Using Location Words

Japanese Prepositions
Nihongo Zenchishi)
Dr. lety Chawag
 Questions ( Shitsumon )
1. Where is UC located?
UC wa doko ni arimasu ka?
2. Where could I find your house?
Anata no ie doke de wa mitsuke no raremasu ka.

3. How can I reach your place?

Doosureba anata no ie made ikimasu ka.
Doko de = where at? (use this if you ask for a location not the movement)
Example: Sumimasen, ote-arai- wa doko desu ka?
(Excuse me, where is the bathroom?)

Doko ni = Where to? ( Use this if you emphasize the need for you to move to
that
direction or destination)
Example: Sumimasen, Sensouji ni ikitai desu ga.
( Excuse me, I’d like to go to Sensouji temple.)
If you want to tell your situation ( like you are lost) you will add the sound N, the word “ni”:
Contrast the two sentences:

1. Sumimasen, Sensouji ni iki-tai desu ga?

( Excuse me, where is the Sensouji temple?)
Meaning: You are simply asking where the Sensouji temple is located.

2. Sumimasen, Sensouji ni iki-tai n desu ga?

(Excuse me, where is the Sensoiji temple? )
Meaning: You are not just asking but you are suggesting your situation, for
example, that you are a tourist, that you are lost.. Etc.)

Note: The expression above is better to use than by saying:“Douyatte ( how to get to)
Sensouji made ni ikimasu ka. “ which is direct but quite rude.
The use of “Doko ka/ga “ when combining
two location questions

Example: Sumimasen, Sensoiji ga doko ka shitte imasu ka.

(Excuse me, do you know where the Sensouji Temple is?)

Explanation: There are two questions in the sentence:

1. Do you know ?
2. Where is the Sensouji temple?
 ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS /LOCATIONS
Expressions in Asking for Directions/Locations

Traveler: [Link] ni Mayotte shimashita.

(Excuse me. I am lost.)

Bokuna hoteru wa sagashite iru no desu ga?

(How can I get to Bokuna Hotel from here?)

Japanese: Sugu soko desu.

It’s a little bit far from here.

Kousaten wo watate massugu anute kudasai.

(Please cross the intersection and go straight ..)

Traveler: Arigatoo gozaimasu. ( Thank you very much)

 Prepositions of Location ( Basho no Zenchisi)
(Answer the Question “ Doko” (Where?)
Visit [Link] and try to
memorize the Location Words or Propositions of Place . Try to sing along
as you memorize the following prepositions of place:
Kanji hiragana Romaji
右 ( みぎ ) – migi – right
左 ( ひだり ) – hidari – left
上 ( うえ ) – ue – up
下 ( した ) – shita – down
間 ( あいだ ) – aida – in between
中 ( なか ) – naka – inside
外 ( そと ) – soto – outside
前 ( まえ ) – mae – front/forward
後 ( うし ) ろ – ushiro – behind/back
 about 約 やく Yaku

above 上に うえに ue ni
across 横切って おこぎって yokogit te

after 後に あとに atoni

against に対して に たいし て ni taishi te

among の間に の あいだ に no aida ni

around の周りに の まわり に no mawari ni

at に ni

before 前 まえ mae

behind 後ろに ろに ushiro ni

below 下に したに shita ni

beside 横に よこ に yoko ni

between の間に の あいだ no aida ni

に
beyond 越えて こえ て koe te
close to の近くに の ちかく に no chikaku ni

down 下に した に shita ni

in 中で なかで naka de

into 中に なか に naka ni

near 近くに ちかく に chikaku ni

next to の隣に の となり に no tonari ni

opposite 反対の はんたい の hantai no

 outside 外側で そと がわ で soto gawa de

outside of の外側に の そと がわ に no soto gawa ni

over 上に うえ に ue ni

toward に向かって に むかって ni mukat te

until まで made
up 上に うえ に ue ni
Just remember that the word “ near to in English
could be:

1. よこ (yoko)
よこ implies that something is on a horizontal line from the thing you’re
talking about. It may sometimes be used instead of となり . However, keep
in mind that よこ has other stuff in between.

2. わき (waki)
わき implies that there is a small gap or space in between.
For example, it’s usually used for the side of the road .

3. となり (tonari)
となり implies that something is right next to the object
you’re talking about. There are no other objects in between .
 Positioning the Japanese Prepositions:

I. _ の + Preposition
Usually, you add a の (no) before the preposition so that you can
connect a noun to a location word.

Ex: In front of the bank – 学校の前 (Gakkou no mae)

2. If you want to describe where something is located in relation to another

thing, you should use the particle は (wa).

Ex. The library is next to the park. – 図書館は公園のとなりです

(Toshokan wa kouen no tonari desu.)
3. _ と _ の + Preposition
If you have to attach a preposition to two different nouns, you can connect
them with と (to). The most common example of this situation is 間
(aida)which means ” between”.

