About This Lesson
Use Buying a Train Ticket to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
もう電車の切符を持っていますか？
moh DEN-sha noh kee-POO oh moh-TEH-ee-MAHS-kah? Do you already have a train ticket?
B
まだです。切符を一枚買う必要があります。
MAH-dah dehss. kee-POO oh ee-chee-MY kah-OO nee-TEH-yoh gah ah-REE-MAHS. Not yet. I need to buy one.
A
入口のそばに券売機があります。
ee-ree-GOO-chee noh soh-BAH nee ken-bye-KEE gah ah-REE-MAHS. There are ticket machines by the entrance.
B
そこで自分の切符を買います。
SOH-koh deh jee-BOON oh kah-ee-MAHS. I'll get mine there.
A
私の切符はスマホにあります。
wah-TAH-shee noh kee-POO wah soo-mah-HOH nee ah-REE-MAHS. I have my ticket on my phone.
B
では、自分の切符を買ってから、ここでまたあなたに会います。
deh-WAH, jee-BOON noh kee-POO oh KAHT-teh kah-RAH, KOH-koh deh MAH-tah ah-NAH-tah nee ah-ee-MAHS. Then I'll meet you back here after I buy mine.
A
券売機の近くで待ちます。
ken-bye-KEE noh CHEE-kah-koo deh mah-chee-MAHS. I'll wait near the machines.
B
券売機のそばで私を探してください。
ken-bye-KEE noh soh-BAH deh wah-TAH-shee oh sah-gah-SHEH-teh koo-DAH-sigh. Look for me beside them.Word by Word
もう
もう means “already” in もう電車の切符を持っていますか？, asking whether the person has a train ticket by now. It commonly appears before the verb or phrase it modifies, as in もうありますか？ New example: もうありますか？ means “Is it there already?”
電車
電車 means “train” here, specifically the train connected with the ticket in 電車の切符. It can be combined with の to identify something related to a train, as in 電車の切符. New example: 電車に乗ります means “I ride the train.”
の
の links nouns in 電車の切符 and 入口のそば. In 電車の切符, it connects “train” and “ticket”; in 入口のそば, it connects “entrance” and “nearby area.” New example: 駅の近く means “near the station.”
切符
切符 means “ticket” here, referring to the train ticket in 電車の切符 and the speaker’s ticket in 切符を一枚買う必要があります. It can be followed by を when it is the thing being bought, as in 切符を買います. New example: 切符を見せます means “I show my ticket.”
を
を marks 切符 as the object of buying in 切符を一枚買う必要があります. It commonly follows the thing directly acted on, such as an item that someone buys. New example: 水を買います means “I buy water.”
持っています
持っています means “have” or “possess” here, describing possession of a train ticket in もう電車の切符を持っていますか？. It is related to the citation form 持つ and is used with the possessed item marked by を, as in 切符を持っています. New example: 傘を持っています means “I have an umbrella.”
か
か marks the sentence as a question in もう電車の切符を持っていますか？. It is placed at the end of this polite question and can be used after another polite sentence to ask for information. New example: 切符を買いますか？ means “Will you buy a ticket?”
まだ
まだ means “yet” in まだです, indicating that the ticket has not been obtained at this point. With a negative or incomplete situation, it commonly means that something has not happened yet. New example: まだです means “Not yet.”
です
です completes まだです as a polite reply meaning “Not yet.” here. It can also politely complete a noun or adjective statement, depending on the surrounding words. New example: 電車です means “It is a train.”
買う
買う means “to buy” in 切符を一枚買う必要があります. This is the form used before 必要があります to say that buying one ticket is necessary. New example: 水を買う means “to buy water.”
必要
必要 means “need” or “necessity” here, in 切符を一枚買う必要があります, which says that buying one ticket is necessary. It commonly appears before がある or がありません when talking about whether something is necessary. New example: 予約する必要があります means “It is necessary to make a reservation.”
が
が marks the thing that exists or is needed in 切符を一枚買う必要があります. Here, 必要がある expresses that there is a need to buy one ticket; the particle が follows the noun being presented as existing or needed. New example: 時間が必要です means “Time is needed.”
あります
あります means “there is” or “there are” in 入口のそばに券売機があります, stating that ticket machines exist near the entrance. It is related to the citation form ある and is used for the existence or presence of a thing, often with a location marked by に. New example: 近くに店があります means “There is a shop nearby.”
入口
入口 means “entrance” in 入口のそばに券売機があります. It identifies the place whose nearby area contains the ticket machines. It commonly combines with の to describe something near or associated with the entrance, as in 入口のそば. New example: 入口に行きます means “I go to the entrance.”
そば
そば means “near” or “beside” in 入口のそば and 券売機のそば. It identifies an area close to the noun before の, and it commonly appears in the pattern Xのそば. New example: 駅のそばで待ちます means “I wait near the station.”
に
に marks the location where the ticket machines exist in 入口のそばに券売機があります. With あります, it commonly identifies the place where something is located. New example: 机の上に本があります means “There is a book on the desk.”
