Is the japanese to english voice translator free?

Yes, free for up to 30 minutes a day. The limit exists to prevent abuse. It needs a free Owaa account, which takes a moment to create.

Can I call someone in Japan who speaks Japanese?

Yes. Owaa translates a real phone call both ways. A call to Japan costs $0.30–$0.50 per minute, and new accounts can claim 10 free minutes once. You can also call the hotline, +1 833 988 4455.

What is the difference between Face-to-Face and Listen for Japanese?

Face-to-Face is two-way, for two people in the same room: each speaks their own language and hears the other in theirs. Listen is one-way: it translates a talk, a broadcast or a speaker into English.

Does it handle polite Japanese?

Japanese politeness is a real part of the language. Speak politely yourself, and remember the translated reply will not always carry the exact level the other person intended.

Do I need to know romaji?

No. Romaji on this page is only a reading aid. The translator works on spoken Japanese.

Can I use it to call someone in Japan?

Yes. Use the call option below; Owaa shows the per-minute rate for Japan.

Voice translator

Japanese to English voice translator

Someone is speaking Japanese and you need to follow it in English. Open the translator, pick Japanese for them and English for you, and take turns: they speak Japanese, you hear English, and your English reaches them in Japanese.

Translate Japanese to English Hear a talk in English

Face-to-Face and Listen are free for up to 30 minutes a day. Sign in with a free Owaa account to use it.

How to use it

01
Open it with the pair chosen
The button above opens Face-to-Face with Japanese for you and English for the other person already selected. If you are not signed in, you are taken through sign-in and brought back.
02
Take turns
One person speaks at a time. Wait until the translation finishes playing before you speak, because anything said while it plays is not heard.
03
Hear each other
Each of you hears the other in your own language through the same device. Major pairs such as English with Chinese, Spanish or Japanese are strongest; for anything important, repeat the key detail back.

Need the other direction? English to Japanese voice translator.

Useful Japanese phrases

Common Japanese phrases and their English meaning
Japanese	Romaji	English
こんにちは。	Konnichiwa.	Hello. (afternoon)
ありがとうございます。	Arigatō gozaimasu.	Thank you very much.
わかりません。	Wakarimasen.	I don't understand.
もう少しゆっくり話してください。	Mō sukoshi yukkuri hanashite kudasai.	Please speak a little more slowly.
お手洗いはどこですか。	O-tearai wa doko desu ka?	Where is the bathroom?
いくらですか。	Ikura desu ka?	How much is it?
医者が必要です。	Isha ga hitsuyō desu.	I need a doctor.
すみません。	Sumimasen.	Excuse me. / Sorry.

Everyday phrases for reading or saying aloud. They are a reference, not a substitute for the translator in a real conversation.

Japanese: varieties and dialects

Standard Japanese (the Tokyo-based hyōjungo) is understood everywhere in Japan. Regional dialects such as Kansai-ben differ in accent and vocabulary, but speakers shift to standard Japanese with strangers.

Japanese is written in three scripts mixed together (kanji, hiragana, katakana); romaji, shown above, is a reading aid only.

Politeness and formality in a translated conversation

Japanese has politeness levels (keigo). The -masu / desu style, as in the phrases above, is correct for strangers, customers and officials. Dropping into a casual form can sound abrupt to an unfamiliar adult.
Japanese often leaves out “I” and “you” where the context makes them clear, so a literal translation may add them. Names put the family name first, with -san added as a polite suffix.

Common situations with Japanese speakers

At the doctor

Give one symptom per sentence. Japanese often implies the subject, so say clearly who the symptom is about (you or a child).

With a landlord

Confirm the rent and due date aloud. Japanese official forms may use the era year (Reiwa) instead of the Western year, so confirm which one is meant.

At your child’s school

Ask staff to read notices in short parts and to say the child’s class and the date aloud.

At the bank

Say whether an amount is in dollars or yen, and spell out account numbers digit by digit.

General conversation tips only, not legal or medical advice. For anything with legal, medical or financial consequences, use a qualified human interpreter.

Call someone who speaks Japanese

Owaa also translates a real phone call both ways, to any number, with no app for the person you call. A call to Japan, the main country for Japanese, costs $0.30–$0.50 per minute. New accounts can claim 10 free minutes once.

Calling Japan: rate and dialing Phone call translator

Questions

Is the japanese to english voice translator free?: Yes, free for up to 30 minutes a day. The limit exists to prevent abuse. It needs a free Owaa account, which takes a moment to create.
Can I call someone in Japan who speaks Japanese?: Yes. Owaa translates a real phone call both ways. A call to Japan costs $0.30–$0.50 per minute, and new accounts can claim 10 free minutes once. You can also call the hotline, +1 833 988 4455.
What is the difference between Face-to-Face and Listen for Japanese?: Face-to-Face is two-way, for two people in the same room: each speaks their own language and hears the other in theirs. Listen is one-way: it translates a talk, a broadcast or a speaker into English.
Does it handle polite Japanese?: Japanese politeness is a real part of the language. Speak politely yourself, and remember the translated reply will not always carry the exact level the other person intended.
Do I need to know romaji?: No. Romaji on this page is only a reading aid. The translator works on spoken Japanese.
Can I use it to call someone in Japan?: Yes. Use the call option below; Owaa shows the per-minute rate for Japan.