Learn Japanese: Ask When a Bus or Train Arrives
Learn to ask arrival times in Japanese with 何時に着きますか and 何時に来ますか. Practice bus and train arrival questions, understand duration, and use かかります for travel time.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you travel in Japan, knowing when your bus or train arrives is essential. This lesson teaches you how to ask 'What time does it arrive?' in Japanese, using natural phrases for buses, trains, and other transportation. You will learn the difference between 着きます (arrives) and 来ます (comes), how to ask about duration with どのくらいかかりますか, and how to understand replies that include both arrival time and travel time. By the end, you will be able to ask and answer simple arrival questions confidently in stations and bus stops.
By the end, you can…
- ask what time a bus or train arrives using 何時に着きますか and 何時に来ますか.
- understand and use かかります to talk about how long a trip takes.
- ask and answer simple questions about arrival and duration in a travel context.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
何時に着きますか。
What time does it arrive?
Nanji ni tsukimasu ka.
Use for trains, buses, or flights when asking about the scheduled arrival time. 着きます means 'arrive'.
バスは何時に来ますか。
What time does the bus come?
Basu wa nanji ni kimasu ka.
Use 来ます (kimasu) for buses or trains that 'come' to your stop. It focuses on the vehicle's arrival at your location.
どのくらいかかりますか。
How long does it take?
Dono kurai kakarimasu ka.
Ask this to find out the duration of a trip. かかります means 'take' (time or money).
東京まで二時間かかります。
It takes two hours to Tokyo.
Tōkyō made nijikan kakarimasu.
Use まで (made) for destination and かかります for duration. 二時間 (nijikan) means 'two hours'.
電車は八時に着きます。
The train arrives at eight o'clock.
Densha wa hachiji ni tsukimasu.
A simple statement of arrival time. 八時 (hachiji) means 'eight o'clock'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask what time something arrives, use [subject] は 何時 に 着きますか。 For example, 電車は何時に着きますか。 (Densha wa nanji ni tsukimasu ka.) means 'What time does the train arrive?' If you want to ask when a bus or train comes to your stop, use 来ます: バスは何時に来ますか。 (Basu wa nanji ni kimasu ka.) The particle に (ni) marks the specific time. To ask about duration, use どのくらいかかりますか。 (Dono kurai kakarimasu ka.) meaning 'How long does it take?' You can answer with [destination] まで [duration] かかります。 For example, 大阪まで三時間かかります。 (Ōsaka made sanjikan kakarimasu.) means 'It takes three hours to Osaka.'
When to use it
Use 着きます when you are asking about the arrival time at a destination, such as a station or airport. Use 来ます when you are waiting at a stop and want to know when the vehicle will come to you. In stations, announcements often use 参ります (mairimasu) for 'come' in humble speech, but for everyday conversation, 来ます is fine. When asking about duration, かかります is the standard verb. Note that かかります can also mean 'cost' for money, so context matters. For example, 千円かかります (sen'en kakarimasu) means 'It costs 1,000 yen.' For time, use it with duration words like 分 (fun, minutes) and 時間 (jikan, hours). Note that 分 is read fun after most numbers, but pun after 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10 (e.g., 十分 ippun, 三分 sanpun, 二十分 nijuppun).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、次のバスは何時に来ますか。
Excuse me, what time does the next bus come?Sumimasen, tsugi no basu wa nanji ni kimasu ka.十時十五分に来ますよ。
It comes at 10:15.Jūji jūgofun ni kimasu yo.駅までどのくらいかかりますか。
How long does it take to the station?Eki made dono kurai kakarimasu ka.だいたい二十分かかります。
It takes about twenty minutes.Daitai nijuppun kakarimasu.A little context goes a long way
In Japan, public transportation is usually punctual, so arrival times are reliable. When asking station staff, it is polite to start with すみません (sumimasen) to get attention. For trains, you might hear 到着 (tōchaku) meaning 'arrival' in announcements, but in conversation, 着きます is more common. If you are unsure, repeating the question with もう一度お願いします (mō ichido onegaishimasu) is perfectly acceptable.
One thing to watch for
Using 来ます (kimasu) when asking about arrival at a destination, as in 東京は何時に来ますか (Tōkyō wa nanji ni kimasu ka).
Try this instead: Use 着きます (tsukimasu) for arrival at a destination: 東京には何時に着きますか (Tōkyō ni wa nanji ni tsukimasu ka). 来ます is for coming to your location, not for arriving at a distant place.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'What time does the train arrive?' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
電車は何時に着きますか。 (Densha wa nanji ni tsukimasu ka.)
This uses 着きます for arrival at a destination. You could also say 電車は何時に来ますか if you are at the station waiting for it to come, but 着きます is more precise for arrival time.
2What does かかります mean in the sentence 駅まで十分かかります?
Show a sample answer
It means 'takes' (time). The sentence means 'It takes ten minutes to the station.'
かかります is used with duration to express how long something takes. It can also mean 'cost' with money, but here it is time.
3Translate to Japanese: 'How long does it take to Osaka?'
Show a sample answer
大阪までどのくらいかかりますか。 (Ōsaka made dono kurai kakarimasu ka.)
This uses まで for destination and どのくらいかかりますか for duration. You could also say 大阪まで何分かかりますか if you expect an answer in minutes.
Use 何時に着きますか for arrival time at a destination, 何時に来ますか for when a bus or train comes to you, and どのくらいかかりますか for duration. Remember that かかります means 'take' for time and money.
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