I can say how I get from home to work and how long it takes, where I get on and where I get off, and ask “by what?” and “how?”
How you get there: でんしゃでいきます
How you get there: でんしゃでいきます
Three particles and two new verbs let you say how you get to work and ask the way.
The means of transportation takes the particle で, like English “by”, but after the word: バスで来ます（きます）。 It's the same で that marks where an action happens. The question “by what?” is 何（なん）で.
“On foot” doesn't follow this pattern: あるいていきます is a set form and takes no で.
Getting on and getting off are a fixed pair. The place where you get on or off takes で. With 乗ります（のります） the vehicle takes に; with おります it takes を. English “get on the bus” and “get off the bus” look alike; in Japanese the particle comes with the verb. The pattern is in the table below.
A stretch of the way: から is “from”, まで is “to”; first から, then まで, each after the place. Travel time is the number of minutes ＋ かかります: 15分（じゅうごふん）かかります。 Unlike English “It takes 15 minutes”, Japanese needs no “it”.
どうやって asks about the way in general: you can answer with a vehicle or with “on foot”. The particle へ with a direction means the same as に and is read as え.
Common mistakes:
• NOT タクシーをのります — with のります use に.
• NOT バスにおります — with おります use を.
• NOT あるいてでいきます — “on foot” takes no で.
• NOT タクシーにいきます — the means of transportation takes で.
How to ask about getting there
Questions about the means of transportation, the route, and the travel time.
| Question | How to answer | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 何（なん）で | vehicle ＋ で | じてんしゃで |
| どうやって | vehicle ＋ で or “on foot” | あるいて |
| どこから どこまで | place ＋ から, place ＋ まで | いえからえきまで |
| 何分（なんぷん） | number of minutes ＋ かかります | 10分（じゅっぷん） |
Getting on and off
The particle with a vehicle is tied to the verb: のります takes に, おります takes を.
| Where (で) | Vehicle | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| えきで | でんしゃに | のります |
| くうこうで | バスを | おります |
Lesson notes
How you get there: でんしゃでいきます
Three particles and two new verbs let you say how you get to work and ask the way.
The means of transportation takes the particle で, like English “by”, but after the word: バスで来ます（きます）。 It's the same で that marks where an action happens. The question “by what?” is 何（なん）で.
“On foot” doesn't follow this pattern: あるいていきます is a set form and takes no で.
Getting on and getting off are a fixed pair. The place where you get on or off takes で. With 乗ります（のります） the vehicle takes に; with おります it takes を. English “get on the bus” and “get off the bus” look alike; in Japanese the particle comes with the verb. The pattern is in the table below.
A stretch of the way: から is “from”, まで is “to”; first から, then まで, each after the place. Travel time is the number of minutes ＋ かかります: 15分（じゅうごふん）かかります。 Unlike English “It takes 15 minutes”, Japanese needs no “it”.
どうやって asks about the way in general: you can answer with a vehicle or with “on foot”. The particle へ with a direction means the same as に and is read as え.
Common mistakes:
• NOT タクシーをのります — with のります use に.
• NOT バスにおります — with おります use を.
• NOT あるいてでいきます — “on foot” takes no で.
• NOT タクシーにいきます — the means of transportation takes で.