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44. Stairs & Entrances

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Vocabulary

階 (かい) kai

floor; story (counter)

Counter

A special word used when counting things. Japanese uses different counters for flat objects, people, small animals, and more.

三階にあります。
Sankai ni arimasu. — It's on the third floor.
何階ですか。
Nankai desu ka. — What floor is it?
五階まで行きます。
Gokai made ikimasu. — I'm going up to the fifth floor.
階段 (かいだん) kaidan

stairs; staircase

Noun

A word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

階段で行きましょう。
Kaidan de ikimashō. — Let's take the stairs.
階段はどこですか。
Kaidan wa doko desu ka. — Where are the stairs?
この階段は長いです。
Kono kaidan wa nagai desu. — These stairs are long.
エレベーター erebeetaa

elevator

Noun

A word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

エレベーターで行きます。
Erebētā de ikimasu. — I'll go by elevator.
エレベーターはあそこです。
Erebētā wa asoko desu. — The elevator is over there.
エレベーターに乗ります。
Erebētā ni norimasu. — I'll take the elevator.

Cultural Notes

Counting floors with 階

In Japan, the ground floor is 一階 (first floor), not "ground floor" like in British English. When asking what floor something is on, 何階ですか is the phrase to use.

出来る for ability vs. completion

出来る has two meanings. It can mean "to be able to" (日本語が出来ます - I can speak Japanese) or "to be ready/finished" (ご飯が出来た - dinner is ready). Context makes the meaning clear, and both uses come up constantly in daily life.

入口 and 出口 are everywhere

You will see 入口 and 出口 signs at every station, department store, and parking lot in Japan. Many places have separate entrances and exits to manage foot traffic flow. Following these signs is expected - walking in through the 出口 will get you some looks.