Practice real Japanese for Asking Directions — 10 lessons × 110 sentences with native audio, romaji, English translations and culture notes.
Sample conversation: Asking Directions in Japanese
A free preview of Lesson 1 — Japanese, romaji and English for every line. 10 lessons (110 sentences) with native audio inside.
Stop a passerby and ask where Chūō Station is.
はい、何でしょう？
Hai, nan deshō?
Yes? What is it?
Thank her and ask how long it takes on foot.
中央駅ですね。この道をまっすぐ行くと、ありますよ。
Chūō-eki desu ne. Kono michi o massugu iku to, arimasu yo.
Chūō Station? Go straight down this street and you'll get there.
Ask if you just keep going straight.
歩いて10分くらいですよ。すぐです。
Aruite jup-pun kurai desu yo. Sugu desu.
It's about ten minutes on foot. Very close.
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Asking Directions in Japanese — FAQ
What do you say for asking directions in Japanese?
Japanese Talk's Asking Directions (道をきく) scene walks you through it line by line. For example, you'll learn: はい、何でしょう？ (Hai, nan deshō?) — "Yes? What is it?"; 中央駅ですね。この道をまっすぐ行くと、ありますよ。 (Chūō-eki desu ne. Kono michi o massugu iku to, arimasu yo.) — "Chūō Station? Go straight down this street and you'll get there."; 歩いて10分くらいですよ。すぐです。 (Aruite jup-pun kurai desu yo. Sugu desu.) — "It's about ten minutes on foot. Very close.". Every line comes with romaji, an English translation and native audio.
Which Japanese phrases will I learn in the asking directions scene?
Key phrases include はい、何でしょう？ (Hai, nan deshō?) — "Yes? What is it?". The full scene is 10 lessons of 110 sentences covering the whole situation from start to finish.
Is there any etiquette I should know for asking directions in Japan?
Yes — "Massugu" and "kado" — direction words. Massugu (straight ahead) and kado (corner) are the two words you will hear most when asking for directions in Japan. Add migi (right) and hidari (left), and you can follow almost any simple route. Locals often repeat these key words with hand gestures, so watch their hands too. Japanese Talk adds a short culture note like this on the lines that need one.
Is the asking directions scene free?
Lesson 1 is free with a free account (no credit card), and the Greeting scene is completely free with no sign-up. Full Access (US$5/month) opens all 10 lessons of every scene.