Excuse me, where is the ward office? -- Sumimasen, kuyakusho wa doko desu ka. The ward office is in that direction. -- Kuyakusho wa atchi (or: atchira) desu. Do you know where the Sony Building is? -- Sonii biru wa wakarimasu ka. How long does it take to get to Shibuya? -- Shibuya made dono gurai kakarimasu ka. Do you know (Lit. Don't you know) where the dictionary is? -- Jisho (o) [or: wa] shirimasen ka. Which floor is the china and pottery department on? -- Shokki (no) uriba wa nan-gai (or: nan-kai) desu ka. Excuse me, is there a bookstore around here? -- Sumimasen, kono hen ni hon-ya wa arimasen ka. I go straight and I'll see the bookstore on the corner of the intersection. (confirmation) -- Massugu itte, kousaten no kado ni hon-ya ga arimasu ne. I'd like to see Mr. Tanaka of the Planning Department. -- Kikaku-bu no Tanaka-san ni ome ni kakaritai-n desu ga. I get off the elevator on the 8th floor and his office is to the right. (confirmation) -- Hak-kai de erebeetaa o orite ofisu wa migi-gawa ni arimasu ne. How many days does it take from Tokyo to Fukuoka? -- Toukyou kara Fukuoka made nan-nichi kakarimasu ka. (gurai can be used as a softening -- device in this sentence pattern) It'll probably take 1 or 2 days. -- (Tabun) ichi-nichi ka futsuka deshou. Where is Ms. Yamada? -- Yamada-san wa doko ni imasu ka. (here *wa* should be used) May I interrupt for a moment? -- Chotto ii desu ka. Excuse me, can you give me 3 of these, please? -- Sumimasen, kore (o) mittsu kudasai. No, (it's) the next one to the right. -- Iie, sono migi no desu. I'd like to have the bottom-most one, the third from the left. -- Ichi-ban shita no hidari kara san-ban-me no o onegai shimasu (or: ... o kudasai). Sorry, but would you repeat that, please? -- Sumimasen, mou ichido itte kudasai. OR: Mou ichido onegai shimasu. Approximately how many hours does it take by car? -- Nan-jikan gurai (=approx.) kuruma de kakarimasu ka. Excuse me, but may I use your telephone? -- Sumimasen, denwa o tsukatte mo ii desu ka. How many minutes does it take by train? -- Densha de nan-pun kakarimasu ka. Which floor is the toy department on? -- Omocha (no) uriba wa nan-gai (or: nan-kai) desu ka. On the weekend, it will take more time. -- Shuumatsu wa jikan ga kakarimasu (yo). Is that so? Well, then I'll take the bus. -- Sou desu ka. Jaa, basu de ikimasu. Could you tell me where the bank is? -- Ginkou wa doko deshou ka. Do you know where the library is? -- Toshokan wa wakarimasu ka. Excuse me, where is the restroom? -- Sumimasen, o-tearai wa doko desu ka. Well, then I'll go by Shinkansen as planned. -- Sore jaa, yappari shinkansen de ikimasu. The electrical appliances department is on the 5th floor. -- Denki-seihin (no) uriba wa go-kai desu. How long do you think it will take from San Francisco to San Jose by car? -- San Furanshisuko kara San Noze made kuruma de dono gurai kakaru deshou ka. Would you give me the closest one, please? -- Ichi-ban temae (or: chikaku) no o kudasai. How long did it take for you to come to Soko Gakuen today? -- Kyou Souko Gakuen made dono gurai kakarimashita ka. Please give me the second one from the top. -- Ue kara ni-ban-me no o onegai shimasu. Mr. White was in the conference room this morning, (but) -- Kesa Howaito-san wa (here *wa* should be used and not *ga*) kaigi-shitsu ni imashita kedo I'd like to go to Ueno, how can I get there? -- Ueno e ikitai-n desu ga, dou ittara ii deshou ka. I change from the Ginza line to the Yamanote line at Ginza, right? (confirmation) -- Ginza de Ginza-sen o (or: kara) Yamanote-sen ni norikaemasu ne. Could you please write it in Hiragana? -- Hiragana de kaite kuremasen ka. I get on the Chuo line and get off at Mitaka Station, right? (confirmation) -- Cuuoo-sen ni notte Mitaka-eki de orimasu ne. Where is the trainbound for Kyoto? -- Kyouto-yuki (no densha) wa doko desu ka. From which track does the Hikari No. 1 leave? -- Hikari ichi-gou wa nan-ban-sen desu ka. Does this bus stop at Golden Gate Park? -- Kore wa 'Golden Gate Park' ni (or: de) tomarimasu ka. As for (buying) souvenirs, what would be good? -- O-miyage wa nani ga ii deshou ka. How about cookies? -- Kukkii wa dou desu ka. I'd like to go to the festival in Kyoto, how should I go? -- Kyouto no matsuri ni ikitai-n desu ga, dou ittara ii deshou ka. As (for viewing) autumn leaves, how about Hakone? Because it's close