Ex: between the park and the hospital. – 公園と病院の間です

(Kouen to byouin no aida desu.)

4. Without の
• It’s possible to use a preposition without の (no). However, you must figure out
what the preposition is related to based on the context. Most of the time, it is from
the speaker’s perspective.
• (I) saw something interesting to my right. – 右に面白物ものが見。
(Migi ni omoshiroi mono ga mieta.)
 Word order:
Position of Japanese Prepositions
English ( In the box) = in comes first before the box
Japanese ( box in the ) = the reverse is used in Japanese

location relative position

Notice: Japanese presents the location and the relative position)

English simply considers inside the box as the location

く– chikaku – nearby

そば – soba – nearby

わき – waki – next to

よこ – yoko – next to

となり – tonari – next to

Pracitce: 練習 Renshū:
Identify the Japanese location word or prepositions
1. UC is between SM and BCNHS.
UC wa SM to BCNHS aida ni arimasu.
2. BPI Harrison is infront of Melvin Jones Grandstand.
BPI Harrison wa Merubin-junso Gurandosutando no mae ni arimasu.
3. UC is beside DOST.
UC wa DOST soba ni arimasu.
4. DBP is along Session Road.
DBP wa sesshon douro nisotte imasu.
5. The Information Center is under the Overpass.
Jouhosenta wa rikkyou shita ni arimasu.
 Exercise 3.
Fill in the blanks with Japanese prepositions or location words. Be guided by the map.

[Link] wa Esora no ___akuruso___ni arima

Mister Donut is across Esola.

2. Don Kihote wa AtoMosu no yoko ni arimasu.

Don Quixote is beside Atmos.

3. Humax wa Sunshine 60 Street nisotte ni arimasu.

Humax is along Sunshine 60 Street.

4. Atmos wa Cando to Don Kihote aida ni arimasu.

Atmos is between Cando and Don Quixote.

5. Sutsu Serekuto wa MUFG no ushiro ni arimasu.

Suite Select is behind MUFG .
 Instructions using location words
Turn left – sasetsu shite kudasai
Turn right – migi ni magaru
walk straight – massugu arukimasu
Walk along – Harrison Rd. o arukimasu
Cross the street – toori o wataru
Walk at the middle of – machi ni man’naka arukimasu
Pass by BDO infront of Baden Powel - Baden paueru no mae ni BuDO o
tsuka shite.
From UC, walk along Governor Pack Road to PLDT.
UC kara wa, Gabana Pakku Rodo ni sotte PRDT ni tōtatsu suru made
arukimasu.
Where is the dog? Inu wa doko desu ka?
a. Inu wa ie no ushiro ni imasu .
b. Inu wa ie no shita ni imasu.
The dog is under the house.
c. Sono inu wa ie no yoko ni imasu.
beside
d. Inu wa ie no aida ni imasu.
e. Inu wa ie no mae ni imasu.
The dog is infront of the house.
 Sample Instructions:
From UC Legarda, turn left until your reach Unique Printing Press. Then turn left
again . Walk along the Road until you reach the side of Ina Mansion. From
there, cross the road . Then you will see a road at the left side of Chia’s
Restaurant. Walk along that road. You will pass by three big houses at the back
of Chia’s Restaurant. The fourth house is our house.
Nihongo Version
UC Regarda kara, Unique Printing puresu ni tōtatsu suru made sasetsu shimasu.
Sonogo, futatabi sasetsu shimasu. Michi nari ni susumu to, Ina-tei no waki ni
demasu. Soko kara michi o watarimasu. Chia' s resutoran no hidarigawa ni dōro
ga miemasu. Sonomichi o aruite kudasai. Chia' s resutoran no ura ni aru mittsu
no ōkina ie o tōrisugimasu. YonBan me no ie wa watashitachi no iedesu.
Vocabulary:
walk- aruku
walk along- aruite iku /aruite ikimasu
go- iku ( informal/plain/dictionary form)
ikimasu ( formal/polite form)
Turn left - sasetsu shite
Turn right – usetsu
Until you reach - tadoritsuku made
Sample Sentences:
[Link] along Governor Pack Road until you reach PLDT.
PLDT ni tōtatsu suru made, Governor Pack Road ni sotte arukimasu.

2. From UC, walk along Governor Pack Road until you reach PLDT.
UC kara wa, Governor Pack Road ni sotte PLDT ni tōtatsu suru made
arukimasu.

3. You will pass by Baden Powell.

Bāden Paueru no mae o tsūka shimasu.

4. UC is infront of SM.
UC wa SM no mae ni arimasu.
Please watch;
Watch: [Link] .[Link]/watch?v=SbTL1Emi-ec