Asking for the Directions/Michi wo tazuneru

Exploring JAPANese through Manga | 道を尋ねる

Asking for the Directions/Michi wo tazuneru

Gaikokujin/ Foreigner:Where am I? Tsuukounin: Watashi, Eigo wakarimasen. /Passer-by: I don’t understand English. Gaikokujin: (“Where” ha “doko,” “I” ha “Watashi,” dakara…wakatta!”) /Foreigner: (Where is “doko,” and I is “watashi,” so ... I got it!) Gaikokujin: Watashi ha, doko? /Foreigner: Where am I? Tsuukounin: Haah? Anata ha watashi no mae ni iru deshou. Atama daijoubu? /Passer-by:What? You are in front of me, aren’t you? Are you alright in the head? Gaikokujin: Byouin ha doko desu ka. /Foreigner: Where is the hospital? Tsuukounin: Ara sou, atama wo nantoka shitai no ne. Isoida houga ii wa. /Passer-by: I see. You want to have your head checked out. You had better hurry. Manga Explanation: Scene 1. A foreign man with long hair who looks like a tourist asks a Japanese woman for directions, saying “Where am I?” However, the woman doesn’t understand English. Scene 2. The man directly translates the phrase as “Watashi ha doko?” In Japanese we say “Koko ha doko desu ka?” (Where is here?). In other words, if you directly translate “Where am I?” it becomes “Watashi ha doko ni imasu ka?” Scene 3. The woman is surprised by the question “Watashi ha doko?” as the man asking her is clearly right in front of her. This derives from a conceptual difference between Japanese and English. Scene 4. The man intended to ask the way to a hair salon so he could have his hair cut, but he said “byouin” (hospital) instead of “biyouin” (hair salon). The woman believes the man to be rather strange and thinks that he is asking the way to the hospital to have his head checked out. Basic Sentence Patterns: Where am I? You are at Shinjuku Sanchome. Where is Shinjuku Station? Please turn right at the corner over there, and go straight. The station is on your left.

外国人がいこくじん:Where am I?
Gaikokujin:Where am I?
Foreigner:Where am I?
通行人つうこうにんわたし英語えいごわかりません。
Tsuukounin: Watashi, Eigo wakarimasen.
Passer-by: I don’t understand English.
外国人がいこくじん:(Where は「どこ」、 I は「わたし」、だから……わかった!)
Gaikokujin: (“Where” ha “doko,” “I” ha “Watashi,” dakara…wakatta!”)
Foreigner: (Where is “doko,” and I is “watashi,” so ... I got it!)
外国人がいこくじんわたしは、どこ?
Gaikokujin: Watashi ha, doko?
Foreigner: Where am I?
通行人つうこうにん:はあ? あなたはわたしまえにいるでしょう。あたま大丈夫だいじょうぶ
Tsuukounin: Haah? Anata ha watashi no mae ni iru deshou. Atama daijoubu?
Passer-by:What? You are in front of me, aren’t you? Are you alright in the head?
外国人がいこくじん:ビョウインはどこですか。
Gaikokujin: Byouin ha doko desu ka.
Foreigner: Where is the hospital?
通行人つうこうにん:あら、そう、あたまなんとかしたいのね。いそいだほうがいいわ。
Tsuukounin: Ara sou, atama wo nantoka shitai no ne. Isoida houga ii wa.
Passer-by: I see. You want to have your head checked out. You had better hurry.
まんがの説明せつめい
manga no setsumei
Manga Explanation
シーン1
shi-nn ichi
Scene 1.
旅行者りょこうしゃふう
ryokousha fuu no
who looks like a tourist
かみなが
kami no nagai
with long hair
外国人がいこくじん男性だんせい
gaikokujinn dannsei ga
A foreign man
とおりがかりの日本人にほんじん女性じょせい
toori gakari no nihonnjin jyosei ni
a Japanese woman
英語えいごで「Where am I?」(ここはどこですか)
eigo de Where am I? koko ha doko desu ka
for directions, saying “Where am I?”
とたずねます。
to tazune masu.
asks
しかし、
shikashi,
However,
女性じょせい
jyosei ha
the woman
英語えいご
eigo ga
English
わかりません。
wakarimasenn.
doesn’t understand
シーン2
shi-nn ni
Scene 2.
男性だんせいは、
dannsei ha,
The man
わたしはどこ?」
watashi ha doko
“Watashi ha doko?”
to
as
英語えいご
eigo wo
the phrase
直訳ちょくやくします。
chokuyaku shimasu.
directly translates
英語えいごでは
eigo deha
In Japanese
「ここはどこですか」は
koko ha doko desu ka ha
“Koko ha doko desu ka?”
「Where am I?」
Where am I?
(Where is here?)
といいます。
to iimasu.
we say
つまり、
tsumari,
In other words,
直訳ちょくやくすると
chokuyaku suru to
if you directly translate “Where am I?”
わたしはどこにいますか」
watashi ha doko ni imasuka
“Watashi ha doko ni imasu ka?”
となります。
to narimasu.
it becomes
シーン3
shi-nn sann
Scene 3.
男性だんせい
dannsei ni
the man
わたしはどこ?」
watashi ha doko
“Watashi ha doko?”
われた
to iwareta
as asking her
女性じょせいは、
jyosei ha,
The woman
まえにいるのに
meno mae ni iru noni
is clearly right in front of her
そんなことを男性だんせい
sonnna koto wo kiku dannsei ni
the question
あきれます。
akire masu.
is surprised by
これは
kore ha
This
日本語にほんご
nihonngo
between Japanese
to
and
英語えいご
eigo no
English
発想はっそうちが
hassou no chigai
a conceptual difference
からです。
kara desu.
derives from
シーン4
shi-nn yonn
Scene 4.
男性だんせいは、
dannsei ha,
The man
かみってもらうために
kami wo kitte morau tame ni
so he could have his hair cut
美容院びよういんへの
byouinn he no
a hair salon
みち
michi wo
the way to
たずねた
tazune ta
ask
つもりでした
tsumori deshita
intended to
が、
ga,
but
美容院びよういん」を
biyouinn wo
instead of “biyouin” (hair salon)
病院びょういん」と
byouinn to
“byouin” (hospital)
ってしまいました。
itte shimai mashita.
he said
へん
henn na
to be rather strange
外国人がいこくじん
gaikokujinn
the man
おもっている
to omotte iru
believes
女性じょせいは、
jyosei ha,
The woman
男性だんせい
dannsei ga
he is asking
病院びょういん
byouinn de
the way to the hospital
あたまをみてもらいたいのだ
atama wo mite moraitai noda
to have his head checked out
おもいます。
to omoimasu.
and thinks that
基本きほん文型ぶんけい
kihonn bunnkei
Basic Sentence Patterns
ここはどこですか。
Koko ha doko desu ka.
Where am I?
ここは新宿しんじゅくさん丁目ちょうめです。
Koko ha Shinjuku’sanchome desu.
You are at Shinjuku Sanchome.
新宿しんじゅくえきはどこですか。
Shinjuku’eki ha doko desu ka.
Where is Shinjuku Station?
あそこのかどみぎがり、まっすぐってください。
Asoko no kado wo migi ni magari, massugu itte kudasai.
Please turn right at the corner over there, and go straight.
えき左側ひだりがわにあります。
Eki ha hidari'gawa ni arimasu.
The station is on your left.

More from Hiragana Times

Learn anytime, anywhere and experience more on app

Explore Japanese culture with Hiragana Times

Subscribe
00:00 / 00:00