How to Talk About Travel in Japanese - Learn

Learn to talk about travel in Japanese

Dialogue

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Lesson Transcript

Do you know how to talk about travel in Japanese?

You'll learn how in just a moment.

Hi, my name is Emiri, and this is Three Step Japanese by JapanesePod101.com.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about travel through a quick conversation.

Let's look at the dialogue.

As you listen, pay attention to how they ask about the topic and how the other person responds.

おつかれさまでした！いま、5じです｡まだ、じかんがありますね｡

Otsukare-sama deshita! Ima, go-ji desu. Mada, jikan ga arimasu ne.

ともだちと、なんじにあいますか｡

Tomodachi to, nan-ji ni aimasu ka.

7じにあいます｡わたしはろっぽんぎまではしります｡いしかわさんも、はしりますか｡

Shichi-ji ni aimasu. Watashi wa Roppongi made hashirimasu. Ishikawa-san mo, hashirimasu ka.

もう、つかれました｡わたしはでんしゃでいきますよ｡

Mō, tsukaremashita. Watashi wa densha de ikimasu yo.

Let's break it down.

おつかれさまでした！いま、5じです｡まだ、じかんがありますね｡

Otsukare-sama deshita! Ima, go-ji desu. Mada, jikan ga arimasu ne.

Good work! It’s 5 o’clock now. There’s still time, isn’t there?

ともだちと、なんじにあいますか｡

Tomodachi to, nan-ji ni aimasu ka.

What time are you meeting your friends?

7じにあいます｡わたしはろっぽんぎまではしります｡いしかわさんも、はしりますか｡

Shichi-ji ni aimasu. Watashi wa Roppongi made hashirimasu. Ishikawa-san mo, hashirimasu ka.

I’m meeting them at 7 o’clock. I’ll run to Roppongi. Will you run too, Ishikawa?

もう、つかれました｡

Mō, tsukaremashita.

I’m already tired.

わたしはでんしゃでいきますよ｡

Watashi wa densha de ikimasu yo.

This is our focus sentence for this lesson.

It starts with "わたしは (watashi wa)." “わたし (watashi)” means “I.” The particle “は (wa)” is the topic marker, indicating that “I” is the topic of the sentence.

Next is でんしゃで (densha de). “でんしゃ (densha)” is “train.” The particle “で (de)” here indicates the means or method used, so “でんしゃで (densha de)” translates to “by train.”

Following that is いきます (ikimasu). “いきます (ikimasu)” is the polite form of the verb “いく (iku),” meaning “to go.” The sentence could end here and be grammatically correct. Instead, it ends with よ (yo). The particle “よ (yo)” adds an emphatic or explanatory tone, something like “I’m telling you” or “you know.” It doesn't translate directly to a specific word in the final translated sentence.

Putting it all together, we have “わたしはでんしゃでいきますよ｡” (Watashi wa densha de ikimasu yo.) means “I will go by train.”

Let's look at the sentence pattern.

This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow.

[Means] で [Verb Phrase]

[Means] de [Verb Phrase]

I [verb phrase] by [means].

Let’s see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern.

わたしはでんしゃでいきますよ｡ (Watashi wa densha de ikimasu yo.)

'I’ll take the train.'

Here, "でんしゃ (densha)" is the means, and "いきますよ (ikimasu yo)" is the verb phrase. Using this simple pattern will let you describe how you will travel somewhere.

This pattern can also be used to say the means you will do things aside from travel.

For example:

わたしははしですしをたべます｡

Watashi wa hashi de sushi o tabemasu.

I eat sushi with chopsticks.

Here, で (de) is used to describe how you eat something.

This pattern is very flexible!

Now let's look at some speaking examples.

わたしはくるまでいきます｡ (Watashi wa kuruma de ikimasu.)

I go by car.

Can you see how the pattern applies here?

くるま is car. This is the means of travel.

Then, いきます is "go." This is the verb phrase.

Very simple!

Here's another example

じてんしゃでいえへかえります｡ (Jitensha de ie e kaerimasu.)

I return home by bicycle.

じてんしゃでいえへかえります｡ (Jitensha de ie e kaerimasu.)

I return home by bicycle.

Let's try one more,

おっとはバスでかいしゃにいきます｡ (Otto wa basu de kaisha ni ikimasu.)

My husband goes to work on foot.

おっとはバスでかいしゃにいきます｡ (Otto wa basu de kaisha ni ikimasu.)

My husband goes to work by bus.

Let's review.

Do you remember how to say "I"?

わたし (watashi)

And how to say "train"?

でんしゃ (densha)

Do you remember how to say "go"?

いきます (ikimasu)

And how to say "bicycle"?

じてんしゃ (jitensha)

Do you remember how to say "bus"?

バス (basu)

And how to say "I go home by train."?

わたしはでんしゃでいきます｡ (watashi wa densha de ikimasu.)

Now you know how to talk about travel in Japanese.

...and you can move on to the practice.

またね (mata ne)!

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