Lesson Recap

Lesson 9

Object(s) is/are (location).X は ～ にあります／います

In Lesson 8, we learned to tell and ask for the presence/existence of an item/

person X.

あります。

Prior to above sentences we did not know what/who is there, thus the

sentences introduce existence of “item X” and “person X” as new information

to listeners.

place にar imasugan i

There is/are item/person X at place.

item X が

います。place に person X がgan i imasu

In response, one can tell what/who is there as new information

and say ;

B1F

1F

?

?

B1F

1F?

??

What is there on the 1st floor?

Who is there on the 1st floor of the basement?

ちかいっかいに おとこのひとが います。

いっかいに うけつけが あります。うけつけ

おとこのひと

ikkai ni uketsuke ga arimasu

chika-ikkai ni otokono hito ga imasu

There is an reception desk on the 1st floor?

There is a man on the 1st floor of the basement?

いっかいに なにが ありますか。ikkai ni nani ga arimasuka

ちかいっかいに だれが いますか。chika-ikkai ni dare ga imasuka

To ask item/person X, you can use the question words “なに(what)” for items

and “だれ(who)” for people, then say ;

However we’ve already found out that

there is a reception desk on the 1st floor.

Let’s ask receptionists of the location of

the post office in the building.

Besides, we know there are more facilities

in this building as the left figure, but we

don’t know where these facilities are

located in the building.

Where is the post office?うけつけuketsuke

?

You can use the question word “どこ(where)” and say ;

In response, the receptionists can inform you and say ;

yuubinkyoku wa doko ni arimasukaゆうびんきょくは どこにありますか。

yuubinkyoku wa sangai ni arimasuゆうびんきょくは ３がいにあります。

doko

is on the 3rd floor.

Where is the post office?

3FThe

が あります。arimasuga

There is/are item X (@place).

は に あります。arimasuwa n i

Item X is/are @place.

item X

item X

place

The first sentence below introduces existence of an item X.

The second sentence above tells the location description of the item X to the listener(s).

place にni

X は place に あります／います

Item X becomes the subject of the sentence with a particle “は”.

( existence sentence )

( location sentence )

wa

ni de

*

* It calls for the particle “に”, rather than “で”, for the place description.

に あります。arimasu

wa

n iitem X

に あります／います です

imasuperson Xに います。は place

です。

You can also unify and replace “に あります／います” into “です” either to item X

and person X.

n i

arimasun i imasu desu

desu

Item X/ person X is/are @place.

When you ask locations of item X and person X, you can replace “に ありますか

／いますか” to “ですか” just like ;

yuubinkyoku wa doko ni arimasukaゆうびんきょくは どこにありますか。

Where is the post office?

yuubinkyoku wa doko desukaゆうびんきょくは どこですか。

wa

item X

person Xは place

yuubinkyoku wa sangai desu(ゆうびんきょくは) 3がいです。

Q :

A :

In this lesson, we learn to describe locations in more detail. More specifically, we learn to describe the location of an item/person relative to another item, as in “item/person X is in front of item/person Y.”

wa

item X

person Xは place です。

desu

wa

item X

person Xは location word です。

desuitem/person Y

noの

breaking down the place to more detailed description with location words.

item/person X は item/person Y の まえです。

うえ

した

まえ

うしろ

なか

となり

ちかく

ue

shita

mae

ushiro

naka

tonari

chikaku

wa

item X

person Xは です。

desuYnoの item X

person X is/are Y.

on/above

under/beneath

in front of

behind

inside

next to

near

Telling numbers of “item/person X” with counters.

の にno ni

あります／いますnumber + counter

がga arimasu imasu

There are three books on the desk.

location word

つくえのうえ に ほん が 3さつ あります。

Y X

There are four students in front of the convenience store.

コンビニのまえ に がくせい が よにん います。

no gani arimasu

imasu

san-satsuhontsukue ue

no gani yo-ningakuseikonbini mae

“にん(nin)” is used for the counter of people, however, there are two exceptions for one person and two people as “ひとり(hitori)” and “ふたり(futari).”

*

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