Lesson L6N4N4 Vocabulary — Thematic Sets⏱ 20 min

Travel and Transportation Vocabulary

This lesson covers the fundamental vocabulary needed for traveling and navigating in Japanese, such as words for vehicles, stations, roads, and giving or receiving directions. Learners will practice common expressions like "the next station," "go straight," and "change trains," building the confidence to understand and use travel-related language at the N4 level.

🎯 Goal: Learn core N4 vocabulary for travel, transportation, and directions.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and use 20 core N4 vocabulary words related to travel, transportation, and directions. You'll understand how to talk about preparations, time references, places, and common problems you might encounter while traveling.

Concept

Travel vocabulary in Japanese often combines time words (like 明日 ashita — tomorrow), place words (like 教会 kyoukai — church), and action-related words (like 支度 shitaku — preparations). Many of these words also appear in daily conversation, not just travel. Learning them together helps you build sentences like:

明日の支度はもうした？
Ashita no shitaku wa mou shita?
"Have you already made preparations for tomorrow?"

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Time and Day Words

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
日	hi / nichi	day, sun	日 alone is hi (day/sun); in compounds it's often nichi or bi
明日	ashita	tomorrow	Polite form; also read myounichi in formal writing
昔	mukashi	olden days, former	Used for stories or memories
時代	jidai	era, period	Can mean historical era or "the times"
昼間	hiruma	daytime, during the day	Opposite of 夜間 yakan (nighttime)
昼休み	hiruyasumi	noon break, lunch break	Common in school/work schedules
早く	hayaku	early, quickly	Adverb form of 早い hayai (early/fast)

Example:

昔は昼休みが長かった時代があった。
Mukashi wa hiruyasumi ga nagakatta jidai ga atta.
"There was an era in the old days when lunch breaks were long."

2. Places and Institutions

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
教会	kyoukai	church	Not to be confused with 学校 gakkou (school)
新聞社	shinbunsha	newspaper company	社 means "company/office"
星	hoshi	star	Can be a star in the sky or a celebrity

Example:

教会の近くに新聞社がある。
Kyoukai no chikaku ni shinbunsha ga aru.
"There's a newspaper company near the church."

3. Abstract / Concept Words

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
政治	seiji	politics, government	Often in news
教育	kyouiku	education	Used in school contexts
数学	suugaku	mathematics, arithmetic	School subject
文化	bunka	culture	Can be Japanese culture, pop culture, etc.
文学	bungaku	literature	Refers to written works

Example:

日本の文化と文学を勉強している。
Nihon no bunka to bungaku wo benkyou shite iru.
"I'm studying Japanese culture and literature."

4. Action / Situation Words

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
支度	shitaku	preparations	Often used for travel or getting ready
故障	koshou	trouble, damage, breakdown	Used for machines, cars, electronics
教えてもらう	oshiete morau	to have someone teach/tell you	A set phrase using もらう (receive)
日記	nikki	diary	日 (day) + 記 (record)
是非	zehi	without fail, by all means	Used to strongly recommend or request

Example:

車が故障したので、支度が遅れた。
Kuruma ga koshou shita node, shitaku ga okureta.
"Because the car broke down, my preparations were delayed."

Mini Examples

教えてもらう

駅の場所を教えてもらった。
Eki no basho wo oshiete moratta.
"I had someone tell me the location of the station."
是非

是非、明日の旅行に来てください。
Zehi, ashita no ryokou ni kite kudasai.
"Please, by all means, come on tomorrow's trip."
故障

電車が故障で止まっている。
Densha ga koshou de tomatte iru.
"The train is stopped due to a breakdown."
日記

毎日、日記を書くのが習慣だ。
Mainichi, nikki wo kaku no ga shuukan da.
"Writing a diary every day is a habit."

Common Mistake

❌ Mixing up 政治 (seiji) and 教育 (kyouiku)
Both are abstract concepts, but 政治 is "politics" and 教育 is "education." They are not interchangeable.

❌ Using 早く (hayaku) for "fast speed" when you mean "early time"

早く来た = came early (time)
速く走る = run fast (speed) — note the different kanji: 速い vs 早い

❌ Forgetting 是非 (zehi) is strong
是非 is not a casual "please." It's more like "absolutely" or "without fail." Use it for important requests.

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list:
(支度, 故障, 教えてもらう, 是非, 昼休み)

旅行の前に、ちゃんと___をしなければならない。
Ryokou no mae ni, chanto ___ wo shinakereba naranai.
"Before the trip, I have to make proper ___."
A: 「この道で合っていますか？」
B: 「すみません、私もわかりません。誰かに___ください。」
A: "Is this road correct?"
B: "Sorry, I don't know either. Please ___ someone ___ me."
電車が___で、30分遅れた。
Densha ga ___ de, sanjuppun okureta.
"The train was 30 minutes late due to a ___."
明日の___に、駅前で会いましょう。
Ashita no ___ ni, ekimae de aimashou.
"Let's meet in front of the station during tomorrow's ___."
このレストランは___行くべきです。
Kono resutoran wa ___ iku beki desu.
"You ___ should go to this restaurant."

Answers: 1. 支度, 2. 教えてもらって, 3. 故障, 4. 昼休み, 5. 是非

Summary and Next Step

You've learned 20 essential N4 vocabulary words for travel and transportation. Focus on:

Time words (明日, 昔, 昼間, 昼休み, 早く)
Place words (教会, 新聞社, 星)
Abstract words (政治, 教育, 数学, 文化, 文学)
Action words (支度, 故障, 教えてもらう, 日記, 是非)

Next step: Practice using these words in short sentences about your own travel plans. Try writing a 3-sentence paragraph about a trip you want to take, using at least 5 of these words. Then move on to learning transportation-specific verbs like 乗る (to ride) and 降りる (to get off).