Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 10

Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 10

 1. N があります/ いま

This sentence pattern is used to indicate the existence or presence of a thing(s) or person(s). The thing(s) or person(s) in such a sentence is treated as the subject and marked with the particle が.

• ありますis used when what is present is inanimate or does not move by itself. Things, plants and places belong in this category.

コンピューターがあります。                 There is a computer.

桜があります。                                        There are cherry trees.

公園があります。                                    There is a park.

• When what is present is animate and moves by itself, います is used. People and animals belong in this category.

男の人がいます。                                    There is a man.

犬がいます。                                           There is a dog.

    2. N₁ (place)に  N₂   が あります/ います

• The place where N₂  is present is indicated by the particle に.

わたしの部屋に机があります。                There is a desk in my room.

事務所にミラーさんがいます。                 Mr.Miller is in the office.

• You can ask what or who is present at/in the place by using this pattern. The interrogative なに is used things for things and だれ is used for persons.

地下に何がありますか。                            What is there in the basement?

…レストランがあります。                        …There are restaurants.

受付にだれがあります。                            Who is at the reception desk?

…木村さんがいます。                                … Ms.Kimura is there.

    3. N₁ は N₂ (place) に  あります/ います

• In this sentence pattern, the speaker picks up N₁ as the topic, and explains where it is, The topic should be something or someone that both the speaker and the listener know about, The particle attached to  N₁ is not が, which remarks the subject, but は, which marks the topic.

東京ディズニーランドは千葉県にあります。 Tokyo Disneyland is in Chiba Prefecture.

みらーさんは事務所にいます。    Mr.Miller is in the office.

• When you ask where Ｎ₁  is, this sentence pattern is used.

東京ディズニーランドはどこにありますか。

… 千葉県に あります。

Where is Tokyo Disneyland?

…It’s in Chiba Prefecture.

ミラーさんはどこにいますか。                          Where is Mr.Miller?

…事務所にいます。                                              …He’s in the office.

[Note] です is sometimes used to replace a verb predicate when the predicate is obvious. The sentence N₁ は N₂ (place) に あります can be replaced by the sentence N₁ は N₂   (place) です, which you learned in Lesson 3.

東京ディズニーランドはどこにありますか。

… 千葉県です。

Where is Tokyo Disneyland?

…It’s in Chiba Prefecture.

    4. N₁ (thing/person/place) の N₂ (position)

うえ, した, まえ, うしろ, みぎ, ひだり, なか, そと, となり, ちかく and あいだ are nouns denoting position.

机の上に写真があります。                                         There is a picture on the desk.

郵便局は銀行の隣 (となり) にあります。                 The post office is next to the bank.

[Note] As these are place nouns, not only に but also particles likeで can come after them.

駅の近くで友達に会いました。                                   I met a friend near the station.

   5. N₁ や N₂

Nouns are concerned in coordinate relation by the particle や. While と enumerates all the items, や shows a few representative items. Sometimes など is put after the last noun to explicitly express that there are also some other things of the kind.

箱 (はこ) の中に手紙 (てがみ)や写真 (しゃしん)があります。      There are letters, pictures and so on in the box.

箱 (はこ) の中に手紙 (てがみ)や写真 (しゃしん)などがあります。 There are letters, pictures and so on in the box.

   6. Word (s) ですか

The particle か  has the function to confirm. The speaker picks up a word or words he/she wants to confirm and confirms it (them) using this pattern.

すみません。ユニューヤ・ストアはどこですか。

…ユニューヤ・ストアですか。あのビルの なかです。

Excuse me, bt where is Yunyu-ya Store?

…Yunya-yu Store? It’s in that building.

   7. チリソースはありませんか

The expression チリソースはありませんか is found in the conversation of this lesson. By using the negative form ありませんか instead of ありますか, you can be indirect and polite, showing that you are prepared for a negative answer.

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Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 11
Minna No Nihongo Lesson 10 Vocabulary