Transport & Directions

Introduction

Japan's transport system is legendary, and knowing the vocabulary makes navigating it a joy rather than a challenge. From 電車 (train) to 右 (right), these words are your ticket to getting around.

Essential for any trip to Japan, whether you're riding the Shinkansen or asking for directions on foot.

Themes

All JLPT N5 Vocabulary in This Chapter (56)

1. 車 くるま Car; automobile. One of the most essential transport-related nouns in everyday Japanese.
2. 自転車 じてんしゃ Bicycle; bike. A very common mode of transport in Japan, especially for short commutes.
3. バス バス Bus. A common mode of public transport in Japan, used for both city routes and long-distance travel.
4. 電車 でんしゃ Train; electric train. The backbone of daily commuting in Japan, especially in urban areas.
5. 地下鉄 ちかてつ Subway; metro; underground railway. Found in most major Japanese cities.
6. 飛行機 ひこうき Airplane; aircraft. Used when talking about air travel or flying.
7. 船 ふね Ship; boat; vessel. Covers watercraft of all sizes, from small boats to large ships.
8. タクシー タクシー Taxi. A convenient but relatively expensive mode of transport in Japan.
9. 駅 えき Railway station; train station. A central feature of daily life in Japan.
10. 空港 くうこう Airport. The facility for airplane departures and arrivals.
11. 停留所 ていりゅうじょ Stop; bus stop; tram stop. A designated stopping place for public transport.
12. 道 みち Road; path; street; way. Refers to any route for walking or driving.
13. 橋 はし Bridge. A structure built over a river, road, or valley to allow crossing.
14. 交差点 こうさてん Crossing; intersection. The point where two or more roads meet.
15. 信号 しんごう Traffic signal; traffic light. Also used more broadly for any kind of signal.
16. 町 まち Town; neighbourhood; city block. Refers to a populated area smaller than a city.
17. 村 むら Village. A small rural settlement, the smallest administrative division in Japan.
18. 市 いち Market; fair. A place where goods are bought and sold, often outdoors.
19. 国 くに Country; state; nation. Used when talking about countries and nationalities.
20. 外国 がいこく Foreign country. Used to refer to countries other than Japan.
21. 日本 にほん Japan. The name of the country in Japanese.
22. 銀行 ぎんこう Bank; banking institution. Where people deposit, withdraw, and manage money.
23. 郵便局 ゆうびんきょく Post office. Where mail and packages are sent and received.
24. 交番 こうばん Police box; koban. A small neighbourhood police station unique to Japan.
25. スーパー スーパー Supermarket. A large store selling food, drinks, and household goods.
26. デパート デパート Department store. A large multi-floor retail store selling a wide range of goods.
27. 映画館 えいがかん Movie theatre; cinema. A venue for watching films on a large screen.
28. 公園 こうえん Park; public park. An open green space for recreation and relaxation.
29. レストラン レストラン Restaurant, especially a Western-style dining establishment.
30. 喫茶店 きっさてん Coffee shop; tearoom; cafe. A traditional Japanese-style cafe serving coffee, tea, and light meals.
31. ホテル ホテル Hotel. A Western-style accommodation offering rooms for travellers.
32. 会社 かいしゃ Company; corporation; firm. A business organization where people work.
33. 工場 こうじょう Factory; plant; workshop. A building where goods are manufactured.
34. ビル ビル Multi-floor building; office building. A tall structure typically found in urban areas.
35. アパート アパート Apartment building; apartment block. A low-rise residential building with rental units.
36. マンション マンション Condominium; apartment building. A mid or high-rise concrete residential building.
37. 入り口 いりぐち Entrance; entry; gate. The place where one enters a building or area.
38. 出口 でぐち Exit; way out. The place where one leaves a building or area.
39. 右 みぎ Right; right-hand side. The direction opposite to left.
40. 左 ひだり Left; left-hand side. The direction opposite to right.
41. 先 さき Ahead; beyond; tip; end. Indicates what is further along in space or time.
42. 後ろ うしろ Back; behind; rear. The area at the back of something or someone.
43. 上 うえ Above; over; up; on top of. Indicates a higher position.
44. 下 した Below; down; under; beneath. Indicates a lower position.
45. 中 なか Inside; interior; within. The inner space of something.
46. 外 そと Outside; exterior; outdoors. The area beyond an enclosure or boundary.
47. 隣 となり Next to; adjoining; adjacent. The position directly beside something.
48. 近く ちかく Near; nearby; neighbourhood; vicinity. A place that is not far away.
49. 遠く とおく Far away; distant place; a great distance. A location that is not near.
50. そば そば Near; close by; beside. The area right next to someone or something.
51. 間 あいだ Space between; gap; interval; distance. Used to describe physical or temporal space separating two things.
52. 向こう むこう The opposite side; the other side; over there. Refers to a place beyond or across from the speaker.
53. 東 ひがし East. One of the four cardinal directions, frequently used in place names and navigation.
54. 西 にし West. One of the four cardinal directions, commonly used in place names and when giving directions.
55. 南 みなみ South. One of the four cardinal directions, often associated with warmth and used in place names.
56. 北 きた North. One of the four cardinal directions, commonly used in place names and when giving directions.