politeLesson 67

Asking for Directions — Person in charge

Situation

Where
On the street / a station
Who
You and a person in charge
Goal
To ask how to get somewhere politely.

Conversation

Show

A

Excuse me, which way is the station?

B

Go straight down this road and turn right at the second light.

A

Thank you. How long is it on foot?

B

You'll get there in about five minutes.

A

That helped a lot. Thank you.

Vocabulary (10)

dochira

which way (polite)

Politer than どっち.

massugu

straight

まっすぐ行く = "to go straight."

shingou

traffic light

二つ目の信号 = "the second light."

migi

right

Opposite: 左 (left).

aruite

on foot

歩いてどのくらい = "how long on foot?"

tsuku

to arrive

五分で着く = "arrive in five minutes."

soudan

consultation

相談する = to consult; asking before deciding is valued.

taiou

handling / response

対応します = "I will handle it."

junbi

preparation

準備しておきます = "I will prepare it in advance."

shiryou

materials / documents

資料を共有します = "I will share the materials."

Grammar

Number + counter + 目

Ordinal: 二つ目 = "the second one."

Verb te-form

Connects steps: まっすぐ行って、右です.

Time + ほどで

In about: 五分ほどで = "in about five minutes."

Cultural Notes

Workplace etiquette

People often walk you partway rather than just pointing. A sincere 助かりました acknowledges the kindness.

Formality level

Polite. どちらでしょうか is softer and more polite than どこですか.

Common mistake

Have your destination written or on a map to show — it removes ambiguity if your pronunciation is unclear.

Quiz

What does "どちら" mean?

What does "まっすぐ" mean?

What does "信号" mean?

What does "右" mean?

What does "歩いて" mean?

What does "着く" mean?

How is the pattern "〜目" used?

How is the pattern "〜て、〜" used?

How is the pattern "〜ほどで" used?

What is the goal of this conversation?

Flashcards

Turn this lesson into flashcards

Save all 10 vocabulary items to your deck and review them later with spaced repetition.