# GPS Directions: Turn Right, Turn Left



## ヨモギ

Hi all,

I am an absolute beginner at learning Japanese. I have set my GPS to Japanese, and am trying to understand what it is saying. "Turn right" sounds something like めいじほこです and "Turn left" sounds something like ひだれほこです, but neither of these make sense. Can you tell me what my GPS is actually saying?

ありがとございます！


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## SoLaTiDoberman

Turn right：　 右方向です。　みぎほうこうです。
Turn left：　 左方向です。　ひだりほうこうです。


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## jamesh625

Huh, I haven't used a GPS in Japanese before, but I thought it would've been something like 左・右に曲がってください。

Why is this other expression used and what's the difference between the two?


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## karlalou

ヨモギ said:


> "Turn right" sounds something like めいじほこです and "Turn left" sounds something like ひだれほこです, but neither of these make sense.


めいじほこです might be trying to say みぎほうこうです
ひだれほこです might be trying to say ひだりほうこうです

BUT みぎほうこうです is just saying "It's in the right direction", and ひだりほうこうです is just saying "It's in the left direction", and neither of them says "Turn".

"Turn right" is みぎにまがれ（まがってください）, and "Turn left" is ひだりにまがれ（まがってください）.


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## ヨモギ

I see! So instead of an imperative "Turn right!" it is a descriptive "It is in the right direction." That makes perfect sense.


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## frequency

jamesh625 said:


> 左・右に曲がってください。


Yes, we usually say this way.



jamesh625 said:


> Why is this other expression used and what's the difference between the two?


右方向・左方向（です。）
These two are a noun phrase, getting more compact lol.
When you're told 右へ曲がってください, you and the speaker know that there obviously is a road leading to the right. But in 右方向, you need to select the direction toward right－alternative is not only one.


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## jamesh625

frequency said:


> 右方向・左方向（です。）
> These two are a noun phrase, getting more compact lol.
> When you're told 右へ曲がってください, you and the speaker know that there obviously is a road leading to the right. But in 右方向, you need to select the direction toward right－alternative is not only one.



日本語のGPSはあまり詳しくないけど、左・右方向はちょっと曖昧にならないんですか？

つまり、左・右方向は、文字通り、方向を示し、道に曲がるとは限らないでしょう。

|    |___
|       b
|    |￣￣
|    |  c
|    |___
|       a
|    |￣￣
| ⇑|
|車|

例えば、この場合では、車はどうしますか。
1) aで右に曲がる
2) bで右に曲がる
3) cで停まる

曖昧だから、よくわかりませんね！もちろん、コンテキストがあるから、多分aで右に曲がるでしょう。
でも、直接解釈すれば、「左・右方向」はただ「左・右へ」という意味でしょう。具体的に「曲がる」という意味を示していないでしょう。


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## SoLaTiDoberman

It depends on each GPS's voice recording.
However, my GPS says exactly in that way, so I know. I know it well. I'm accustomed to hear it.

It says, ５０ｍ先次の信号を右方向です。・・・・　２０ｍ先、次の信号を右方向です。　・・・・・（直前で）　右です！
In this context, what the Japanese expression means is exactly "turn right (at the next traffic light)" in the English language.

The literal translation would be "It (the direction which is preferable to go to your destination) is the right direction at the next traffic light that is located 50 m ahead."
The literal translation for 右です would not be "turn right", but "it is right!"

These literal translations would help you understand the Japanese language.
I don't deny that way of thinking is important from a certain viewpoint.

For example,　however, if you stick to the literal translations,
おはよう is not "good morning" but "It's early, isn't it?"
さようなら is not "good bye" but "as the situation is like that...(it would be the best timing for me to leave)."
Don't you think these explanations are ridiculous in a sense?

おはよう is "good morning" and さようなら is "good bye" without even thinking.

Likewise, to me, 右方向です in this specific context is definitely "turn right" without thinking.
Because I know the context.

The context is:
A GPS is giving direction to the driver in the car.


Without that context, 右方向です may mean "it is in the right direction" and ambiguous as you said.
However, with the context, I mean if a GPS tells in that way, native speakers won't confuse at all.

I don't think your recognition of the expression is correct.
For example,
"May I eat this?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
If I ask you that "go ahead" is an ambiguous expression which might not mean "you can eat it" but "you should go one step forward literally to become more closer to the food," what do you say?
You probably think that my question is absurd for a native English speakers, right?
Likewise, I don't think 右方向です has any ambiguity in this context, as a native Japanese speaker.
(The problem is that my GPS sometimes gives wrong directions, for example telling the opposite to go to the right/left at a high way intersection, which is really annoying. lol)

Hope this helps!


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## frequency

jamesh625 said:


> 左・右方向はちょっと曖昧にならないんですか？道に曲がるとは限らないでしょう。


そうだよ！



> 例えば、この場合では、車はどうしますか。
> 1) aで右に曲がる
> 2) bで右に曲がる
> 3) cで停まる


なので、You can select freely!



> 「左・右方向」はただ「左・右へ」という意味でしょう。具体的に「曲がる」という意味を示していないでしょう。


そうだよ！例えば、「右方向へ」と言われれば、まっすぐではなく、左ではなく、後ろではなく、とにかく「右の方へ」行けばいいわけ。

When I have to say somebody 「右方向へ行ってください」 or 「XXは右方向なんですよ」, I'm guiding him or her _roughly_. _XX is to the right of here._

Do we say 右方向に曲がってください？It's okay/possible in the right context. But yes it's ambiguous.


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## Schokolade

jamesh625 said:


> | |___
> | b
> | |￣￣
> | | c
> | |___
> | a
> | |￣￣
> | ⇑|
> |車|
> 
> 例えば、この場合では、車はどうしますか。
> 1) aで右に曲がる
> 2) bで右に曲がる
> 3) cで停まる
> ・・・多分aで右に曲がるでしょう。



そうですね。ここでナビが「右方向です。」と言ったら、a で右に曲がるでしょう。
b で右に曲がるときは、たぶん、「○○メートル先、右方向です。」のように言うでしょう。
c で停まるときは、たぶん、「（目的地は）右側です。」のように言うでしょう。


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## Flaminius

jamesh625 said:


> 日本語のGPSはあまり詳しくないけど、左・右方向はちょっと曖昧にならないんですか？


カーナビ(カーナビゲーションシステムを一般にこう略す。俗語ではない)の他の表現を知っていれば曖昧さはありません。私のカーナビですが、右方向は必ず右の方向に通じる道路に入ることを意味します。厳密には、交差点での右折と高速道路などでの右分岐の両方に対応した表現だといえましょう。単に車線変更を指示するときには、右車線、左車線といいます。

目的地を示すときには、今正確に思い出せませんが、「500m先、右が目的地です」のように言うはずです。


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