券売機
券売機 means “ticket machine” in 入口のそばに券売機があります and 券売機の近くで待ちます. It is the machine used in this scene for buying a ticket, and it can be followed by の to describe its nearby area, as in 券売機のそば. New example: 券売機で切符を買います means “I buy a ticket at the ticket machine.”
そこで
そこで means “there” or “at that place” in そこで自分の切符を買います, referring to the ticket machines by the entrance. It points back to a place already mentioned and commonly comes before the action done there. New example: そこで待ちます means “I wait there.”
自分
自分 means “oneself” or “one’s own” in 自分の切符, referring to the speaker’s own ticket. With の, it identifies something belonging to or associated with oneself, as in 自分の切符を買います. New example: 自分の荷物を持ちます means “I carry my own luggage.”
買います
買います means “buy” or “will buy” in そこで自分の切符を買います. It is the polite form related to the citation form 買う and is used here for the planned action of buying the speaker’s own ticket. New example: 水を買います means “I will buy water.”
私
私 means “I” or “me” in 私の切符はスマホにあります and 私を探してください. With の it refers to the speaker’s ticket, while with を it marks the speaker as the person to look for. New example: 私は駅にいます means “I am at the station.”
は
は marks 私の切符 as the topic in 私の切符はスマホにあります. It presents the ticket as the topic and then gives information about where it is. New example: 電車はここです means “The train is here.”
スマホ
スマホ means “smartphone” in 私の切符はスマホにあります, identifying where the speaker’s ticket is stored. It can be followed by に when it is the location or device where something is present. New example: スマホに写真があります means “There are photos on my smartphone.”
では
では means “then” or “in that case” in では、自分の切符を買ってから、ここでまたあなたに会います. It connects the previous information with the speaker’s next plan and commonly introduces a response or decision. New example: では、行きます means “Then, I’ll go.”
買って
買って means “buying” in 買ってから, forming the sequence “after buying.” It is related to the citation form 買う and is followed by から here to show that the meeting happens after the ticket is bought. New example: 食べてから行きます means “I will go after eating.”
から
から means “after” in 自分の切符を買ってから, placing the meeting after the ticket purchase. In this pattern, it follows a verb form and introduces the action that happens first. New example: 駅に着いてから電話します means “I will call after arriving at the station.”
ここ
ここ means “here” in ここでまたあなたに会います, referring to the current meeting place. With で, it marks the place where the meeting action occurs. New example: ここで待ちます means “I wait here.”
で
で marks ここ as the place where the speaker will meet the other person in ここでまたあなたに会います. It is used after a location to show where an action takes place. New example: 駅で会います means “We will meet at the station.”
また
また means “again” in ここでまたあなたに会います, showing that the speakers will meet one more time at this place. It commonly appears before the action that is repeated. New example: また会います means “We will meet again.”
あなた
あなた means “you” in ここでまたあなたに会います, identifying the person whom the speaker will meet. With に after it, the expression あなたに会います means “meet you.” New example: あなたに電話します means “I will call you.”
会います
会います means “meet” or “will meet” in ここでまたあなたに会います. It is the polite form related to the citation form 会う and is used with the person met marked by に, as in あなたに会います. New example: 駅で友達に会います means “I meet a friend at the station.”
近く
近く means “nearby” or “the nearby area” in 券売機の近くで待ちます. It identifies the area close to the ticket machines and commonly follows の in the pattern Xの近く. New example: 駅の近くに店があります means “There is a shop near the station.”
待ちます
待ちます means “wait” or “will wait” in 券売機の近くで待ちます. It is the polite form related to the citation form 待つ and is used here with で to show the place where the waiting happens. New example: ここで待ちます means “I will wait here.”
探して
探して means “look for” in 券売機のそばで私を探してください. It is related to the citation form 探す and is followed by ください here to make a polite request to look for the speaker. New example: 鍵を探してください means “Please look for the key.”
ください
ください makes 探してください a polite request meaning “Please look for me.” It follows the て-form of an action, as in 探して, to ask someone to do that action. New example: 待ってください means “Please wait.”
Grammar Points
〜てください
探してください
sah-gah-SHEH-teh koo-DAH-sighPlease look for it.
〜てください is a polite way to ask someone to do something.
Japanese Vocabulary
そこで
adv
SOH-koh deh
there
そば
noun
soh-BAH
beside; near
まだ
adv
MAH-dah
not yet
もう
adv
moh
already
一枚
num
ee-chee-MY
one flat object
券売機
noun
ken-bye-KEE
ticket machine
持っています
verb
moht-TEH-ee-MAHS
have
切符
noun
kee-POO
ticket
電車
noun
DEN-sha
train
入口
noun
ee-ree-GOO-chee
entrance
買う
verb
kah-OO
buy
必要
noun
hee-tsoo-YOH
need; necessity
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
have
Show Answer
持っていますtrain
Show Answer
電車buy
Show Answer
買うbeside; near