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Lesson 4: Here and There
Click here for the kana version.
| In this lesson, we will discuss identifying one's general location as well as the location of objects being spoken about. First let's start with some general location vocabulary. | |
| koko soko asoko doko |
here,
next to me there, next to you over there, away from us where |
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From here on out 'here' will be koko, 'there' will be soko, and 'over there' will be asoko, but don't forget that the words are in reference to the speaker and who is being spoken to. Now we can instert our location words into the 'X wa Y desu' patterns. |
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Examples: Hon wa doko desu ka? |
Where is the book? |
| Hon wa koko desu. | The book's here. |
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Enpitsu wa doko desu ka? |
Where is the pencil? |
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Enpitsu wa asoko desu. |
The pencil is over there. |
| Watashi no pen wa doko desu ka? | Where is my pen. |
| Koko desu. | It's
here. |
| One can also describe objects given their location. If you want to indicate a pencil you are holding or one near to you 'this pencil' (as opposed to a pen near someone else) you say kono enpitsu. If you are indicating a pencil near the person you are speaking to (and not yourself) you say sono enpitsu. And finally, if you are indicating a pencil away from both of you, you say ano enpitsu. To ask which pencil (out of more than one indicated pencil), you say dono enpitsu. NOTE: Kono, sono, ano, and dono must be followed by a noun that they are describing. They cannot stand alone. | |
| kono
sono ano dono |
this ___ (next to me) |
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Examples: Kono inu wa watashi no desu. |
This dog is mine. |
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Ano hito wa dare desu ka? |
Who is that person over there? |
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Sono enpitsu wa dare no desu ka? |
Whose pencil is that? |
| Dono hon desu ka? | Which
book is it? |
| If
the subject is already understood, one can simply say 'this', 'that,'
or 'that over there.' Kore is 'this', sore is 'that', and
are is 'that over there.' Dore is 'which' (of several things). |
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Examples: Kore wa nan desu ka? |
What is this? |
| Sore wa hon desu. | That is a book. |
| Are wa nan desu ka? | What is that over there? |
| Dore desu ka? | Which is it? |
| Lesson 4 Vocabulary: koko soko asoko doko kono kore hon |
here (here next to me) there (there next to you) over there (away from us) where this ___ (next to me) this (next to me) book |