How to Ask If There Is a Metro Station Near an Apartment in Japanese
Learn to ask 'Is there a metro station nearby?' in Japanese, name train and subway stations, and understand short distance answers when choosing an apartment.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you look at an apartment in Japan, one of the first practical questions is about transport access. You need to ask whether a metro or train station is nearby, and you need to understand the answer, especially the walking distance. This lesson gives you a small set of elementary Japanese patterns for exactly that situation. You will use the question form ありますか (arimasu ka) to ask if something exists, the word ちかく (chikaku, nearby) for location, and simple distance expressions such as あるいて (aruite, on foot) with minutes. The patterns are polite and work in a conversation with a landlord, a real estate agent, or a neighbor.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a metro or train station is near an apartment.
- name common transport places such as えき (station) and ちかてつ (subway).
- understand and give a simple walking-distance answer in minutes.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
ちかくに えきは ありますか。
Is there a station nearby?
chi-KA-ku ni E-ki wa a-ri-MA-su ka
The most useful general question. ちかくに means 'in the nearby area'. Use it when you do not know whether the station is a train or subway station.
ちかくに ちかてつは ありますか。
Is there a subway nearby?
chi-KA-ku ni chi-ka-TE-tsu wa a-ri-MA-su ka
Use ちかてつ when you specifically want a subway or metro line. In many Japanese cities, ちかてつ refers to an underground subway system.
えきまで あるいて なんぷんですか。
How many minutes is it to the station on foot?
E-ki ma-de a-RU-i-te na-n-PU-n de-su ka
Ask this after you know a station exists. あるいて means 'walking', and なんぷんですか asks 'how many minutes'.
あるいて ごふんです。
It is five minutes on foot.
a-RU-i-te GO-fu-n de-su
A typical short answer. Replace ごふん (five minutes) with another number: さんぷん (three minutes), じゅっぷん (ten minutes).
この アパートは えきに ちかいですか。
Is this apartment close to the station?
ko-no A-PA-A-to wa E-ki ni chi-KA-i de-su ka
Use this when you already know the station and want to check the apartment's location. ちかい is an adjective meaning 'close'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is place + に + thing + は + ありますか. For example, ちかくに えきは ありますか means 'Is there a station nearby?' あります is used for things that do not move by themselves, such as stations, shops, and buildings. If you want to ask about a specific station name, put it before は: しんじゅくえきは ちかくに ありますか (Is Shinjuku Station nearby?). To answer yes, say はい、あります (hai, arimasu). To answer no, say いいえ、ありません (iie, arimasen).
When to use it
Use these questions when you are viewing an apartment or asking about a neighborhood. Start with ちかくに えきは ありますか. If the answer is はい, ask えきまで あるいて なんぷんですか to get the walking time. If the answer is いいえ, you can ask about a bus stop instead: ちかくに バスていは ありますか (Is there a bus stop nearby?). Keep your tone polite with です and ます, because you may be speaking to a real estate agent or landlord.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、この アパートの ちかくに えきは ありますか。
Excuse me, is there a station near this apartment?su-mi-ma-SE-n, ko-no A-PA-A-to no chi-KA-ku ni E-ki wa a-ri-MA-su kaはい、あります。ちかてつの えきです。
Yes, there is. It is a subway station.HA-i, a-ri-MA-su. chi-ka-TE-tsu no E-ki de-suえきまで あるいて なんぷんですか。
How many minutes is it to the station on foot?E-ki ma-de a-RU-i-te na-n-PU-n de-su kaあるいて ごふんです。とても ちかいです。
It is five minutes on foot. It is very close.a-RU-i-te GO-fu-n de-su. to-te-mo chi-KA-i de-suA little context goes a long way
In Japanese cities, transport access is often described by walking minutes from a station, and real estate listings commonly show several lines and stations. When you ask in person, a polite すみません (sumimasen) before your question is natural and appropriate. Note that ちかてつ means subway, while でんしゃ (densha) means train; a station can serve either or both, so えき is the safe general word.
One thing to watch for
Saying ちかくに えきが いますか (chikaku ni eki ga imasu ka) because English 'is there' feels like a living thing.
Try this instead: Use ありますか for stations and buildings, not いますか. います is for people and animals. Correct: ちかくに えきは ありますか. If you are asking about a person, such as a station attendant, then いますか can be used: えきいんは いますか (Is there a station attendant?).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Ask in Japanese: 'Is there a station nearby?'
Show a sample answer
ちかくに えきは ありますか。
This uses ちかくに (nearby), えき (station), は as the topic marker, and ありますか for existence. ちかくに えきが ありますか is also grammatically possible, but は is common when the station is the topic you are asking about.
2Someone answers あるいて じゅっぷんです. What does this mean in English?
Show a sample answer
It is ten minutes on foot.
あるいて means 'walking' or 'on foot', and じゅっぷん means 'ten minutes'. The sentence あるいて じゅっぷんです is a natural short answer to a distance question.
3How do you ask 'How many minutes is it to the station on foot?'
Show a sample answer
えきまで あるいて なんぷんですか。
えきまで means 'as far as the station', あるいて means 'on foot', and なんぷんですか asks 'how many minutes'. You can also say えきから あるいて なんぷんですか, which is understood in context, but まで is the standard pattern for reaching a destination.
For apartment transport questions, remember three steps: ask ちかくに えきは ありますか, confirm the type with ちかてつ or でんしゃ, then ask あるいて なんぷんですか to learn the walking distance.
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