Lesson 05: Where is it?

You can already refer to an object with これ (KORE). For the place where you are, use ここ (KOKO), ‘here’. For a place near the other person, use そこ (SOKO), ‘there’. あそこ (ASOKO) is a place farther away from both of you. The idea of distance is the same, but the words now refer to a location.

Imagine a school hall. You stand at reception, Aki stands a short distance away by the classroom, and the toilet is farther away by a door. From your position, reception is KOKO, the classroom is SOKO and the toilet is ASOKO. The blocks below represent this situation. Use them to practise just the place words first; you do not need to explain a full route.

Start with きょうしつ (KYOUSHITSU), トイレ (TOIRE) and うけつけ (UKETSUKE). These are places people often ask about. Then add じむしょ (JIMUSHO) and しょくどう (SHOKUDOU). Read the meaning, listen and try recognising the word without romaji. If you do not know all the kana, keep reading support on for now.

トイレ (TOIRE) has three regular characters and no lengthening mark. In しょくどう (SHOKUDOU), し and small ょ combine into SHO. Learn the three polite expressions at the bottom as whole phrases. すみません (SUMIMASEN) politely gets attention; ありがとうございます (ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU) gives thanks. どういたしまして (DOUITASHIMASHITE) is one possible response to thanks, not a required reply in every conversation.

Use どこ (DOKO) to ask about a location. First name the place you are looking for, for example トイレ (TOIRE). は (WA) makes it the topic of your question. Then comes the unknown location: どこ. The polite question again ends in ですか (DESU KA).

Compare this with なんですか (NAN DESU KA) from lesson 03. NAN asks for a name or identity; DOKO asks for a location. In the question below you already know you are looking for a toilet. The answer ‘a toilet’ would not help. A location answer, such as あそこです (ASOKO DESU), does.

トイレはどこですか。

あそこです。

When the place being sought is clear, ここです (KOKO DESU), そこです (SOKO DESU) or あそこです (ASOKO DESU) is enough. Choose the distance from the person answering at that moment. Someone beside reception can point to it with KOKO. The other person may experience that same place as SOKO. This works like changing speakers with objects in lesson 03.

A full sentence can name the place again: うけつけはここです (UKETSUKE WA KOKO DESU). You can also begin with ‘here’ and identify this place: ここはきょうしつです (KOKO WA KYOUSHITSU DESU). The sentences put slightly different information first. A short, clear answer is natural for an ordinary where-question. You do not need a route with turns for this exercise.

うけつけはここです。

ここはきょうしつです。

A small conversation feels more natural with an opening and a closing. Start with すみません (SUMIMASEN) when approaching someone. Then ask your where-question. The other person identifies a place. Finish with ありがとうございます (ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU).

Play both roles below: visitor and staff member. The staff member points to a place away from both people. Then replace the toilet with the cafeteria and make the question again. The conversation sequence stays the same. If you can point to where you would go after hearing the answer, you have connected its meaning to the situation.

すみません。トイレはどこですか。

あそこです。

ありがとうございます。

Now make a where-question about the office without a model. Give a short answer from a different position. Add a polite opening and thanks. When practising alone, you can literally change seats for the other speaker. Listen for place words rather than the similar-sounding demonstratives for objects.

The application below lets you try once more. The final check tests object versus place, question versus answer and your own sentence construction. A short answer can be correct when requested. A full question must also name the place being sought. You do not need floors, directions or new numbers for this lesson.