In this workshop you will practice a short, practical exchange about public transport near a place. You will ask whether a station or subway is nearby, ask how many minutes it takes on foot, and understand a reply that gives a walking time. The native examples come from the recordings, and each one is explained in English before you use it. You can practice both roles: the person asking and the person answering. Listen to the audio for pronunciation, then read the lines aloud.
Asking Whether a Station or Subway Is Nearby
Start with a simple yes-or-no question about a station. «ちかくに えきは ありますか。» means "Is there a station nearby?" Use it when you want to know if a station exists close to where you are. If you specifically mean a subway, use «ちかくに ちかてつは ありますか。», which means "Is there a subway nearby?" Both questions are short and polite enough for ordinary conversation. When you want to sound a little more polite or you are speaking to someone you do not know, you can begin with an attention word. «すみません、この アパートの ちかくに えきは ありますか。» means "Excuse me, is there a station near this apartment?" Notice that this version adds a specific place, an apartment, so the listener knows what "nearby" refers to. A natural positive reply is «はい、あります。ちかてつの えきです。», which means "Yes, there is. It is a subway station." The reply confirms that a station exists and tells you what kind of station it is. Practice saying the question with a rising intonation at the end, and say the reply with a clear, falling intonation.
Asking and Understanding Walking Time
After you know a station exists, the next useful question is about distance in time. «えきまで あるいて なんぷんですか。» means "How many minutes is it to the station on foot?" Use this when you want a walking-time answer, not a distance in meters. The reply «あるいて ごふんです。» means "It is five minutes on foot." It gives the time directly. In a fuller reply, «あるいて ごふんです。とても ちかいです。» means "It is five minutes on foot. It is very close." The second sentence adds a comment about the distance. When you hear a number followed by the word for minutes, that is the walking time. Listen carefully to the number, because it is the most important part of the answer. If you are the person answering, you can use the same pattern with the number you hear in the recording. Keep the subject the same: the question asks about walking time to the station, and the answer gives walking time to the station.
Putting the Exchange Together
A full exchange can move from a general question to a specific one. First, ask whether a station is nearby using «ちかくに えきは ありますか。» or, if you mean subway, «ちかくに ちかてつは ありますか。». If you want to be more polite or mention a specific place, use «すみません、この アパートの ちかくに えきは ありますか。». The other person may answer with «はい、あります。ちかてつの えきです。», confirming a station and naming it as a subway station. Then ask for the walking time with «えきまで あるいて なんぷんですか。». The answer may be «あるいて ごふんです。» or the longer «あるいて ごふんです。とても ちかいです。». In the longer answer, the speaker gives the time and then adds that it is very close. When you practice, keep the order: question, reply, follow-up question, answer. If you swap roles, you change who reads which part, but the order of the conversation stays the same. This helps you remember what comes next in a real exchange.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
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
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
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。
It is five minutes on foot.
a-RU-i-te GO-fu-n de-su
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
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?はい、あります。ちかてつの えきです。
Yes, there is. It is a subway station.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?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.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 an Apartment
Imagine you are standing outside an apartment and you want to find a station. You will play the person asking. Read your lines aloud using the recordings as a model. Then play the other person and read the reply lines.
Your task: First, as the person asking, say the line from «すみません、この アパートの ちかくに えきは ありますか。». Then, as the other person, say the line from «はい、あります。ちかてつの えきです。». Next, as the person asking again, say the line from «えきまで あるいて なんぷんですか。». Finally, as the other person, say the line from «あるいて ごふんです。とても ちかいです。». After you finish, check your answer below.
Choose the Right Reply
You will hear or read a question and choose the reply that matches it. The questions and replies come from the recordings. Read each question, then choose A or B.
Your task: Question 1: «ちかくに えきは ありますか。». Choice A: «はい、あります。ちかてつの えきです。». Choice B: «あるいて ごふんです。». Question 2: «えきまで あるいて なんぷんですか。». Choice A: «あるいて ごふんです。». Choice B: «はい、あります。ちかてつの えきです。». Write your answers, then check the answer key below.
Recall the Exchange with Correct Roles
Cover the recording lines. Imagine two people: one is asking about a station near an apartment, and the other is answering. You will recall the lines in order and say who says each one.
Your task: Say the four lines of the exchange in order from memory. For each line, say whether it is the person asking or the person answering. Use the recordings as your model. After you finish, check your answer below.
Common questions
What is the difference between asking about a station and asking about a subway?
«ちかくに えきは ありますか。» asks whether a station is nearby, without saying what kind. «ちかくに ちかてつは ありますか。» asks specifically whether a subway is nearby. Use «ちかくに えきは ありますか。» when any station is fine, and «ちかくに ちかてつは ありますか。» when you need a subway station. In the reply «はい、あります。ちかてつの えきです。», the speaker confirms a station and says it is a subway station.
How do I understand the answer about walking time?
«えきまで あるいて なんぷんですか。» asks how many minutes it is to the station on foot. The answer «あるいて ごふんです。» gives the time directly: it is five minutes on foot. The longer answer «あるいて ごふんです。とても ちかいです。» gives the same time and adds that it is very close. Listen for the number and the word for minutes; that is the walking time.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: ask about public transport nearbyChecked September 2026
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