N3 · 40 words

When a trip goes wrong

Lost things, thieves, cancelled trains, full hotels and asking for help.

Japanese separates what you did from what happened to you: 財布(さいふ)を落(お)とした is your own doing, but スリに遭(あ)った uses 遭(あ)う, the verb for running into misfortune. The staff in charge at a counter or gate are 係員(かかりいん), and the notices they put up use compounds such as 運休(うんきゅう), 満席(まんせき) and 払(はら)い戻(もど)し — words that rarely come up in conversation and matter most on the day they do.

The words

Verb (5)

乗り間違えるto take the wrong train or busVerbN3

電車(でんしゃ)を乗(の)り間違(まちが)えて、反対(はんたい)方向(ほうこう)に行(い)ってしまった。I got on the wrong train and went off in the opposite direction.

遭うto meet with (an accident, trouble)VerbN3

旅先(たびさき)で事故(じこ)に遭(あ)ったときのために、保険(ほけん)に入(はい)っておこう。Let's take out insurance in case we have an accident while travelling.

Only for unpleasant things; meeting a person is 会(あ)う.

騙すto trick; to cheatVerbN3

観光客(かんこうきゃく)を騙(だま)して、安物(やすもの)を高(たか)く売(う)る店(みせ)もある。Some shops trick tourists into paying a lot for cheap goods.

Often written in kana; being cheated is 騙(だま)される.

寝過ごすto oversleep; to sleep past one's stopVerbN3

バスで寝過(ねす)ごして、知(し)らない町(まち)まで行(い)ってしまった。I fell asleep on the bus, missed my stop and ended up in a town I didn't know.

はぐれるto get separated (from one's group)VerbN3

人混(ひとご)みの中(なか)で友達(ともだち)とはぐれてしまった。I got separated from my friend in the crowd.

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 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.