Japanese for Everyday Interactions: Understand and Give Simple Directions
Learn to understand and give simple directions in Japanese using 右, 左, and まっすぐ, with polite phrases for asking staff and confirming what you heard.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
When someone gives you directions in Japanese, the key words are 右 (migi, right), 左 (hidari, left), and まっすぐ (massugu, straight ahead). This lesson focuses on understanding those words in short spoken instructions, and on giving the same kind of directions yourself. You will learn three reusable patterns: saying where to turn, saying to go straight, and asking staff to repeat or confirm. The goal is practical comprehension and clear, polite production at a beginner level.
By the end, you can…
- understand and say 右, 左, and まっすぐ in simple spoken directions.
- give a short direction using a landmark and a turning verb.
- ask staff to repeat or confirm directions politely.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
まっすぐ行ってください。
Please go straight ahead.
massugu itte kudasai
A polite instruction. Use when telling someone to continue straight. 行って is the te-form of 行く (iku, to go).
銀行のところで右に曲がってください。
Please turn right at the bank.
ginkō no tokoro de migi ni magatte kudasai
A landmark plus のところで (no tokoro de, at the place of) marks where to turn. 右に曲がる (migi ni magaru) means turn right.
次の角を左に曲がってください。
Please turn left at the next corner.
tsugi no kado o hidari ni magatte kudasai
次の角 (tsugi no kado) means the next corner. を marks the corner as the point of turning.
もう一度言ってください。
Please say that one more time.
mō ichido itte kudasai
A useful request when you did not catch the directions. もう一度 (mō ichido) means one more time.
右ですか、左ですか。
Is it right, or is it left?
migi desu ka, hidari desu ka
A confirmation question. The repeated ですか (desu ka) makes the two options clear. This is not a template for all questions; it is specifically for checking right versus left.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To give a direction, use a place or landmark, then で (de), then the direction plus に (ni), then 曲がってください (magatte kudasai). For example, 銀行のところで右に曲がってください (ginkō no tokoro de migi ni magatte kudasai) means 'Please turn right at the bank.' To tell someone to continue straight, use まっすぐ行ってください (massugu itte kudasai). These patterns are polite and work in shops, stations, and streets. The verb 曲がる (magaru) means 'to turn'; its te-form plus ください makes a polite request.
When to use it
Use these phrases when you are the one giving directions, or when you repeat directions back to check them. If a staff member gives you directions and you are not sure, say もう一度言ってください (mō ichido itte kudasai) or ask 右ですか、左ですか (migi desu ka, hidari desu ka). In casual conversation with friends, you can drop ください and say 右に曲がって (migi ni magatte), but with staff or strangers, keep ください for politeness. The same words 右, 左, and まっすぐ appear in both understanding and giving directions, so practice them in both roles.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、駅はどこですか。
Excuse me, where is the station?sumimasen, eki wa doko desu kaこの道をまっすぐ行ってください。銀行のところで右に曲がってください。
Please go straight along this street. Please turn right at the bank.kono michi o massugu itte kudasai. ginkō no tokoro de migi ni magatte kudasai銀行のところで右ですね。もう一度言ってください。
Right at the bank, right? Please say that one more time.ginkō no tokoro de migi desu ne. mō ichido itte kudasaiはい。まっすぐ行って、銀行で右に曲がってください。
Yes. Go straight, and turn right at the bank.hai. massugu itte, ginkō de migi ni magatte kudasaiA little context goes a long way
In Japanese, polite requests with ください (kudasai) are standard when speaking to staff or people you do not know. When confirming directions, a short ね (ne) at the end, as in 右ですね (migi desu ne), invites agreement and sounds natural. If you are unsure, it is fine to ask for repetition; staff are used to helping. Avoid using casual forms like 右に曲がって (migi ni magatte) with strangers, as it can sound abrupt.
One thing to watch for
Using を (o) instead of に (ni) with 曲がる, as in 右を曲がってください (migi o magatte kudasai).
Try this instead: The standard pattern is 右に曲がってください (migi ni magatte kudasai). に marks the direction of turning. を can mark the place you turn at, as in 角を左に曲がってください (kado o hidari ni magatte kudasai), but not the direction itself. So say 右に曲がってください, not 右を曲がってください。
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'Please go straight' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
まっすぐ行ってください。
まっすぐ (massugu) means straight, and 行ってください (itte kudasai) is a polite request to go. This is the standard phrase for telling someone to continue straight.
2You hear 銀行のところで左に曲がってください. What should you do at the bank?
Show a sample answer
Turn left.
左 (hidari) means left, and 曲がってください (magatte kudasai) means please turn. So the instruction is to turn left at the bank.
3How do you politely ask someone to repeat the directions?
Show a sample answer
もう一度言ってください。
もう一度 (mō ichido) means one more time, and 言ってください (itte kudasai) means please say. This is a polite way to ask for repetition. You could also say もう一度お願いします (mō ichido onegaishimasu), which is also polite.
Remember the three core words: 右 (migi, right), 左 (hidari, left), and まっすぐ (massugu, straight). Use 右に曲がってください or 左に曲がってください with a landmark, and まっすぐ行ってください for straight. When you need help, もう一度言ってください is your polite request to hear it again.
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