About This Lesson
Use Finding seats on a train to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
電車の中は涼しいです。
DEN-chah no NAH-kah wa soo-ZOO-shee dess. It feels cool inside the train.
B
奥に空いている席があります。
OH-koo nee AH-ee-teh-ee-roo SEH-kee gah ah-ree-MAHSS. There are open seats farther in.
A
たくさん歩いたので、座りたいです。
tah-koo-SAHN ah-ROO-ee-tah NOH-deh, soo-wah-ree-TAH-ee dess. I want to sit after all that walking.
B
この席は快適です。
koh-NOH SEH-kee wa KAI-teh-kee dess. These seats are comfortable.
A
乗っている間も静かです。
NOHT-teh-ee-roo AH-ee-dah moh SHEE-zoo-kah dess. The ride feels quiet too.
B
そこから駅の表示が見えますか。
SOH-koh kah-RAH EH-kee noh hyoh-JEE gah meh-EH-mahss kah. Can you see the station display from there?
A
あと三駅あります。
AH-toh sahn EH-kee ah-ree-MAHSS. We have three more stops.
B
それなら、降りる前に少し休めます。
soh-reh-NAH-rah, oh-REE-roo mah-EH nee soo-KOH-shee yah-soo-MEH-mahss. Then we can rest a little before we get off.Word by Word
電車
電車 means “train” here, as in the train where the speakers are sitting. It is commonly used when talking about traveling by train or being inside one.
の
の links 電車 and 中 in 電車の中, giving the meaning “inside the train.” It commonly connects one noun with another noun to show a relationship such as location or belonging.
中
中 means “inside” in 電車の中. It is commonly used after a place or container when referring to its interior.
は
は marks 電車の中 as the topic of the statement, so the sentence comments on what it is like inside the train. It commonly follows the topic being discussed.
涼しい
涼しい describes the inside of the train as cool or pleasantly not hot. It is used here to give a simple description of the surroundings and can describe weather or an indoor place.
です
です makes the statement polite in 電車の中は涼しいです. It commonly follows a description or statement in polite conversation.
奥
奥 means farther inside or toward the back, so 奥に points to seats deeper inside the train. It is commonly used with に when indicating a location farther inside a place.
に
に marks 奥 as the location where the open seats are found in 奥に空いている席があります. It commonly follows a place when saying that something exists there.
空いている
空いている means unoccupied or available here, describing seats that no one is using. It commonly describes a place or seat that is available.
席
席 means “seat” in 空いている席, referring to a place to sit on the train. It is commonly used when finding, choosing, or discussing seats.
が
が marks 空いている席 as the thing that exists in 奥に空いている席があります. It commonly marks the item being introduced in an existence statement.
あります
あります says that the open seats exist or are available in the indicated location. It is used for the existence of things such as seats, and a common pattern is to state a place followed by the thing that is there.
たくさん
たくさん means “a lot” in たくさん歩いた, showing that the speakers walked a large amount. It commonly comes before an action or noun to express a large quantity.
歩いた
歩いた means “walked” here, referring to walking that has already happened. Its citation form is 歩く, and it commonly appears with an amount such as たくさん歩いた when describing how much someone walked.
ので
ので connects たくさん歩いた with 座りたいです as the reason: because the speakers walked a lot, they want to sit. It commonly follows a reason before the result or decision.
座りたい
座りたい expresses the speaker’s wish to sit after walking. It is formed from the action of sitting with the meaning “want to do,” and it commonly states the speaker’s desired action.
この
この means “these” or “this” and directly identifies the seats as the ones near the speakers in この席. It is commonly placed before a noun to point out a nearby item.
快適
快適 describes この席 as comfortable. It is commonly used to describe a place, seat, or situation that feels comfortable.
乗っている
乗っている means being on board or riding here, referring to the time spent riding the train. In 乗っている間, it commonly identifies an activity that continues during a period.
間
間 means “while” or “during” in 乗っている間, marking the period when the speakers are riding. It commonly follows an activity or time expression to show what happens during that period.
も
も adds the meaning “also” or “too” in 乗っている間も静かです, showing that the ride is quiet as well. It commonly follows the part of the sentence that shares an additional condition.
静か
静か describes the ride as quiet in 乗っている間も静かです. It is commonly used to describe a place, environment, or situation with little noise.
そこ
そこ means “there,” referring to the other person’s position in そこから駅の表示が見えますか. It is commonly used to point to a place that has already been identified in the conversation.
から
から marks the starting viewpoint in そこから, meaning “from there.” It commonly follows a place when describing where an action, movement, or view begins.
駅
駅 means “station” here and appears in 駅の表示, referring to the station information shown on the train display. In あと三駅あります, it also counts the remaining stations or stops before arrival.
表示
表示 means the display or information shown on it, specifically the station display in 駅の表示. It is commonly used for written or electronic information that is displayed.
見えます
見えます indicates that the station display is visible from there, so it can be seen from that position. It is commonly used when asking or saying whether something is visible from a particular place.
か
か turns そこから駅の表示が見えます into a question. It commonly appears at the end of a polite sentence when asking for information.
あと
あと means “remaining” or “more to go” in あと三駅, indicating the number of stops left before getting off. It commonly comes before a quantity when counting what remains.
それ
それ refers back to the information just given and contributes to the response それなら, meaning “then” or “in that case.” It commonly points back to something another person has just said.
なら
なら contributes the meaning “if so” or “then” in それなら, introducing a conclusion based on the previous information. It is commonly used when responding to a situation and stating what follows from it.
降りる
降りる names the action of getting off the train in 降りる前に. Its citation form is the same exact form, and it commonly appears before 前に when describing an action that happens before getting off.
前
前 means “before” in 降りる前に, placing the resting time earlier than getting off. It commonly follows an action or event when describing what happens before it.
少し
少し means “a little,” limiting the amount of rest in 少し休めます. It commonly comes before an action or description to express a small amount or degree.
休めます
休めます says that the speakers can rest, so resting is possible before they get off. Its citation form is 休む, and it commonly expresses that someone is able to take a rest or break.
Grammar Points
〜ので
電車の中は涼しいので、奥の席に座りたいです。
DEN-chah no NAH-kah wa soo-ZOO-shee NOH-deh, OH-koo noh SEH-kee nee soo-wah-ree-TAH-ee dess.The inside of the train is cool, so I want to sit in a seat farther inside.
〜ので connects a reason with its result. It means “because” or “so” and sounds polite and explanatory.
〜たい
奥の席に座りたいです。
OH-koo noh SEH-kee nee soo-wah-ree-TAH-ee dess.I want to sit in a seat farther inside.
Attach たい to a verb stem to express the speaker’s desire to do something.
Japanese Vocabulary
たくさん
adv
tah-koo-SAHN
a lot; many
ので
conj
NOH-deh
because; so
奥
noun
OH-koo
farther inside; back
快適
adj
KAI-teh-kee
comfortable
空く
verb
AH-koo
to be unoccupied; to be available
空いている
座る
verb
soo-WAH-roo
to sit
座りたい
乗る
verb
NOH-roo
to ride; to get on
乗っている
席
noun
SEH-kee
seat
中
noun
NAH-kah
inside
電車
noun
DEN-chah
train
歩く
verb
ah-ROO-koo
to walk
歩いた
涼しい
adj
soo-ZOO-shee
cool
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to be unoccupied; to be available
Show Answer
空いているa lot; many
Show Answer
たくさんto sit
Show Answer
座りたいto ride; to get on