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When you get lost, it's best to ask the people. In Japan, street names are not shown in many cases.

People are generally kind and will try to give you the best advice. Or they will take you to the place if it's close.

The biggest challenge for you would be to understand what people are saying. To make it easier, try the following...

(1) Show where you want to go on the map (if you have).(2) Ask to draw a route map. "Kantan na chizu o kaite morae masuka? (Can you draw a simple map?)"(3) Ask to write down the name of the places in Japanese so that you can identify where you are. "Basho no namae o nihongo de kaite morae masuka? (Can you write the name of the place in Japanese?)"

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So, let's start!

*Where is this? -Koko wa doko desuka?

*Where is the station? -Eki wa doko desuka?

*To where do you go? -Doko e iki masuka?

*From where does the bus depart? - Basu wa doko kara shuppatsu shimasuka?

(doko: where?

koko: here

eki: train station

basu: bus

_ e: to _

_ kara: from _

shuppatsu suru: to depart )

koko (here), soko (there) and asoko (over there) refer the place.

Verbs have different forms with different endings. Basic form is called jisho-kei(dictionary form). The basic form ends with the u-column syllables (u, ku, su, tsu, nu, mu, ru).

Examples: iku (to go), kaku (to write), suru (to do)

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*You turn right at the 3rd crossing. -Mittsu-me no kōsaten o migi e magari masu.

*Go straight this way about 50m. -Kono michi o gojū-mētoru kurai massugu iki masu.

*Turn left at the T-junction. -Tsukiatari o hidari e magari masu.

*It is on the right-hand side of the street. - Dōro no migi gawa ni ari masu.

(mittsu-me: 3rd

kōsaten: crossing

michi: way, street

dōro: road

tsukiatari: far end (of the street)

migi: right / hidari: left

_ gawa: _ side / hantai gawa: opposite side

massugu: straight

magaru: to turn)

mētoru: meters / kiro: kilo meters)

Ordinal number (1st, 2nd, 3rd) = cardinal number (1, 2, 3) + banme

Examples: ni-banme (2nd), roku-banme (6th), jū go-banme (15th)

In daily conversation, 1st to 9th are often spoken in different ways.

*1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th,6th, 7th, 8th, 9th- hitotsu-me, futatsu-me, mittsu-me, yottsu-me, itsutsu-me, muttsu-me, nanatsu-me, yattsu-me, kokonotsu-me

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*Is this bound for Shinjuku? -Kore wa Shinjuku iki desuka?

*What time is the next one to Tokyo?- Tsugi no Tōkyō iki wa nan-ji desuka?

*Which platform is the train to Osaka? - Ōsaka iki wa nan-bansen desuka?

*From Tokyo to London is full -Tōkyō hatsu Rondon iki wa manseki desu.

(hatsu: from_ / _iki: to_ (bound for_)

Shinjuku: one of the largest station in Tōkyō

Ōsaka: 2nd largest city in Japan

_bansen: platform number_

manseki: full, fully occupied)

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*Does this bus stop at Shibuya? - Kono basu wa Shibuya de tomari masuka?

*Express train does not stop at that station. - Kyūkō wa sono eki de tomari masen.

*Change to yamanote-line at Tokyo station. - Tōkyō eki de Yamanotesen e norikae masu.

* At where do I change? - Doko de norikae desuka?

(de: at_ (place)

Shibuya: one of the most popular downtown in Tōkyō

kyūkō: express

Yamanotesen: Yamanote line (train in Tokyo)

tomaru: to stop

norikaeru: to change, to transfer, to connect

norikae: transfer)

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How long does it take on foot? - Aruki de donokurai kakari masuka?

*About 15 minutes by bus. - Basu de jūgo-fun kurai desu.

*How long did it took by train? - Densha de nan-jikan kakari mashitaka?

*Is it near? / Is it far? - Chikai desuka? / Tōi desuka?

