旅行と経験Travel and Experience
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe travel, lodging, tickets, reservations, and duration using vocabulary for trip planning and airports.
- State whether you have ever done something using 〜たことがあります, and ask others about their experiences.
- Express duration of time using counters for days, weeks, months, and years in travel contexts.
- Use もう and まだ to talk about whether something has already happened or has not happened yet.
- Make polite travel-related requests using patterns already introduced, such as 〜てください and 〜をお願いします.
- Sequence events using 前に and 後で.
- Read and write short travel-related texts, including itineraries, messages, and simple reservation exchanges.
- Recognize and read the twelve new kanji introduced in this chapter, with furigana support where required.
Communication Scenario
Tom is planning a short trip during an upcoming break, and Yuki has traveled to several places in Japan already. Over lunch, they talk about places Yuki has visited, how long she stayed, and what Tom should do before and after arriving. Later, Tom calls a small inn to make a reservation and picks up his ticket at the station. This chapter continues Unit IV by moving from narrating a single weekend into talking about broader life experiences and making concrete travel plans.
- This chapter builds directly on the plain past introduced productively in Chapter 16, extending it into the experience pattern たことがあります.
- By the end of the chapter, you will be able to talk about places you have been, plan a short trip, make a simple reservation, and describe the order of travel events.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports travel, lodging, tickets, reservations, duration, and experience language.
Travel and Places
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 旅行 | りょこう | travel; trip |
| 空港 | くうこう | airport |
| 海 | うみ | sea; ocean |
| 外国 | がいこく | foreign country |
| 国内 | こくない | domestic (within the country) |
Lodging, Tickets, and Reservations
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 泊まります | とまります | to stay overnight |
| 予約 | よやく | reservation |
| 予約します | よやくします | to make a reservation |
| 切符 | きっぷ | ticket |
| ホテル | ホテル | hotel |
| パスポート | パスポート | passport |
Duration and Experience Words
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一泊 | いっぱく | one night's stay |
| 二泊三日 | にはくみっか | three days, two nights |
| 一週間 | いっしゅうかん | one week |
| もう | もう | already |
| まだ | まだ | not yet; still |
Transportation words from Chapter 11, time and counter words from Chapters 7 and 9, and the plain past from Chapter 16 all return in this chapter's examples. The new material here focuses on talking about experience, duration, and the order of travel-related events.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces twelve new kanji connected to travel, lodging, and reservations. Furigana appears on each new kanji and is gradually reduced as these words return in later chapters.
予 and 約 almost always appear together as the word 予約, and 切 and 符 almost always appear together as 切符. Learn each pair as a single lexical unit rather than as two separately meaningful characters, since neither 符 alone nor 約 alone is common in everyday beginner vocabulary.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write each of the twelve kanji three times, then use each one in a short phrase from this chapter's vocabulary tables.
Pronunciation Focus
Several key words in this chapter contain a long vowel or a geminate consonant that changes meaning if shortened or lengthened incorrectly. Practice these contrasts carefully, since travel vocabulary is exactly the kind of practical language where a mora-count error can cause real confusion.
- 空港 くうこう — airport (long う in the first mora)
- 切符 きっぷ — ticket (small っ creating a geminate consonant)
- 一泊 いっぱく — one night's stay (small っ)
Also review the rising intonation used when confirming a reservation detail, such as repeating a date or number back to a clerk to check it is correct.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This section introduces the experience pattern たことがあります, duration expressions, もう and まだ, travel requests, and sequencing with 前に and 後で.
1. Talking about experience with 〜たことがあります
Purpose: to state whether you have ever done something, using the plain past form you learned in Chapter 16 plus ことがあります.
- 日本に行ったことがあります。I have been to Japan.plain past + ことがあります
- すしを食べたことがありません。I have never eaten sushi.
- 海外に行ったことがありますか。Have you ever been abroad?
This pattern refers to life experience in general, not to a specific single occasion. It uses the plain past form of the verb regardless of the overall sentence's politeness level, because ことがあります is itself already in polite style.
Error: *昨日、映画を見たことがあります。 (intended: "I watched a movie yesterday")
Correction: 昨日、映画を見ました。 — Use the simple past for a specific event with a stated time such as 昨日. Reserve たことがあります for general life experience, usually without a specific time word.
2. Expressing duration
Purpose: to state how long a stay, trip, or activity lasts or lasted.
- 三日間、旅行しました。I traveled for three days.
- 一週間、日本に泊まりました。I stayed in Japan for one week.
- 二泊三日の旅行を予約しました。I booked a three-day, two-night trip.
