How to Say ‘Aren't we getting farther from the station?’ in Japanese
駅から遠ざかっていませんか？
eki kara toozakatsu te i mase n ka
[eh-kee kara toh-ZAH-kahk teh ee mah-seh n kah]
💬 Usage Tip: Asking with 〜ていませんか ("isn't it ...ing?") turns a complaint into a gentle check. The same pattern works elsewhere, like 間違っていませんか "isn't this wrong?"
Phrase Breakdown
駅から
eki kara
from the station
駅 (eki) means 'station,' and から means 'from.' Say it e-ki-ka-ra. The 'i' in 'eki' is often very light.
駅から歩きます。
I'll walk from the station.
Words in this phrase
駅
eki
[eh-kee]
station (train/subway)
駅 (えき) means a train/subway station. Common collocations: 駅前 (in front of the station), 最寄り駅 (nearest station).
駅まで歩きます。
I walk to the station.
から
kara
[kara]
from
Shows the starting point in a range, such as from row 1.
一列目から五列目まで売り切れです。
From the first row to the fifth row is sold out.
遠ざかっていませんか？
toozakatsu te i mase n ka
aren't we getting farther away?
遠ざかる means 'to move away.' 〜ていませんか asks 'isn't it happening?' Pause briefly on the small っ (to-o-za-kat-te), and raise your voice at the end.
音が遠ざかっていませんか？
Isn't the sound fading away?
Words in this phrase
遠ざかっ
toozakatsu
[toh-ZAH-kahk]
moving away
Stem form of 遠ざかる, to move farther away from something.
車が家から遠ざかった。
The car moved away from the house.
て
te
[teh]
and; -te form
A linking form used to connect verbs to following grammar, such as progressive or polite forms.
仕事を探している人と話しました。
I spoke with a person who is looking for work.
い
i
[ee]
to be; ongoing state
Part of ている, which shows an ongoing condition or action.
最近疲れているようです。
It seems you have been tired lately.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
polite negative (part of ません)
「ませ」 is part of 「ません」, the polite negative form.
はいていません。
I haven’t vomited.
ん
n
[n]
negative ending
The final sound completing the negative polite form.
一人は魚が食べられません。
One person cannot eat fish.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
Placed at the end of a sentence to make it a question.
A席はありますか。
Are there A seats available?
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