Survival Communication: Fallback Phrases for When You Don’t Understand

When you don’t understand Japanese, the goal isn’t to “suddenly understand everything.” The goal is to keep the interaction moving with simple, polite repair tools. This chapter gives you a small set of phrases and a repeatable process so you can recover from misunderstandings without freezing.

Core fallback phrases (your survival toolkit)

Memorize these as complete units. They work in shops, stations, hotels, restaurants, and on the street.

Two confirmation templates you can reuse everywhere

These templates let you confirm meaning with minimal grammar. You insert one key word (a noun, number, time, or place name) and turn it into a yes/no check.

• Meaning check: ___ ですか？ (___ desu ka?) = “Is it ___?”

  Use it when you think you understood one key item and want confirmation.

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• Location check: ___ はどこですか？ (___ wa doko desu ka?) = “Where is ___?”

  Use it when you need a place: platform, exit, restroom, hotel, bus stop.

How to build your blanks (what to put in ___)

Keep the blank simple. One “anchor” word is enough.

• Noun: トイレ (toire), 出口 (deguchi), ホーム (hoomu), この電車 (kono densha)
• Number: 二人 (futari, two people), 三番 (san-ban, number 3), 500円 (go-hyaku en)
• Time: 7時 (shichi-ji, 7 o’clock), 10分 (juppun, 10 minutes)
• Place name: 渋谷 (Shibuya), 京都 (Kyoto), 成田 (Narita)

Common replies you’ll hear from locals (and how to react)

Locals often respond in predictable ways when they notice you’re struggling. Recognize these patterns so you can stay calm and keep the exchange productive.

Local strategies you can mirror (non-verbal “repair tools”)

In real interactions, locals often simplify communication using these methods. You can actively invite them.

• Pointing: at signs, menus, maps, ticket machines, exits.
• Repeating keywords: they may repeat only the place name, number, or platform.
• Gestures: direction with the hand, counting with fingers, “this/that” pointing.
• Writing: on paper, phone notes, or showing a printed schedule.
• Showing: bringing you to a sign or pointing to a specific button.

Useful polite prompts to trigger these strategies:

• ここですか？ (Koko desu ka?) = “Here?” (while pointing)
• これですか？ (Kore desu ka?) = “This one?” (while pointing to an option)
• 書いてもらえますか？ (Kaite moraemasu ka?) = “Could you write it?”
• 指さしてもらえますか？ (Yubisasite moraemasu ka?) = “Could you point to it?”

Micro-dialogues (short, realistic repair moments)

1) At a station: repeat + slow + confirm platform number

あなた: すみません。渋谷はどこですか？ (Sumimasen. Shibuya wa doko desu ka?)
相手: 3番線です。 (San-bansen desu.)
あなた: もう一度お願いします。 (Mou ichido onegaishimasu.)
相手: 3番線。 (San-bansen.)
あなた: 3番線ですか？ (San-bansen desu ka?)
相手: はい。 (Hai.)

2) At a restaurant: point + “What is this?” + confirm ingredient

あなた: これは何ですか？ (Kore wa nan desu ka?)
相手: 鶏です。 (Tori desu.)
あなた: 鶏ですか？ (Tori desu ka?)
相手: はい。 (Hai.)

3) At a shop: price anchor + confirm yen amount

相手: 1,200円です。 (Sen nihyaku en desu.)
あなた: すみません。ゆっくりお願いします。 (Sumimasen. Yukkuri onegaishimasu.)
相手: 1,200円。 (Sen nihyaku en.)
あなた: 1,200円ですね。 (Sen nihyaku en desu ne.)

4) When you need English as a bridge (after one attempt)

あなた: もう一度お願いします。 (Mou ichido onegaishimasu.)
相手: （説明が続く）
あなた: すみません。英語は話せますか？ (Sumimasen. Eigo wa hanasemasu ka?)
相手: 少し。 (Sukoshi.)

5) Asking for pointing/writing to avoid long explanations

あなた: すみません。出口はどこですか？ (Sumimasen. Deguchi wa doko desu ka?)
相手: まっすぐ行って、右です。 (Massugu itte, migi desu.)
あなた: すみません。指さしてもらえますか？ (Sumimasen. Yubisasite moraemasu ka?)
相手: （出口の方向を指さす）
あなた: あ、ここですか？ (A, koko desu ka?)
相手: はい。 (Hai.)

Repair sequence flow (the repeatable process)

Use this sequence whenever you feel lost. It’s designed to reduce stress and quickly extract the one piece of information you need (a noun, number, time, or place).

Step-by-step: apologize → repeat → confirm → point/write

1. Apologize lightly (signal you’re not ignoring them): すみません。 (Sumimasen.)

2. Ask to repeat: もう一度お願いします。

3. If speed is the issue, ask to slow down: ゆっくりお願いします。

4. Confirm one key anchor (noun/number/time/place): use ___ ですか？

   • 3番線ですか？ (San-bansen desu ka?)
   • 7時ですか？ (Shichi-ji desu ka?)
   • 500円ですか？ (Go-hyaku en desu ka?)
   • 出口ですか？ (Deguchi desu ka?)

5. If still unclear, switch to visual support: ask for pointing or writing.

   • 指さしてもらえますか？
   • 書いてもらえますか？

Mini “decision rule” to keep you from freezing

• If you caught nothing → もう一度お願いします。
• If you caught some words but too fast → ゆっくりお願いします。
• If you caught one anchor (number/place/time) → confirm with ___ ですか？
• If the explanation is long → ask for pointing/writing (visual shortcut)

Using numbers, time, and place names as anchors (even with limited grammar)

In travel situations, the most important information is often a number (platform, price, room, bus stop), a time (departure, reservation), or a place name (destination, station, landmark). You can communicate effectively by extracting and confirming these anchors.

1) Numbers as anchors

Listen for the number and the “label” that follows it. Then confirm using the template.

• Platform: ___ 番線ですか？ (___ bansen desu ka?)
• Exit number: ___ 番出口ですか？ (___ ban deguchi desu ka?)
• Price: ___ 円ですか？ (___ en desu ka?)
• Quantity: ___ 個ですか？ (___ ko desu ka?)

2) Time as anchors

Even if you can’t parse the full sentence, you can confirm the time you think you heard.

• 7時ですか？ (Shichi-ji desu ka?)
• 10分ですか？ (Juppun desu ka?)
• 今日ですか？ (Kyou desu ka?) / 明日ですか？ (Ashita desu ka?)

3) Place names as anchors

Place names are often pronounced clearly. Use them as your “handle” on the conversation.

• 京都ですか？ (Kyoto desu ka?)
• この電車は大阪ですか？ (Kono densha wa Osaka desu ka?)
• ___ はどこですか？ for finding the place itself

Practical drill: extract-and-confirm in 10 seconds

When someone answers you, do this quickly:

1. Pick out one anchor you heard (number/time/place).
2. Repeat it as a question: ___ ですか？
3. Wait for はい/いいえ.
4. If いいえ, offer a new guess or ask for pointing/writing.