About This Lesson
Use Confirming the Right Bus to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
バスが来ました。
BAH-soo gah kee-MAH-shee-tah The bus is here.
B
このバスでいいと思いますか。
KOH-noh BAH-soo deh EE-ee toh oh-moh-ee-MAH-soo kah Do you think this is the right bus?
A
乗る前に運転手に聞きましょう。
NOH-roo MAH-eh nee oon-ten-SHOO nee kee-kee-mah-SHOH Let's ask the driver before we get on.
A
すみません、このバスは駅に行きますか。
soo-mee-mah-SEN, KOH-noh BAH-soo wah EH-kee nee EE-kee-MAH-soo kah Excuse me, does this bus go to the station?
C
駅は終点です。
EH-kee wah SHOO-ten dess The station is the last stop.
B
では、このバスでいいですね。
DEH-wah, KOH-noh BAH-soo deh EE-ee dess NEH Then this is the right bus.
A
乗って、中のほうへ進みましょう。
NOHT-teh, nah-KAH noh HOH-oo eh soo-SOO-mee-mah-SHOH Let's get on and move farther inside.
B
私は真ん中の近くに立ちます。
wah-TAH-shee wah mahn-NAH-kah noh CHEE-kah-koo nee tah-chee-MAH-soo I'll stand near the middle.Word by Word
バス
「バス」 means bus here, referring to the vehicle that has arrived and may take the passengers to the station. It is used with transport expressions such as 「バスが来ました」 and 「このバスは駅に行きますか」. Use it when identifying or asking about a bus in a travel situation.
が
In 「バスが来ました」, 「が」 marks 「バス」 as the thing that arrived. It commonly follows the subject of an event or action. Use this form when announcing that something has arrived or happened.
来ました
「来ました」 means came or has arrived here; in this dialogue, it announces that the bus has arrived. It is the polite past form of 「来る」. Use it to tell someone that a person or vehicle has arrived.
この
「この」 means this and directly describes the nearby bus in 「このバス」. It is placed before a noun to identify something near the speaker or listener. Use it when pointing out a particular nearby object, such as a bus being considered.
で
In 「このバスでいい」, 「で」 marks this bus as the transport choice being accepted. Together with 「いい」, the expression says that using this bus is okay. Use this pattern when confirming that a particular option is suitable.
いい
「いい」 means acceptable or suitable here, as in 「このバスでいい」, rather than simply describing good quality. The pattern 「Nでいい」 confirms that N is an acceptable choice. Use it when agreeing that a selected option will work.
と
In 「このバスでいいと思いますか」, 「と」 marks 「このバスでいい」 as the thought or judgment being considered before 「思いますか」. It connects the content of a thought with the verb expressing that thought. Use it when asking or stating what someone thinks.
思います
「思います」 means think here and asks for the listener’s judgment about whether this bus is suitable. It is the polite non-past form of 「思う」 and follows the thought marked by 「と」. Use it to ask for or give an opinion in a polite conversation.
か
The final 「か」 in 「思いますか」 and 「行きますか」 marks a question. It turns the preceding polite statement into a request for information or agreement. Use it at the end of a polite question, such as when checking a route.
乗る
「乗る」 means get on or ride here, in 「乗る前に」, referring to boarding the bus. It is the citation form used before 「前に」 to describe an action that has not happened yet. Use the pattern verb + 「前に」 when saying that something happens before an action.
前
In 「乗る前に」, 「前」 means before and points to the time before boarding. It follows the action 「乗る」 and is followed by 「に」 in this time expression. Use it to organize actions by saying what happens before another action.
に
This 「に」 has several clear roles in the dialogue: 「乗る前に」 marks a time, 「運転手に」 marks the person being asked, and 「駅に」 marks the destination. Its role depends on the phrase it follows. Use it for a time, a recipient, or a destination in transport and everyday requests.
運転手
「運転手」 means driver, specifically the person driving the bus in this scene. In 「運転手に聞きましょう」, it identifies the person to ask. Use it when addressing or referring to the driver of a bus or other vehicle.
聞きましょう
「聞きましょう」 means let’s ask here, as in 「運転手に聞きましょう」. It is the polite volitional form of 「聞く」, with the meaning of asking the driver rather than simply listening. Use the pattern person に 聞きましょう when proposing that you ask someone for information.
すみません
「すみません」 means excuse me here and politely gets the driver’s attention before a question. It is placed at the beginning of the request 「すみません、このバスは駅に行きますか」. Use it when addressing an unfamiliar person, especially before asking for help or information.
は
「は」 marks the topic in 「このバスは駅に行きますか」 and 「駅は終点です」. It tells the listener what the following information is about: the bus in the question and the station in the answer. Use it after a noun when presenting that noun as the topic of a statement or question.
