Nuance & Usage
駅 refers specifically to a train or subway station in Japan. Unlike in some countries, Japanese 駅 are often major community hubs with shops, restaurants, and services inside. Common related phrases: 駅前 (ekimae — in front of the station), 駅員 (ekiin — station staff), 終点 (shuuten — last stop). Note: bus stops are バス停 (basutei), not 駅.
Common Mistakes
Learners often use 駅 for all types of transit stops, but 駅 only refers to train/subway stations. For bus stops, use バス停 (basutei). Also, when giving directions, the particle に is used for destination (駅に行く — go to the station) while で marks location of an action (駅で待つ — wait at the station).
Example Sentences (3)
駅はどこですか？
えきはどこですか？
Where is the station?
駅の前で会いましょう。
えきのまえであいましょう。
Let's meet in front of the station.
この駅から東京まで何分かかりますか？
このえきからとうきょうまでなんぷんかかりますか？
How many minutes does it take from this station to Tokyo?
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
N54 questionsTest your knowledge of 駅 with 4 different question types.
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