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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 10

Lesson 10:

Lesson 10 of Minna no Nihongo, “Where is it? Things, people and places”, teaches 7 grammar patterns, including , , , and 48 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 35 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

There is: あります and います

Both mean "there is". あります is for things and plants, which don't move by themselves: きが あります. います is for people and animals: ねこが います. What is there takes が.

  • Kouen ni ki ga Taku-san arimasu. There are a lot of trees in the park.
  • Niwa ni inu ga imasu. There's a dog in the garden.
  • Asoko ni otokono hito ga imasu. There's a man over there.

What's there?: Place に N が あります

Start with the place and に, then say what is there with が: こうえんに きが あります. To ask, use なにが (what) for things and だれが (who) for people: はこの なかに なにが ありますか.

  • Hako no naka ni nani ga arimasu ka. What's in the box?
  • Uketsuke ni dare ga imasu ka. Who's at reception?
  • Satou-san ga imasu. Ms. Sato is.

Nothing, nobody: なにも, だれも

なに or だれ plus も, with a negative verb, means nothing or nobody: なにも ありません, だれも いません. It works like どこも いきません from lesson 5.

  • Nani mo arimasen. There's nothing.
  • Dare mo imasen. There's nobody.

Where it is: N は Place に あります

To say where something or someone you've already mentioned is, start with it and は: ミラーさんは じむしょに います. Ask with どこ: ゆうびんきょくは どこに ありますか. The answer can also end in です: じむしょです.

  • Miraa-san wa doko ni imasu ka. Where is Mr. Miller?
  • Jimusho ni imasu. He's in the office.
  • Toukyou dizuniirando wa doko ni arimasu ka. Where is Tokyo Disneyland?

Position words: うえ, した, なか

A position word comes after the thing it's relative to, joined by の: えきの まえ (in front of the station), つくえの うえ (on the desk). Between two things is A と B の あいだ. Then add に and あります or います.

  • Eki no mae ni arimasu. It's in front of the station.
  • Hon wa tsukue no ue ni arimasu. The book is on the desk.
  • Ginkou to suupaa no aida ni arimasu. It's between the bank and the supermarket.

And so on: や, など

と lists everything there is. や gives just a few examples from a longer list, and など (and so on) can close it: てがみや しゃしんなどが あります.

  • Hako no naka ni tegami ya shashin nado ga arimasu. There are letters, photos and so on in the box.
  • Depaato ni iroiro na mono ga arimasu. The department store has all kinds of things.

In a shop: ナンプラー、ありますか

To ask a shop if they have something, say it and add ありますか: ナンプラー、ありますか. When someone has helped you, thank them with どうも すみません.

  • Sumimasen. Nanpuraa, arimasu ka. Excuse me, do you have nam pla?
  • Nanpuraa wa ichiban shita desu. The nam pla is right at the bottom.
  • Wakarimashita. Doumo sumimasen. I see. Thank you.

Vocabulary: 48 words

There is

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
arimasu there is, be (things, plants)For things that don't move by themselves: きが あります.
imasu there is, be (people, animals)For people and animals: ねこが います.
iroiro various, all kinds ofA な-adjective: いろいろな もの (all kinds of things).

People and animals

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
otokono hito man
onnano hito woman
otokono ko boy
onnano ko girl
inu dog
neko cat
panda panda
zou elephant

Around the house

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
ki tree, wood
mono thing
denchi battery
hako box
suitchi switch
reizouko fridge
teeburu table
beddo bed
tana shelf
doa door
mado window

Around town

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
posuto postbox
biru buildingA modern, usually tall building.
eetiiemu cash machine, ATM
konbini convenience store
kouen park
kissaten café
noriba stop, rank (for taxis, buses…)タクシーのりば (taxi rank).
ken prefectureJapan is divided into 47 prefectures.

