Lesson 3. At the station and in town: “Does this bus go to …?” and signs

I can ask whether this bus goes where I need to go, where the bank or restroom is, and which track the train leaves from — and understand station signs and a sign with opening hours.

Asking the way and reading signs

In an unfamiliar town, a few questions and the ability to read a sign solve almost everything. The questions are in the first table, the signs in the second. To ask about a bus or train: このバスはとしょかんにいきますか。 If you didn't catch an announcement, ask: ここはしんじゅくですか。 “Where is …?” and “Is there …?”: すみません、トイレはどこですか。 and こうえんはありますか。 Don't drop the particle は in these questions. The answer: あそこにあります。 A bank, a restroom, a station are not people, so they take あります, not います. English “there is” covers both; います is only for people and animals. The track at a station: くうこうはなんばんせんですか。 — 3番線（さんばんせん）です。 Unlike English “track 3”, the number comes first. Opening hours on a sign are read with the same pair から … まで as a timetable: 9時（くじ）から20時（にじゅうじ）まで. 営業中（えいぎょうちゅう） means open now, 準備中（じゅんびちゅう） means closed for now. Common mistakes: • NOT ぎんこうはいますか — a bank is not a person. • NOT こうさてんどこですか — は can't be left out. • NOT くうこうをいきますか — the destination takes に.

Questions on the way

Replace the ellipsis with the name of a place.

What you ask	How it sounds
whether the bus goes there	このバスは … にいきますか。
where we are now	ここは … ですか。
where something is	すみません、… はどこですか。
whether there's one nearby	… はありますか。
answer: over there	あそこにあります。
which track it leaves from	… はなんばんせんですか。

Station and town signs

You only need to recognize these signs; you don't need to write them.

Sign	Reading	Meaning
入口	いりぐち	entrance
出口	でぐち	exit
北口	きたぐち	north exit
改札	かいさつ	ticket gate
のりば	のりば	boarding point
3番線	さんばんせん	track No. 3
エレベーター	エレベーター	elevator
営業中	えいぎょうちゅう	open now
準備中	じゅんびちゅう	not open yet, getting ready
開店	かいてん	store opening
閉店	へいてん	store closed

Lesson notes

Asking the way and reading signs

In an unfamiliar town, a few questions and the ability to read a sign solve almost everything. The questions are in the first table, the signs in the second. To ask about a bus or train: このバスはとしょかんにいきますか。 If you didn't catch an announcement, ask: ここはしんじゅくですか。 “Where is …?” and “Is there …?”: すみません、トイレはどこですか。 and こうえんはありますか。 Don't drop the particle は in these questions. The answer: あそこにあります。 A bank, a restroom, a station are not people, so they take あります, not います. English “there is” covers both; います is only for people and animals. The track at a station: くうこうはなんばんせんですか。 — 3番線（さんばんせん）です。 Unlike English “track 3”, the number comes first. Opening hours on a sign are read with the same pair から … まで as a timetable: 9時（くじ）から20時（にじゅうじ）まで. 営業中（えいぎょうちゅう） means open now, 準備中（じゅんびちゅう） means closed for now. Common mistakes: • NOT ぎんこうはいますか — a bank is not a person. • NOT こうさてんどこですか — は can't be left out. • NOT くうこうをいきますか — the destination takes に.