Chapter 17 — Movement, Transport, and Directions

You can describe things, express existence, talk about what you do and when you do it, make requests, grant permission, and narrate sequences of events. What you cannot yet do is get from one place to another — linguistically. This chapter gives you the verbs of movement, the particles that mark paths and means of transport, and the vocabulary for asking and understanding directions. These are among the most practically useful patterns in the language. If you travel to Japan, this chapter will get you from the station to the hotel.

17.1 Movement Verbs

Japanese has a small set of core movement verbs. You need all of them.

You already know くる as one of the two irregular verbs (Chapter 8). Its て-form is きて, its ない-form is こない, its た-form is きた. Review these if they are not automatic.

いく is a regular 五段 verb with one exception: its て-form is いって, not いいて. You learned this in Chapter 10 as the single exception to the く → いて pattern. Make sure you remember it. Every other form of いく is regular: いかない, いきます, いった.

かえる is 五段

This is worth repeating. かえる ends in える, which makes it look like a 一段 verb. It is not. It is 五段. Chapter 8 listed it explicitly among the deceptive いる/える verbs that are actually 五段. The consequences are real:

Every form is different. If you misclassify かえる, everything you produce is wrong. The same warning applies to はしる — it ends in いる but is 五段: はしります, はしらない, はしって, はしった.

Basic sentences with movement verbs

がっこうに いきます。 I go to school.

ともだちが きます。 A friend is coming.

うちに かえります。 I return home.

こうえんを あるきます。 I walk through the park.

みちを はしります。 I run along the road.

はしを わたります。 I cross the bridge.

Notice that some of these use に and others use を. The difference is the topic of Section 17.4. For now, observe that に marks the destination you are heading toward, while を marks the space you move through.

17.2 Transport — で for Means

You already know the particle で as a marker of location where an action takes place (としょかんで べんきょうします — "I study at the library"). で has a second function: it marks the means or instrument by which something is done. With movement verbs, で marks the mode of transport.

でんしゃで いきます。 I go by train.

バスで いきます。 I go by bus.

くるまで いきます。 I go by car.

じてんしゃで いきます。 I go by bicycle.

タクシーで いきます。 I go by taxi.

ちかてつで いきます。 I go by subway.

ひこうきで いきます。 I go by airplane.

ふねで いきます。 I go by ship.

The pattern is consistent: [vehicle]で [movement verb]. The vehicle noun takes で, and the verb comes at the end.

The exception: on foot

"On foot" does not use で. You cannot say あしで いきます to mean "go on foot." Instead, you use the て-form of あるく:

あるいて いきます。 I go on foot. (Literally: "walking, I go.")

This is a て-form chain, exactly like the ones you learned in Chapter 11. あるいて connects to いきます as a manner of movement. The structure is [て-form of manner verb] + [main movement verb]. You will see this pattern again with はしって いきます ("go running") and other combinations.

Why not あしで? The particle で marks an instrument or vehicle — something you use. Your feet are not a vehicle in the same grammatical sense as a train or a car. The language treats walking as an action, not a tool. Do not overthink the logic. Just remember: あるいて いきます, not あしで いきます.

Combining transport with destination

A full sentence includes the destination (に), the transport (で), and the verb:

えきに バスで いきます。 I go to the station by bus.

くうこうに タクシーで いきます。 I go to the airport by taxi.

がっこうに じてんしゃで いきます。 I go to school by bicycle.

とうきょうに しんかんせんで いきます。 I go to Tokyo by bullet train.

Word order between the destination and the transport is flexible. Both えきに バスで いきます and バスで えきに いきます are grammatical. The verb must remain at the end.

17.3 Asking for and Understanding Directions

Key vocabulary

Before learning the grammar of directions, you need the words:

You already know みぎ and ひだり from Chapter 6 (location words). Here they combine with まがる to express turning.

Turning right and left

みぎに まがります。 I turn right.

ひだりに まがります。 I turn left.

The direction takes に because it is the target of the turning movement. まがる is 五段: まがります, まがらない, まがって, まがった.

