Clear Taxi Directions | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. クリニックの入口の近くで、私たちを降ろしていただけますか。

   Could you drop us near the clinic entrance, please?

   クリニック

   clinic

   入口

   entrance

   近くで

   near

   私たちを

   us

   降ろしていただけますか

   Could you drop [someone], please?

   More detail

   クリニック means “clinic.” It is a loanword written in katakana. For example, クリニックに行きます。 means “I’m going to the clinic.” 入口 means “entrance.” The compound クリニックの入口 means “the clinic entrance”: の links the clinic with the entrance and shows their relationship. 入口 can also be used in 入口はこちらです。 — “The entrance is here.” 近くで means “near.” Here, 近く is “the vicinity” or “nearby,” and で marks the place where the requested action will occur. The pattern Nの近くで means “near N” when describing where an action takes place. For example, 駅の近くで会いましょう。 means “Let’s meet near the station.” 私たちを means “us.” 私たち is the first-person plural expression “we/us,” and を marks it as the direct object of the action. Japanese does not change this form for the object’s grammatical role beyond the particle here; the particle shows that the speaker and others are the people being acted on. 降ろしていただけますか is a polite request meaning “Could you drop [someone] off, please?” 降ろす is the base form meaning “to let someone out” or “to drop someone off,” often from a vehicle. Its て-form is 降ろして. The pattern Vていただけますか politely asks whether the listener can do V as a favor for the speaker. For example, ここで止めていただけますか。 means “Could you stop here, please?” Together, クリニックの入口の近くで specifies the requested drop-off location, 私たちを identifies the people to be dropped off, and 降ろしていただけますか makes the polite request. The whole utterance means: “Could you drop us near the clinic entrance, please?”

2. 大きな交差点を少し過ぎたところですか。

   Is that just past the main intersection?

   大きな

   large

   交差点

   intersection

   少し

   a little; just

   過ぎた

   past; passed

   ところ

   point; place

   ですか

   is it?

   More detail

   大きな means “large” here and modifies the noun 交差点 that follows. It is a special adnominal form related to 大きい, not an inflected form of that adjective. Before a noun, both 大きな交差点 and 大きい交差点 are possible ways to say “a large intersection.” In this utterance, the translation renders the intended intersection as “the main intersection.” 交差点 means “intersection” or “crossroads.” It is a noun and can be reused in patterns such as 交差点を渡る (“cross the intersection”) or 交差点で右に曲がる (“turn right at the intersection”). 少し means “a little” or “slightly.” Here it modifies the distance expressed by 過ぎたところ, giving the sense “just a little past.” It can also modify other actions or amounts; for example, 少し待ってください means “Please wait a little.” 過ぎた is the past form of the verb 過ぎる, “to pass” or “to go past.” In 交差点を少し過ぎた, the intersection is the point passed, marked by を; the phrase means “went just past the intersection” or “is just past the intersection” when used to locate something. The past form here helps describe the point reached after passing it; it does not by itself mean that the whole situation is being narrated as a completed past event. ところ literally refers to a point or place. In 過ぎたところ, it turns the preceding action into a location described as “the point/place where someone has just passed.” The reusable pattern V-たところ can describe a point immediately after an action: for example, 駅に着いたところです means “I have just arrived at the station.” ですか is the polite question ending. です presents the preceding description politely, and か marks it as a question. The utterance does not contain a separate Japanese word for “that”; the location being checked is understood from the situation and is represented in the translation by “that.” Together, 大きな交差点 identifies the intersection, を少し過ぎたところ identifies a point just beyond it, and ですか asks politely whether that is the relevant location. The whole utterance therefore means, “Is that just past the main intersection?”

3. 銀行の先を左に曲がってください。

   Turn left after the bank.

   銀行の先

   past the bank

   左

   left

   曲がってください

   please turn

   More detail

   銀行の先 means “past the bank” here. 銀行 is “bank,” and 先 means a point farther ahead or beyond a reference point. The particle の links the reference point to that location: 銀行の先 = “the point beyond the bank.” This pattern is reusable with another landmark, such as 駅の先 (“past the station”). 左 means “left.” In 左に, the particle に marks the direction or resulting orientation of the turn: 左に曲がる means “turn left.” The opposite direction is 右 (“right”), as in 右に曲がる (“turn right”). 曲がってください is the polite request “please turn.” The base verb is 曲がる (“to turn”). Its て-form is 曲がって, and adding ください makes a polite request: 曲がってください. This is a request construction, not a statement that the turning has already happened. For example, ここで止まってください means “Please stop here.” Together, 銀行の先 identifies the point beyond the bank, 左に specifies the direction, and 曲がってください gives the polite instruction. The complete utterance means: “Please turn left after the bank.”

