On a trip
Collocations, Stage 3chunk 11 of 23Getting around
Going away: the trip, the flight, the hotel, the gifts you bring back and the hot spring.
- ryokou ni ikugo on a trip
- hikouki ni norufly, take a plane
- hoteru ni tomarustay at a hotel
- omiyage o kaubuy gifts to take back
- onsen ni hairubathe in a hot spring
Mix-ups Each place takes ni with its own verb: noru for the plane (English 'fly' is not tobu), tomaru for staying the night (not iru, and not yoru, which is dropping in), hairu for the hot spring.
ryokou ni iku
polite ryokou ni ikimasugo on a trip
旅行に行く りょこうにいく 旅行に行きます
verbiku 行くgotypical 19% of ryokou
trap Not ryokou o toru ('take a trip'): you go on a trip, ryokou ni iku, or just ryokou suru.
The usual way to talk about trips and plans: dokka ryokou iku? Casual speech drops the ni after ryokou, and a trip you're back from is ryokou itte kita. Going abroad is kaigai ryokou ni iku.
natsuyasumi, dokka ryokou ikanai?
Want to go on a trip somewhere over the summer break?
夏休み、どっか旅行行かない？
natsuyasumi, dokoka ryokou ni ikimasen ka?
Would you like to go on a trip somewhere over the summer break?
夏休み、どこか旅行に行きませんか？
A work trip is shutchou, not ryokou: ashita kara shutchou nan da.
Same verb: shutchou (work trip), kyanpu (camping), sanpo (a walk), hanami (cherry-blossom viewing)Main list: -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4), iku (Stage 1)
hikouki ni noru
polite hikouki ni norimasufly, take a plane
飛行機に乗る ひこうきにのる 飛行機に乗ります
verbnoru 乗るride; get onto (a vehicle, a bike, a ride)
trap Not hikouki o toru for 'take a plane': hikouki totta? means 'have you booked your flight?'. Being on board is ni noru, like every vehicle, and how you get there takes de: hikouki de iku. oosaka ni tobu (fly off to Osaka) is real too, but casual, with a sudden, business-trip feel.
Used for the flight itself: hikouki notta koto aru? (have you ever flown?), hikouki notteru aida (during the flight). To say how you get somewhere, use de: hikouki de iku. Casual speech drops ni.
hikouki notteru aida, zutto neteta.
I slept the whole flight.
飛行機乗ってる間、ずっと寝てた。
hikouki ni notteru aida, zutto netemashita.
I slept the whole flight.
飛行機に乗ってる間、ずっと寝てました。
A flight is a bin: nanji no bin? (what time's your flight?).
Same verb: shinkansen (bullet train)Learn alongside: densha ni noru, basu ni noru, kuruma ni noru, densha o oriru, jitensha ni noru, eki o norisugosu, kuruma ni noseruMain list: iku (Stage 1), toru (Stage 4)
hoteru ni tomaru
polite hoteru ni tomarimasustay at a hotel
ホテルに泊まる ホテルにとまる ホテルに泊まります
verbtomaru 泊まるstay the night (away from home)typical 6% of hoteru
trap Not hoteru ni nokoru, which is staying in rather than going out. hoteru ni iru says where you are or are based, not where you sleep: 'where are you staying?' is doko ni tomatteru?, and taizai suru is the formal word.
Mostly asked and planned: doko tomaru? (where are you staying?), kyou wa hoteru ni tomaru. Casual speech can drop ni, and the same verb covers a sleepover: tomodachi no uchi ni tomaru.
ekimae no hoteru ni tomaru yo.
I'm staying at a hotel by the station.
駅前のホテルに泊まるよ。
ekimae no hoteru ni tomarimasu.
I'm staying at a hotel by the station.
駅前のホテルに泊まります。
Booking a room is hoteru o toru; putting someone up is tomeru: hitoban tomete kureru? (can you put me up for the night?).
Same verb: ryokan (Japanese inn), tomodachi no ie (a friend's place), jikka (parents' home)Learn alongside: kuruma o tomeru, konbini ni yoruMain list: iru (Stage 1)
omiyage o kau
polite omiyage o kaimasubuy gifts to take back
お土産を買う おみやげをかう お土産を買います
verbkau 買うbuytypical 16% of omiyage
trap English 'souvenir' is often something for yourself, but omiyage are mainly gifts for others, family and coworkers above all, often boxed local sweets and close to expected. One for yourself is jibun-you (or jokingly jibun e no omiyage), and a keepsake is kinenhin.
Comes up on every trip: omiyage kawanakya (I need to get gifts to take back), omiyage nani ga ii? Casual speech drops o. A small gift you bring when visiting someone's home is also omiyage.
kaisha no hito ni, omiyage kawanakya.
I need to get gifts for the people at work.
会社の人に、お土産買わなきゃ。
kaisha no hito ni, omiyage o kawanai to ikenai n desu.
I need to buy gifts for the people at work.
会社の人に、お土産を買わないといけないんです。
Handing one over: kore, omiyage (here, a little something from my trip).
Main list: kau (Stage 3)
onsen ni hairu
polite onsen ni hairimasubathe in a hot spring
温泉に入る おんせんにはいる 温泉に入ります
verbhairu 入るgo into, enter (a room, a bath, a club)typical 19% of onsen
trap Not onsen o abiru: abiru is for showers. You get into a hot spring the way you get into a bath, with ni hairu (ofuro ni hairu).
Heard on trips and at an inn: onsen haitta? (been in the hot spring yet?), onsen haitte kuru, mostly without ni. Going to a hot-spring town or bathhouse is onsen ni iku: onsen ikitai na.
gohan no mae ni, onsen haitte kuru.
I'm going to soak in the hot spring before dinner.
ご飯の前に、温泉入ってくる。
gohan no mae ni, onsen ni haitte kimasu.
I'm going to have a dip in the hot spring before dinner.
ご飯の前に、温泉に入ってきます。
A long soak is tsukaru: yukkuri onsen ni tsukaritai (I want a good long soak).
Same verb: rotenburo (outdoor bath), sauna (sauna)Learn alongside: shawaa o abiru, ofuro ni hairu, shashin o toru, kusuri o nomu, jikan ga kakaru, jikan ga tatsu, tema ga kakaru, jikan o toru (Stage 4)Main list: hairu (Stage 1)