N3 · 42 words

Traffic and accidents

Roads, signals, rules of the road and what is said when something goes wrong.

Japan drives on the left, and its road vocabulary is built from a handful of kanji that keep returning: 道(どう) for a way, 車(しゃ) for a vehicle, 通(つう) for passing through. Once 歩道(ほどう) (pavement) and 車道(しゃどう) (roadway) are known, half the signs read themselves. Note also that Japanese reports an accident from the side of the person it happened to: 車(くるま)にはねられた, literally "was hit by a car", is the ordinary way to say it.

The words

Verb (4)

追い越すto overtake; to passVerbN3

前(まえ)のトラックを追(お)い越(こ)すときは、対向車(たいこうしゃ)に気(き)をつけてください。When you overtake the lorry in front, watch out for oncoming traffic.

ぶつかるto bump into; to hitVerbN3

前(まえ)を見(み)ないで歩(ある)いていて、電柱(でんちゅう)にぶつかりました。I was walking without looking ahead and walked into a telegraph pole.

はねるto hit (a person, of a vehicle)VerbN3

犬(いぬ)が道(みち)に飛(と)び出(だ)して、車(くるま)にはねられました。The dog ran into the road and was hit by a car.

Usually in the passive, はねられる; normally written in kana.

ひくto run overVerbN3

もう少(すこ)しで猫(ねこ)をひくところでした。I very nearly ran over a cat.

Normally written in kana here, to keep it apart from 引(ひ)く, "to pull".

This list belongs to Getting around and going away — ten lists and 401 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 42 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.