Duration expressions normally appear without a particle before the verb, unlike the point-in-time expressions with に that you already know from Chapter 7.
3. もう and まだ
Purpose: to state whether something has already happened or has not happened yet.
- もう予約しました。I have already made the reservation.
- まだ切符を買っていません。I haven't bought the ticket yet.
- もう食べましたか。ーいいえ、まだです。Have you eaten yet? — No, not yet.
まだ combines naturally with a negative verb form to mean "not yet," and can also stand alone as a short answer.
4. Travel requests
Purpose: to make polite requests when booking a room, buying a ticket, or asking for help while traveling.
- 一泊、お願いします。One night's stay, please.
- 窓側の席にしてください。Please make it a window seat.
- パスポートを見せてください。Please show me your passport.
These requests reuse the てください pattern from Chapter 11 and the practical お願いします pattern from Chapter 8, now applied to travel and lodging situations.
5. Sequencing with 前に and 後で
Purpose: to describe the order of two events in a trip or plan.
- 旅行に行く前に、切符を買いました。Before going on the trip, I bought the ticket.
- 空港に着いた後で、ホテルに電話しました。After arriving at the airport, I called the hotel.
前に follows a dictionary-form verb, while 後で follows a plain past-form verb. Both expressions connect two clauses describing a single sequence of events.
The short exchange もう〜ましたか。ーいいえ、まだです。 is extremely common in everyday planning conversations, including travel preparation. Learners should recognize and use this exchange as a fixed pattern for checking on the status of a task.
Grammar Practice
- Write two sentences about places you have or have not been, using たことがあります and たことがありません.
- Write a sentence stating the duration of an imagined trip.
- Write a short exchange using もう and まだ about whether a reservation has been made.
- Write a sentence making a polite travel request.
- Write a sentence using 前に and a sentence using 後で to describe a travel sequence.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Tom and Yuki talk over lunch about an upcoming trip, and Tom later calls a small inn to make a reservation.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- How many times has Yuki been to Okinawa, and how did she describe her trips?
- How long is Tom planning to stay, and what does he want to do before the trip?
- Has Tom bought his ticket yet? What is his plan for buying it?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Your travel experience. Write two sentences about places you have been or have never been, using たことがあります and たことがありません.
タスク２ — Plan a trip. Write a short plan stating the duration of a trip, one thing you will do before it, and one thing you will do after it, using 前に and 後で.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a clear, moderate pace.
きくタスク — Aki's travel plan
あきさんはらいげつ、りょこうにいきます。にっぽんのそとにいったことがありません。だから、こんかいがはじめてです。りょこうにいくまえに、パスポートをつくりました。もうホテルはよやくしました。でも、まだきっぷをかっていません。あしたかいます。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Note whether Aki has traveled abroad before, what she did before the trip, and what she has and has not done yet. Compare your notes with a partner or check them against the passage.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick answers
- 外国に行ったことがありますか。
- もう今日の宿題をしましたか。
- 旅行に行く前に、何をしますか。
コミュニケーションタスク — Planning a trip together
With a partner, plan a short imaginary trip. Decide on the duration, discuss whether either of you has been there before, and agree on what to do before and after arriving.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: A reservation call
Record yourself making a simple hotel reservation by phone, including the number of nights, your name, and one polite request.
Reading Practice
Read the following short itinerary and message, then answer the questions below.
旅行のよてい — Yuki's itinerary note
わたしは京都に行ったことがあります。でも、沖縄には行ったことがありません。だから、今度は沖縄に行きます。二泊三日の旅行です。空港に着いた後で、まず海に行きます。もうホテルは予約しました。でも、まだ切符は買っていません。
メッセージ — A message to Tom
トムさん、旅行の予定を教えてください。何泊しますか。ホテルはもう予約しましたか。切符を買う前に、教えてくださいね。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- According to Yuki's note, where has she been before, and where is she going this time?
- What will Yuki do right after arriving at the airport?
- According to the message, what three things does the writer want to know before Tom buys his ticket?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short travel plan describing a trip you have taken or would like to take.
- Choose a trip. Pick a real past trip, an imagined future trip, or a typical trip you would like to plan.
- List your ideas in English first. Note the destination, duration, one experience fact, and one before/after sequence.
- Write an opening sentence naming the destination and duration.
- Write a sentence about experience using たことがあります or たことがありません.
- Write a sentence with 前に describing something done before the trip or a key event.
- Write a sentence with 後で describing something done after arriving.
- Write a closing sentence using もう or まだ to state the current status of a preparation task.
- Revise and check using the checklist below before finalizing your work.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I named the destination and duration clearly.
