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Lesson 5: Daily Activities and Transportation

Learn verbs for daily activities and transportation methods, and how to describe your daily routine using time expressions.

This Lesson focuses on daily activities, transportation methods, and movement verbs. You will learn to describe your daily schedule and how you commute using various transportation options.

Lesson 5: Daily Activities and Transportation image

Key topics:

  • ・Daily activity verbs: いきます, きます, かえります (go, come, return)
  • ・Transportation vocabulary: でんしゃ, バス, ちかてつ (train, bus, subway)
  • ・Movement verbs: のります, おります, あるきます (get on, get off, walk)
  • ・Daily routine expressions with time
  • ・Time expressions: weeks, months, years
  • ・Dates and calendar vocabulary

Vocabulary

1
いきます
ikimasu
行いきます
go
Example
がっこうにいきます.
Gakkō ni ikimasu.
I go to school.
2
きます
kimasu
来きます
come
Example
うちにきます.
Uchi ni kimasu.
I come home.
3
かえります
kaerimasu
帰かえります
return (home)
Example
しごとからかえります.
Shigoto kara kaerimasu.
I return from work.
4
がっこう
gakkō
学校がっこう
school
Example
がっこうにいきます.
Gakkou ni ikimasu.
I go to school.
5
スーパー
sūpā
-
supermarket
Example
スーパーでかいものをします.
Sūpā de kaimono o shimasu.
I shop at the supermarket.
6
えき
eki
駅えき
station
Example
えきまでいきます.
Eki made ikimasu.
I go to the station.
7
ひこうき
hikōki
飛行ひこう機ひこうき
airplane
Example
ひこうきでりょこうします.
Hikōki de ryokō shimasu.
I travel by airplane.
8
ふね
fune
船ふね
ship
Example
ふねで しまへ いきます.
Fune de shima e ikimasu.
I go to the island by ship.
9
でんしゃ
densha
電車でんしゃ
electric train
Example
でんしゃでかいしゃにいきます.
Densha de kaisha ni ikimasu.
I go to the office by train.
10
ちかてつ
chikatetsu
地下ちか鉄ちかてつ
subway, underground
Example
ちかてつでしごとにいきます.
Chikatetsu de shigoto ni ikimasu.
I go to work by subway.
11
しんかんせん
shinkansen
新しん幹線しんかんせん
bullet train
Example
しんかんせんではやいです.
Shinkansen de hayai desu.
The bullet train is fast.
12
バス
basu
-
bus
Example
バスで いきます.
Basu de ikimasu.
I go by bus.
13
タクシー
takushī
-
taxi
Example
タクシーで いきます.
Takushii de ikimasu.
I go by taxi.
14
じてんしゃ
jitensha
自転じてん車じてんしゃ
bicycle
Example
じてんしゃで がっこうへ いきます.
Jitensha de gakkou e ikimasu.
I go to school by bicycle.
15
あるいて
aruite
歩あるいて
on foot
Example
あるいて いきます.
Aruite ikimasu.
I go on foot.
16
ひと
hito
人ひと
person, people
Example
あのひとはせんせいです.
Ano hito wa sensei desu.
That person is a teacher.
17
ともだち
tomodachi
友達ともだち
friend
Example
ともだちとえいがをみます.
Tomodachi to eiga o mimasu.
I watch a movie with my friend.
18
かれ
kare
彼かれ
he, boyfriend
Example
かれはがくせいです.
Kare wa gakusei desu.
He is a student.
19
かのじょ
kanojo
彼女かのじょ
she, girlfriend
Example
かのじょはしゃちょうです.
Kanojo wa shachō desu.
She is a company president.
20
かぞく
kazoku
家族かぞく
family
Example
かぞくとりょこうします.
Kazoku to ryokō shimasu.
I travel with my family.
21
ひとりで
hitori de
一人ひとりで
alone, by oneself
Example
ひとりでいきます.
Hitori de ikimasu.
I go alone.
22
せんしゅう
senshū
先週せんしゅう
last week
Example
せんしゅうびじゅつかんにいきました.
Senshū bijutsukan ni ikimashita.
I went to the museum last week.
23
こんしゅう
konshū
今週こんしゅう
this week
Example
こんしゅうの どようびです.
Konshuu no doyoubi desu.
It
24
らいしゅう
raishū
来週らいしゅう
next week
Example
らいしゅうの すいようびです.
Raishuu no suiyoubi desu.
It
25
せんげつ
sengetsu
先月せんげつ
last month
Example
先月せんげつからにはたらきます.
Sengetsu kara hatarakimasu.
I work from last month.
26
こんげつ
kongetsu
今月こんげつ
this month
Example
こんげつはいそがしいです.
Kongetsu wa isogashii desu.
I am busy this month.
27
らいげつ
raigetsu
来月らいげつ
next month
Example
らいげつアメリカにいきます.
Raigetsu amerika ni ikimasu.
I will go to America next month.
28
きょねん
kyonen
去年きょねん
last year
Example
去年きょねんにほんにきました.
Kyonen Nihon ni kimashita.
I came to Japan last year.
29
ことし
kotoshi
今年ことし
this year
Example
ことし日本にっぽん語ごをべんきょうします.
Kotoshi nihongo o benkyō shimasu.
I will study Japanese this year.
30
らいねん
rainen
来年らいねん
next year
Example
らいねんにほんにいきます.
Rainen nihon ni ikimasu.
I will go to Japan next year.
31
いつ
itsu
-
when
Example
かいぎはいつですか？
Kaigi wa itsu desu ka?
When is the meeting?
32
たんじょうび
tanjōbi
誕生たんじょう日たんじょうび
birthday
Example
たんじょうびはいつですか？
Tanjoubi wa itsu desu ka?
When is your birthday?
33
ふつう
futsū
普通ふつう
local (train)
Example
ふつうでえきにいきます.
Futsū de eki ni ikimasu.
I go to the station by local train.
34
きゅうこう
kyūkō
急行きゅうこう
rapid (train)
Example
きゅうこうではやくつきます.
Kyūkō de hayaku tsukimasu.
I arrive quickly by rapid train.
35
とっきゅう
tokkyū
特急とっきゅう
express (train)
Example
とっきゅうでおおさかにいきます.
Tokkyū de Ōsaka ni ikimasu.
I go to Osaka by express train.
36
つぎ
tsugi
次つぎ
next
Example
つぎの えきです.
Tsugi no eki desu.
It
37
どういたしまして
dōitashimashite
-
you
Example
A: ありがとう. B: どういたしまして.
A: Arigatō. B: Dōitashimashite.
A: Thank you. B: You
38
ばんせん
bansen
番線ばんせん
platform
Example
3ばんせんからでんしゃにのります.
San-bansen kara densha ni norimasu.
I get on the train from platform 3.

