Lesson 10: Getting Around: Directions and the Station

You will often ask the way, especially in stations. This lesson gives you the questions and the replies you will hear. A few answers use the て-form (まがって, いって); learn them now as set phrases and you will see how they work in Lesson 18.

Asking the way

Directions you will hear

The verb here marks the route with を: かどを まがります, はしを わたります. The direction takes へ or に: みぎへ まがります.

At the station

Tip. Station maps and apps show station numbers and colours for each line. Match the colour and number, and you can travel even when you cannot read the names. Always check the destination sign (〜ゆき) and whether the train is local or express.

Kanji spotlight

Dialogue: asking the way

Every ▶ button plays a clear computer voice, which is good for learning sounds and rhythm but is not a native speaker. Pitch (the rise and fall of the voice) can sound a little flat. Also listen to real Japanese as often as you can: videos, news for learners (NHK Easy), and Japanese people around you.

Check yourself

Try to answer every question before you look at the answers.

1. Ask "Where is the station?"
2. What do まっすぐ, みぎ and ひだり mean?
3. Which particle marks the route you turn at or cross, as in かどを まがります?
4. Say "Turn right at the traffic light."
5. What does ～ばんせん mean?
6. Ask "Which platform is it?"
7. Say "I transfer at Shinjuku."
8. Read: 北, 南, 東, 西.
9. What is the opposite of ちかい?
10. What does 〜ゆき on a sign tell you?

Answers

Count your correct answers. If you got fewer than 7 out of 10, read the lesson again and listen to the audio once more.

1. えきは どこですか。
2. straight, right, left.
3. を.
4. しんごうを みぎへ まがって ください。
5. platform number ~.
6. なんばんせんですか。
7. しんじゅくで のりかえます。
8. きた, みなみ, ひがし, にし.
9. とおい.
10. Where the train is going (bound for ~).