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2. Polite Exchanges

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すみません、おはようございます
Excuse me, good morning
おはよう
Morning!
はじめまして、よろしくお願いします
Nice to meet you, pleased to meet you
はじめまして
Nice to meet you too
先生ですか
Are you a teacher?
私は学生です
I'm a student
どうぞ
Go ahead
どうも
Thanks
ありがとうございます
Thank you
すみません、おはようございます
Excuse me, good morning
はじめまして、よろしくお願いします
Nice to meet you, pleased to meet you
はじめまして
Nice to meet you too
先生ですか
Are you a teacher?
私は学生です
I'm a student
どうぞ
Go ahead
どうも
Thanks
ありがとうございます
Thank you
New in this track
おはよう good morning (casual)
おはようございます good morning (formal)
ありがとうございます thank you (formal)
どうも thanks / hey
すみません excuse me / sorry
どうぞ please / go ahead
Grammar
か turns a sentence into a question

Cultural Notes

Casual vs formal: know your audience

おはよう is for friends and family. おはようございます is for teachers, coworkers, and anyone you want to show respect to. When in doubt, go with the longer version. Nobody will be offended by extra politeness.

すみません does double duty

すみません works as both "excuse me" and "sorry." You can use it to get a waiter's attention, apologize for bumping into someone, or even as a humble way to say thank you when someone goes out of their way for you.

どうも: the Swiss Army knife greeting

どうも is one of the most flexible words in Japanese. On its own it works as a casual "hi" or "thanks." Pair it with ありがとうございます and it adds emphasis, like saying "thank you so much." It is casual, so save it for people you are comfortable with.