Giving directions with て-form chains

Directions in Japanese are typically given as a sequence of instructions connected by the て-form, ending with ください. You learned てください (polite request) in Chapter 11. Directions are one of its most common real-world applications.

まっすぐ いってください。 Please go straight.

つぎの しんごうを みぎに まがってください。 Please turn right at the next traffic light.

ふたつめの かどを ひだりに まがってください。 Please turn left at the second corner.

Longer direction sequences chain multiple て-forms before the final ください:

まっすぐ いって、つぎの しんごうを みぎに まがってください。 Please go straight and turn right at the next traffic light.

この みちを まっすぐ いって、こうさてんを わたって、ひだりに まがってください。 Please go straight along this road, cross the intersection, and turn left.

えきを でて、みぎに まがって、ごふんぐらい あるいてください。 Please exit the station, turn right, and walk for about five minutes.

Each instruction is in its て-form, and only the final verb takes ください. This is exactly the same clause-chaining pattern from Chapter 11, applied to a specific context. If you understood て-form chains there, you understand them here.

Asking for directions

The most basic way to ask for directions:

すみません、えきは どこですか。 Excuse me, where is the station?

すみません、ゆうびんきょくは どう いきますか。 Excuse me, how do I get to the post office?

ここから えきまで どう いきますか。 How do I get from here to the station?

どう means "how" and is an interrogative you have seen in earlier chapters. どう いきますか asks literally "how do I go?" — the natural way to ask for directions to a specific place.

17.4 を for Traversal

In Chapter 9 you learned を as the direct object marker: ほんを よみます ("I read a book"), みずを のみます ("I drink water"). With movement verbs, を takes on a different function: it marks the space through which movement occurs.

みちを あるきます。 I walk along the road.

はしを わたります。 I cross the bridge.

こうえんを はしります。 I run through the park.

こうさてんを わたります。 I cross the intersection.

この みちを まっすぐ いきます。 I go straight along this road.

In none of these sentences is the road, bridge, or park a direct object being acted upon. You are not doing something to the road — you are moving through it. The を here marks the path or route of movement.

How to tell the difference

Context makes it clear. を with a non-movement verb marks a direct object: ほんを よむ (read a book). を with a movement verb and a path-like noun marks traversal: みちを あるく (walk along the road).

There is also a structural clue. Direct-object を typically answers the question なにを ("what?"): なにを よみますか — ほんを よみます. Traversal を typically answers どこを ("where through?"): どこを あるきますか — こうえんを あるきます.

を vs. に with movement verbs

This distinction is important. Compare:

こうえんに いきます。 I go to the park. (The park is the destination.)

こうえんを はしります。 I run through the park. (The park is the path.)

に marks where you end up. を marks where you pass through. If you go to the park and stop there, use に. If you run through the park as a route, use を.

Another pair:

はしに いきます。 I go to the bridge. (The bridge is the destination.)

はしを わたります。 I cross the bridge. (The bridge is the path you traverse.)

This is not interchangeable. はしに わたります is ungrammatical. You cross through a bridge, not to it. Similarly, みちを いきます means "go along the road," while みちに いきます would oddly mean "go to the road" as a destination.

Directions use traversal を

This is why direction instructions use を with しんごう, こうさてん, and かど:

しんごうを みぎに まがってください。 Turn right at the traffic light.

The しんごう is not the destination. It is the point you pass through as you turn. Hence を, not に.

17.5 Distance and Duration

When someone gives you directions, you often want to know how far away the destination is. Japanese expresses distance in terms of time, not meters or kilometers (in casual conversation, at least).

あるいて + duration

あるいて じゅっぷんぐらいです。 It is about ten minutes on foot.

あるいて にじゅっぷんぐらいです。 It is about twenty minutes on foot.

ぐらい means "about" or "approximately." It follows the number and counter directly. You will hear it constantly in direction-giving contexts because exact durations are rarely stated.

ここから ～まで + transport + duration

The full pattern for stating distance:

ここから えきまで あるいて じゅうごふんぐらいです。 From here to the station, it is about fifteen minutes on foot.