駅
「駅」 means station, the destination and final stop discussed in this bus conversation. It appears in 「駅に行きますか」 for the destination and 「駅は終点です」 for the topic of the answer. Use it when asking about or describing a station on a route.
行きます
「行きます」 means goes here, describing the bus’s route to the station in 「このバスは駅に行きますか」. It is the polite non-past form of 「行く」 and is followed by the destination marked with 「に」. Use destination に 行きます when asking or saying where a person or vehicle goes.
終点
「終点」 means the last stop, the place where the bus route ends. In 「駅は終点です」, it tells the passengers that the station is the route’s final stop. Use it when explaining the endpoint of a bus, train, or other route.
です
In 「駅は終点です」, 「です」 politely links the topic 「駅」 with the description 「終点」, meaning the station is the last stop. It is used to make a polite statement about a noun. Use the pattern noun は noun です when giving a simple identification or description.
では
「では」 means then or in that case in 「では、このバスでいいですね」. It connects the driver’s information with the passenger’s conclusion about which bus to take. Use it at the beginning of a response when acting on information just received.
ですね
「ですね」 in 「このバスでいいですね」 seeks agreement that this bus is the correct choice. The 「です」 makes the statement polite, while 「ね」 invites the listener to share or confirm the conclusion. Use it after a statement when checking that another person agrees.
乗って
「乗って」 means get on and links boarding with the next action in 「乗って、中のほうへ進みましょう」. It is the て-form of 「乗る」; the invitation to do both actions comes from the whole sentence ending in 「進みましょう」. Use a て-form to connect sequential actions in a suggestion or instruction.
中
「中」 means inside here, referring to the inside of the bus in 「中のほう」. Together with 「のほう」, it points toward the area farther inside. Use it when directing someone toward the interior of a place or vehicle.
の
In 「中のほう」, 「の」 links 「中」 and 「ほう」 so that 「ほう」 is described in relation to the inside. It connects two nouns in this location expression. Use noun の noun to show a relationship between two nouns.
ほう
「ほう」 means direction or area here, and 「中のほう」 means the direction or area farther inside. It helps give a general direction rather than a precise point. Use it after a location expression when indicating a side or direction to move toward.
へ
In 「中のほうへ」, 「へ」 marks the direction toward the inside area. It follows the destination or direction of movement. Use a place or direction + 「へ」 when telling someone where to move.
進みましょう
「進みましょう」 means let’s move forward or proceed here, with the direction given by 「中のほうへ」. It is the polite volitional form of 「進む」. Use it when inviting someone to move onward in a particular direction, such as farther inside a bus.
私
「私」 means I or me and identifies the passenger who will stand near the middle. It is the subject of 「立ちます」 in 「私は真ん中の近くに立ちます」. Use it when stating your own action or choice in a polite conversation.
真ん中
「真ん中」 means the middle, referring to the central area of the bus in 「真ん中の近く」. It combines with 「の近く」 to describe a location near that central area. Use it when identifying the middle position of a place or object.
近く
「近く」 means near or nearby in 「真ん中の近く」. It follows the location 「真ん中」 with 「の」 and identifies an area close to it. Use the pattern location の 近く when saying that someone or something is nearby a place.
立ちます
「立ちます」 means will stand here, expressing the passenger’s intended position near the middle of the bus. It is the polite non-past form of 「立つ」. Use a location + 「に立ちます」 when saying where you will stand.
Grammar Points
〜ましょう
運転手に聞きましょう。
oon-ten-SHOO nee kee-kee-mah-SHOHLet's ask the driver.
The polite volitional form 〜ましょう means “let's ...” and is used to suggest doing something together.
〜ますか
終点に行きますか。
SHOO-ten nee EE-kee-MAH-soo kahDoes it go to the last stop?
Adding か to the polite 〜ます form makes a question. The subject can be omitted when it is clear.
Japanese Vocabulary
いい
adj
EE-ee
good; okay
すみません
intj
soo-mee-mah-SEN
excuse me; sorry
バス
noun
BAH-soo
bus
運転手
noun
oon-ten-SHOO
driver
駅
noun
EH-kee
station
行く
verb
EE-koo
to go
行きますか
思う
verb
oh-MOH
to think
思いますか
終点
noun
SHOO-ten
last stop; terminal
乗る
verb
NOH-roo
to get on; to ride
前
noun
MAH-eh
before; front
聞く
verb
KEE-koo
to ask; to listen
聞きましょう
来る
verb
KOO-roo
to come
来ました
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
excuse me; sorry
Show Answer
すみませんto think
Show Answer
思いますかto come
Show Answer
来ましたto ask; to listen