Common Japanese phrases to use at a bank in Japan
Common Japanese phrases to use at a bank in Japan
At a bank in Japan, the most useful phrases are the ones that clearly state the transaction: opening an account, withdrawing cash, making a deposit, asking about an ATM, or filling out forms. Japanese bank staff generally respond well to short, polite sentences in the -たいです form, which means “I want to…,” because it is direct and easy to understand.
Common phrases for banking transactions
- I want to open a checking account: 預金口座を作りたいです (Yokin kōza o tsukuritai desu)
- I want to withdraw money: お金を引き出したいです (Okane o hikidashitai desu)
- I want to deposit money: お金を預け入れたいです (Okane o azukeiretai desu)
- I want to exchange money: 両替をしたいです (Ryōgae o shitai desu)
- I want to set up automatic payments: 自動引き落としを設定したいです (Jidō hikiotoshi o settei shitai desu)
- I want to close my account: 口座を解約したいです (Kōza o kaiyaku shitai desu)
- Where can I find the ATM machines?: ATMはどこにありますか (ATM wa doko ni arimasu ka)
- Please fill this form: この書類を書いてください (Kono shorui o kaite kudasai)
- I’m sorry, I can’t write in Japanese: すみませんが、日本語が書けません (Sumimasen ga, Nihongo ga kakemasen)
- You may write in Roman characters: ローマ字で結構ですよ (Rōmaji de kekkō desu yo)
- Here’s my passbook: これは私の通帳です (Kore wa watashi no tsūchō desu)
- I want to update my passbook: 通帳に記帳したいんです (Tsūchō ni kichō shitain desu)
A few of these phrases are especially practical because Japanese bank procedures often rely on written forms, stamps, account numbers, and passbooks. In everyday conversation, 通帳 (tsūchō, passbook) and 記帳 (kichō, updating the passbook) are common terms, especially for customers who still use passbooks for account records.
Useful words to recognize at a bank
- Bank: 銀行 (Ginkō)
- Account: 口座 (Kōza)
- Withdrawal: 引き出し (Hikidashi)
- Deposit: 預け入れ (Azukeire)
- Balance inquiry: 残高照会 (Zandaka shōkai)
- Transfer: 振り込み (Furikomi)
- Cash: 現金 (Genkin)
- Passbook: 通帳 (Tsūchō)
These words appear often on signs, forms, ATMs, and slips. For example, 振り込み usually means a bank transfer into another account, while 残高照会 means checking the balance. At an ATM, 現金 refers to cash and 引き出し refers to withdrawing money.
How to speak politely at a Japanese bank
Politeness matters in banks, but the good news is that the phrases above are already polite enough for most situations. The form 〜たいです is softer than a bare verb and works well for simple requests. For example, お金を引き出したいです is a normal, respectful way to say “I want to withdraw money.”
Another useful pattern is 〜できますか (“Can I…?” or “Is it possible to…?”), which can sound a little softer than 〜したいです when asking about procedures. A customer might say 口座を開設できますか for “Can I open an account?” or ATMはどこにありますか for “Where is the ATM?” Both are clear and natural.
In Japan, many bank interactions also involve forms with small boxes for names, addresses, phone numbers, and sometimes katakana spellings. Reading the labels matters as much as speaking the phrases. The word 書類 (shorui) means a document or form, so この書類を書いてください is a straightforward request to fill something in.
Common situations and what to say
Opening an account
When opening a bank account, the clearest phrase is 預金口座を作りたいです. In some banks, 口座を開設したいです is also common and sounds slightly more formal. Account opening often requires identification, an address in Japan, and completed paperwork, so the phrase この書類を書いてください may come up quickly.
Using an ATM or withdrawing cash
For cash withdrawal, お金を引き出したいです is the standard phrase. If the bank has an ATM area, ATMはどこにありますか is enough to ask for directions. The word ATM is widely used in Japan, so no translation is needed in many cases.
Deposits and transfers
For adding cash to an account, お金を預け入れたいです is understandable and polite. For moving money to another account, 振り込み is the key word to recognize. In daily banking, 振り込み is a high-frequency term, especially for rent, bills, school fees, and payments to companies.
Passbook updates
Japan still uses passbooks more often than many other countries. If the bank uses one, 通帳に記帳したいんです means “I’d like to update my passbook.” The related phrase これは私の通帳です is useful when handing it over at the counter.
Common mistakes and confusion points
口座 means an account, but it does not mean a bank itself. 銀行 is the bank, while 口座 is the customer’s account.
預け入れ and 引き出し are not the same direction. 預け入れ means money going into the account, while 引き出し means money coming out.
ローマ字 is important when writing your name or address. In many forms, Roman letters are accepted, and ローマ字で結構ですよ means writing in Roman characters is fine.
通帳 refers to a passbook, not a regular notebook. In banks that still use passbooks, the book is often printed or updated at a machine, so the word appears frequently at counters and ATMs.
Pronunciation tips
Many of these words are easier to say when broken into chunks:
- 預金口座: yo-kin kō-za
- 引き出したい: hi-ki-da-shi-tai
- 預け入れたい: a-zu-ke-i-re-tai
- 両替: ryō-gai
- 自動引き落とし: ji-dō hi-ki-o-to-shi
- 通帳: tsū-chō
- 記帳: ki-chō
Long vowels matter in Japanese. Kōza is not the same as koza, and tsūchō is not the same as tsucho. In a bank setting, clear pronunciation helps because staff may be listening for keywords rather than full sentences.
Conversation practice helps these phrases stick because banking language depends on quick recognition and spoken recall, not just reading. Repeating the phrases aloud, along with likely staff responses, makes the words easier to use under real-life time pressure.
Quick reference: the most practical phrases
- お金を引き出したいです — I want to withdraw money
- お金を預け入れたいです — I want to deposit money
- ATMはどこにありますか — Where is the ATM?
- この書類を書いてください — Please fill this form
- ローマ字で結構ですよ — Roman letters are fine
- 通帳に記帳したいんです — I want to update my passbook
These phrases cover the most common bank interactions in Japan and are usually enough to handle a counter conversation, an ATM question, or a simple form request.