えきから くうこうまで でんしゃで さんじゅっぷんぐらいです。 From the station to the airport, it is about thirty minutes by train.

ここから びょういんまで バスで じゅっぷんぐらいです。 From here to the hospital, it is about ten minutes by bus.

から means "from" and まで means "to" or "until." Together they mark the start and end points of a journey. The transport (で or あるいて) and the duration follow. です at the end makes it a polite statement.

～じかん for hours

Minutes use ～ふん/～ぷん, which you learned in Chapter 7. For longer durations, you need ～じかん (hours of duration):

Note: よじかん (four hours), not よんじかん. This parallels よじ (four o'clock) from the time system.

For hours and minutes combined:

いちじかん にじゅっぷん one hour and twenty minutes

にじかんはん two and a half hours (はん = half)

ここから おおさかまで しんかんせんで にじかんはんぐらいです。 From here to Osaka, it is about two and a half hours by bullet train.

17.6 Transport Vocabulary

New vocabulary introduced in this chapter. The ピッチ column indicates pitch accent: ⓪ = flat (heiban), ① = drops after mora 1, ② = drops after mora 2, and so on.

Transport

Direction and Location

Places

17.7 Movement and Direction Verbs

Note the pair のる and おりる. のる (to get on) is 五段: のります, のらない, のって. おりる (to get off) is 一段: おります, おりない, おりて. They are used with を for getting off (バスを おります) and に for getting on (バスに のります).

17.8 Listening Notes

Directions in natural speech come fast. A Japanese speaker giving you directions on the street will typically produce a rapid chain of て-forms with minimal pausing, often while pointing. You will not catch every word. That is normal. Here is how to cope.

Focus on the key words. In any set of directions, the critical information is carried by a small number of words: まっすぐ (straight), みぎ (right), ひだり (left), しんごう (traffic light), こうさてん (intersection), and a distance like ごふん (five minutes). If you catch these, you can navigate even if you miss the connecting grammar.

Watch for pointing. Japanese speakers will almost always point or gesture while giving directions. Even if you miss the words, follow the hands. A gesture toward the right combined with something-something-まがって tells you to turn right.

Te-form chains are your friend. Each て marks a boundary between one instruction and the next. Listen for the て sound. Every time you hear it, a new instruction begins. まっすぐ いって — that is one instruction. みぎに まがって — that is the next. The final instruction ends with ください or a polite verb form.

Ask for confirmation. If you are not sure you understood, repeat back what you heard:

みぎに まがりますか。 I turn right?

しんごうの つぎですか。 After the traffic light?

Japanese speakers generally respond well to confirmation questions. They will correct you if you misunderstood or confirm with はい if you got it right.

Common phrases you will hear:

この みちを まっすぐ いって... Go straight along this road...

つぎの しんごうを... At the next traffic light...

みぎがわに あります。 It is on the right side.

ひだりがわに あります。 It is on the left side.

がわ means "side." みぎがわ = right side, ひだりがわ = left side. These are not in the formal vocabulary list but appear constantly in direction-giving.

17.9 Reading Passage — ゆうびんきょくまでの みち

Read the following passage. It is a set of directions from a station to a post office. All grammar and vocabulary come from this chapter and earlier chapters.

やまださんは ゆうびんきょくに いきたいです。えきの まえで ひとに ききました。

やまだ：すみません。ゆうびんきょくは どう いきますか。

ひと：ゆうびんきょくですか。ここから あるいて じゅっぷんぐらいですよ。

やまだ：どう いけば いいですか。

ひと：まず、この みちを まっすぐ いってください。ごふんぐらい あるきます。おおきい こうさてんが あります。その こうさてんを わたって、つぎの かどを みぎに まがってください。すこし あるくと、ひだりがわに ゆうびんきょくが あります。あかい ポストが あるから、すぐ わかりますよ。

やまだ：まっすぐ いって、こうさてんを わたって、つぎの かどを みぎですね。

ひと：はい、そうです。

やまだ：ありがとうございます。

Comprehension check

Answer the following questions about the passage. All answers can be found directly in the text.

