Question
It’s our first winter holiday in Japan and we have just checked in to a Japanese inn at Hakuba. There is a free shuttle bus from the inn to the ski resort but we’re not sure of the timings. How do I ask the staff “What time is the next shuttle bus to the ski resort?” in Japanese?
Answer by Professional Japanese Teacher
次（つぎ）のスキー場（じょう）までのシャトルバスは何時（なんじ）ですか。
Tsugi no sukiijoo made no shatorubasu wa nanji desuka?
What time is the next shuttle bus to the ski resort?
This is a useful expression to ask for the timing of the next bus/train to a certain location. Tsugi no means “next”; sukiijoo made means “to the ski resort”; and nanji means “what time”. Simply replace sukiijoo with other locations and shatorubasu with other modes of transportation according to your travel plans.
You may want to save this expression “tsugi no place made no transport wa nanji desuka” for other destinations and transportation.
