ahhh i think the basics is the phrases that can be said everyday like greetings and such... hmmm i think you can classify yourself as a moderate japanese user if you can construct your own sentences and they still have correct grammar... atleast thats what i think
btw... moshi moshi is used when anwering the phone...
here are other basic greetings:
ohayou gozaimasu. - Proper greeting for "good morning." Literally, this means "It's early" but it
has taken on the usage for morning-time greetings. This is safe to use until around 11 AM, possibly a little later.
konnichi wa - This is your proper, basic, "hello" or "good day," and can be used morning,
afternoon, or evening.
ossu (or uissu, pronounced like "wi") - This is an expression for males, especially teenagers, for saying "hey" or
"what's up?" It is rather old now, it is sometimes still used, as in"O--su! Hisashiburi da na!". Some claim it came from saying ‚"ohayou gozaimasu" really fast, thus ending up with just the beginning and end as o--ssu. It is best to stick with "konnichi wa" unless someone says "ossu" to you first. However, females would most likely respond to "ossu" with a "konnichi wa".
basic goodbyes:
sayounara (with or without the long "u" in the middle) - This is standard for "goodbye" or "farewell." The connontation of this is a more
permanent "farewell" where you won't see the person for a while, so don't confuse this with other expressions that mean more like "see you later."
sore dewa, mata ne - Literally, "Well, again!" This is a somewhat formal way of saying "See you later." This is kind of the "root" of a lot of "see you later" expressions, so, even though it is not used as often as the others, it provides a good starting point. "sore dewa" by itself means "then; if so; if that is the case; well,...;" according to the dictionary. Add to that "mata" which means "again; once more; once again;" and you get the equivalent of "Well, see you later."
sore ja, mata ne - It carries the same meaning, and is only slightly less formal. It is also possible to add "ashita" (tomorrow) or "raishuu" (next week) after
the mata for expressions like:
sore dewa, mata ashita ne
Well, (I'll see you) again tomorrow!
sore dewa, mata raishuu ne
Well, (I'll see you) again next week!
mata ne - "Later!" This is just the last part of #2, shortened and more "familiar." When compared to the following #4, "mata ne" can be seen as a little on the feminine side, with the strong 'ne' being a characteristic of female speech.
sore ja - Again, contracted from the "sore dewa, mata ne" and "sore ja, mata ne" in #2. This is a more masculine term than #3, "mata ne".
ja - Contracted down from #4, "ja" retains basically the same meaning but it takes a step down in formality. Situations this would most likely be used in are between close male friends.
baibai - This is just the Japanese integration of "bye-bye." This is very informal, and it is also on the feminine side. In general girls are the only ones who use this, or maybe even guys with their girlfriends.
other basic stuff:
ohayou (gozaimasu) - good morning
konnichi wa - hello
konban wa - good evening (said when meeting someone)
oyasumi (nasai) - good night (said when departing)
hajimemashite - I'm pleased to meet you, how do you do?
sayounara - good bye
dewa mata - good bye, later (more informal than sayounara)
jaa mata - see you later (more informal than dewa mata)
(doumo) arigatou (gozaimasu) - thank you (add the words in () to increase politeness)
dou itashimashite - you're welcome, don't mention it
(o)genki( desu ka)? - how are you? (lit. are you well?)
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XD hohoh.