Grammar Rules

Rule 1: Movement verbs いきます／きます／かえります

Structure: [Destination] に + いきます／きます／かえります

Use the verbs いきます (go), きます (come), and かえります (return/go back) to describe movement. The particle に marks the destination. いきます focuses on moving away from the speaker

How to use: Place the destination noun (e.g., がっこう, うち, にほん) before に. Then add the movement verb. For questions, use どこ (where) as the destination: どこに行きますか (Where are you going?). For returning to a place, use かえります. The verbs conjugate regularly.
💡 Pro Tip: Use に for destinations, but use へ (e- pronounced
Examples
がっこうにいきます.
Gakkō ni ikimasu.
→ I go to school.
あした うちに かえります.
Ashita uchi ni kaerimasu.
→ I will return home tomorrow.

Rule 2: Transportation methods with で

Structure: [Transportation] で + [Destination] に + [Movement Verb]

Use the particle で to indicate the means or method of transportation (by train, by bus, on foot, etc.). It answers

How to use: Place the transportation noun (e.g., でんしゃ
💡 Pro Tip: Do not use で for the destination (use に). Also, で is not used for the means when using ___に乗る (to ride). Example: バスに乗って学校に行きます (I go to school by bus, using 乗る). For
Examples
でんしゃでかいしゃにいきます.
Densha de kaisha ni ikimasu.
→ I go to the office by train.
バスでえきにいって、あるいてうちにかえります.
Basu de eki ni itte, aruite uchi ni kaerimasu.
→ I go to the station by bus, then walk home.

Rule 3: Time expressions with に

Structure: [Time expression] に + [Activity verb]

Use the particle に to mark a specific point in time when an action occurs. This includes clock times, days of the week, months, years, and specific dates. However, に is omitted with relative time words like きょう (today), あした (tomorrow), きのう (yesterday), and frequency words like まいにち (every day).

How to use: Place the time expression (e.g., 8じ, げつようび, 3がつ, 2025ねん) before に. Then put the verb (activity). For questions, use なんじに (at what time), なんようびに (on what day), etc. For approximate time, use ___ごろ (around) without に.
💡 Pro Tip: Remember: に is used for
Examples
らいしゅう びじゅつかんに いきます.
Raishū bijutsukan ni ikimasu.
→ I will go to the museum next week.
まいあさ ろくじに おきます.
Maiasa rokuji ni okimasu.
→ I wake up at six every morning.

Exercises

Question 1

Choose the correct particle particle:

がっこう ______ いきます.

Question 2

あした うちに ______.

Question 3

What does

Question 4

でんしゃ ______ かいしゃに いきます.

Question 5

Choose the correct word order for

Question 6

まいあさ ろくじ ______ おきます.

Question 7

Which sentence correctly omits に for

Question 8

どこ ______ いきますか.

Question 9

How do you say

Question 10

バスで えきに いって、______ うちに かえります.

Question 11

If you are at home and your friend calls you, which verb do you use to say

Question 12

くるま ______ しごとに いきます.

Question 13

Which sentence correctly uses ごろ (around)?

Question 14

ひこうき ______ にほん ______ いきます.

Question 15

What is the difference between うちに かえります and うちに いきます?

Question 16

じてんしゃ ______ がっこう ______ きます.

Question 17

Which sentence correctly uses に with a day of the week?

Question 18

でんしゃで がっこうに いって、そこから あるいて ______.

Question 19

If you are at the office and call your coworker, which verb do you use to say

Question 20

どようびの ごぜん じゅうじ ______ びじゅつかん ______ いきます.

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