4. それから、薬局のほうへ道を進んでください。

   Then follow the road toward the pharmacy.

   それから

   then; after that

   薬局

   pharmacy

   のほうへ

   toward ...; in the direction of ...

   道

   road

   進んでください

   please proceed; please follow

   More detail

   それから means “then” or “after that.” It links this instruction to an earlier step in a sequence. A reusable pattern is それから、... for introducing the next action. 薬局 means “pharmacy.” It is a noun. In this sentence, it identifies the destination or direction used for the route. For example, 薬局に行きます。 means “I go to the pharmacy.” のほうへ marks direction toward something. ほう literally relates to a direction or side, and の connects it to the preceding noun; へ marks movement toward that direction. Thus 薬局のほうへ means “toward the pharmacy” or “in the direction of the pharmacy.” The ending へ focuses on direction, while に can also mark a destination in suitable sentences. 道 means “road” or “way.” Here it is the route along which the listener should move. For example, この道を進みます。 means “I proceed along this road.” The particle を can mark the route through or along which movement takes place. 進んでください means “please proceed” or “please go on.” Its base form is 進む, “to proceed” or “to advance.” The form 進んで is the connective form used before ください; 進んでください is a polite request for someone to carry out the action. This is different from 進みます, a polite statement such as “I proceed” or “I will proceed.” Together, 薬局のほうへ道を進んでください tells the listener to proceed along the road in the direction of the pharmacy. With それから at the beginning, the complete utterance is: “Then follow the road toward the pharmacy.”

5. 曲がったあと、まっすぐ進み続ければいいですか。

   Should I keep going straight after the turn?

   曲がったあと

   after turning

   まっすぐ

   straight

   進み続ければ

   if I keep going

   いいですか

   is it okay? / should I?

   More detail

   曲がったあと means “after turning” here. 曲がった is the past form of 曲がる (“to turn”); before あと (“after”), it describes the event that happens first. Pattern: Vたあと（で） = “after doing V.” Example: 食べたあと、薬を飲みます。 — “I take medicine after eating.” まっすぐ means “straight” and works adverbially here, describing the direction or manner of 進む. It can also describe a straight line or route. In this sentence, まっすぐ進む is the reusable pattern “go straight.” 進み続ければ combines 進む (“to go forward/proceed”) with 続ける (“to continue”) and the conditional form -ば. 進み続ける means “keep going,” while 進み続ければ means “if [someone] keeps going.” The subject is not stated in Japanese; the fixed translation supplies the intended first-person question. Example: ここで待ち続ければ、会えますか。 — “If I keep waiting here, can I meet [them]?” いいですか literally asks whether something is good or acceptable. After a conditional phrase, 〜ばいいですか is a common way to ask whether that action is the right thing to do, often naturally translated as “should I …?” or “is it okay if I …?” Here, 進み続ければいいですか asks whether continuing to go is the appropriate action. Together, 曲がったあと sets the time point, まっすぐ gives the direction, and 進み続ければいいですか asks whether the speaker should continue in that direction. The whole utterance means: “Should I keep going straight after the turn?”

6. 薬局が右側に見えるまで進み続けてください。

   Keep going until the pharmacy is on your right.

   薬局

   pharmacy

   右側に

   on the right

   見える

   be visible

   まで

   until

   進み続けてください

   please keep going

   More detail

   薬局 means “pharmacy” here. It is a noun; the kanji 薬 refers to medicine and 局 is part of this established word. For another noun, 病院 means “hospital,” but it is a different word, not an alternative form of 薬局. 右側に means “on the right.” 右側 is the noun phrase “right side,” and に marks the location or position where something is found. 左側に means “on the left,” providing the useful opposite. In this sentence, the right-side position is associated with the pharmacy, not with the person giving the instruction. 見える means “be visible” or “come into view” here. Its base form is also 見える; this form does not mark past time or a polite request. It describes what can be seen or becomes visible, rather than the deliberate action “to see.” Compare 見る “look at / see” with 見える “be visible”: 山が見える。 means “The mountain is visible.” まで marks the endpoint of the action or condition: “until” or “up to the point that.” Here it follows 見える, so the instruction continues until the pharmacy is visible on the right. A reusable pattern is Xが見えるまで (“until X is visible”). 進み続けてください is a polite request to keep going. The base verb is 進む “go forward / proceed”; 続ける adds the meaning “continue,” and 進み続ける means “continue proceeding.” The てください pattern makes a polite request, as in 待ってください。 (“Please wait.”). The observed form is a request, not merely a statement that someone continues going. Together, 薬局が右側に見える says “the pharmacy is visible on the right,” まで sets that event as the endpoint, and 進み続けてください asks the listener to continue proceeding. The whole utterance therefore means: “Please keep going until the pharmacy is on your right.”

