Some basic phrases

I would like to know the Japanese translation for these bare essential statements:

I would like (ordering in a restaurant)

I want

I don�ft want

I like

I don�ft like

I know

I don�ft know

nice

beautiful (as applied to objects or persons)

very beautiful

Thanks for any help!

I would like XXXX. (ordering in a restaurant)
- XXX wo onegai shimasu.

I want ZZZZ.
- ZZZZ ga hoshii desu.

I don�ft want YYYY.
- YYYY wa hoshikunai desu.
(This is like when you try to buy something, and they tell you they only have yellow color, and you say you don't want THAT if it's yellow.)

I like AAAA.
- AAAA ga suki desu.

I don�ft like BBBB.
- BBBB wa suki dewa nai desu.
- BBBB wa nigate desu. ("I'm not too good with BBBB.")

I know CCCC.
- CCCC wo shitte imasu. (I know... like you know someone, some place, etc.)
- CCCC ga wakarimasu. (I know/understand... like you know a language, theory, etc.)

I don�ft know DDDD.
- DDDD wa shirimasen. (I don't know/I am not aware of... someone, some place, etc.)
- DDDD wa wakarimasen. (I know/understand.. a language, thoery, etc.)

That is nice.
- Ii desu ne.

(something/one is) beautiful (as applied to objects or persons)
- Kirei desu.

very beautiful
- Totemo kirei desu.

Thanks AK for your help!

I see the verbs come at the end of the sentence. If I say only the abridged statement like "I want" (say, like pointing to something in a store) does it still make sense though it's an incomplete sentence?


So "nice" and "good" are the same then.

Would also like to learn these:

Do you know?

Do you want?

Do you like?


Thanks!

I see the verbs come at the end of the sentence. If I say only the abridged statement like "I want" (say, like pointing to something in a store) does it still make sense though it's an incomplete sentence?

Just like the English sounds like an incomplete sentence, it WILL be an incomplete sentence in Japanese, but it will work :)

You could point at something and say:
- Onegai shimasu. (I want/Please.)
Or you could point and say:
- Kore wo onegai shimasu. (I would like this one/This one please.)

So "nice" and "good" are the same then.
Not really the same, but without knowing what you are going to refer to, I gave the most generic one :)

"Do you know?"
- Wakarimasu ka? (As in, do you understand/know, for example, the way to somewhere, your question, etc.)
- Shitte imasu ka? (More like asking if you know OF some place, someone, etc.)

"Do you want?"
Under what kind of circumstances would you use this? (It can sound kind of blunt.)

"Do you like?
- Suki desu ka?

Thanks AK.

"Do you want" would be like: "do you want to go to Kyoto?"

perhaps "would you like" would be the better expression to aim for.

"nice" would be like: nice car, nice place, nice shoes etc. general compliments.

Hm, guess you could say, "Kyoto e ikitai desuka?"

In Japanese, "do you want (some THING)?" and "do you want (to do something)?" take different sentence constructions, so I am glad I asked.

As the above poster said, if you want to ask "Do you want to go to Kyoto?" that would be:
- Kyoto e ikitai desu ka?
(The verb "to go" is "ikimasu," and the "want to" form is "ikitai desu.")

If you want to ask "Do you want to eat sushi?":
- Sushi wo tabetai desu ka?
(The verb "to eat" is "tabemasu, and the "want to" form is "tabetai desu.")

If you want ot ask "Do you want to drink beer?":
- Biiru wo nomitai desu ka?
(The verb "to drink" is "nomimasu," and the want to" form is "nomitai desu.")

If you want to use "nice" in compliments, I would say:
- Suteki desu ne.
- Suteki na kutsu desu ne. (Nice shoes, aren't they.)
- Suteki na kuruma desu ne. (Nice car.)
- Suteki na basho desu ne. (Nice place.)

Great! thanks both for your help.

I think these bare bone statements (accompanied with plenty of pointing) should help get me started communicating :)

regarding the word "beautiful"

how do kirei desu and utsukushi differ? Is one more formal than the other or are they totally interchangeable?

Kirei is moreso 'pretty' I thought. To me, seems that utsukushii is used for nature and kirei gor general things, like clothes or things deemed cute. Icould be mistaken though, but that's my view based on what I've seen here.

Never mind. I just remembered kawaii. lol

Still think Utsukushii is mostly used for nature.