N5 · Lesson 3
これを ください
Ask and say where places and things are, and learn to ask prices when shopping.
ここ／そこ／あそこ（こちら／そちら／あちら）
Place demonstratives: ここ (here, near the speaker), そこ (there, near the listener), あそこ (over there, far from both). こちら・そちら・あちら are their polite forms and also indicate direction.
Examples
ここは 会議室です。
This is the meeting room.
お 手洗いはあそこです。
The toilet is over there.
N は place です
With a place as the predicate, です says where something or someone is. It is the simplest way to locate things without using existence verbs yet.
Examples
電話は 事務所です。
The telephone is in the office.
山田さんは 食堂です。
Mr. Yamada is in the dining room.
N は どこ／どちら ですか
どこ asks about a place and どちら is its polite form (also "which of two"). どちら is also used to ask politely about someone's country, company or school.
Examples
トイレはどこですか。
Where is the toilet?
会社はどちらですか。
Which company do you work for? / Where is your company?
N1 の N2
Here の expresses the country or company a product comes from: 日本の 車 is "a Japanese car".
Examples
これはどこのコンピューターですか。… 日本のコンピューターです。
Where is this computer from? …It's a Japanese computer.
これ・それ・あれ・どれ ／ ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ …
Japanese demonstratives form a regular four-way system: こ〜 (near the speaker), そ〜 (near the listener), あ〜 (far from both) and ど〜 (question). Once you know the pattern, learning a new column is instant.
Examples
エレベーターはどちらですか。…あちらです。
Which way is the lift? …Over there.
お + N
The prefix お appears in words like お 国 (your country) to speak respectfully about what belongs to the listener.
Examples
お 国はどちらですか。…アメリカです。
Which country are you from? …From the United States.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ここ | ここ | here, in this place | |
| そこ | そこ | there, in that place | |
| あそこ | あそこ | over there, in that place | |
| どこ | どこ | where, in what place | |
| こちら | こちら | here (polite form of ここ) | |
| そちら | そちら | there (polite form of そこ) | |
| あちら | あちら | over there (polite form of あそこ) | |
| どちら | どちら | where (polite form of どこ) | |
| 教室 | きょうしつ | classroom | |
| 食堂 | しょくどう | dining room | |
| 事務所 | じむしょ | office | |
| 会議室 | かいぎしつ | meeting room | |
| 受付 | うけつけ | reception | |
| ロビー | ロビー | reception, lobby | |
| 部屋 | へや | room | |
| トイレ（お 手洗い） | トイレ（おてあらい） | bathroom, toilet | |
| 階段 | かいだん | stairs | |
| エレベーター | エレベーター | lift, elevator | |
| エスカレーター | エスカレーター | escalator | |
| 自動販売機 | じどうはんばいき | vending machine | |
| 電話 | でんわ | telephone, phone call | |
| [お]国 | おくに | [your] country, homeland | |
| 会社 | かいしゃ | company, firm | |
| うち | うち | house, home | |
| 靴 | くつ | shoes | |
| ネクタイ | ネクタイ | tie | |
| ワイン | ワイン | wine | |
| 売り 場 | うりば | department (in a department store) | |
| 地下 | ちか | basement, underground | |
| 〜階 | かい／がい | ~ floor | |
| 何階 | なんがい | what floor | |
| 〜円 | えん | ~ yen | |
| いくら | いくら | how much (money) | |
| 百 | ひゃく | hundred | |
| 千 | せん | thousand | |
| 万 | まん | ten thousand | |
| すみません | すみません | excuse me | |
| どうも | どうも | thank you | |
| いらっしゃいませ | いらっしゃいませ | welcome (greeting customers) | |
| [〜を] 見せてください | みせてください | please show me [~] | |
| じゃ | じゃ | well then | |
| [〜を]ください | ください | please give me [~] |