How to Ask a Japanese Driver to Tell You When to Get Off
Learn beginner Japanese for asking a bus or taxi driver to let you know when to get off, plus how to understand their confirmation and thank them politely.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you ride a bus or taxi in Japan, you often need the driver to warn you before your stop. This lesson teaches one clear, polite request: oriru toki ni oshiete kudasai. You will also learn how to name your stop, how to check that the driver understood, how to respond when the driver confirms, and how to thank them. The focus is on speaking and listening, not on reading long announcements. All phrases use polite desu/masu style, which is the safe default with strangers and service staff.
By the end, you can…
- ask a driver to tell me when to get off.
- say the name of my stop and check that the driver understood.
- understand a simple confirmation from the driver and thank them.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
降りるときに教えてください。
Please tell me when to get off.
oriru toki ni oshiete kudasai
The main request. Use it when you board a bus or taxi and want the driver to warn you before your stop.
次は私の降りる停留所です。
The next stop is my stop.
tsugi wa watashi no oriru teiryūjo desu
Said when you think your stop is coming soon. On a bus, teiryūjo means bus stop. Note that this sentence is a little unnatural in Japanese; more natural is 次は私が降りる停留所です or simply 次は私の停留所です.
ここで降ります。
I will get off here.
koko de orimasu
Use this in a taxi when you want the driver to stop now, or on a bus when you are standing near the door.
わかりましたか。
Did you understand? / Is that clear?
wakarimashita ka
A simple check after your request. It is polite enough with a driver, though a little direct. Softer: わかりましたでしょうか or よろしいでしょうか.
ありがとうございます。
Thank you very much.
arigatō gozaimasu
Say this when the driver tells you your stop is next, and again when you get off.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is verb dictionary form + toki ni + oshiete kudasai. Toki ni means 'when' or 'at the time of'. Oshiete kudasai means 'please tell me'. So oriru toki ni oshiete kudasai is literally 'please tell me at the time I get off'. You can swap the first verb for another action: tsuku toki ni oshiete kudasai means 'please tell me when we arrive'. Keep the verb in dictionary form before toki ni; do not use masu form there. Note: toki ni is used with a verb in dictionary form for 'when (I/we) do X'; for 'when (someone) does X' in a polite context, the plain form is still used before toki ni.
When to use it
Use this request right after you board, or when you pay or show your ticket. It is especially useful on local buses where stops are announced only in Japanese. Say your stop name first if you know it: ABC teiryūjo de orimasu. Oriru toki ni oshiete kudasai. If the driver repeats your stop name or says wakarimashita, that is confirmation. If you hear muzukashii desu ne or a question, repeat the stop name slowly. On some buses, you may need to press a button to signal your stop; the driver may also announce the next stop.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、ABC停留所で降ります。降りるときに教えてください。
Excuse me, I am getting off at ABC stop. Please tell me when to get off.sumimasen, ABC teiryūjo de orimasu. oriru toki ni oshiete kudasaiはい、わかりました。ABC停留所ですね。
Yes, understood. ABC stop, right?hai, wakarimashita. ABC teiryūjo desu neはい、そうです。ありがとうございます。
Yes, that is right. Thank you.hai, sō desu. arigatō gozaimasu次ですよ。
It is the next stop.tsugi desu yoA little context goes a long way
Japanese bus and taxi drivers are used to helping passengers, but they appreciate a short, clear request. Sumimasen at the start gets attention politely. Avoid long explanations in English; say the stop name slowly and use the pattern. On some buses you board at the front and pay when you get off, so ask your question when you board if the driver is not busy. A brief arigatō gozaimasu when you leave is normal and friendly. Note that bus and taxi procedures can vary by region and company.
One thing to watch for
Using the masu form before toki ni, as in orimasu toki ni oshiete kudasai.
Try this instead: Use the dictionary form before toki ni: oriru toki ni oshiete kudasai. Orimasu is polite for a main sentence, but toki ni needs the plain dictionary form. Compare: koko de orimasu (I get off here) and oriru toki ni (when I get off).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask the driver to tell you when to get off?
Show a sample answer
降りるときに教えてください。 (oriru toki ni oshiete kudasai)
This uses the dictionary form oriru plus toki ni plus oshiete kudasai. You could also say oriru toki ni oshiete moraemasu ka for a slightly softer request, but the kudasai form is clear and polite.
2The driver says ABC停留所ですね. What does that mean, and how do you confirm?
Show a sample answer
It means 'ABC stop, right?' You can confirm with はい、そうです。 (hai, sō desu).
Desu ne invites agreement. Hai, sō desu is a natural confirmation. Hai, ABC teiryūjo desu also works and repeats the key information.
3You are in a taxi and want to get off now. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
ここで降ります。 (koko de orimasu)
Koko de means 'here' and orimasu means 'I get off'. In a taxi this tells the driver to stop. On a bus, use it only when the bus is at your stop and the door is open.
Say sumimasen, then your stop name, then oriru toki ni oshiete kudasai. Listen for wakarimashita or your stop name as confirmation, and finish with arigatō gozaimasu.
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