I can buy a ticket from a machine or at the window, find my platform and track, read the departure board to see where and when a train goes, ask a passerby the way, and understand the answer.
駅で切符を買います。道を聞きます
駅で切符を買います。道を聞きます
The goal: get where you're going. At the station you say little and read a lot: departure boards and signs.
Tickets. You buy a regular ticket from a machine, けんばいき. At the ticket window, まどぐち, they do what the machine can't. Tickets are counted with ～まい: きっぷを2まいください.
With an ICカード you don't need a ticket: you tap the card at the ticket gate 改札（かいさつ） and walk through.
The platform is ホーム (not “home”), the track is ～番線（ばんせん）. The board shows the time, the train type, and the direction: 行き means “bound for …”, and here the character is read ゆき. The train schedule is じこくひょう. You get on a train with the particle に and get off with the particle を.
きゅうこう is an express: it leaves from the same platform but doesn't stop at every station. A transfer is のりかえ, the next station is つぎのえき.
To ask the way: すみません and the place with どこですか. To get lost is まよいます; the road or way is みち.
A passerby answers with set phrases, learned whole: まっすぐいってください, みぎにまがってください, しんごうをわたってください, and often あそこです at the end.
Sounds: っ in きっぷ is a pause one mora long; きゅ is one combined sound.
Common mistakes:
• NOT きっぷ2ください — English puts the number straight on the noun; Japanese adds ～まい: きっぷを2まいください.
• NOT バスをのります — のります takes に: バスにのります.
• NOT じこくひょうがあそこにいます — for things, use あります.
• NOT きっぷをかいましたです — no です after a verb.
What's where at the station
At the station you read more than you talk.
| Word | What it is |
|---|---|
| けんばいき | the machine where you buy a ticket |
| まどぐち | ticket window: they do what the machine can't |
| ホーム | platform |
| きゅうこう | express: doesn't stop at every station |
| じこくひょう | train schedule |
| わすれもの | something left behind |
How people give directions
Set phrases: you don't take them apart; you recognize them whole.
| Phrase | What to do |
|---|---|
| まっすぐいってください | straight ahead |
| みぎにまがってください | turn right |
| しんごうをわたってください | cross the street at the traffic light |
| あそこです | you can already see the place |
Lesson notes
駅で切符を買います。道を聞きます
The goal: get where you're going. At the station you say little and read a lot: departure boards and signs.
Tickets. You buy a regular ticket from a machine, けんばいき. At the ticket window, まどぐち, they do what the machine can't. Tickets are counted with ～まい: きっぷを2まいください.
With an ICカード you don't need a ticket: you tap the card at the ticket gate 改札（かいさつ） and walk through.
The platform is ホーム (not “home”), the track is ～番線（ばんせん）. The board shows the time, the train type, and the direction: 行き means “bound for …”, and here the character is read ゆき. The train schedule is じこくひょう. You get on a train with the particle に and get off with the particle を.
きゅうこう is an express: it leaves from the same platform but doesn't stop at every station. A transfer is のりかえ, the next station is つぎのえき.
To ask the way: すみません and the place with どこですか. To get lost is まよいます; the road or way is みち.
A passerby answers with set phrases, learned whole: まっすぐいってください, みぎにまがってください, しんごうをわたってください, and often あそこです at the end.
Sounds: っ in きっぷ is a pause one mora long; きゅ is one combined sound.
Common mistakes:
• NOT きっぷ2ください — English puts the number straight on the noun; Japanese adds ～まい: きっぷを2まいください.
• NOT バスをのります — のります takes に: バスにのります.
• NOT じこくひょうがあそこにいます — for things, use あります.
• NOT きっぷをかいましたです — no です after a verb.