Learn Minna no Nihongo Grammar – Lesson 3

Learn Minna no Nihongo Grammar – Lesson 3
Let’s study N5-level Japanese grammar, lesson by lesson, following the Minna no Nihongo textbook.

Lesson 3:
1. ここ・そこ・あそこ は N ( place ) です: This/that/that place over there is N
• Usage:
– ここ・そこ・あそこ are demonstrative pronouns for places
– ここ refers to where the speaker is. (the speaker’s area)
そこ is where the listener is. (the listener’s area)
あそこ refers to a place far from both people.

• Examples:
ここはじむしょです。
Koko wa jimusho desu.
This place is the office.

A question with ここ is usually answered with そこ (unless the speaker and listener are in the same place, in which case the answer is ここ), and vice versa.

2. N (place) は どこ ですか. Where is N?
[N (place) は] ここ・そこ・あそこです。[N] is here/there/over there.

Examples:
しょくどうはどこですか。
Shokudō wa doko desuka.
Where is the canteen?

あそこです。
Asoko desu.
The canteen is over there

N１( person or thing ) は N２ (place) です。 N1 is at N2.
田中さんはどこですか。
Tanakasan wa doko desuka.
Where is Mr Tanaka?

…きょうしつです。
Kyōshitsu desu.
In the classroom.

3. こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら (demonstrative pronouns of direction)
• Usage: The meaning and use are the same as ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ.
• Examples:
1. にほんごのほんはどちらですか。
Nihongo no hon wa dochira desuka.
Where is the Japanese book?

…そちらです。
Sochira desu.
Over there.

2. （お）国はどちらですか。
Okuni wa dochira desuka.
Where are you from?

…ベトナムです。
Betonamu desu.
Vietnam.

3. あなたのかいしゃは どちらですか。
Anata no kaisha wa dochira desuka.
Which company do you work for?

…. ABC です。…. It is ABC company

(This question can be understood in 2 ways: Where is your company? and Which company is it? (its name), but it is mostly understood in the second sense).

4. これ・それ・あれ は N1 の N2 です。This/that/that over there is N1’s N2

4.1. これ・それ・あれ は どこ の N2 ですか。
[これ・それ・あれ は ] N1 (place name…) の N2 です。
• Usage: shows where a product comes from.

• Examples:
これはどこのえんぴつですか。
Kore wa doko no enpitsu desuka.
Which country is this pencil from?

ベトナムのえんぴつです。
Betonamu desu.
A Vietnamese pencil

4.2. これ・それ・あれ は なん の N ですか。
[これ・それ・あれ は ] N1 (type, category) の N2 です。
• Usage: shows what kind of thing it is (field, speciality, language…)

• Examples:
それはなんのしんぶんですか。
Sore wa nan no shinbun desuka.
What kind of newspaper is that?

これはでんわのしんぶんです。
Kore wa denwa no shinbun desu.
That is a newspaper about telephones

これはえいごのしんぶんです。
Kore wa eigo no shinbun desu.
That is an English-language newspaper.

5. N は いくらですか。 How much is N?

Examples:
このほんはいくらですか。
Konohon wa ikura desuka.
How much is this book?

３０円です.
30 en desu.
30 yen.