Finding the way
Collocations, Stage 3chunk 21 of 23Getting around
Directions and losing your way: turning left at the corner, getting lost, going the wrong way, getting separated.
- hidari ni magaruturn left
- kado o magaruturn at the corner
- michi ni mayouget lost
- michi o machigaerugo the wrong way
- maigo ni naruget lost (wander off, like a lost child)
Mix-ups The corner takes o and the side takes ni (tsugi no kado o hidari ni magaru), and turning is magaru, not mawaru. mayou means you don't know where you are, machigaeru means you took the wrong road, and maigo means you got separated, like a lost child.
hidari ni magaru
polite hidari ni magarimasuturn left
左に曲がる ひだりにまがる 左に曲がります
verbmagaru 曲がるbend; turn (when moving along a road)typical 21% of hidari
trap Not hidari ni mawaru: mawaru is spin or go round; turning at a corner or light is magaru.
Heard in directions, mostly as the te-form request hidari ni magatte, often with the corner or light first, which takes o or de (tsugi no kado o / de hidari ni magatte). The side takes ni, sometimes e; migi ni magaru (turn right) works the same. In a taxi the verb often drops: tsugi, hidari de onegaishimasu.
koko, hidari ni magaru n da yo ne?
We turn left here, right?
ここ、左に曲がるんだよね？
koko o hidari ni magaru n desu yo ne?
We turn left here, don't we?
ここを左に曲がるんですよね？
Drivers and car navigation also say sasetsu / usetsu (left / right turn): koko usetsu dekinai yo (you can't turn right here).
Same verb: migi (right), kotchi (this way)Learn alongside: kado o magaru
kado o magaru
polite kado o magarimasuturn at the corner
角を曲がる かどをまがる 角を曲がります
verbmagaru 曲がるbend; turn (when moving along a road)typical 26% of kado
trap Not kado ni magaru: ni marks the side (migi ni), so the corner takes o (de also works: kado de migi ni magatte). kado o mawatta tokoro (just round the corner) is also fine, but a turn with a side named is magaru.
Heard in directions. The corner takes o because you go round it, and the side takes ni: futatsume no kado o migi ni magatte (turn right at the second corner). With no side named, kado magattara (once you turn the corner) says a place is just round it.
ano kado magattara, sugu da yo.
It's just round that corner.
あの角曲がったら、すぐだよ。
ano kado o magattara, sugu desu yo.
It's just around that corner.
あの角を曲がったら、すぐですよ。
A street corner is kado; the inside corner of a room is sumi (heya no sumi).
Same verb: kousaten (crossroads), shingou (traffic light), tsukiatari (end of the street)Learn alongside: hidari ni magaru
michi ni mayou
polite michi ni mayoimasuget lost
道に迷う みちにまよう 道に迷います
verbmayou 迷うlose your way; also hesitate, can't decidetypical 6% of michi
trap Not michi o nakusu or michi o ushinau: nakusu is for losing things, and being lost is michi ni mayou ('stray on the road').
Usually mayotta or mayotchatta (I've got lost) once the context is clear, like English 'I'm lost'. ima mayotteru (I'm lost right now) works just as well, and michi mayotte... explains why you're late. michi ni mayotta spells it out.
gomen, michi mayotte, chotto okureru.
Sorry, I got lost, I'll be a bit late.
ごめん、道迷って、ちょっと遅れる。
sumimasen, michi ni mayotte, sukoshi okuremasu.
Sorry, I got lost, so I'll be a little late.
すみません、道に迷って、少し遅れます。
The place you got lost in takes de: eki no naka de mayotta. Taking the wrong road on a route you know is michi o machigaeru (michi machigaeta). Getting separated from the people you're with, like a child in a shop, is maigo ni naru. Asking the way is michi o kiku: sumimasen, chotto michi o kikitai n desu kedo.
Learn alongside: michi o machigaeru, maigo ni naru
michi o machigaeru
polite michi o machigaemasugo the wrong way
道を間違える みちをまちがえる 道を間違えます
verbmachigaeru 間違えるget wrong; mistake one thing for anothertypical 1% of michi
trap A word-for-word machigatta michi ni itta is understood but stiff, and machigatta michi mostly means the wrong path in life. For a route, the road is the object: michi machigaeta (casually also michi machigatteru). michi ni mayou is different: being lost, with no idea where you are.
Mostly in the past, michi machigaeta (I went the wrong way), often as the reason you're late. Casual speech drops o, and the same frame covers the wrong train or exit: densha machigaeta, deguchi machigaeta.
a, michi machigaeta kamo.
Oh, I think we went the wrong way.
あ、道間違えたかも。
a, michi o machigaeta kamo shiremasen.
Oh, I think we may have gone the wrong way.
あ、道を間違えたかもしれません。
Getting on the train going the other way is hantai no densha ni notchatta.
Same verb: densha (train), deguchi (exit), basho (place), heya (room)Learn alongside: michi ni mayou, maigo ni naruMain list: machigaeru (Stage 3)
maigo ni naru
polite maigo ni narimasuget lost (wander off, like a lost child)
迷子になる まいごになる 迷子になります
verbnaru なるbecome, turn intotypical 83% of maigo
trap Not maigo suru: maigo is a noun ('lost child'), so you become one, maigo ni natta.
Mostly about children who wander off (kodomo no koro, maigo ni natta koto aru = I got lost once as a kid) or a companion lost in a crowd. Adults say it of themselves half-jokingly, in a huge station or mall. For an adult who simply can't find the way, indoors or out, the default is mayotta (michi ni mayou). The ni usually stays.
hito ooi kara, maigo ni naranaide ne.
There are lots of people, so don't get lost.
人多いから、迷子にならないでね。
hito ga ooi node, maigo ni naranaide kudasai ne.
There are lots of people, so please don't get lost.
人が多いので、迷子にならないでくださいね。
Getting separated from your group in a crowd is hagureru: tomodachi to hagurechatta.
Learn alongside: michi ni mayou, michi o machigaeruMain list: naru (Stage 1), -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4)