7. どこで停車しましょうか。

   Where would you like me to stop?

   どこで

   where; at what place

   停車

   stop the vehicle

   しましょうか

   shall I ...?

   More detail

   どこで asks for the place where an action happens. どこ means “where,” and で marks the location of an activity or event. The pattern どこで + action is reusable: どこで食べますか。 means “Where will you eat?” 停車 refers specifically to stopping a vehicle. It is a verbal noun that combines with する: 停車する means “to stop the vehicle.” This is different from 止まる, “to stop” or “come to a stop” without making an object stop, and 止める, “to stop or park something.” In this sentence, 停車 identifies the vehicle-related action; the form 停車 itself does not show tense or person. しましょうか is the polite question form built from する: する → しましょう → しましょうか. しましょう is a polite volitional form, and adding か makes it a question. In this context it offers the speaker’s action: “Shall I stop?” or, with the requested place included, “Where would you like me to stop?” The person who will perform the action is understood from the situation rather than stated as a separate Japanese pronoun. Together, どこで specifies the stopping place, while 停車しましょうか asks whether the speaker should stop the vehicle there. The whole utterance is therefore a polite request for the desired stopping location: “Where would you like me to stop?”

8. 正面玄関の近くなら、どこでも大丈夫です。

   Anywhere near the front door is fine.

   正面玄関

   front entrance

   近く

   nearby; vicinity

   なら

   if it is; as for

   どこでも

   anywhere

   大丈夫

   fine; okay

   More detail

   正面玄関 means “front entrance” or “main entrance.” It is a noun, and の links it to the following location expression: 正面玄関の近く means “near the front entrance.” 近く means “nearby” or “the vicinity.” In Nの近く, it identifies a place near N; for example, 駅の近く means “near the station.” なら presents the preceding condition or topic: “if it is …” or “as for ….” Here, 正面玄関の近くなら means “if it is near the front entrance” and sets the acceptable location. どこでも means “anywhere” or “any place.” The question word どこ (“where”) combines with でも to give an unrestricted meaning: どこでも行けます means “I can go anywhere.” In this sentence, it refers to any location satisfying the condition just stated. 大丈夫 means “fine,” “okay,” or “acceptable.” With です, 大丈夫です is a polite predicate meaning “is fine” or “is okay.” Together, 正面玄関の近くなら sets the condition “if it is near the front entrance,” どこでも broadens the choice to any such location, and 大丈夫です says that choice is acceptable. The whole utterance means: “Anywhere near the front door is fine.”

9. 入口のすぐ先で停車できます。

   I can pull over just beyond the entrance.

   入口

   entrance

   すぐ先

   just beyond

   停車できます

   can pull over

   More detail

   入口 means “entrance.” It is a noun and can be combined with location expressions, as in 入口の近く (“near the entrance”). In this sentence, の links 入口 to すぐ先, making the latter describe a position relative to the entrance. すぐ先 means “just beyond” or “immediately ahead.” すぐ adds the idea of a very short distance or interval, while 先 refers to the area farther along from a reference point. Together, 入口のすぐ先 means “just beyond the entrance.” This is a reusable pattern: Xのすぐ先 = “just beyond X.” 停車できます means “can pull over” here. The underlying verb is 停車する (“to stop a vehicle”), and 停車できる is its potential form, expressing that stopping is possible. ます makes the form polite. The potential form is not the same as the ordinary action form: 停車します means “will stop” or “stops,” whereas 停車できます means “can stop.” で marks the place where the action is possible: 入口のすぐ先で停車できます literally organizes the meaning as “at just beyond the entrance, [one] can stop.” Japanese often leaves the subject unstated when the context makes it clear; the fixed translation identifies the intended subject as “I.” Putting the parts together, 入口のすぐ先で specifies the stopping location, and 停車できます says that the speaker can pull over there. The whole utterance means: “I can pull over just beyond the entrance.”