Public transportation is important in Japan. You will probably need to catch a bus at some point. So you’ll want to ask questions like “is this bus going to Tokyo?” You should also probably tell people things like, “I need to get off the train at Nagano Station.” Phrases and questions like these are the key to getting around in Japan. This Japanese article for beginners is here to help you! You will learn to ask and answer questions about where you want to go. Ask, kono basu wa Tokyo-iki desu, (“Is this bus headed for Tokyo?”) and similar questions in Japanese. This Japanese for Beginners article is the key to getting where you’re going in Japan!
Vocabulary: In this article, you will learn the following words and phrases:
chizu- “map”
jikan- “time”
Ogenki desu ka – “How are you?”
koe- “voice”
yuki – “destined for”
noru – “get on (a train), take (a train)” (class 1 verb)
oriru – “get off” (class 2 verb)
Kawanakajima – “the name of a place”
basu- “bus”
Grammar: In this article, you will learn the following words and phrases:
Vocabulary and useful phrases
Chizu ga arimasu ka?
The pattern of prayer [person] wow [noun] ga arimasu corresponds to “[person] has [noun]” in French.
award pattern
Affirmative sentences:
- Chizu ga arimasu.
- *Jikan ga arimasu.
- *Okane ga arimasu.
- * Yotei ga arimasu.
Definitions:
- *jikan- “time”
- *okane- “money”
- *yotei – “schedule”
Negative sentences:
- Chizu ga arimasen.
- Jikan ga arimasen.
- Okane ga arimasen.
- Yotei ga arimasen.
Question Prizes:
- Chizu ga arimasuka?
- Jikan ga arimasuka?
- Okane ga arimasuka?
- Yotei ga arimasuka?
*We can replace the particle ga with the particle wa in negative sentences or yes/no questions.
Nagano-iki or Nagano-yuki
When -iki or -yuki follows a place name, -iki or -yuki function as suffixes, and we use [place]+ iki or [place] + yuki to express the final destination.
Example:
- Tokyo-iki or Tokyo-yuki “bound for Tokyo”
- Tokyo-yuki no densha. “a train bound for Tokyo”
- Kono basu wa Tokyo-iki desu? “Is this bus headed for Tokyo?”
- That is, Nagano-eki yuki desu. “No, he’s heading to Nagano Station.”
Today’s Target Phrases:
Nagano-iki (not Basu) or Noru. / “Take the bus bound for Nagano.”
Kawanakajima from (basu o)oriru. / “Get off (the bus) at Kawanakajima.”
Please review the following vocabulary and usage:
- Nagano-iki – “bound for Nagano”
- no – “possessive particle”
- ni – “particle indicating direction or movement”
- noru – “mount, take”
- Kawanakajima – “the name of a place”
- de – “particle indicating the place of an action” (“in” or “in”)
- oriru – “to go down, to go out”
Noru and Oriru
Noru means “to ride”. We mark the transport that is carried out with the particle ni. The masu form (polite form) of the verb is orimasu.
Award Pattern:
Theme /Washington/ Transportation /No/Walk
Watashi/wa/basu/ni/norimasu.
Shizuka-san/wa/densha/ni/norimasu.
Rorii-san/wa/takushii/ni/noru.
Mizuki-san/wa/chika-tetsu/ni/noru.
Oriru means “to get down”. We mark the transport with the particle o. The masu form of the verb is orimasu.
Award pattern:
Subject / Wa / Transportation / O / Get off, Exit
Watashi/wa/asu or/orimasu.
Shizuka-san/wa/densha/o/norimasu.
Rorii-san/wa/takushii/o/oriru.
Mizuki-san/wa/chika-tetsu/o/oriru.
Examples:
- (Watashi wa) basu ni norimasu. “I’m going to take the bus.” or “I take the bus.”
- (Watashi wa) basu or orimasu. “I’m going to get off the bus.” or “I’m getting off the bus.”
- Tokyo-eki from Shinkan-sen ni norimasu. “I’m going to take a bullet train at Tokyo station.” or “I’m getting on a bullet train at Tokyo station.”
- Nagano-eki from Shinkan-sen orimasu. “I’m going to get off the bullet train at Nagano Station.” or “I get off the bullet train at Nagano station.”