JLPT N4 Travel Vocabulary (Part 3)

Welcome to Part 3!

By now, you've already learned many useful words related to transportation, hotels, and traveling around Japan.

In this lesson, we'll continue with vocabulary that you'll often hear at train stations, airports, tourist attractions, and during daily conversations.

Let's keep going!

11. 乗る（のる）— To Ride / To Get On

This verb is used when getting on trains, buses, taxis, bicycles, airplanes, and other forms of transportation.

Example 1

朝の電車はとても混んでいるので、少し早く家を出るようにしています。

Romaji

Asa no densha wa totemo konde iru node, sukoshi hayaku ie o deru yō ni shite imasu.

Meaning

Because the morning trains are usually crowded, I make it a habit to leave home a little earlier.

Grammar

• ～ている
• ～ので
• ～ようにする

Example 2

この電車に乗れば、乗り換えをしなくても京都まで行けます。

Romaji

Kono densha ni noreba, norikae o shinakute mo Kyōto made ikemasu.

Meaning

If you take this train, you can get to Kyoto without transferring.

Grammar

• ～ば
• ～なくてもいい
• Potential form

12. 降りる（おりる）— To Get Off

The opposite of 乗る.

Example 1

次の駅で降りる予定ですが、もし寝てしまったら起こしてください。

Romaji

Tsugi no eki de oriru yotei desu ga, moshi nete shimattara okoshite kudasai.

Meaning

I'm planning to get off at the next station, but if I accidentally fall asleep, please wake me up.

Grammar

• ～予定です
• ～てしまう
• ～たら
• ～てください

Example 2

バスを降りてから五分ぐらい歩くと、美しい神社があります。

Romaji

Basu o orite kara go-fun gurai aruku to, utsukushii jinja ga arimasu.

Meaning

After getting off the bus and walking for about five minutes, you'll find a beautiful shrine.

Grammar

• ～てから
• ～ぐらい
• ～と

13. 遅れる（おくれる）— To Be Late

This verb is often used for trains, buses, appointments, or people.

Example 1

台風の影響で新幹線が三十分ほど遅れているそうです。

Romaji

Taifū no eikyō de shinkansen ga sanjuppun hodo okurete iru sō desu.

Meaning

I heard that the Shinkansen is delayed by about thirty minutes because of the typhoon.

Grammar

• ～そうです (I heard...)
• ～ほど
• ～ている

Example 2

もし電車が遅れた場合は、会社に連絡しなければなりません。

Romaji

Moshi densha ga okureta baai wa, kaisha ni renraku shinakereba narimasen.

Meaning

If the train is delayed, I have to contact my company.

Grammar

• ～場合
• ～なければなりません

14. 出発（しゅっぱつ）— Departure

You'll often see this word on departure boards at airports and train stations.

Example 1

飛行機が出発する一時間前までに空港へ着くようにしてください。

Romaji

Hikōki ga shuppatsu suru ichi-jikan mae made ni kūkō e tsuku yō ni shite kudasai.

Meaning

Please make sure you arrive at the airport at least one hour before your flight departs.

Grammar

• ～までに
• ～ようにしてください
• Relative clause

Example 2

出発する前に、もう一度パスポートを確認したほうがいいですよ。

Romaji

Shuppatsu suru mae ni, mō ichido pasupōto o kakunin shita hō ga ii desu yo.

Meaning

Before departing, you should check your passport one more time.

Grammar

• ～前に
• ～ほうがいい

15. 到着（とうちゃく）— Arrival

This word refers to arriving at a destination.

Example 1

大阪に到着したら、まずホテルへ荷物を置きに行くつもりです。

Romaji

Ōsaka ni tōchaku shitara, mazu hoteru e nimotsu o oki ni iku tsumori desu.

Meaning

When I arrive in Osaka, I'm planning to go to the hotel first to leave my luggage.

Grammar

• ～たら
• ～に行く
• ～つもりです

Example 2

予定より早く到着したおかげで、有名なカフェへ行く時間ができました。

Romaji

Yotei yori hayaku tōchaku shita okage de, yūmei na kafe e iku jikan ga dekimashita.

Meaning

Because I arrived earlier than expected, I had enough time to visit a famous café.

Grammar

• ～より
• ～おかげで
• Potential verb

Grammar Review

Here are the grammar patterns introduced in this lesson.

Mini Reading

昨日、京都へ旅行しました。

朝早く家を出るようにしていたので、駅には予定より三十分早く着きました。新幹線に乗る前に駅で朝ご飯を買って、それからホームへ向かいました。

京都に到着したあと、ホテルに荷物を預けてから、有名なお寺や神社を見に行きました。天気もよく、人もそれほど多くなかったので、一日中とても楽しく旅行することができました。

Translation

Yesterday, I traveled to Kyoto.

Since I made it a habit to leave home early, I arrived at the station thirty minutes ahead of schedule. Before boarding the Shinkansen, I bought breakfast at the station and then headed to the platform.

After arriving in Kyoto, I left my luggage at the hotel before visiting several famous temples and shrines. The weather was nice, and there weren't too many people, so I was able to enjoy my trip all day.

Final Thoughts

At the JLPT N4 level, learning individual vocabulary is only the beginning. The real challenge is recognizing how those words naturally combine with grammar in everyday conversations.

If you can read every example in this series without translating word by word, you're making solid progress toward becoming comfortable with real Japanese.

Keep reviewing the examples aloud, create your own variations, and don't be afraid to reuse the same grammar patterns with different vocabulary. That's one of the fastest ways to improve both your reading and speaking skills.

See you in the next JLPT N4 vocabulary series!