Are you finally ready to leave your 2-D waifu or husbando and enter into the 3-D dating scene in Japan? Dating in Japan is quite different compared to western standards, and if you venture into the scene unarmed, you’ll probably fail your mission.
The Japanese are conservative and generally keep to themselves. That’s why it may be harder to know if someone you’re interested in feels the same way about you. Plus, there’s the language barrier. Yikes. Luckily, we’re here to offer a helping hand. Here are the best Japanese pick-up lines to use for different situations.
Starting Off Slow: Simple Pick-Up Lines
Here are some commonly used lines that are still used to this day in Japan
1. Shall We Go and Get Some Coffee?
コーヒーでも飲みに行きましょうか？
(Kōhī demo nomi ni ikimashō ka?)
Shall we go get some coffee?
Probably one of the most used lines in all of Japan. Guys who are doing nampa (picking up girls) on the streets of Japan usually say something like this. You can replace the coffee with other drinks like お茶 (ocha: tea) or ビール (bīru: beer) or even an activity like カラオケ (karaoke). Remember to take out the 飲みに (nomi ni – to drink) part if you use an activity (example 2 below).
Examples:
1. お茶でも飲みに行きましょうか？
(Ocha demo nomi ni ikimashō ka?
Shall we go and get some tea?
2. カラオケでも行きましょうか？
(Karaoke demo ikimashō ka?)
Shall we go to karaoke?
2. Can I Get Your LINE ID?
LINE IDを 教えてくれる？
(LINE ID o oshiete kureru?)
Can I get your LINE ID?
LINE is a very popular app in Japan and other countries. It is so common in Japan that virtually everyone who has a smartphone uses this app to chat or call each other. It is the modern-day equivalent of asking for someone’s phone number these days.
If the person you are talking with doesn’t use the LINE app, you could also ask for their email address or phone number. I would suggest asking for their email since it is not as “private” as their phone number.
Examples:
This is the phrase to ask them for their email address or phone numbers:
1. メールアドレスを教えてくれる？
(Mēru adoresu o oshiete kureru?)
Can you tell me your email address?
2. 電話番号を教えてくれる？
(Denwa bangō o oshiete kureru?)
Can you tell me your phone number?
If you prefer to be politer (which is common in Japan if you don’t know someone well yet), you can replace the くれる (kureru) with ください (kudasai) which means “please,” or いただけますか (itadakemasu ka) which is a very polite way to ask for something.
Examples:
1. 電話番号を教えてください。
(Denwa bangō o oshiete kudasai.)
Could you please give me your phone number?
2. 電話番号を教えていただけますか？
(Denwa bangō o oshiete itadakemasu ka?)
Would I be able to get your phone number?
It’s easy to use these phrases on friends or coworkers when you’re not interested in them, but asking this to someone you want to get to know better will make anyone nervous.
3.You’re Cute/Beautiful! or You’re cool/handsome!
可愛い/キレイですね・カッコイイ/ハンサムですね 。
(kawaii/kirei desu ne / kakkoii/hansamu desu ne.)
You’re cute/beautiful/cool/handsome.
Compliments go a long way when flirting. It’s straightforward and a great way to show that you’re interested in someone.
Here are some common yet flattering compliments you can use for both men and women. Add ですね (desu ne) after it to make it sound not as straightforward.
If you want to take it a step further but still appear sincere, you can also use 君はとてもキレイだ。(kimi wa totemo kirei da) This means, “You are so beautiful!”
For Girls:
- 可愛い (kawaii): Cute
- キレイ (kirei): Pretty
- 色っぽい (iroppoi): Sexy
- 美人 (bijin): Beautiful woman
For Guys:
- カッコイイ (kakkoii): Good looking
- ハンサム (hansamu): Handsome
- イケメン (ikemen): A good looking guy
Examples:
1. かわいいですね。
(Kawaii desu ne.)
You’re cute.
2. カッコいいですね。
(Kakkoii desu ne.)
You’re good looking.
4. ~ Looks Good On You.
～似合っているね。
(~Niatteru ne.)
~ looks good on you.
If you want to compliment someone on something other than their beauty, how about complementing their style?
With this line, you can choose any item of clothing to put at the beginning of the sentence. Just be sure that the person you say this to actually has something nice on, or they might think you’re just making fun of them.
Words You Can Use:
- ワンピース (wan pīsu): A “one-piece” dress. A casual type of dress.
- ドレス (doresu): Dress – Usually a formal dress or gown
- スカート (sukāto): Skirt
- シャツ (shatsu): Shirt
- ズボン (zubon): Pants*/trousers
- 帽子 (bōshi): Hat/cap
- ネックレス (nekkuresu): Necklace
- イヤリング (iyaringu): Earring
- ネクタイ (nekutai): Necktie
- 指輪 (yubiwa): Ring
- 眼鏡 (megane): Glasses
*Note: パンツ (pantsu) in Japanese can be a bit of a challenge to use. Depending on the way you say this word, it can mean “underwear” or trouser/pants. Saying the “ツ” in パンツ (pantsu) with a falling intonation gives it the meaning of “underwear.” However, if you say “ツ” with a rising intonation, the meaning changes to “trousers” or “pants (in the USA).” If you want to be clear that you are talking about trousers instead of underwear, you can use the word ズボン (zubon) instead. ズボン (zubon) is another word for trousers/pants in Japanese.
Examples:
1. 眼鏡似合ってるね。
(Megane niatteru ne.)
You look good with glasses.
