GRAMMAR EXPLANATION

1. ここ／そこ／あそこ

こちら／そちら／あちら

The demonstrative pronoun これ、それ、あれ　that are discussed in Lesson 2 refers

to a thing while koko(ここ), soko (そこ) and asoko(あそこ) refers to place or location.

ここ– refers to the place where the speaker is. This is designated when the speaker

regards the listener as sharing territory, the place where they both are.

そこ– refers to the place where the listener is. This is designated when the place is a slight

distant from the speaker and listener.

あそこ– refers to the place far from the speaker and the listener. This is designated in

even more distant location.

To ask where exactly the place referred to is,　the interrogative ～は どこですか is

used while the question ～は なんですか is used to ask what the referred place is.

a) ここ は どこですか。

Where is this place?

…(ここは)  マニラです。

This is Manila.

b) そこ は なんですか。

What is that place?

…(そこは) 食堂(しょくどう)です。

That is the canteen.

こちら／そちら／あちらare demonstrative words referring to a direction. It is also used to refer to location, in which case, they are more polite than koko, soko, asoko.

a) こちら は いもうとです。

This is my younger sister.

b) あちら は 校長(こうちょう)先生(せんせい)ですか。

Is that the principal (over there)?

はい、あちら は 校長(こうちょう)先生(せんせい)です。

Yes, That is the principal (over there).

 

2. Nounは ( Place) です

Using this sentence pattern, you can tell where the subject is, whether it’s a place, an animal, a thing or a person is.

a) おトイレ は あそこです。

The toilet is over there.

b) 電話(でんわ) は 2階(かい) です。

The telephone is on the second floor.

c) 事務所(じむしょ) は あちらのへやです

The office is over there.

 

３．どこ / どちら

どこ means　”where”,　and どちら means “ which direction”。どちら can be also used for asking “where”, in which case it’s more polite than どこ.

a) おトイレ は どこですか。

Where is the toilet?

…あそこ　です。

It’s over there.

b) エレベーターは どちら ですか。

Where’s the elevator?

…あちら　です。

It’s in that direction.

(It’s over there.)

 

4. The こ/そ/あ/ど system of demonstrative words.

	こseries	そseries	あ series	ど series
Thing	これ this	それ that	あれ that	どれ Which
Thing/Person	この N this	その that	あの N that	どの N Which
Place	ここ this	そこ that	あそこ that	どこ Where
Direction/Place (polite)	こちら this	そちら that	あちら that	どちら where/which

 

As shown in the table, there are certain rules:

When an object or a place is close to the speaker, “こ” is used. “これ”, “この”, “ここ”, “こちら”.

When an object or a place is close to the listener, “そ” is used. “それ”, “その”,“そこ”、”そちら”。

When an object or a place is far from both persons, “あ” is used. “あれ”、”あの”,”あそこ”、”あちら”。

When asking a question, “ど” is used, “どれ”、”どの”、”どこ”、”どちら”.(dore, dono, doko, dochira)

5. ～時(じ) 　～分(ぷん)

To express the time, the counter suffixes ～じ for hours and ～ぷん/ぶん/ふん for minutes are used. The interrogatives 　なん時(じ) and   なん分(ぶん) are commonly used to ask the time.

a) 今(いま)、何時(なんじ)ですか。

What time is it now?

…(今(いま) は 9時(じ)32分(ふん)です。

It’s 9:32.

b) 会議(かいぎ)は なんじ、なんぷん ですか。

What time is the meeting?

…(会議(かいぎ)は) 4時半(じはん)です。

It’s 4:30.

午前(ごぜん)　- morning (a.m)

午後(ごご) – afternoon (p.m)

c) 今(いま)、午後(ごご)の五時半(ごじはん)です。

It is 5:30 in the afternoon.

d) かいぎは 午前(ごぜん) 八時(はちじ)です。

The meeting is 8 o’clock in the morning.

 

6.　～ごろ

The particle ～ごろ is used to estimate or guest the time. It is usually translated in English as around or about. The interrogative 　なんじ can sometimes take the　 なんじごろ　 form.

a) バスの 出発(しゅっぱつ) は なんじですか。

What time is the departure of the bus?

…(バスの出発(しゅっぱつ)は) ごご3時(じ)ごろです。

It’s around 3 P.M.

b) 今晩(こんばん)　7時(じ) ごろ コンサートを見(み)ます。

I will watch concert at around 7pm tonight.

 

7.　～ようび

The suffix 　～ようび is used to tell the day of the week. The interrogative なんようび　is used to ask what day of the week it is.

a) 今日(きょう)は　なんようび　ですか。

What day is today?

…(今日(きょう)は)  月曜日(げつようび)　です。

Today is Monday.

b) 銀行(ぎんこう)の 休(やす)みの日(ひ)は　なんようび　ですか。

What is the rest day for the bank?

…銀行(ぎんこう)の　休(やす)みの日(ひ)は　土曜日(どようび) と 日曜日(にちようび) です。

The rest day for the bank is Saturday and Sunday.

 

8．～から/ ～まで

The particle ～から is used to estimate the starting time or place while the particle ～まで indicates the limit of time or place.

a) 日本語(にほんご)の勉強(べんきょう)は ごぜん7時(じ)から　ごご12時(じ)までです。

I study Japanese Language from 7 o’clock in the morning until 12 o’clock in the afternoon.

b) 仕事(しごと)は　午前(ごぜん)　八時(はちじ)　から　ごご ４じ まで です。

I work from 8 o’clock in the morning until 4 o’clock in the afternoon.

The particle ~から and ~まで are not always together. You can used these particles  separately.

a) わたしは ごぜん9時(じ)から 勉強(べんきょう)します。。

I study from 9:00 in the morning.

b) わたしは　ごご　5時(じ)まで　働(はたら)きます。

I work until 5:00 in the afternoon.