New here? This is lesson 106 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.
High-speed rail in Japanese
Leo needs one shinkansen ticket for a later weekend in Kyoto. At Tokyo Station he joins the window queue, with Goro filling two people's space behind him.
You will buy a ticket, pick reserved or non-reserved, then ask which car and which platform.
A window seat is optional, and staff may answer in keigo. You answer in polite Japanese.
By the end of this lesson
Buy a shinkansen ticket and find the platform.
- 京都まで一枚お願いします。One ticket to Kyoto, please.
- 指定席をお願いします。A reserved seat, please.
- 自由席でいいです。Non-reserved is fine.
- 何号車ですか。Which car is it?
- 何番ホームですか。Which platform is it?
- 窓側の席をお願いします。A window seat, please.
Scene — a ticket window
Tokyo Station is busy, but the shinkansen window is a short line. Leo holds his wallet. Goro takes two people's space and looks at a blank timetable board.
A clerk waits behind the glass. No signs can be read. They want a Saturday afternoon train, weeks before the Kyoto trip.
Learn — reserved or non-reserved
These six lines buy a shinkansen ticket and find the train.
You name Kyoto, pick a seat type, then ask the car and the platform.
京都まで一枚お願いします。
One ticket to Kyoto, please.
When to use it: Use this at the window when you want one ticket to that city.
まで marks the destination, and 一枚 counts one ticket.
Say it: The u in します is almost silent.
指定席をお願いします。
A reserved seat, please.
When to use it: Ask for a reserved seat after you name the destination.
を marks 指定席 as the thing you are asking for.
自由席でいいです。
Non-reserved is fine.
When to use it: Use this when a non-reserved seat is enough.
で marks the seat type you will take.
Say it: Hold the う in 自由 for two beats.
何号車ですか。
Which car is it?
When to use it: Ask this to find which car your reserved seat is in.
号車 names the train car, and 何 asks which one.
何番ホームですか。
Which platform is it?
When to use it: Ask this to find which platform the shinkansen leaves from.
何番ホームですか is a natural way to ask which Shinkansen platform.
Say it: Hold the お in ホーム; it is a long vowel.
窓側の席をお願いします。
A window seat, please.
When to use it: Ask for a window seat when you book a reserved place.
の links 窓側 to the seat you want.
Story — one seat to Kyoto
At Tokyo Station, Leo buys one reserved Saturday seat to Kyoto. Goro would rather sit in a non-reserved car instead.
Highlighted phrases are the new lines. Turn on Show English if you want a gloss.
- At Tokyo Station, Leo and Goro wait at the shinkansen window. Goro's horns nearly reach the glass.
Leoすみません。Excuse me.- Clerkいらっしゃいませ。Welcome.
- Leo京都まで一枚お願いします。One ticket to Kyoto, please.
- Clerk指定席でよろしいですか。Would a reserved seat be all right?
- Leo指定席をお願いします。A reserved seat, please.
Goro自由席でいいです。Non-reserved is fine.- Leo keeps the reserved seat. The clerk types behind the glass.
- Goroもうすぐできますか。Almost ready?
- Clerk少々お待ちください。Please wait a moment.
- Leo窓側の席をお願いします。A window seat, please.
- Clerkかしこまりました。土曜日の十四時ののぞみです。Certainly. The 2 p.m. Nozomi on Saturday.
- Leo何号車ですか。Which car is it?
- Clerk七号車です。It's car seven.
- Leo何番ホームですか。Which platform is it?
- Clerk十九番ホームです。It's platform nineteen.
- Goro nods. He has already forgotten the platform. He is thinking about thick toast.
Practice — pick the right ticket
Eleven short tasks wait here. You will listen, fill a gap, and build a ticket line.
A few items check reserved seats against non-reserved cars.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Japanese
指定席をお願いします。Drop the English here自由席でいいです。Drop the English here何号車ですか。Drop the English here何番ホームですか。Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
The clerk asks reserved or non-reserved. You want a reserved seat.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Which car is it?
何____ですか。
Pick the reply
Clerk says:
Pick the reply
指定席は満席です。
Reserved seats are sold out.
And you reply with:
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
何番ホームですか。
Build the line
Build the line
A window seat, please.
。
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You are at the ticket window and need the clerk to look up.
Swap the word
Swap the word
Goro is fine with a non-reserved seat. Put that seat type in.
____でいいです。
Find the mistake
Find the mistake
Which one doesn’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong?
Say it — your turn to speak
You are Leo at the Tokyo Station ticket window. When the cue is yours, tap the microphone and say the line.
Tap play first if you want to hear it. The recording stays on this device.
- Clerkいらっしゃいませ。Welcome.
- Leo (you)Ask for one ticket to Kyoto.
Ask for one ticket to Kyoto.
京都まで一枚お願いします。
One ticket to Kyoto, please.
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Japanese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 京都まで一枚お願いします。 | One ticket to Kyoto, please. | |
| 指定席をお願いします。 | A reserved seat, please. | |
| 自由席でいいです。 | Non-reserved is fine. | |
| 何号車ですか。 | Which car is it? | |
| 何番ホームですか。 | Which platform is it? | |
| 窓側の席をお願いします。 | A window seat, please. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Keep these ticket lines in your pocket. Open the Yak Cards for this lesson and run them on the train.
A short Yak Cards round before you travel keeps reserved and non-reserved seats ready.
Open Yak Cards