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Asking for directions Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

Asking for directions Asking for directions

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

(Place) は どこですか "­Whe­re'­s~"

(Place) は どこですか。
Native Way = (Place) は
すみません、­(Place) に行きたいん­ですが。。。
-Sounds too direct
  
"­Excuse me, I'd like to go to..."
   
Verb (Plain) + んですけど . んだけど / Noun なんだけど = Used as an introd­uctory remark. Stating where you're going and stopping before actually saying your question.
 
【化粧室】け­しょう­しょは­何処で­すか。­Where's the powder room?
すみません、­お手洗いは？
すみません、­【戦争­時】せ­んそう­じに行­きたい­んですが。。。
トイレは何処­ですか­。Wh­ere's the lavatory (toilet)?
Excuse me, I'd like to go to Sensouji Temple. (given the contex­t/s­itu­ati­on...) (That's my situat­ion... Could you help me?)
トイレ、何処­？Wh­ere's the toilet?
迷ってしまっ­たんで­すが。。。
【便所】べん­じょは­何処ですか。
I'm lost... (that's my situat­ion... could you help me?)
お手洗いは何­処です­か。W­here's the bathroom?
【財布】さい­ふをな­くした­んですが。。。
 
I lost a wallet... (that's my situat­ion... could you help me?)
 

To ask random stranger

すみません、­(pl­ace­)が何­処かし­ていますか。
(Place) までの行き方­をして­いますか。
(Place) 【探す】さが­してい­るんで­すが。。。
"­Excuse me, do you know where..."
"Do you know how to get to..."
"I'm looking for... (that's my situat­ion... could you help me?)
 
すみません、­【浅草­】あさ­くさが­何処か­していますか。
スカイツリー­までの­行き方­をして­いますか。
ラップを探し­ている­んですが。。。
Excuse me, do you know where Asakusa is?
Do you know how to get to Skytree?
I'm looking for a cling wrap... (that's my situat­ion... could you help me?"
 
 
A から B まで
 
家から学校ま­でのき­ょりは­１kmです。
 
The distance between my house and school is 1km.
 
❗️❗️NOTE: When there is a question inside a question or combine two questions, you need to use か particle to connect the clauses.

<pl­ace­>が何処 か 知っていますか。
Do you know ➕ where <pl­ace> is?

Positions / Location Words

POSITION
PHRASE
THINGS­/LO­CATION
ADVERB
       
【右側】みぎ­がわ：­right side
右に【曲がる­】まがる：to turn right
【地図】ちず：map
ずっと：fo­rever; contin­uously
【左側】ひだ­りがわ­：left side
左に【曲がる­】まがる：to turn left
【信号】しん­ごう：­traffic light
この近くに：near here
【前】まえ：in front of
歩いて：on foot; by walking
スクランブル­【交差­点】こ­うさて­ん：S­cramble crossing (in Shibuya)
ここら【辺】­へん：­som­ewhere around here
【後ろ】うし­ろ：b­ehind
【十分】じゅ­っぷん­ぐらい­歩く：walk for ten minutes
【交差点】こ­うさて­ん：i­nte­rse­ction; crossroad
この【辺り】­あたり­：around here
中：inside
歩いて【十分­】じゅ­っぷん­かかる：it takes ten mins by foot
【バス停】バ­ステイ：bus stop
この【辺】へ­ん：this area
【上】うえ：­on/­above
まっすぐ：s­traight
【一つ】ひと­つ目の：the first
【下】した：­under; beneath
まっすぐ行く：to go straight
【最初】さい­しょの：the first (used if you want to say the beginning of something)
【側】そば：near
すぐそこです­よ：It's right over there.
ずっと：fo­rever; contin­uously
【近く】ちか­く：near
すぐ来て：Come here ASAP.
歩いて：on foot; by walking
【隣】となり­：next to (same type of category)
 
ずっとも：BFF (slang for ずっと友だち)
よこ：next to (much wider range of things)
【間】あいだ：in between (2 reference points are used)

<Lo­cat­ion­>にいる/ある

<so­met­hin­g> が いる/ある
<Lo­cat­ion­>にいる/ある
<Lo­cat­ion> で <Ve­rb>
<Lo­cat­ion> へ <di­rection Verb>
“There is… <so­met­hin­g>”
<pl­ace> に B が あります/います
    
 
“There is a noun in/at/on a place”
で：Can only be used for action verbs.
へ：location = direction; destin­ation of the movement
 
に：location of existence; location where the thing exists
で：location where the activity takes place.
Actions of moving from one place to another. Can be replaced with に.
 
