How to Ask When the Next Bus or Train Leaves in Japanese
Learn to ask what time the next bus or train departs in Japanese, understand simple schedule answers, and avoid confusing departure time with arrival time.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you travel in Japan, one of the most useful beginner questions is about departure time. You often need to know when the next bus or train leaves, not when it arrives. In Japanese, this skill uses a clear pattern with 何時 (nanji, what time) and 出ますか (demasu ka, does it leave?). This lesson focuses only on departure-time questions and simple schedule answers. You will learn how to ask about the next bus or train, how to understand replies such as 八時十分です (hachi-ji juppun desu, it is 8:10), and how to check that you are not asking about arrival time.
By the end, you can…
- ask what time the next bus or train leaves in Japanese.
- understand a simple schedule answer such as a departure time.
- tell the difference between asking about departure time and arrival time.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
次のバスは何時に出ますか。
What time does the next bus leave?
tsugi no basu wa nanji ni demasu ka
A standard polite question for buses. 次の (tsugi no) means 'next', and 出ますか (demasu ka) asks about departure. に (ni) marks the time.
次の電車は何時に出ますか。
What time does the next train leave?
tsugi no densha wa nanji ni demasu ka
Use 電車 (densha) for trains. This is the same pattern as the bus question, so you only change the vehicle word.
八時十分です。
It is 8:10.
hachi-ji juppun desu
A typical schedule answer. 時 (ji) means 'o'clock', and 分 (fun/pun) means 'minutes'. 十分 is pronounced juppun here (irregular reading).
あと五分です。
It is in five minutes. / Five more minutes.
ato go-fun desu
A common answer when the next bus or train is soon. あと (ato) means 'remaining' or 'more'. Note that 五分 is pronounced go-fun, not go-pun.
何時に着きますか。
What time does it arrive?
nanji ni tsukimasu ka
This asks about arrival time, not departure. Use it when you want to know when you will get somewhere.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The main pattern is: [vehicle] は何時に出ますか。 For example, 次のバスは何時に出ますか (tsugi no basu wa nanji ni demasu ka) means 'What time does the next bus leave?' You can replace バス (basu, bus) with 電車 (densha, train). The particle は (wa) marks the topic, 何時 (nanji) means 'what time', and に (ni) marks the time. 出ますか (demasu ka) asks whether it leaves. To answer, say the time plus です (desu): 八時十分です (hachi-ji juppun desu, it is 8:10).
When to use it
Use this question at a station, bus stop, hotel front desk, or when talking with station staff. It is polite enough for most travel situations. If you want to be more formal, you can say 次のバスは何時に出発しますか (tsugi no basu wa nanji ni shuppatsu shimasu ka), but beginners can safely use 出ますか. Do not use 着きますか (tsukimasu ka) for departure, because it asks about arrival. For example, 東京に何時に着きますか (Tōkyō ni nanji ni tsukimasu ka) asks 'What time does it arrive in Tokyo?'
Understanding schedule answers
Japanese schedule answers often use numbers plus 時 (ji) and 分 (fun/pun). Examples: 七時 (shichi-ji, 7:00), 八時半 (hachi-ji han, 8:30), 九時十五分 (ku-ji jūgo-fun, 9:15). If the time is near, you may hear あと十分です (ato juppun desu, it is in ten minutes). If the bus or train is delayed, you may hear 遅れています (okurete imasu, it is delayed). Listen for 次 (tsugi, next) and 出ます (demasu, leaves) to stay focused on departure.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、次のバスは何時に出ますか。
Excuse me, what time does the next bus leave?sumimasen, tsugi no basu wa nanji ni demasu ka八時十分です。
It is 8:10.hachi-ji juppun desuあと何分ですか。
How many minutes from now? / How many minutes are left?ato nanpun desu kaあと五分です。
It is in five minutes.ato go-fun desuA little context goes a long way
In Japan, bus and train announcements often give departure times clearly, but staff may also mention arrival times. If you ask 何時に出ますか (nanji ni demasu ka), you are asking about leaving. If you need to know when you will arrive, ask 何時に着きますか (nanji ni tsukimasu ka). Politeness matters: adding すみません (sumimasen, excuse me) before a question is natural and helpful.
One thing to watch for
Using 着きますか (tsukimasu ka) when you want to ask when the bus or train leaves.
Try this instead: Use 出ますか (demasu ka) for departure. For example, say 次の電車は何時に出ますか (tsugi no densha wa nanji ni demasu ka, what time does the next train leave?). Use 着きますか only for arrival: 何時に着きますか (nanji ni tsukimasu ka, what time does it arrive?).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'What time does the next bus leave?' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
次のバスは何時に出ますか。
This uses 次のバス (next bus), 何時 (what time), and 出ますか (does it leave). A more formal alternative is 出発しますか, but 出ますか is natural for beginners.
2What does 八時十分です mean?
Show a sample answer
It is 8:10.
八時 (hachi-ji) means 8 o'clock, and 十分 (juppun) means ten minutes. Together they give the time 8:10. In other contexts, 十分 can mean 'enough' (pronounced jūbun), but here it is a time expression.
3Which question asks about arrival time, not departure time?
Show a sample answer
何時に着きますか。
着きますか (tsukimasu ka) asks about arriving. 出ますか (demasu ka) asks about leaving. Both use 何時 (nanji), so the verb is the key difference.
To ask when the next bus or train leaves, say 次のバスは何時に出ますか or 次の電車は何時に出ますか. Listen for a time plus です, and remember that 出ますか is departure while 着きますか is arrival.
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