Japanese phrases to use when asking directions

Japanese phrases to use when asking directions

Travelling in Japan can be difficult if you don’t understand the language, and some people hesitate to travel to Japan because they’re afraid of the language barrier they’ll experience while travelling across the country.

However, the truth is, you don’t need to be fluent in Japanese to have a successful and wonderful trip to Japan, all you need to do is learn several key Japanese phrases to make your trip much better. In this feature, we’ll introduce some Japanese phrases to use when asking for directions from Japanese people!

Index

1. Sumimasen (すみません)
2. Eigo wakarimasuka (英語分かりますか)
3. Maigo desu (迷子です)
4. wa doko desuka? (〜はどこですか)
5. made wa dou yatte ikimasuka? (〜まではどうやって行きますか）

1. Sumimasen (すみません)

Before asking others for some directions, let’s start with excusing yourself first!

Sumimasen, which means excuse me, is frequently used by Japanese people to talk to someone or to apologize to someone.  If you get lost, don’t hesitate to ask for directions to your destination by saying “sumimasen” first.

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2. Eigo wakarimasuka (英語分かりますか)

Eigo wakarimasuka means “do you understand English?”, and you can use this phrase to ask others whether they speak English or not. If the person answers yes to this question, you can communicate with him in English, but if that person seems a little confused,  you might want to use Japanese instead.

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3. Maigo desu (迷子です)

If you tell Japanese people that you’ve lost your way, they will try to help you find your destination. Just tell them “maigo desu”, and most likely they will show you the way

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4. ___ wa doko desuka? (〜はどこですか)

You can use this phrase to ask for simple directions. It means “Where is the ___?”, and you can use ___ wa doko desuka? when asking others about the location of your destination. For example, you can say “Takashimaya wa doko desuka?” when you want to go to Takashimaya, a famous department store in Japan.

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5. ___ made wa dou yatte ikimasuka? (〜まではどうやって行きますか）

This place means “How to go to ___?”, and you can use “___ made wa dou yatte ikimasuka?” if you want to ask others to show you the way. For example, you can say “Takashimaya made wa dou yatte ikimasuka?” when you want someone to show you the way to Takashimaya.

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