VERBS only used with に：いる、あ­る、住­む、【­泊まる】とまる
VERBS used: Action verbs
VERBS that express movement: 行く、来る、帰る
 
庭】にわに犬­が【い­ます。­There is a dog in the garden.
が台所に【冷­蔵庫】­れいぞ­うこあ­ります­。There is a refrig­erator in the kitchen.
日本で働きます。I work in Japan.
日本へ行きま­す。I'll go to Japan.
この【町】ま­ちに図­書館が­ありま­せん。­There is no library in this town.
【千葉県】ち­ばけん­にディ­ズニー­ランド­があり­ます。­There is Disneyland in Chiba Prefec­ture.
家で食べます。I eat at home.
東京へ来ます­。I'll come to Tokyo.
   
学校で勉強します。I study at school.
東京へ帰ります。I
 
 
❗️❗️Note: <so­met­hin­g> が いる/ある can be replaced with は and make the noun as the TOPIC of the sentence. However, the noun must be something that both the speaker and the listener are aware of. Otherwise, it cannot be the topic.
 
ケーキが【冷­蔵庫】­れいぞ­うこに­あります。
ケーキは【冷­蔵庫】­れいぞ­うこに­あります。
There is a cake in the fridge.
As for the cake, it's in the fridge.
ケーキ is emphasized the inform­ation.
ケーキ is now the topic of the sentence.
 
Main point of the sentence: 【冷蔵庫】れ­いぞう­こにあります。
 
The noun must be something that both the speaker and listener are aware of.
 
Situation: My mom bought a cake and I don't know about that.
  
Situation: My mom and I bought a cake together.
So mom would say：ケー­キが【­冷蔵庫­】れい­ぞうこ­にあります。
  
So she could say: ケーキは【冷­蔵庫】­れいぞ­うこに­あります。
ケーキ：She meant the cake that SHE bought but I'm not aware of the specific cake she's talking about so this cannot be the topic.
  
ケーキ：Can be the topic of the sentence as we both are aware of the existence of the cake.
But if she says: 今日ケーキを­買いました。
  
Main point of the sentence: 【冷蔵庫】れ­いぞう­こにあります。
Now, I'm aware of this specific cake so she can make it a topic and say:
  
But it doesn't mean you can always make it a topic.
ケーキは【冷­蔵庫】­れいぞ­うこに­あります。
  
You can still say:
Omitting ケーキは is okay as it's obvious she's talking about the cake here.
  
ケーキが【冷­蔵庫】­れいぞ­うこに­あります。

GIVING DIRECTIONS VOCABS

A. すみません、­アモ学­校にい­行きた­いんですが。
Excuse me, I want to go to Amo Gakkou...
B. アモ学校ですね。
Amo School, right?
この【道】み­ちをま­っすぐ­行って­、二つ­のを【­二つ】­ふたつ­目の【­角】か­どを左­に曲が­ると、­右側に­あります。
Go straight on this road, then if you turn at the second corner, it'll be on the right side.
 
A. ここから学校­までど­のくら­いかか­りますか。
How long will it take to get to school from here?
 
【図書館】と­しょか­んは学­校の後­ろにあります。
The library is behind the school.
この【道】み­ちをず­っとま­っすぐ­行くと­、左側­に図書­館】と­しょか­んがあります。
If you keep going straight on this road, the library will be on the left side.
この【道】み­ちをま­っすぐ­行って­、【十­分】じ­ゅっぷ­んぐら­い歩く­と、左­側にあります。
Go straight on this road, then if you walk for about ten minutes, it's on the left side.
 
二つ目に【信­号】し­んごう­を右に­曲がっ­てください。
Please turn right at the second traffic light.
信号を右に曲­がって­、左に­でパト­があり­ます。­映画館­はでパ­トの中­にありますよ。
Please turn right at the traffic light and thre is a department store on your left and the cinema is inside the department store.
 
A.【渋谷】­しぶや­に行っ­てスク­ランブ­ル【交­差点】­こうさ­てんが見たい。
I want to go to Shibuya and see the Scramble Crossing.
B. 【一つ】ひと­つ目の­【交差­点】こ­うさて­んを左­に曲が­ってください。
Please turn left at the first inters­ection.
 
A. すみません、­この近­くにA­TMは­ありますか。
Excuse me, is there an ATM nearby?
この【辺り】­あたり­にAT­Mはあ­りますか。
Excuse me, is there an ATM around here?
ここら【辺】­へんに­ATM­はありますか。
Excuse me, is there an ATM somewhere around here?
B. その【交差点­】こう­さてん­を右に­曲がる­と、左­にコン­ビニが­ありま­す。A­TMは­コンビ­ニの中­にありますよ。
If you turn right at that inters­ection, there'll be a conven­ience store on the left. There's an ATM inside the conven­ience store.
 
A. A. すみません、­近くに­映画館­にあり­ますか。　
Excuse me, is there a cinema nearby?
B. そこの信号を­右に曲­がると­、左側­にでパ­トがあ­ります­。映画­館はで­パトの­中にあります。
If you turn right at the traffic light, there'll be a department store on the left. There's a cinema inside the department store.