Japanese Lesson 38 – Transport Tickets · N5

📋 Expression Reference — Transport Tickets

Key phrases across formality levels. Press ▶ to hear any expression.

FORMAL — けいご (KEIGO)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
とうきょうまでいくらですか？	Toukyou made ikura desu ka?	かたみちでさんぜんえんになります。 Katamichi de sanzen-en ni narimasu.	Asking the price of a ticket at a counter
おとないちまいおねがいします。	Otona ichimai onegai shimasu.	かたみちですか、おうふくですか？ Katamichi desu ka, oufuku desu ka?	Buying one adult ticket formally
つぎのでんしゃはなんじですか？	Tsugi no densha wa nanji desu ka?	じゅうじはつです。 Juuji-hatsu desu.	Asking about the next departure
のりかえはありますか？	Norikae wa arimasu ka?	いいえ、ちょくつうです。 Iie, chokutsuu desu.	Asking if a transfer is needed

STANDARD — ていねい (TEINEI)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
なんばんせんからでますか？	Nanbasen kara demasu ka?	さんばんせんからでます。 Sanbasen kara demasu.	Asking which platform a train departs from
きゅうこうとかくえき、どちらがはやいですか？	Kyuukou to kakueki, dochira ga hayai desu ka?	きゅうこうのほうがはやいですよ。 Kyuukou no hou ga hayai desu yo.	Comparing express vs local trains
ICカードではらえますか？	IC kaado de haraemasu ka?	はい、つかえます。 Hai, tsukaemasu.	Asking about IC card payment

🗣 Mini Dialogues

Three scenes at different formality levels. Press ▶ to hear each line.

A — FORMAL · Ticket Counter — Buying a Long-Distance Ticket

きゃく

おおさかまでおとないちまいおねがいします。

Oosaka made otona ichimai onegai shimasu.

One adult ticket to Osaka, please.

[PLACE] まで [TYPE] [NUMBER] まいおねがいします。

[place] made [type] [number] mai onegai shimasu.

[destination] to [adult/child] [N] ticket(s) please

→ "[N] [type] ticket(s) to [place], please."

えきいん

かたみちですか、おうふくですか？

Katamichi desu ka, oufuku desu ka?

One way, or round trip?

きゃく

おうふくでおねがいします。

Oufuku de onegai shimasu.

Round trip, please.

B — STANDARD · Asking Station Staff About the Platform

ゆき

すみません、よこはまゆきはなんばんせんからでますか？

Sumimasen, Yokohama-yuki wa nanbasen kara demasu ka?

Excuse me, which platform does the Yokohama-bound train leave from?

[PLACE] ゆきはなんばんせんからでますか？

[place] -yuki wa nanbasen kara demasu ka?

[destination] -bound (topic) what-platform from departs?

→ "Which platform does the [place]-bound train leave from?"

えきいん

さんばんせんからでます。つぎはじゅうじはつです。

Sanbasen kara demasu. Tsugi wa juuji-hatsu desu.

It leaves from platform 3. The next one departs at 10:00.

ゆき

のりかえはありますか？

Norikae wa arimasu ka?

Is there a transfer?

C — STANDARD · Colleagues Figuring Out the Best Route

たける

しぶやまできゅうこうでいけますか？

Shibuya made kyuukou de ikemasu ka?

Can we get to Shibuya by express?

[PLACE] まで [TRAIN TYPE] でいけますか？

[place] made [train type] de ikemasu ka?

[destination] to [express/local] by can-go?

→ "Can we get to [place] by [train type]?"

あやか

きゅうこうはとまらないから、かくえきにのりましょう。

Kyuukou wa tomaranai kara, kakueki ni norimashou.

The express doesn't stop there, so let's take the local.

[TRAIN] にのりましょう。

[train] ni norimashou.

[train type] on let's-ride

→ "Let's take the [train type]."

たける

ICカードではらえますか？

IC kaado de haraemasu ka?

Can I pay with an IC card?

📋 Key Patterns & Cheatsheet ▼

Asking the price to a destination — ～までいくらですか

FORMAL

[PLACE] までいくらですか？

[place] made ikura desu ka?

→ "How much is it to [place]?" — at a ticket counter

STANDARD

[PLACE] までいくらですか？

[place] made ikura desu ka?

→ Same form works in standard register too.

Buying tickets — ～まいおねがいします

FORMAL

[TYPE] [NUMBER] まいおねがいします。

[type] [number] mai onegai shimasu.

→ "[N] [adult/child] ticket(s), please." — polite counter purchase

One-way vs round trip — かたみち / おうふく

🔵 ONE WAY

かたみちでおねがいします。

Katamichi de onegai shimasu.

One way, please.

かたみち = one way / single ticket

🔵 ROUND TRIP

おうふくでおねがいします。

Oufuku de onegai shimasu.

Round trip, please.

おうふく = round trip / return ticket

Asking about platforms and routes

STANDARD

[PLACE] ゆきはなんばんせんからでますか？

[place] -yuki wa nanbasen kara demasu ka?