from Tokyo. -- Kouyou wa Hakone wa dou desu ka. Toukyou no chikaku desu kara (since chikaku is a noun in this case the marker is *no*). Or: Toukyou ni chikai desu kara. What time is it now? -- Ima nan-ji desu ka. How many cups of tea do you drink a day? -- Ichi-nichi ni nan-bai ocha o nomimasu ka. Whose computer is this? -- Kore wa dare no konpyuutaa desu ka. OR: Kono konpyuutaa wa dare no desu ka. Did you go see the basketball game yesterday? -- Kinou basuketobaru no gamu o mi ni ikimashita ka. Shall I draw a map to show the way to my house? -- Uchi made no chizu o kakimashou ka. If you are free for the upcoming holiday, why don't you come over to my house? -- Kondo no yasumi (ni) o-hima deshitara uchi e kimasen ka. Where shall we go? -- Doko e ikimashou ka. What time shall we meet? -- Nan-ji ni aimashou ka. Why don't we go for a drink tonight? -- Konban (issho ni) nomi ni ikimasen ka. Would you like to go shopping together? -- Issho ni kaimono ni ikemasen ka. As for (viewing) autumn leaves how about Hakone? -- Kouyou wa Hakone wa dou desu ka. Note: kouyou is the topic here I'd like to go to the festival in Kyoto, how should I go? -- Kyouto no matsuri ni ikitai-n desu ga, dou ittara ii deshou ka. As for (buying) souvenirs, what would be good? -- O-miyage wa nani ga ii deshou ka. Note: o-miyage is the topic here Where is the train (bound) for Kyoto? -- Kyouto-yuki no densha wa doko desu ka. Could you come here at 4:30 tomorrow? -- Ashita yo-ji han ni koko e (or: ni) kite kuremasen ka. I get on (take) the Chuo line, and get off at Mitaka, right? -- Chuuou-sen ni notte, Mitaka de orimasu ne. I change from the Yamanote line to the Hibiya line, right? -- Yamanote-sen o (or: kara) Hibaya-sen ni norikaemasu ne. Would you give me the closest one, please? -- Ichi-ban temae no o onegai shimasu (or: o kudasai). Please give me the first one from the top. -- Ue kara ichi-ban me no o kudasai. OR: Ichi-ban ue no o kudasai. (since it is the first one) I'd like to master 2000 kanji, (but) how long do you think it'll take? -- Kanji o ni-sen masutaa shitai-n desu ga dono gurai kakaru deshou ka. OR: Kanji o ni-sen oboetai-n desu ga... NOTE: to master=masutaa shimasu; to memorize/internalize=oboemasu This test will take from 1 to 2 hours, won't it? -- (Kono) tesuto wa ichi-ni-jikan (or: ichi-jikan kara ni-jikan) kakarimasu ne. Where is your English-Japanese dictionary? -- Eiwa-jiten (or: eiwa-jisho) o (or: wa) shirimasen ka. Note: o is often omitted Do you know where today's paper is? -- Kyou no shinbun o (or: wa) shirimasen ka. Note: o is often omitted Excuse me, I'd like to go to the cafeteria... -- Sumimasen, shokudou e ikitai-n desu ga... Do you know where the university library is? -- Daigaku no toshokan wa wakarimasu ka. On the weekend, it'll take more time. -- Shuumatsu wa (moto=more) jikan ga kakarimasu (yo). NOTE: shuumatsu is the generalized topic = wa Well, then I'll go by Kodama just as I planned. -- Sore jaa, yappari Kodama (=train name) de ikimasu. How many minutes does it take by plane. -- Hikouki de nan-pun kakarimasu ka. I'd like to go to the ward office... -- Kuyakusho e (or: ni) ikitai-n desu ga... Excuse me, is there a post office around here? -- Sumimasen, kono hen ni yuubinkyoku wa arimasen ka. NOTE: wa not ga should be used here (neg. sentence) My name is John Smith from the United States. -- Amerika no Jon Sumisu desu. Excuse me, can you give me 2 of these, please? -- Sumimasen, kore (o) futatsu kudasai. I'd like to have the bottom-most one, the third from the left. -- Ichi-ban shita no hidari kara san-ban-me no o kudasai (or: o onegai shimasu). Sorry, can you repeat that, please? -- Sumimasen, mou ichido itte kudasai. May I interrupt for a moment? -- Chotto ii desu ka. How many days does it take from Tokyo to Akita by car? -- Toukyou kara Akita made kuruma de nan-nichi kakarimasu ka. It'll probably take 2 or 3 days. -- (Tabun) futsuka ka mikka (or: ni-san-nichi) kakaru deshou. Is that so? Well, then I'll take the plane. -- Sou desu ka. Jaa, hikouki de ikimasu. Shall I write in Hiragana. Yes, please. -- Hiragana de kakimashou ka. Ee, onegai simasu. The electric appliances department is on the 4th floor. -- Denki-seihin (no) uriba wa yon-kai desu. May I go home early today? -- Kyou hayaku kaette mo ii deshou ka. If it's in the afternoon, that's fine. -- Gogo deshitara ii desu yo.