Chapter 13: Basic Vocabulary: Travel and Driving
One of the most exciting aspects of learning a new language is the ability to communicate effectively while traveling. In Japanese, there are many useful words and phrases that you can use when traveling, whether it's asking for directions, buying a train ticket, or simply exploring a new city. In this chapter, we'll explore basic Japanese travel and driving vocabulary.
First, let's start with some common nouns you may encounter when traveling. The word for 'journey' in Japanese is '旅行' (ryokou). If you are going to the airport, the word is '空港' (kuukou). If you are taking a train, the train station is '駅' (eki). A hotel is called 'ホテル' (hoteru) and if you are looking for a restaurant, the word is 'レストラン' (resutoran).
Now, let's learn some words related to driving. Right is '右' (migi), left is '左' (hidari), front is 'まっすぐ' (massugu) and back is '後ろ' (ushiro). If you mean 'near' in Japanese, the word is '近い' (chikai). If something is far away, the word is '遠い' (tooi). If you need to ask where something is, you can use the phrase '...はどこですか?' (...wa doko desu ka?), with the name of the place you are looking for in place of the '...'.
When it comes to traveling by train, there are some specific words and phrases that you might find useful. The word for 'ticket' is '切符' (kippu) and if you want to ask how much a ticket costs, you can ask '切符はいくらですか?' (Kippu wa ikura desu ka?). If you need to ask what time the train leaves, you can ask '電車は何時に出ますか?' (Densha wa nanji ni demasu ka?).
Also, there are some useful phrases you can use when checking into a hotel. If you want to ask if there is a room available, you can ask '部屋は空いていますか?' (Heya wa aite imasu ka?). If you want to know the price of the room, you can ask '部屋の料金はいくらですか?' (Heya no ryoukin wa ikura desu ka?).
Finally, it's always useful to know a few expressions of courtesy when traveling. 'お願いします' (onegaishimasu) is a polite way of saying 'please' or 'thank you' in anticipation of a service. 'すみません' (sumimasen) is a way of saying 'excuse me' or 'excuse me'. 'ありがとう' (arigatou) means 'thank you' and 'どういたしまして' (douitashimashite) is the way of saying 'you're welcome'.
We hope that this chapter has given you a good introduction to basic Japanese travel and driving vocabulary. Remember, practice is the key to becoming fluent in any language, so try to use these words and phrases whenever you can. Good luck on your travels and studying Japanese!