→ "Which platform does the [place]-bound train leave from?"

STANDARD

[PLACE] まで [TRAIN TYPE] でいけますか？

[place] made [train type] de ikemasu ka?

→ "Can I get to [place] by [train type]?"

A — Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Use ▶ to hear the Japanese.

tap to flip

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B — Listen & Choose the Meaning

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then choose the correct English meaning.

C — Choose the Right Response

Listen to the question, then choose the most natural reply.

D — Listen & Write in Romaji

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then type what you heard in romaji. Japanese letters are not needed.

💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (おう = ou / oo). Double consonants → write them twice (きって = kitte).

E — Shadowing Practice

Press ▶ to hear each line, say it aloud, then mark it as practised.

0 of 9 lines practised

📖 Grammar Notes ▼

～までいくらですか — Asking the price to a destination

まで (made) = "to / until" marks a destination. Combined with いくらですか (ikura desu ka) = "how much is it?", this is the standard way to ask ticket prices.

• とうきょうまでいくらですか？ = "How much to Tokyo?"
• おおさかまでいくらですか？ = "How much to Osaka?"

[PLACE] までいくらですか？

[place] made ikura desu ka?

→ "How much is it to [place]?"

とうきょうまでいくらですか？

Toukyou made ikura desu ka?

How much is it to Tokyo?

Counter ～まい — Counting flat objects (tickets)

まい (mai) is the counter for flat, thin objects: tickets, paper, plates, shirts.

• いちまい (1), にまい (2), さんまい (3), よんまい (4), ごまい (5)

For tickets: おとな (adult) or こども (child) + number + まい.

[TYPE] [NUMBER] まい

[type] [number] mai

→ "[N] [adult/child] ticket(s)"

おとないちまいおねがいします。

Otona ichimai onegai shimasu.

One adult ticket, please.

かたみち / おうふく — One way vs round trip

Two essential ticket words:

• かたみち (katamichi) = one way / single
• おうふく (oufuku) = round trip / return

Staff will often ask: かたみちですか、おうふくですか？ — "One way, or round trip?"

[かたみち / おうふく] でおねがいします。

[katamichi / oufuku] de onegai shimasu.

→ "[One way / Round trip], please."

おうふくでおねがいします。

Oufuku de onegai shimasu.

Round trip, please.

～じはつ — Departure time

はつ (hatsu) = "departing". Attached to a time, it indicates when a train leaves.

• じゅうじはつ = departing at 10:00
• くじさんじゅっぷんはつ = departing at 9:30

つぎは～じはつです = "The next one departs at ~."

[TIME] はつです。

[time] -hatsu desu.

→ "It departs at [time]."

つぎはじゅうじはつです。

Tsugi wa juuji-hatsu desu.

The next one departs at 10:00.

～にのります / ～をおります — Boarding and alighting

のります (norimasu) = "to board / ride" takes the particle に.
おります (orimasu) = "to get off / alight" takes the particle を.

• でんしゃにのります = "I board the train"
• しぶやでおります = "I get off at Shibuya"

[TRANSPORT] にのります。

[transport] ni norimasu.

→ "I board / take the [transport]."

かくえきにのりましょう。

Kakueki ni norimashou.

Let's take the local train.

のりかえ — Transfer / connection

のりかえ (norikae) = "transfer" (noun form of のりかえる = to change trains).

  • のりかえはありますか？ = "Is there a transfer?"
  • のりかえなしでいけます = "You can get there without transferring"
  • ちょくつう (chokutsuu) = direct (no transfer needed)

のりかえはありますか？

Norikae wa arimasu ka?

→ "Is there a transfer?" / "Do I need to change trains?"

のりかえはありますか？

Norikae wa arimasu ka?

Is there a transfer?

～でいけますか — "Can I get there by ~?"

いけます (ikemasu) is the potential form of いきます (ikimasu) = "can go". Combined with で (by means of), it asks whether a route or method works.

• きゅうこうでいけますか？ = "Can I get there by express?"
• ICカードではらえますか？ = same pattern with はらう (to pay)

[MEANS] でいけますか？

[means] de ikemasu ka?

→ "Can I get there by [means]?"

しぶやまできゅうこうでいけますか？

Shibuya made kyuukou de ikemasu ka?

Can I get to Shibuya by express?

📚 Key Vocabulary ▼

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
きっぷ	kippu	ticket
かたみち	katamichi	one way
おうふく	oufuku	round trip
おとな	otona	adult
こども	kodomo	child
でんしゃ	densha	train
えき	eki	station
えきいん	ekiin	station staff
ばんせん	basen	platform (track number)
のりかえ	norikae	transfer / connection
きゅうこう	kyuukou	express train
かくえき	kakueki	local train (stops at every station)
ちょくつう	chokutsuu	direct (no transfer)
のります	norimasu	to board / to ride
おります	orimasu	to get off / to alight