あJLPT Japanese

N5 · Grammar

Grammar Lesson 5: Destinations, Transportation, and Travel Companions

Grammar Notes: Lesson 5

Destinations, Transportation, and Travel Companions

This lesson builds on the polite verb forms from Lesson 4. You will learn to describe a trip with a destination, a means of transportation, a companion, and a time.

Illustrated route showing a trip from school to the station with a friend by bus

Before You Start: Date Questions

Description

This lesson uses question words for dates, but you do not need to learn full calendar-date readings yet. Learn these complete question forms first.

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JapaneseRomajiMeaning
いつitsuwhen
何月nan-gatsuwhat month
何日nan-nichiwhat day of the month

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
いつ帰りますか。いつかえりますか。Itsu kaerimasu ka.When will you return home?
誕生日は何月何日ですか。たんじょうびはなんがつなんにちですか。Tanjōbi wa nan-gatsu nan-nichi desu ka.What month and day is your birthday?

Usage Notes

  • Learn 何月 and 何日 as complete question expressions.
  • This lesson does not introduce specific calendar dates such as 3月5日. Those readings need a later, dedicated date lesson.

[Place] へ 行きます / 来ます / 帰ります

Description

Use へ after a destination with 行きます (go), 来ます (come), or 帰ります (go home; return). Although it is written へ, the particle is pronounced e.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
私は明日、学校へ行きます。わたしはあした、がっこうへいきます。Watashi wa ashita, gakkō e ikimasu.I will go to school tomorrow.
友達は学校へ来ます。ともだちはがっこうへきます。Tomodachi wa gakkō e kimasu.My friend will come to school.
毎晩、家へ帰ります。まいばん、うちへかえります。Maiban, uchi e kaerimasu.I go home every night.

Usage Notes

  • 行きます describes movement away from the speaker; 来ます describes movement toward the speaker or the place of the conversation.
  • 帰ります means returning home or returning to a familiar base.

どこ［へ］も 行きません / 行きませんでした

Description

Use どこも with a negative form of 行きます to say that you do not go anywhere. You may include へ before も, or omit it.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
日曜日はどこへも行きません。にちようびはどこへもいきません。Nichiyōbi wa doko e mo ikimasen.I do not go anywhere on Sundays.
昨日はどこも行きませんでした。きのうはどこもいきませんでした。Kinō wa doko mo ikimasen deshita.I did not go anywhere yesterday.

Usage Notes

  • Use this pattern with a negative verb: 行きません or 行きませんでした.
  • Both どこへも and どこも are natural in this pattern.

[Vehicle] で 行きます / 来ます / 帰ります

Description

Use で after a vehicle to show the means of transportation.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
私はバスで学校へ行きます。わたしはばすでがっこうへいきます。Watashi wa basu de gakkō e ikimasu.I go to school by bus.
何で学校へ行きますか。なんでがっこうへいきますか。Nan de gakkō e ikimasu ka.How do you go to school?
私は歩いて学校へ行きます。わたしはあるいてがっこうへいきます。Watashi wa aruite gakkō e ikimasu.I walk to school.

Usage Notes

  • 何で asks which means of transportation someone uses.
  • 歩いて already means “on foot,” so do not add で after it.

[Person] と Vます / ひとりで Vます

Description

Use と after a person or animal to say who does an action with you. Use ひとりで when you do it alone.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
友達と学校へ行きます。ともだちとがっこうへいきます。Tomodachi to gakkō e ikimasu.I go to school with a friend.
だれと行きますか。だれといきますか。Dare to ikimasu ka.Who will you go with?
ひとりで帰ります。ひとりでかえります。Hitori de kaerimasu.I will go home alone.

Usage Notes

  • と means “with” here; it has a different role from the “and” use learned in Lesson 4.
  • Do not use と with ひとりで.

いつ

Description

いつ means “when.” Use it to ask about the time, day, week, month, or date of an action when the exact time is not known.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
いつ来ますか。いつきますか。Itsu kimasu ka.When will you come?
来週来ます。らいしゅうきます。Raishū kimasu.I will come next week.
いつ帰りますか。いつかえりますか。Itsu kaerimasu ka.When will you return home?

Usage Notes

  • A relative time word such as 来週 does not need に, following the time rule from Lesson 4.
  • Use いつ when the answer could be any time, rather than only a clock time.

Sentence よ

Description

Add よ to the end of a sentence when you are giving the listener new information or making sure they notice it.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
このバスは駅へ行きますよ。このばすはえきへいきますよ。Kono basu wa eki e ikimasu yo.This bus goes to the station.
次の電車は急行ですよ。つぎのでんしゃはきゅうこうですよ。Tsugi no densha wa kyūkō desu yo.The next train is an express.

Usage Notes

  • よ can sound helpful when you are giving useful information.
  • It is different from ね, which invites agreement or confirmation.

そうですね

Description

そうですね can show that you agree, are considering a question, or are gently acknowledging information.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
A: このバスは駅へ行きますよ。<br>B: そうですね。A: このばすはえきへいきますよ。<br>B: そうですね。A: Kono basu wa eki e ikimasu yo.<br>B: Sō desu ne.A: This bus goes to the station.<br>B: I see. / That is right.
A: 明日、学校へ行きますか。<br>B: そうですね。行きます。A: あした、がっこうへいきますか。<br>B: そうですね。いきます。A: Ashita, gakkō e ikimasu ka.<br>B: Sō desu ne. Ikimasu.A: Will you go to school tomorrow?<br>B: Let me see. Yes, I will.

Usage Notes

  • The tone and context tell the listener whether そうですね shows agreement or a moment of thought.
  • It is a natural response, not a replacement for a complete answer when more information is needed.

Practical Conversation: Finding the Right Bus

This is an original conversation. Practise it, then replace バス, 駅, and the transportation words with vocabulary from this lesson.

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SpeakerJapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
Aすみません。このバスは駅へ行きますか。すみません。このばすはえきへいきますか。Sumimasen. Kono basu wa eki e ikimasu ka.Excuse me. Does this bus go to the station?
Bはい、行きますよ。はい、いきますよ。Hai, ikimasu yo.Yes, it does.
Aそうですか。ありがとうございます。そうですか。ありがとうございます。Sō desu ka. Arigatō gozaimasu.I see. Thank you very much.

Quick Check

Try thisSample answer
Say: “I go to school by bicycle.”自転車で学校へ行きます。
Say: “I did not go anywhere yesterday.”昨日はどこへも行きませんでした。
Ask: “When will you return home?”いつ帰りますか。
Give the bus information: “This bus goes to the station.”このバスは駅へ行きますよ。