When you travel in Japan, you may need to ask what the next stop is. This workshop gives you short, polite questions for trains and buses. You will also learn how to ask someone to repeat a stop name if you do not catch it. The practice uses only the recorded lines provided. You will play both the traveler and the person answering. Listen, repeat, and check your understanding with the answer keys.
Asking on a Train or Subway
On a train or subway, use the word for station. The recorded question «次の駅は何ですか。» means "What is the next station?" It is polite and clear. If you are already in a conversation and the topic is obvious, you can use the shorter version «次は何ですか。», which means "What is next?" Both are useful when you want to know the upcoming stop. To begin politely, you can add a word for excuse me. The recorded line «すみません、次の駅は何ですか。» means "Excuse me, what is the next station?" This is a natural way to get someone's attention before asking. Practice saying each line slowly, then at a natural speed.
Asking on a Bus
On a bus, the word for station is not the best choice. Use the word for bus stop instead. The recorded question «次の停留所は何ですか。» means "What is the next stop?" and is the right question for a bus. It uses the same pattern as the train question, but with the bus stop word. Use the vehicle you are travelling on to choose the appropriate question; listen to the answer for the stop name. You can also use the short version «次は何ですか。» on a bus if the situation is clear. Practice «次の停留所は何ですか。» until you can say it without looking.
Asking for a Repeat and Confirming
Sometimes you may not catch the stop name. In that case, use the recorded line «もう一度お願いします。», which means "One more time, please." It is a polite request to repeat something you missed in this conversation. In the recorded dialogue, the traveler asks the question «すみません、次の駅は何ですか。», and the other person answers with the next station name «次は新宿です。». The traveler then asks for a repeat «もう一度お願いします。», and the other person says just the station name again «新宿です。». This shows a simple exchange: ask, listen, ask again if needed, and confirm. You can use the same pattern when you need to hear a stop name a second time.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
次の駅は何ですか。
What is the next station?
tsugi no eki wa nan desu ka
次の停留所は何ですか。
What is the next stop? (for buses)
tsugi no teiryūjo wa nan desu ka
次は何ですか。
What is next?
tsugi wa nan desu ka
もう一度お願いします。
One more time, please.
mō ichido onegaishimasu
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
すみません、次の駅は何ですか。
Excuse me, what is the next station?次は新宿です。
The next one is Shinjuku.もう一度お願いします。
One more time, please.新宿です。
It is Shinjuku.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 on a train. You want to know the next station. You will play both roles: first the traveler, then the person who answers.
Your task: Say the traveler’s question «すみません、次の駅は何ですか。», then play the other traveler and answer «次は新宿です。». Repeat this train exchange twice. Separately, rehearse the bus question «次の停留所は何ですか。»; no different bus-stop reply is supplied here.
Reply Comprehension: What Did They Say?
You hear someone answer your question. You are not sure if you caught the stop name. You will ask for a repeat and then listen again.
Your task: Listen to «次は新宿です。» and then «新宿です。». What place name appears in both replies? Does the shorter reply change the destination, or repeat the same name? Answer in English before revealing the self-check.
Recall with Correct Roles
Recall the recorded train conversation. One traveler asks about the next station; the other names it and repeats the name when asked.
Your task: Say «すみません、次の駅は何ですか。» as A, «次は新宿です。» as B, «もう一度お願いします。» as A, then «新宿です。» as B. Keep this four-turn order and try it from memory.
Common questions
What is the difference between the train question and the bus question?
The train question «次の駅は何ですか。» uses the word for station. The bus question «次の停留所は何ですか。» uses the word for bus stop. Use «次の駅は何ですか。» on trains and subways, and «次の停留所は何ですか。» on buses. If you are not sure, you can use the short version «次は何ですか。», which means "What is next?" and works when the situation is clear.
How do I ask someone to repeat a stop name?
Use «もう一度お願いします。», meaning One more time, please. In this recorded train exchange, the reply is «新宿です。»: Shinjuku. Practise the request followed by that reply, switching speakers between the two lines.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: ask for the next stopChecked September 2026
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