At a museum or sightseeing spot, you may want to know whether there is an English guided tour, whether an audio guide is available, and when the tour begins. In this workshop you will practice three short questions and listen to a simple exchange at an information desk. You will speak both roles, check your understanding, and then recall the correct question for each situation. The recordings give you clear models, so listen first, repeat, and then try each task.
Asking About a Tour or an Audio Guide
Start with a polite question. To ask whether an English guided tour exists, use «英語のガイドツアーはありますか。». The word eigo means English, gaido tsuā means guided tour, and arimasu ka asks whether something exists or is available. If you prefer an audio guide, use «音声ガイドはありますか。». Onsei gaido means audio guide. Notice that both questions end with arimasu ka, so the pattern is easy to reuse. When you speak, keep a rising question intonation and say the phrase smoothly. At a counter, you can add sumimasen at the beginning to get attention, as in «すみません、英語のガイドツアーはありますか。». Listen to the recording and repeat it several times.
Asking About the Time
After you know a tour exists, ask about the time. «ガイドツアーの時間は何時ですか。» asks what time the guided tour is. Gaido tsuā no jikan means the time of the guided tour, and nanji desu ka asks what time it is. A more specific question is «ガイドツアーは何時に始まりますか。», which asks what time the guided tour starts. Hajimarimasu means starts. Both questions are useful. Use «ガイドツアーの時間は何時ですか。» when you simply want the tour time, and use «ガイドツアーは何時に始まりますか。» when you want to focus on the starting time. Practice each question slowly, then at a natural speed. Keep the question particle ka clear at the end.
Listening to a Short Exchange
Now listen to a short conversation at an information desk. A visitor asks «すみません、英語のガイドツアーはありますか。», and the staff member answers «はい、あります。午後2時からです。». The answer says that a tour exists and starts at 2 p.m. The visitor then asks «音声ガイドもありますか。», which asks whether an audio guide is also available. The staff member answers «いいえ、音声ガイドはありません。ガイドツアーだけです。», explaining that there is no audio guide and only the guided tour. As you listen, notice the difference between arimasu, meaning there is, and arimasen, meaning there is not. This exchange shows how a simple question can lead to a clear answer about both a guided tour and an audio guide.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
英語のガイドツアーはありますか。
Is there a guided tour in English?
Eigo no gaido tsuā wa arimasu ka.
ガイドツアーの時間は何時ですか。
What time is the guided tour?
Gaido tsuā no jikan wa nanji desu ka.
音声ガイドはありますか。
Is there an audio guide?
Onsei gaido wa arimasu ka.
ガイドツアーは何時に始まりますか。
What time does the guided tour start?
Gaido tsuā wa nanji ni hajimarimasu ka.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
すみません、英語のガイドツアーはありますか。
Excuse me, is there a guided tour in English?はい、あります。午後2時からです。
Yes, there is. It starts at 2 p.m.音声ガイドもありますか。
Is there also an audio guide?いいえ、音声ガイドはありません。ガイドツアーだけです。
No, there is no audio guide. Only the guided tour.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 Counter
Imagine you are at a museum information desk. You want to know if there is an English guided tour. The staff member is ready to help.
Your task: Play the role of the visitor. Say the question from «英語のガイドツアーはありますか。» clearly. Then listen to the staff answer «はい、あります。午後2時からです。». After that, ask about an audio guide using «音声ガイドもありますか。». Repeat the whole exchange once more, trying to speak without looking at the text.
Choose the Right Reply
You will hear a staff answer and decide what it means. This task checks whether you understand arimasu and arimasen.
Your task: Listen to «はい、あります。午後2時からです。» and «いいえ、音声ガイドはありません。ガイドツアーだけです。». For each one, choose the correct meaning: (A) There is a guided tour, or (B) There is no audio guide. Then say the matching question from «英語のガイドツアーはありますか。» or «音声ガイドはありますか。» that would lead to that answer.
Recall the Correct Question
Now practice recalling the right question for each situation without looking at the text first. You will speak both the visitor and the staff roles.
Your task: Situation 1: You want to know whether an English guided tour is available. Say «英語のガイドツアーはありますか。» and then play the staff role with «はい、あります。午後2時からです。». Situation 2: You want to know if an audio guide is available. Say «音声ガイドはありますか。» and then play the staff role with «いいえ、音声ガイドはありません。ガイドツアーだけです。».
Common questions
What is the difference between a guided tour and an audio guide in these questions?
A guided tour is gaido tsuā, a tour led by a person. An audio guide is onsei gaido, a recorded guide you listen to. The questions «英語のガイドツアーはありますか。» and «音声ガイドはありますか。» use these different words, so you can ask about each one separately.
How do I ask what time the guided tour starts?
Use «ガイドツアーは何時に始まりますか。». It asks what time the guided tour starts. If you only want to know the tour time, you can use «ガイドツアーの時間は何時ですか。». Both are polite and clear at an information desk.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: ask for a guided tourChecked September 2026
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