Trains, buses and bicycles, left and right, near and far, and the words for where one thing is in relation to another.
Directions in Japanese are given from a landmark outwards: English says "on top of the box", Japanese says "the box's top" — 箱の上 — and adds where the thing is with に. The same pattern gives 駅の前, 銀行の隣 and every other position. Means of transport take で: 電車で, by train. Directions are full of corners, crossings and landmarks rather than street names, because most Japanese streets, apart from the main roads, have none.
The words
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Noun (34)
電車trainNounN5
電車が遅れています。The train is running late.
地下鉄underground; subwayNounN5
地下鉄の駅はどこですか。Where is the underground station?
新幹線bullet trainNounN4
新幹線はとても速いです。The bullet train is very fast.
バスbusNounN5
駅までバスで十五分です。It's fifteen minutes by bus to the station.
タクシーtaxiNounN5
雨なので、タクシーで帰りましょう。It's raining, so let's get a taxi home.
車carNounN5
車で海へ行きました。We drove to the seaside.
自転車bicycleNounN5
毎日自転車で学校へ行きます。I cycle to school every day.
飛行機aeroplaneNounN5
飛行機で北海道へ行きます。I'm flying to Hokkaido.
船ship; boatNounN5
船で島へ行きました。We went to the island by boat.
切符ticketNounN5
切符はどこで買いますか。Where do I buy a ticket?
For trains and buses; for concerts and films チケット.
急行express (train)NounN4
急行はこの駅に止まりません。The express doesn't stop at this station.
乗り換えchange (of trains); transferNounN4
新宿で乗り換えがあります。You have to change at Shinjuku.
次nextNounN5
次の駅で降ります。I'm getting off at the next station.
バス停bus stopNounN5
バス停で二十分待ちました。I waited twenty minutes at the bus stop.
駐車場car parkNounN4
この店には駐車場がありません。This shop has no car park.
道road; wayNounN5
すみません、駅へ行く道を教えてください。Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the station?
地図mapNounN5
駅で町の地図をもらいました。I got a map of the town at the station.
交差点crossroads; junctionNounN4
次の交差点を左に曲がります。Turn left at the next crossroads.
角corner (of a street)NounN5
あの角にパン屋があります。There's a bakery on that corner.
橋bridgeNounN5
橋を渡って、右へ行きます。Cross the bridge and go right.
Sounds like 箸, chopsticks; the pitch is different.
右rightNounN5
二つ目の角を右に曲がってください。Please turn right at the second corner.
左leftNounN5
銀行は郵便局の左にあります。The bank is to the left of the post office.
前front; beforeNounN5
銀行の前に郵便ポストがあります。There's a postbox in front of the bank.
Also "before" in time: 三年前, three years ago.
後ろback; behindNounN5
家の後ろに山があります。There's a mountain behind the house.
横side; besideNounN5
本棚の横にテレビがあります。The television is beside the bookshelf.
上on; above; topNounN5
箱の上に猫がいます。There's a cat on the box.
下under; belowNounN5
机の下にかばんがあります。There's a bag under the desk.
中inside; inNounN5
教室の中に学生が三人います。There are three students in the classroom.
外outsideNounN5
外はとても寒いです。It's very cold outside.
向こうthe other side; over thereNounN5
川の向こうに学校があります。There's a school on the other side of the river.
東eastNounN5
駅の東口で会いましょう。Let's meet at the east exit of the station.
Big stations name their exits by direction.
西westNounN5
町の西に大きい公園があります。There's a big park in the west of the town.
南southNounN5
南の島へ旅行に行きたいです。I'd like to travel to a southern island.
北northNounN5
北の方は冬がとても寒いです。Winters are very cold in the north.
i-adjective (2)
近いnear; closei-adjectiveN5
駅はここから近いです。The station is close to here.
Before a noun, "nearby" is usually 近くの: 近くの店.
遠いfari-adjectiveN5
空港は町から少し遠いです。The airport is a little far from town.
Adverb (1)
まっすぐstraight onAdverbN5
この道をまっすぐ行ってください。Go straight along this road.
Suffix (1)
〜行きbound forSuffixN4
これは東京行きの電車ですか。Is this the train for Tokyo?
Also read いき.
Counter (1)
〜番線platform (number)CounterN4
三番線の電車に乗ってください。Please take the train from platform three.
This list belongs to Transport and travel — ten lists and 401 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 39 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.
