Introduction

In Japanese, there are a few main grammar constructs that show position and movement. The particle ‘ni’ can be used to mark either where you are going to or where you are. Just note that the particle ‘ni’ is also used in many other cases, such as marking time. This may be a bit confusing in the beginning. There is also a particle pronounced ‘e’ but written ‘へ (he)’. It is used to mark the place you are going to.

Let’s learn through the following example conversations.

Dialogue

Here is a basic conversation just to get started and to repeat what you have learned before. This is a small conversation in the normal polite form.

Japanese:

Peter:	どこ に いきます か。
Miho:	ちかてつ の えき に いきます。
Peter:	ちかてつ で どこ に いきますか。
Miho:	おうち に かえります。

Roomaji:

Peter:	doko ni ikimasu ka
Miho:	chikatetsu no eki ni ikimasu
Peter:	chikatetsu de doko ni ikimasu ka
Miho:	ouchi ni kaerimasu.

English:

Peter:		Where are you going?
Miho:		I’m going to the subway station.
Peter:		Where are you going (by subway)?
Miho:		I am going home.

Vocabulary

Dialogue 2

Peter:		すみません。
Stranger:		はい。
Peter:		ゆうびんきょく は どこ です か？
Stranger:		(pointing) あそこ の デパート みえます か？
Peter:		はい。
Stranger:		その デパート の うしろで、 ひだり の　ほう　に　ゆうびんきょく　です。
Peter:		ありがとう ございます

Roomaji:

Peter:		sumimasen.
Stranger:		hai.
Peter:		yuubinkyoku wa doko desu ka.
Stranger:		(pointing) asoko no depaato miemasuka?
Peter:		hai.
Stranger:		Sono depaato no ushiro de, hidari no hou ni yuubinkyoku desu.
Peter:		arigatou gozaimasu.

English:

Peter:		Excuse me.
Stranger:		Yes?
Peter:		Where is the post office?
Stranger:		(pointing) Do you see the department store over there?
Peter:		Yes.
Stranger:		The post office is after that department store, to the left.
Peter:		Thank you very much.

Vocabulary

This Lesson’s Points

This lesson’s points are the use of verbs and particles for going somewhere. We should know three basic verbs for going somewhere. The verbs differ in the direction of the movement.

• 行きます – ikimasu (iku) – To go away somewhere
• 来ます – kimasu (kuru) – To come
• 帰ります -  kaerimasu (kaeru) – To return (home)

Note that we are using two verbs for ‘going’, ikimasu and kaerimasu (行きます、帰ります). Remember that ikimasu is used for most occasions when you are going somewhere. Kaerimasu is used for returning home. It can also sometimes be used for returning in a wider sense, such as returning to your office after being with a client, or returning to your town after a trip.

The direction of motion is indicated by a particle. The two particles used are に (ni) and へ (e). In the sense of marking direction, these can be used interchangeably. But please note that the other functions of に (ni) cannot be replaced by へ (e).

Notes

• In this conversation, we used the words doko, asoko and sono, which you learned in Lesson 103. If you want to refresh your memory, please refer to the grammar chapter Demonstratives and Interrogatives.
• For marking relative positions such as before (mae ni), after (ato ni) or to the right of something (hidari ni) we also use ni. For showing after in the time sense, the particle ‘de’ is used, as in ‘ato de’.
• The grammar constructs for showing positions using ni and de can be refered to in the grammar chapter Particles.

Exercises

Read out the following sentences loud, to practise key sentences for asking directions and to learn some additional vocabulary.

1)

• kooban wa doko desu ka?
• Tsugi no shingou (no tokoro) ni arimasu

2)

• Su-pa wa doko desu ka?
• kono hen ni wa suupa wa arimasen.

3)

• roppongi wa dono houkou desu ka?

• massugu desu

4)
(in a train)

• kore [koko] wa shinjuku desu ka?

• Iie, tsugi no eki desu

5)

• (densha no) eki no iriguchi wa doko desu ka?

• ano erebe-ta de nikai desu.

6)

• konbini wa doko desu ka?

• sono shingou de migi ni magatte, massugu desu.

English translations:

1)

• Where is the police box?

• It is at the next traffic light.

2)

• Where is the super market?
• There is no supermarket in this area.

3)

• In which direction is Roppongi?

• Straight ahead.

4)
(in a train)

• Is this Shinjuku?

• No, it’s the next station.

5)

• Where is the train station entrance?

• It’s on the second floor, (which you can get to) by that elevator.

6)

• Where (can I find a) convenient store?

• Turn right at that traffic light and it will be straight ahead.

Vocabulary

Extra Vocabulary

Here are a few extra words for the ones wanting it to become a bit trickier.

の方に		no hou ni		towards, around the area
の方へ		no hou e(he)		the same as above
向かいます		mukaimasu (mukau)		To go
戻ります		modorimasu (modoru)		To return, but rather rare compared to kaerimasu
And some really advanced words.
生還する		seikansuru		To come back alive (from a dangerous mission)
帰還する		kikansuru		To return (from a tough mission)
帰投する		kitousuru		RTB: return to base (used by an military aircraft aviator)

Related posts:

1. Free Japanese Lesson: Getting Directions (casual)
2. Free Japanese Lesson: Telling Time
3. Free Japanese Lesson: Getting through an Airport
4. Free Japanese Lesson: Numbers
5. Free Japanese Lesson: Where are you from?