Dispute with taxi driver: Route choice
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Key Phrases
この道はいつも混んでいます
kono michi wa itsu mo kon de i masu
This road is always crowded
そんなことないです
sonna koto nai desu
That's not true
行きましょうか
iki mashou ka
Shall we go
Skills You'll Learn
Expressing disbelief
不信を表現する
fushin o hyougen suru
Discussing travel routes
旅行ルートについて話し合う
ryokou ruuto ni tsui te hanashiau
Understanding negations
否定形の理解
hitei kei no rikai
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you are in a car discussing the best route to take with a friend. The road you're currently on is often crowded, but your friend insists it's the fastest way. You, however, have a different opinion and suggest another route that you believe would save time, even if it's technically a detour. After some discussion, your friend agrees to try your suggested route.
この道はいつも混んでいますよ。
kono michi wa itsu mo kon de i masu yo
This road is always crowded.
でも、これが一番早いルートです。
de mo kore ga ichiban hayai ruuto desu
But this is the fastest route.
いや、そんなことないです。いつも別の道で行きます。
iya sonna koto nai desu itsu mo betsu no michi de iki masu
No, that's not true. I always take a different road.
しかし、その道は遠回りになりますよ。
shikashi sono michi wa toomawari ni nari masu yo
However, that route is a detour.
でも、時間がかからないんです。
de mo jikan ga kakara nai n desu
But it doesn't take much time.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
この
kono
This
💬 [この] must come before a noun: [この道] "this road," [この店] "this shop." If you want to say "this" by itself, use [これ] instead.
See breakdown →道
michi
Road
この道
kono michi
This road
いつも
itsu mo
Always
混んで
kon de
Crowded
💬 [混んで] is the linking form of [混む], used before another part like [います]. You'll see this pattern a lot: [待っています] "is waiting," [座っています] "is sitting."
See breakdown →います
i masu
Is/are
💬 After the [て] form, [います] often means an ongoing state, not just "is." So [混んでいます] means "it is crowded," like a current condition.
See breakdown →混んでいます
kon de i masu
Crowded
でも
de mo
But
💬 [でも] at the start of a sentence means "but" or "however." The same word can also mean "even" or "for example" in other patterns, so the position matters.
See breakdown →一番
ichiban
Best/most
💬 [一番] goes before an adjective to mean "the most" or "-est": [一番早い] "the fastest," [一番近い] "the closest."
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