(de: by_ (means)

aruki: on foot, walking

densha: train

chikai: near, close / tōi: far)

Particles de (place) and de (means) are pronounced the same way, but the function of these is entirely different.

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*I want to go to Mt. Fuji. - Fujisan e iki taidesu.

*I want to get on the 8 o'clock bus. - Hachi-ji no basu ni nori taidesu.

*I want to send a package at the post office. - Yūbinkyoku de nimotsu o okuri taidesu.

*What do you want to eat? - Nani o tabe taidesuka?

(_tai: want to_

Fujisan: highest mountain in Japan

yūbinkyoku: post office

nimotsu: package, baggage

noru: to get on, to ride

okuru: to send

taberu: to eat)

Basic Rules:

want to_:

Affirmative: _taidesu (present) / _takattadesu (past)

Negative: _takuarimasen (present) / _takuarimasendeshita (past)

Question: _taidesuka? (present) / _takattadesuka? (past)

Examples: tabe taidesu (want to eat), tabe takuarimasen (don't want to eat), tabe takattadesuka? (Did you want to eat?), tabe takuarimasendeshita (didn't want to eat)

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I want to exchange money at the bank. - Ginkō de ryōgae o shitai desu.

*I want to make a phone call to overseas. - Kaigai ni denwa o shitai desu.

*Do you want to do shopping in Akihabara? - Do you want to do shopping in Akihabara?

*What do you want to do? - Nani o shitai desuka?

(_o shitai: want to do_

ryōgae: money exchange

denwa: phone call

kaimono: shopping

ginkō: bank

kaigai: overseas

Akihabara: popular shopping area for electric appliances (Tokyo))

Basic Rules:

want to do:

Affirmative: shi taidesu (present) / shi takattadesu (past)

Negative: shi takuarimasen (present) / shi takuarimasendeshita (past)

Question: shi taidesuka? (present) / shi takattadesuka? (past)

Examples: kaimono o shi taidesu (want to do shopping), kaimono o shi takuarimasen(don't want to do shopping), kaimono o shi takattadesuka? (Did you want to do shopping?)

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*Reserved seat please. - Shitei seki o onegaishimasu.

*To Hakata at 2 o'clock please. - Ni-ji no Hakata iki o onegaishimasu.

*Return ticket please. - Ōfuku kippu o onegaishimasu.

*To Kyoto station please. - Kyōto eki made onegaishimasu.

(onegaishimasu: please

shitei seki: reserved seat / jiyū seki: nonreserved seat

ōfuku kippu: return ticket / katamichi kippu: one-way ticket

Hakata: one of the largest station in Kyūshū

Kyōto: ancient capital city, popular tourist destination)

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*Please stop here. - Koko de tome te kudasai.

*Please get off at Shibuya station. - Shibuya eki de ori te kudasai.

*Please change to the bullet train. - Shinkansen e norikae te kudasai.

*Please cancel the reservation. - Yoyaku o kyanseru shi te kudasai.

(...te (tte) kudasai: Please _.

tomeru: to stop

oriru: to get off

norikaeru: to change, to transfer

shinkansen: bullet train

yoyaku: reservation, booking

kyanseru: cancel)

Basic Rules:

_ please:

verb + te (tte) + kudasai

Examples: tabe te kudasai (Please eat), i tte kudasai (Please go), no tte kudasai (Please get on)

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Can you write here? - Koko ni kaite morae masuka?

*Can you take a photo? - Shashin o totte morae masuka?

*Can you tell the address? - Jūsho o oshiete morae masuka?

*Can you do the cleaning? - Sōji o shite morae masuka?

(_te (tte) morae masuka?: Can you (please)_?

kaku: to write

toru: to take

oshieru: to tell, to teach

shasin: photo

jūsho: address

sōji: cleaning)

Basic Rules:

Can you (please)_?:

verb + te (tte) + morae masuka?

Examples: tome te morae masuka? (Can you stop?), i tte morae masuka? (Can you go?), ka tte morae masuka? (Can you buy?)

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