lit. “you could do it well”)

• Also see Classroom Objects

I hope you enjoyed the article. If you liked it, don’t forget to comment and share with friends. Thank you very much, and see you next time.