Where things are

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
ue on, above, top
shita under, below, bottom
mae in front of
ushiro behind
migi right (side)
hidari left (side)
naka in, inside
soto outside
tonari next to (side by side)For two of the same kind: ぎんこうの となりの ビル.
chikaku near, nearby
aida betweenA と B の あいだ (between A and B).

Linking words

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
~ ya ~ nado ~, ~ and so onGives a few examples from a longer list: ほんや ノートなど. と lists everything.

Expressions

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
doumo sumimasen thank you (for your trouble)Thanks someone who has gone out of their way for you.
ichiban shita the very bottom
koonaa section (of a shop), corner
nanpuraa nam pla (Thai fish sauce)

Places in the book

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
Toukyou Dizuniirando Tokyo Disneyland
ajiasutoa Asia Store (a shop)

Example sentences

  • Asoko ni otokono hito ga imasu. There's a man over there.
  • Kouen ni ki ga Taku-san arimasu. There are a lot of trees in the park.
  • Niwa ni inu ga imasu. There's a dog in the garden.
  • Kouen ni otokono ko to onnano ko ga imasu. There are a boy and a girl in the park.
  • Hako no naka ni nani ga arimasu ka. What's in the box?
  • Denchi ga arimasu. Batteries.
  • Uketsuke ni dare ga imasu ka. Who's at reception?
  • Satou-san ga imasu. Ms. Sato is.
  • Reizouko ni nani ga arimasu ka. What's in the fridge?
  • Nani mo arimasen. There's nothing.
  • Heya ni dare ga imasu ka. Who's in the room?
  • Dare mo imasen. There's nobody.
  • Miraa-san wa doko ni imasu ka. Where is Mr. Miller?
  • Jimusho ni imasu. He's in the office.
  • Toukyou dizuniirando wa doko ni arimasu ka. Where is Tokyo Disneyland?
  • Toukyou no chikaku ni arimasu. It's near Tokyo.
  • Yuubinkyoku wa doko ni arimasu ka. Where's the post office?
  • Eki no mae ni arimasu. It's in front of the station.
  • Ginkou to suupaa no aida ni arimasu. It's between the bank and the supermarket.
  • Kissaten wa ginkou no tonari ni arimasu. The café is next to the bank.
  • Kono chikaku ni konbini ga arimasu ka. Is there a convenience store near here?
  • Ee, ano biru no naka ni arimasu. Yes, inside that building.
  • Hon wa tsukue no ue ni arimasu. The book is on the desk.
  • Kagi wa isu no shita ni arimasu. The key is under the chair.
  • Neko wa beddo no ue ni imasu. The cat is on the bed.
  • Suitchi wa doa no migi ni arimasu. The switch is to the right of the door.
  • Terebi wa mado no hidari ni arimasu. The TV is to the left of the window.
  • Yamada-san no ushiro ni otokono ko ga imasu. There's a boy behind Mr. Yamada.
  • Neko wa soto ni imasu. The cat is outside.
  • Hako no naka ni tegami ya shashin nado ga arimasu. There are letters, photos and so on in the box.
  • Depaato ni iroiro na mono ga arimasu. The department store has all kinds of things.
  • Sumimasen. Nanpuraa, arimasu ka. Excuse me, do you have nam pla?
  • Ee, asoko ni tai no ryouri no koonaa ga arimasu. Yes, there's a Thai food section over there.
  • Nanpuraa wa ichiban shita desu. The nam pla is right at the bottom.
  • Wakarimashita. Doumo sumimasen. I see. Thank you.

Conversations to practise

In the app you play one of the speakers and choose what to say, line by line, with natural Japanese voices.

  • Nam plaYou're in a supermarket looking for nam pla.
  • Around hereYou've just moved, and ask Mr. Yamada about the neighbourhood.
  • Who's there?At the office, Ms. Sato is looking for Mr. Miller.

Practise lesson 10

Flashcards, spelling with kana tiles, sentence building and conversations. Free, no sign-up needed.

Start lesson 10