- I used たことがあります or たことがありません correctly.
- I used 前に and 後で to sequence two events.
- I used もう or まだ to describe the status of a task.
- I used this chapter's vocabulary and kanji accurately, with furigana where still required.
- I ended each sentence with 。 and used consistent style within the passage.
Culture and Communication
Reservations for small inns and hotels are often made by phone, through a website, or through a booking app, depending on the establishment and the traveler's preference. A phone reservation typically follows a predictable formulaic pattern, such as stating the number of nights, giving a name, and confirming details, which makes it a useful model for beginning learners even before they can improvise more freely.
Preferred travel destinations, typical trip lengths, and common modes of transportation vary by region, budget, season, and personal circumstance. Okinawa, Kyoto, and other places mentioned in this chapter are common example destinations for practicing the target grammar, not a claim about where all travelers from Japan go or how they all travel.
Service interactions such as booking a room or buying a ticket are usually conducted in polite style, even between people who might use plain style with each other in a personal setting. The requests introduced in this chapter, such as お願いします and てください, remain appropriate defaults for these situations throughout the volume.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *先週、京都に行ったことがあります。
Correction: 先週、京都に行きました。 — With a specific time word such as 先週, use the simple past rather than the experience pattern.
Error: *三日間に旅行しました。
Correction: 三日間、旅行しました。 — Duration expressions such as 三日間 normally appear without a following particle before the verb.
Error: *行った前に、切符を買いました。
Correction: 行く前に、切符を買いました。 — 前に always follows the dictionary form, even when the whole sentence describes a past event.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Give at least four vocabulary items related to travel, lodging, or reservations from this chapter.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write any seven of this chapter's twelve kanji from memory, with their readings.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Write two sentences using たことがあります or たことがありません.
2. Write a sentence stating a duration of time.
3. Write a sentence with 前に and a sentence with 後で.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at Yuki's itinerary note in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing her plan.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Write a short travel plan, following the Writing Workshop steps.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. With a partner or instructor, plan a short trip together, using たことがあります, もう/まだ, and 前に/後で at least once each.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
旅行と経験 — Planning and describing a trip
You will produce a connected spoken and written account of a real or imagined trip, using the systems introduced in this chapter.
- Written: Write at least eight sentences describing a trip, including at least one たことがあります or たことがありません sentence, one duration expression, one もう or まだ sentence, and one 前に or 後で sentence.
- Spoken: Tell a partner or instructor about your trip aloud, including whether you have been to a similar place before.
- Interaction: Make a simple simulated reservation with a partner, including the number of nights and a polite request.
- Script check: Hand-write at least seven of this chapter's twelve kanji from memory, and read aloud a short itinerary furnished by your instructor.
Assessment focus: accurate use of たことがあります; correct duration expressions; accurate use of もう and まだ; correct sequencing with 前に and 後で; accurate use of this chapter's vocabulary and kanji; and appropriately polite requests in a service context.
Answer Key
Grammar Practice
1. Model: アメリカに行ったことがあります。／すしを食べたことがありません。 2. Model: 一週間、旅行しました。 3. Model: もうホテルを予約しましたか。ーいいえ、まだです。 4. Model: 一泊、お願いします。 5. Model: 旅行に行く前に、パスポートを作りました。空港に着いた後で、ホテルに電話しました。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Yuki has been to Okinawa twice and describes her trips as really fun.
- Tom is planning three days, two nights, and wants to book a hotel before the trip.
- Tom has not bought his ticket yet; he plans to buy it after booking the hotel.
Listening task — Model summary
Aki has never traveled abroad before, so this will be her first time. Before the trip, she made a passport. She has already booked the hotel but has not yet bought the ticket; she plans to buy it tomorrow.
Reading — Comprehension
- Yuki has been to Kyoto before but has never been to Okinawa, so this time she is going to Okinawa.
- Right after arriving at the airport, she will go to the sea first.
- The writer wants to know how many nights Tom is staying, whether he has already booked a hotel, and wants to be told before he buys his ticket.
Chapter Review — Section A
Open-ended; check against the vocabulary tables above.
Chapter Review — Section B
Open-ended; check against the kanji grids above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended; models follow the patterns shown in the Grammar and Sentence Patterns section above.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: ユキさんは沖縄に行ったことがありません。空港に着いた後で、まず海に行きます。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate spoken work against the Practical Performance Task assessment focus.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can talk about places you have and have not been, state how long a trip lasts, check whether a preparation task is already done or not yet done, make polite travel requests, and describe the order of events in a trip using 前に and 後で.