JBP-1, Lesson 9 Grammar note.

1. Lesson Recap
Lesson 9
Object(s) is/are (location).
X は ∼ にあります／います

2. 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
a r i m a s ug an i
There is/are item/person X at place.
item X が
います。place に person X が
g an i i m a s u

3. 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 ;

4. 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
?

5. 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?
3F
The

6. 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
n i
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.

7. に あります。
arimasu
wa
n i
item 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 :

8. 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。
desu
item/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。

9. 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。
desu
Y
no
の item X
person X
is/are Y.
on/above
under/
beneath
in front of
behind
inside
next to
near

10. 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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