2. スカート似合ってるね。
(Sukāto niatteru ne.)
You look good in a skirt.
You can also use this other phrase: おしゃれですね。 (oshare desu ne.) This means, “You are stylish!”
Borderline Cringe/Funny Pick-Up Lines to Break the Ice
Here are some pick-up lines that will either work very well for you, or will fall flat.
5. You’re More Beautiful Than a Model.
あなたはモデルさんより美しいです。
(Anata wa moderu san yori utsukushii desu.)
You’re more beautiful that a model.
Either you’ll get the girl, or you’ll end up creeping her out. It’s a 50/50 gamble worth taking? The key to delivering successful cheesy pick-up lines is emotion. How believable can you make yourself sound?
6. My Heart Beats Loudly When I Look at You.
君を見ると、ドキドキするよ。
(Kimi o miru to, dokidoki suru yo.)
My heart beats loudly when I look at you.
This cheesy pick-up line is still cute despite being a bit over the top. Imagine the person you like saying this to you, won’t your heart start to beat fast as well?
7. Please Marry Me.
結婚してください。
(Kekkon shite kudasai.)
Please marry me.
It may sound weird to propose using “please,” but this is a pretty common statement in Japan. Usually said as a joke, it can at least make your intentions known.
This pick-up line is excellent to break the ice with. If you already succeeded in making your date laugh at your jokes, adding this one to your roster will get them hooked. It’s a bonus if your date goes along with it and gives a date! Definitely a keeper.
Romantic Pick-Up Lines for Hopeless Romantics
If you want to up your romantic game, these are some of the lines you can use.
8. Can I kiss you?
キスしてもいい?
(Kisu shite mo ii?)
Can I kiss you?
You’re thoroughly mesmerized by your date and want to get closer to them. Nothing’s more romantic than announcing that you want to kiss them. Just be sure that they gave you the signal before leaning in for the kiss!
Asking if you can kiss someone sounds a little weak or even weird, but this could be a great line to use in Japan if used at the right time. It’s a chill, yet bold way to say you want to kiss someone.
9. You’re my Type.
For guys to say to girls:
君は私のタイプだ。
(Kimi wa watashi no taipu da.)
You’re my type.
For girls to say to guys:
XXさんは私のタイプだよ。
(XX-san wa watashi no taipu da yo.)
You’re my type, (name).
If you’re confident in your charisma, then this pick-up line is made for you. Telling someone you’ve fallen for them directly can impress a woman or man when executed properly. It’s honestly a nice thing to hear when you know someone is not playing around with you.
10. I Want to Make you Happy.
君を幸せにしたい。
(Kimi o shiawase ni shitai.)
I want to make you happy.
*swoons* If someone tells you this with emotion, won’t you get butterflies in your stomach? Word of warning; make sure to use this with someone you’ve already gotten to know well. You don’t want to lead them on.
R-18 Pick-Up Lines
Risky, but bold, use with caution!
11. I Don’t Want to go Home Just Yet.
まだ帰りたくない。
(Mada kaeritakunai.)
I don’t want go to home yet.
You managed to get a date. You’ve had a lovely dinner together and find yourself at the end of the night, both of you ready to go your separate ways. You can sense that the both of you don’t want this night to end. You’ve gotten this far, so why not keep going? Saying “まだ帰りたくない。” is perfect for this kind of situation.
This is usually said by women to men when they don’t want to end the night. Of course, this might mean “let’s go to another bar” or “I still want to have fun, so let’s go to karaoke” or something of that nature. Never assume that it means that they want to go back to your place.
12. Let’s Go to a (Love) Hotel.
ラブホ行こう。
(Rabuho ikō.)
Let’s go to a love hotel.
Japan is known for its infamous love hotels. ラブホ (rabuho) is short for a love hotel. Try using this pick-up line if your goal is a homerun and things are looking pretty good. As always, use it at your own risk! You don’t want to come off as a creep, right?
Useful Pick-Up Lines to Use at a Bar
These are universal. I’m sure that you’ll hear these types of lines in any bar around the world
13. Is This Seat Available?
この席は空いていますか？
(Kono seki wa aite imasu ka?)
It this seat taken?
If you have trouble making the first move, this simple line is versatile but not too over the top. The nuance of this phrase implies that you want to take this seat to use it somewhere else. However, if someone answers “yes” to this question and you sit down and join them, that is a pretty boss move (can also be creepy, depending on your personality, so be careful!) You can use it in different scenarios. Just make sure that you have follow-up questions ready after using this pick-up line! It would be weird if you sat down then kept quiet.
14. Do You Come Here Often?
ここにはよく来ますか？
(Koko ni wa yoku kimasu ka?)
Do you come here foten?
One of the most quintessential lines known everywhere around the world.
You see a beautiful girl or a handsome man alone in a bar. You want to approach them but don’t know what to say. This phrase is always a fallback used all over when nothing else comes to mind. It’s easy to remember and probably works better in Japan than in other countries.
15. Did We Meet Somewhere Before?
どっかで会ったことがある？
(Dokka de atta koto ga aru?)
Did we meet somwhere before?
Although overused, this classic pick-up line is still used to this day. Popular in English, asking someone this question is sure to catch anyone off-guard. As always, use this at your own risk. You don’t want to come off as creepy and stalkerish!
Did we mention a pick-up line that you’ve already used successfully? If yes, comment down below what they were! When done correctly, pick-up lines will be your weapon in the dating world. They’re also a great way to practice your Japanese!
