Translation guide
How to express 'destination' in Japanese, from travel to abstract goals.
行き先はどこですか。
What is your destination?
終点
final destination (train)
The place someone is going to (station, city, country, etc.)
The most common word for a travel destination. Used for places you are heading to.
行き先はどこですか。
What is your destination?
次の行き先を決めましょう。
Let's decide our next destination.
A slightly more formal word for destination, often used in navigation or official contexts.
目的地に到着しました。
You have arrived at your destination.
Specifically a travel destination, often for leisure trips.
旅行先で美味しいものを食べました。
I ate delicious food at my travel destination.
Similar to 行き先 but slightly more literary or old-fashioned. Can also mean 'where one is going' in a broader sense.
行く先々で親切にされた。
I was treated kindly everywhere I went.
The last station or stop on a transportation line.
The final stop on a train or bus line.
この電車の終点は東京です。
The final destination of this train is Tokyo.
A dead end; not a destination in the travel sense, but the end of a road or path.
A goal or aim in life, career, or personal development.
A goal or objective. Often used for personal or professional aims.
私の目標は医者になることです。
My goal is to become a doctor.
Can be used metaphorically for a life destination or final goal.
The point one has reached or aims to reach; a destination in terms of achievement.
彼はついに到達点に達した。
He finally reached his destination (goal).
Where data, files, or emails are sent.
The destination of a transmission, such as an email or data transfer.
送信先のメールアドレスを入力してください。
Please enter the destination email address.
The destination for saving a file.
保存先を選んでください。
Please choose a save destination.
Output destination, used in programming or system settings.
出力先をプリンターに設定する。
Set the output destination to the printer.
行き先 is the everyday word for where you are going. 目的地 is more formal and often used in navigation or written instructions. In casual conversation, 行き先 is preferred.
行き先はまだ決めてない。
I haven't decided on a destination yet.
目的地までのルートを検索する。
Search for a route to the destination.
The English loanword デスティネーション is rarely used in natural Japanese. Stick to native words like 行き先 or 目的地.
やっと目的地に着いた。
We finally reached our destination.
このバスの行き先は渋谷です。
The destination of this bus is Shibuya.
この道は行き止まりです。
This road is a dead end.
人生の目的地はまだ見つかっていない。
I haven't found my life's destination yet.