1. やまださんは なにに いきたいですか。
2. ゆうびんきょくまで あるいて どのぐらいですか。
3. おおきい こうさてんで なにを しますか。
4. こうさてんの つぎの かどで どちらに まがりますか。
5. ゆうびんきょくは みちの どちらがわに ありますか。

Notes on the passage

The passage uses several forms from earlier chapters:

• いきたい (want to go) — たい-form, covered in earlier chapters
• ききました (asked) — past polite of きく (to ask/listen), 五段
• いけば いいですか (how should I go?) — this conditional form (ば) has not been formally taught yet; treat it as a set phrase for now meaning "what is the best way to go?"
• あるくと (when you walk) — the と conditional connecting a condition to a result
• わかります (to understand / to be able to tell) — here meaning "you will recognize it"
• すぐ — immediately, right away
• ポスト — post (mailbox), from English "post"
• あかい — red (い-adjective)

Reading Passage 2 — とうきょうえきから あさくさへ

Read the following passage. A visitor describes getting from Tokyo Station to Asakusa. All grammar comes from this chapter and earlier chapters.

きのう、とうきょうえきから あさくさに いきました。あさくさの せんそうじに いきたかったからです。

まず、えきの なかで ちかてつの きっぷを かいました。にひゃくえんでした。まるのうちせんの ホームに おりて、でんしゃに のりました。

ぎんざえきで でんしゃを おりました。そこから ぎんざせんに のりかえました。ぎんざせんで あさくさえきまで いきました。ぜんぶで さんじゅっぷんぐらいでした。

あさくさえきを でると、おおきい とおりが ありました。まっすぐ いって、ひとつめの かどを みぎに まがりました。すこし あるくと、おおきい あかい もんが みえました。かみなりもんです。ひとが たくさん いました。

せんそうじは とても ふるい おてらです。なかまでの みちに みせが たくさん あります。おみやげや おかしを うっていました。とても たのしかったです。

Translation

Yesterday, I went from Tokyo Station to Asakusa. I wanted to go to Sensoji temple in Asakusa.

First, I bought a subway ticket inside the station. It was 200 yen. I went down to the Marunouchi Line platform and boarded the train.

I got off the train at Ginza Station. From there, I transferred to the Ginza Line. I rode the Ginza Line to Asakusa Station. It was about thirty minutes in total.

When I came out of Asakusa Station, there was a large avenue. I went straight and turned right at the first corner. After walking a little, I could see a large red gate. It was Kaminarimon. There were many people.

Sensoji is a very old temple. On the road to the inside, there are many shops. They were selling souvenirs and sweets. It was very fun.

Notes

• のりかえました — past of のりかえる (to transfer), a 一段 verb. This is a compound of のる (to ride) and かえる (to change).
• みえました — past of みえる (to be visible). Unlike みる (to look at), みえる means something comes into view on its own.
• かみなりもん — Kaminarimon, the famous "Thunder Gate" at the entrance to Sensoji.
• うっていました — past progressive of うる (to sell). The shops "were selling" things.

17.10 Chapter Summary

This chapter covered five things:

First, the core movement verbs: いく, くる, かえる, あるく, はしる, わたる. Pay special attention to verb classes — かえる and はしる are 五段 despite looking like 一段.

Second, the particle で for means of transport: でんしゃで いきます, バスで いきます. The exception is "on foot," which uses the て-form: あるいて いきます.

Third, direction vocabulary and the grammar of giving directions, built on て-form chains ending in ください.

Fourth, the particle を for traversal — marking the path through which movement occurs, as opposed to を for direct objects. みちを あるく (walk along the road), はしを わたる (cross the bridge).

Fifth, expressing distance and duration: ここから えきまで あるいて じゅっぷんぐらいです.

These patterns combine freely. A single sentence can include a starting point (から), a destination (に or まで), a mode of transport (で or あるいて), a path (を), and a duration. The word order is flexible as long as the verb comes last. Practice building sentences with multiple elements until the particle assignments feel natural.