Asking the way — left, right, how many minutes

A corner, a light, a number of minutes. Ask left or right.

In this lesson you will

• Ask 〜はどこですか and understand まっすぐ / 右 / 左
• Ask 左ですか、右ですか when the point is unclear
• Ask 何分ですか and hear 歩いて七分です

Today’s scene

How it works

The scene is a corner near Asakusa, not a chapter titled “directions.” 浅草寺はどこですか is the same どこ as bags and ATM. The answer comes as a path: この道をまっすぐです. を marks the street you travel along.

左ですか、右ですか is a forced choice when a point is vague. 二つ目の信号を右です uses 目 to make an ordinal: the second light. を marks the light as the place you turn at, in this set phrase.

何分ですか is enough if you already said you are walking. 歩いて七分です makes the means clear: on foot, seven minutes. 歩いて is て-form as a way of going. 駅は近いですか is a yes/no with an い-adjective.

いえいえ is a light “don’t mention it.” You may also hear どういたしまして. Either closes. Do not chase the person down the street for a second map.

A map app lies with a straight blue line through a river. A human will give you a signal, a left, and a number of minutes. This lesson is one corner in Asakusa. We will not dump a compass chapter on you. Left and right only matter when they sit inside a path.

Mina opens with すみません。浅草寺はどこですか. You already own どこですか. The new work is listening to a path that is not a single noun. この道をまっすぐです. この道 is this street. を marks the line you travel along — the same を that marked a passport as an object, now marking a road as the thing you go along. まっすぐ is straight. Plus です, it is a finished instruction.

She does not pretend she understood the point. 左ですか、右ですか. A forced pair. This is a strong traveler habit. Staff point in a direction that looks like “ahead” to them and “maybe left” to you. Make them pick. You are not being difficult. You are being kind to your own feet.

二つ目の信号を右です is the plan. 二つ目 is the second. 目 turns a number into an ordinal: 一つ目, 二つ目, 三つ目. 信号 is traffic light. In this set phrase, を marks the light you use as the turning point. You will also hear あの角を左です — left at that corner. Collect landmarks, not floating arrows.

何分ですか is enough because the topic is already the walk. 歩いて七分です makes the means visible. 歩いて is て-form as method: by walking. 七分です is the landing. If they say 自転車で五分です, that is not your body. Ask again: 歩いて何分ですか.

駅は近いですか uses an い-adjective you met in beginner-09. 近い, 遠い. The shopkeeper answers with a comparison: 寺のほうが近いです. ほうが marks the side that wins. You asked about the station. They told you the temple is the nearer fact. That is a gift. Do not force the station story.

You may hear 左に曲がってください, 橋を渡って, 突き当たりです. 曲がる is turn. 渡る is cross. 突き当たり is the dead end of the street, where you must choose. You do not need all of these in your mouth on day one. You need them in your ear so the path does not become noise.

いえいえ closes. どういたしまして is more textbook. Both are fine. Say ありがとうございます, then move so they can return to the plant. Do not keep them for a photo of the map unless you ask — travel-12.

Do not grab a sleeve. Do not stand in a bicycle lane to talk. Do not use ちょっと, ねえ, お前 to stop someone. すみません is the stopper.

Korean speakers: 왼쪽 / 오른쪽 are 左 / 右. The particles around them are the real work: を右です, に曲がって. Chinese speakers: 第两个红绿灯 is 二つ目の信号. 目 is doing the “th” work. English speakers: “Take a right” is not 右を取って. It is 右です or 右に曲がってください. Spanish speakers: 分 is minutes. 七分 is not “seven from.”

Practice pointing at two chairs as lights: 一つ目, 二つ目, then 右です. Then ask 何分ですか and answer yourself 歩いて七分です. The body should move when the mouth moves. Next we take this すみません into a pharmacy, where the landmark is a symptom, not a signal.

People you stop on a street are not staff. Their Japanese may be fast, or they may switch to English, or they may draw in the air. All three are gifts. If they draw, let them. Then confirm with 左ですか、右ですか so the drawing has a word. If they switch to English, you may still repeat the Japanese path to yourself as you walk. The lesson is not a purity test. The lesson is arriving at the temple.

Landmarks beat compass words. 信号, 角, 橋, コンビニ, 大きな道. If they say コンビニを過ぎて, that is て-form again: after you pass the convenience store. You can shop there later. Right now it is a rock in the path. 大きな道 is a big road. When you see it, you know the count of lights was real.

If you get lost after two lights, ask again. もう一度聞いてもいいですか uses the photo lesson’s てもいいですか one day early. Or just すみません、浅草寺はまだですか — is Senso-ji still (ahead)? まだですか is a useful check. You are not failing. Paths in Asakusa fold.

Indonesian and Malay speakers: 右 and 左 flip in the mouth if you panic. Pair them with a hand as you practice. Arabic speakers: Japanese left and right are from the speaker’s facing direction, same as most streets. Confirm with the pair question. Hindi readers: 分 is minutes, not a Hindi homophone. 七分です is a clock.

Do not follow a stranger down an alley because the Japanese was kind. Kindness and a path can be said at the corner. The shopkeeper in this scene stays with the plant. That is the temperature we want: help, then return to the watering can. You walk. They stay. The language was enough.

If two people answer at once and disagree, thank both and pick the landmark you can see. あの信号ですか is a check: is it that light? はい or いいえ. You are allowed to pin their path to a thing in the world. Japanese directions love objects. Your eyes should love them too. When the temple roof appears, the lesson is over. You do not need a victory sentence. Walk in.

When you thank them, step out of the watering-can space. ありがとうございます is a close, not an invitation to a second map. If you must check one more thing, この道で大丈夫ですか is enough. Then walk while the path is still warm in your head. Japanese directions fade if you stand and translate them into English first.

Path

〜はどこですか。
この道をまっすぐです。
二つ目の信号を右です。 / 左です。

Time and check

左ですか、右ですか。
何分ですか。→ 歩いて七分です。
駅は近いですか。

Sentences you can use

Close, but not this

OK 二つ目の信号を右です。
NG 右右右！

A turn needs a landmark. 信号, 角, 橋. A shouted 右 is how people get lost together.

OK 歩いて七分です。
NG 七です。

七です is a naked number. 分 tells them you heard minutes, not seven stations.

Say it out loud

You can walk to a temple. You can also wake up sick. Next is the pharmacy: a cold, a stomach, and the sentence “I’m a traveler” — still one counter, still polite.

Write one sentence today