Hiroko Chiba is professor of Japanese at DePauw University, where she teaches all levels of Japanese language and directs the Japanese language program. Eriko Sato, PhD, teaches Japanese at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She authored the previous editions of Japanese For Dummies and Japanese Phrases For Dummies.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Japanese 7

Chapter 1: Japanese in a Nutshell 9

Chapter 2: Checking Out the Japanese Sounds and Scripts 17

Chapter 3: Warming Up with Japanese Grammar Basics 33

Chapter 4: Getting Your Numbers, Times, and Measurements Straight 63

Chapter 5: Speaking Japanese at Home 87

Part 2: Japanese in Action 107

Chapter 6: Icebreakers and Conversation Starters 109

Chapter 7: Getting to Know You 125

Chapter 8: Asking for Directions 145

Chapter 9: Dealing with Money in a Foreign Land 161

Chapter 10: Shopping Made Easy 175

Chapter 11: Going Out on the Town 201

Chapter 12: Taking Care of Business and Telecommunications 229

Part 3: Japanese on the Go 251

Chapter 13: Planning a Trip 253

Chapter 14: Making Your Way Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, and More 267

Chapter 15: Finding a Place to Stay 287

Chapter 16: Handling Emergencies 303

Part 4: The Part of Tens 321

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Pick Up Japanese Quickly 323

Chapter 18: Ten Things Never to Say in Japanese 329

Chapter 19: Ten Favorite Japanese Expressions 335

Chapter 20: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Fluent in Japanese 339

Part 5: Appendixes 345

Appendix A: Japanese-English Mini-Dictionary 347

Appendix B: Verb Tables 371

Appendix C: Answer Key 381