Ask when the next bus or train leaves, then follow up to find out how many minutes you have. Practise the questions and replies aloud with the recorded dialogue. The sample exchange uses a fictional departure at 8:10 and a current time of 8:05, so five minutes remain. These are practice times, not a real timetable.
Ask about the next departure
Use the recorded question «次のバスは何時に出ますか。» (What time does the next bus leave?) for buses. For trains, change only the vehicle word and say «次の電車は何時に出ますか。» (What time does the next train leave?). Both questions ask about departure time. They do not ask when the bus or train arrives. If you want arrival time, that is a different question and is not practised here. Start with «すみません、» (Excuse me,) to get attention politely before the question.
Understand a simple schedule answer
A staff member may answer with a clock time, for example «八時十分です。» (It is 8:10.). This tells you the departure clock time. They may also answer with «あと五分です。» (It is in five minutes. / Five more minutes.). Here «あと» means remaining or more, and «五分» means five minutes. This is not a travel duration. It tells you how long until departure. If you need to ask how many minutes are left, use the recorded question «あと何分ですか。» (How many minutes from now? / How many minutes are left?).
Check what each answer tells you
Imagine it is 8:05 in this fictional practice scene. The answer «八時十分です。» (It is 8:10.) gives the departure time. The follow-up «あと何分ですか。» (How many minutes are left?) asks for the remaining wait. «あと五分です。» (It is in five minutes.) is consistent with that clock: 8:05 plus five minutes is 8:10. Neither answer tells you the journey length or arrival time. After listening, state the departure time and remaining wait separately in English. If you mix them up, replay the two answers before trying the exchange again.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
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
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
八時十分です。
It is 8:10.
hachi-ji juppun desu
あと五分です。
It is in five minutes. / Five more minutes.
ato go-fun desu
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
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?八時十分です。
It is 8:10.あと何分ですか。
How many minutes from now? / How many minutes are left?あと五分です。
It is in five minutes.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange at the bus stop
In this fictional bus-stop scene, it is 8:05 and the next bus leaves at 8:10. You practise the traveler first, then supply the staff member's answer.
Your task: Say «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?). Then answer as the staff member with «八時十分です。» (It is 8:10.). Repeat once, swapping roles.
Choose the right recorded question or reply
Read each English situation. Choose one recorded phrase that fits. Do not change any words.
Your task: Situation 1: You want the next train departure time. Situation 2: A staff member says «八時十分です。» and you want to know how many minutes are left. Situation 3: Someone asks «あと何分ですか。» and five minutes remain. For each, say the matching recorded phrase aloud.
Recall a short exchange with roles
Work alone with the same fictional 8:05 scene. Role A asks about the next bus. Role B gives the 8:10 departure time. A asks how many minutes remain, and B answers five.
Your task: Say Role A: «すみません、次のバスは何時に出ますか。» Then Role B: «八時十分です。» Then Role A: «あと何分ですか。» Then Role B: «あと五分です。» Repeat without looking at the text.
Common questions
Does «次のバスは何時に出ますか。» ask about arrival time?
No. It asks what time the next bus leaves. It is about departure time, not arrival time. To ask about arrival, you would need a different question that is not practised in this lesson.
What does «あと五分です。» mean?
It means it is in five minutes, or five more minutes. It tells you how long until departure. It is not a travel duration and not a clock time.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: ask about departure timeChecked September 2026
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