In this workshop you will practice a short, useful exchange in Japanese: asking where a pharmacy is, checking whether one is near you, and finding out its opening hours. You will hear polite questions and simple answers, then try them yourself in realistic situations. The focus is on understanding the key words for location and time, and on choosing the right question for the situation. You can play both the customer and the staff member roles with the recordings, and use the answer checks to guide your own practice.
Asking Where a Pharmacy Is
Start with the most direct question for finding the closest pharmacy. The line «一番近い薬局はどこですか。» means "Where is the nearest pharmacy?" The word ichiban chikai means "nearest," and yakkyoku means "pharmacy." Use this when you want the single closest option. If you do not need the closest one and just want to know whether any pharmacy is nearby, use «この近くに薬局はありますか。», which means "Is there a pharmacy near here?" This is softer and more general. Both are polite and safe with station staff, hotel staff, or a passerby. After you ask, listen for a place word such as eki no mae, which means "in front of the station." You do not need to produce that answer yet; just recognize it when you hear it.
Asking About Opening Hours
Once you know where the pharmacy is, the next useful question is about time. The line «何時から何時までですか。» means "From what time to what time is it open?" The pattern nanji kara nanji made asks for a start and end time. If you are asking in the evening or on a holiday, you can also check whether it is open right now with «今、開いていますか。», which means "Is it open now?" The phrase aite imasu means "is open." In a short answer, you may hear a time range such as kuji kara nijūji made, meaning "from nine to twenty." You may also hear ima, aite imasu yo, meaning "it is open now." Listen for the numbers and the words kara (from) and made (until) to understand the hours.
Putting the Exchange Together
A natural mini-dialogue moves from location to hours. First, you ask where the pharmacy is. Then, after you hear the location, you ask about the hours. In the recorded exchange, the customer says «すみません、一番近い薬局はどこですか。», which means "Excuse me, where is the nearest pharmacy?" The staff member answers with «駅の前にありますよ。歩いて五分ぐらいです。», meaning "There is one in front of the station. It is about a five-minute walk." The customer then asks «何時から何時までですか。», which means "From what time to what time is it open?" The staff member replies with «九時から二十時までです。今、開いていますよ。», meaning "It is open from nine to twenty. It is open now." Notice that the customer uses the same question from the first section, and the staff answer gives both a place and a time. When you practice, say your line clearly, then listen for the key words in the answer.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
一番近い薬局はどこですか。
Where is the nearest pharmacy?
ichiban chikai yakkyoku wa doko desu ka
この近くに薬局はありますか。
Is there a pharmacy near here?
kono chikaku ni yakkyoku wa arimasu ka
何時から何時までですか。
From what time to what time is it open?
nanji kara nanji made desu ka
今、開いていますか。
Is it open now?
ima, aite imasu ka
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
すみません、一番近い薬局はどこですか。
Excuse me, where is the nearest pharmacy?駅の前にありますよ。歩いて五分ぐらいです。
There is one in front of the station. It is about a five-minute walk.何時から何時までですか。
From what time to what time is it open?九時から二十時までです。今、開いていますよ。
It is open from nine to twenty. It is open now.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Ask and Answer
You are at a station and need a pharmacy. You will play the customer first, then switch to the staff role. Use the recordings as your model.
Your task: Play the customer. Say the line for "Excuse me, where is the nearest pharmacy?" Then play the staff recording that answers with a location. Next, play the customer again and ask the hours question. Finally, play the staff recording that gives the hours and says it is open now. Repeat the whole exchange twice, once with the audio and once trying to say your lines from memory.
Reply Comprehension: Choose the Right Response
You will hear two short answers. One gives a location, and one gives hours. Decide which question each answer belongs to.
Your task: Listen to the staff answer that says there is one in front of the station and it is about a five-minute walk. Which customer question does it answer: the nearest-pharmacy question or the hours question? Then listen to the staff answer that says it is open from nine to twenty and is open now. Which customer question does that answer? Say your choice out loud, then check your reasoning against the recordings.
Recall with Correct Roles
Now you will recall the whole exchange without reading the lines. Imagine you are the customer, and then imagine you are the staff member.
Your task: First, as the customer, say the polite question for the nearest pharmacy, then the question for opening hours. Do not look at the text. Next, as the staff member, give a location answer and then an hours answer. Use the same ideas from the recordings: in front of the station, about a five-minute walk, from nine to twenty, and open now. Say each line out loud before you check.
Common questions
What is the difference between the two questions for finding a pharmacy?
The first question asks for the nearest pharmacy specifically. The second question asks whether there is a pharmacy near here in general. Use the first when you want the closest one, and the second when any nearby pharmacy is fine.
How do I ask about opening hours after I find the pharmacy?
Use the hours question from the recordings. It asks from what time to what time it is open. If you are asking in the evening or on a holiday, you can also ask whether it is open now. Listen for the words kara (from) and made (until) in the answer.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: ask for a pharmacyChecked September 2026
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