Aoi Matsuri: Asking for schedule of the procession
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Key Phrases
すみません、ちょっといいですか。
sumi mase n chotto ii desu ka
Excuse me, do you have a moment?
何時ごろ着きますか。
nan ji goro tsuki masu ka
About what time does it arrive?
そのあとは、どこへ行きますか。
sono ato wa doko e iki masu ka
Where does it go after that?
Skills You'll Learn
Learning polite expressions to approach someone and ask for their time
丁寧に話しかけて相手の時間を尋ねる表現を学ぶ
teinei ni hanashikake te aite no jikan o tazuneru hyougen o manabu
Learning how to ask and answer about the timing of events or occurrences
出来事やイベントの時間について質問し、答える方法を学ぶ
dekigoto ya ibento no jikan ni tsui te shitsumon shi kotaeru houhou o manabu
Learning expressions to ask about locations and sequences of events
場所や順序について尋ねる表現を学ぶ
basho ya junjo ni tsui te tazuneru hyougen o manabu
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're in Kyoto on the day of a big festival. You want to ask a local when and where the festival parade will pass.
すみません、ちょっといいですか。
sumi mase n chotto ii desu ka
Excuse me, do you have a moment?
はい、どうぞ。
hai douzo
Yes, go ahead.
葵祭の行列は何時に始まりますか。
aoimatsuri no gyouretsu wa nan ji ni hajimari masu ka
What time does the Aoi Matsuri procession start?
十時半に京都御所を出発します。
juu ji han ni kyouto gosho o shuppatsu shi masu
It leaves the Kyoto Imperial Palace at ten thirty.
下鴨神社には何時ごろ着きますか。
shimogamo jinja ni wa nan ji goro tsuki masu ka
About what time does it arrive at Shimogamo Shrine?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
すみません。
sumi mase n
Excuse me.
🇯🇵 This is the standard way to get a stranger's attention before asking a question, like asking a fellow spectator about the procession. It's polite and never sounds pushy.
See breakdown →ちょっといいですか。
chotto ii desu ka
Do you have a moment?
💬 ちょっと literally means "a little", and いいですか means "is it okay?", so the phrase is really "Is it okay for a bit?" Leaving out what you want is normal; the listener fills it in.
See breakdown →すみません、ちょっといいですか。
sumi mase n chotto ii desu ka
Excuse me, do you have a moment?
🇯🇵 This is the polite, standard way to stop a stranger, a festival volunteer, or a staff member before asking something. Opening with すみません first makes it land as considerate rather than abrupt.
See breakdown →はい、どうぞ。
hai douzo
Yes, go ahead.
葵祭
aoimatsuri
Aoi Matsuri
💬 祭 alone is (matsuri), but here it's (Aoi Matsuri), and in many names it softens to (-maturi) → (-batsuri)? No: it stays (matsuri). The 葵 (aoi) is the hollyhock leaf worn by participants.
🇯🇵 Held every May 15 in Kyoto, it's one of the city's three great festivals. Its procession of people in Heian-era court dress is the main thing visitors come to see, so locals assume that's what you're asking about.
See breakdown →行列
gyouretsu
Procession
💬 行列 (gyōretsu) also means an ordinary line or queue. A shop with a 行列 has people waiting outside.
See breakdown →何時に始まりますか。
nan ji ni hajimari masu ka
What time does it start?
💬 何時 (nanji) plus に asks "at what time". The same pattern works with other verbs: 何時に終わりますか "What time does it end?"
See breakdown →十時半
juu ji han
Ten thirty
💬 半 (han) after any hour means "thirty": 二時半 (niji-han) is "two thirty".
See breakdown →京都御所
kyouto gosho
Kyoto Imperial Palace
🇯🇵 The procession leaves from the palace grounds in the morning. Paid seating there sells out early, but the streets along the route are free to stand on.
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