Japanese with Manga

Bus pickup and drop off with 送迎

Kanji Explanation: Sending and escorting with 送

Manga panel from アオのハコ showing example of Bus pickup and drop off with 送迎.
アオのハコ » Volume 10 » Page 182

After school, the girls’ basketball team walks to the location where they’re practicing for an upcoming match.

生徒:
「せめてバスで送迎(そうげい)してくれれば…」
“If only they'd at least provide a bus to pick us up and drop us off”
Literal: “If only they would at least pick us up and drop us off by bus...”
生徒:
「徒歩(とほ)圏内(けんない)だからねぇ」
“It's within walking distance, after all.”

Key Points

1送迎(そうげい) = transportation that both picks people up and takes them back
  • In this scene, 送迎(そうげい)する means providing transportation rather than just “sending” someone one-way.
2せめて + 〜てくれれば expresses a frustrated minimum request
  • せめて means “at least” or “if nothing else”, so the speaker is lowering the bar to the minimum they think would still be reasonable.
  • 「バスで送迎(そうげい)してくれれば…」 means “if they would at least shuttle us by bus…” and trails off to imply dissatisfaction.
3Reply line: 徒歩圏内(とほけんない)だからねぇ softens the pushback
  • 徒歩圏内(とほけんない) means “within walking distance”, so the reply is giving the reason bus transportation is not being provided.
  • だから marks the reason, and ねぇ adds a conversational, slightly drawn-out tone like “you know” or “after all”.
  • In effect, the second speaker is saying: “Well, it is within walking distance, after all.”

Vocabulary

(Picking up and dropping off)

送迎(そうげい) means taking someone to a destination and picking them up, usually by car.

See Also

アオのハコ © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.