Hello! Welcome to Day 24 of Your 100-Day Japanese Challenge!
Congratulations! You’ve reached Day 24 of our 100-day journey to conquer JLPT N5!
Today, we’re exploring locations with the question word どこ (doko – where).
Imagine asking “Where’s the big shop?” or “Where’s my small bag?” in Japanese – どこ will help you navigate conversations and places. By the end of this lesson, you’ll confidently ask and answer location questions, ready for JLPT N5 prep.
Let’s dive in!
Why どこ (Doko) Is Essential for Beginners
The question word どこ (doko – where) is a core part of JLPT N5 vocabulary and grammar. It’s used to ask about locations or places, making it perfect for everyday situations like finding a shop or asking where something is.
In the JLPT N5 exam, どこ appears in listening, reading, and grammar sections, often with particles like に (ni) or the verb あります (arimasu).
Mastering どこ today builds on your Day 23 skills (using おおきい/ちいさい) and Day 22’s なに/なん, helping you ask precise questions. Plus, it’s a practical way to engage with native speakers!
Main Lesson: How to Use どこ (Doko) Step-by-Step
Let’s break down どこ in simple, beginner-friendly steps.
Step 1: Understanding どこ (Doko)
どこ (doko) means “where” and is pronounced “doh-koh.” It asks about the location of objects, people, or places.
どこ can stand alone or be followed by different particles depending on the sentence, but the most common structure for asking about location in JLPT N5 contexts is Noun + は + どこ + に + あります/います + か for things or people, respectively.
For example, to ask “Where is the school?” the standard, natural structure is:
- がっこう は どこ に あります か？ (Gakkou wa doko ni arimasu ka?)
がっこう (school) is the topic (marked by は), and ですか makes it polite.
Step 2: Key Particles with どこ
は (wa): Marks the topic of the question (the thing you’re asking about).
がっこう は どこ ですか？ (Gakkou wa doko desu ka?)
– Where is the school?
に (ni): Indicates location with verbs like あります (arimasu – to exist, for things) or います (imasu – to exist, for people/animals).
かばん は どこ に あります か？ (Kaban wa doko ni arimasu ka?)
– Where is the bag?
Step 3: New Vocabulary for どこ Questions
Here’s a table of new JLPT N5 nouns and verbs for Day 24.
| Hiragana | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| がっこう | gakkou | School |
| えき | eki | Station |
| こうえん | kouen | Park |
| あります | arimasu | Exist (for things) |
| います | imasu | Exist (for people/animals) |
Step 4: Forming Questions with どこ
Let’s create sentences using どこ and the new vocabulary:
Asking about location:
- がっこう は どこ ですか？ (Gakkou wa doko desu ka?) – Where is the school?
- えき は どこ に あります か？ (Eki wa doko ni arimasu ka?) – Where is the station?
Answering location questions:
- がっこう は えき の ちかく に あります。 (Gakkou wa eki no chikaku ni arimasu.) – The school is near a station.
- えき は そこ に あります。 (Eki wa soko ni arimasu.) – The station is over there.
Step 5: Polite vs. Casual
- Polite: Use ですか or に あります か for formal settings.
- がっこう は どこ ですか？ (Gakkou wa doko desu ka?) – Where is the school?
- Casual: Drop です or use simpler forms.
- がっこう は どこ？ (Gakkou は doko?) – Where’s the school?
Step 6: The Difference Between います (Imasu) and あります (Arimasu)
います (imasu) and あります (arimasu) both mean “to exist” or “there is/are,” but they’re used for different things.
Here’s the quick breakdown, based on reliable sources, explained kindly for beginners:
います (imasu): Use this for living things like people or animals. It shows that a person, animal, or other living creature is in a place.
- Example: ねこ が へや に います。 (Neko ga heya ni imasu.) – The cat is in the room.
- Think: “If it’s alive and moves on its own (like a person or pet), use います.”
あります (arimasu): Use this for non-living things like objects, buildings, or places. It shows that an inanimate thing exists somewhere.
- Example: かばん が へや に あります。 (Kaban ga heya ni arimasu.) – The bag is in the room.
- Think: “If it’s not alive (like a bag, book, or toilet), use あります.”
Practice Section: Navigate with どこ!
Let’s practice どこ with the interactive exercise for JLPT N5 prep.
Day 24 Quiz: Asking About Locations with どこ (Doko)
1. がっこう は ____ ですか？ (Where is the school?)
2. Translate to Japanese: “Where is the park?”
3. かばん は どこ に ____ か？ (Where is the bag?)
4. Translate to English: えき は どこ ですか？
5. うみ は ____ です か？ (Where is the sea?)
6. Translate to Japanese: “Where is the big school?”
7. がっこう は そこ に ____。 (The school is over there.)
8. Translate to English: こうえん は どこ に あります か？
9. かわ は ____ に あります か？ (Where is the river?)
10. Translate to Japanese: “Where is the small park?”
Conclusion: Find Your Way with どこ!
Today, you learned to ask “Where is it?” with どこ, mastered key particles and verbs like います and あります.
You’re now ready to navigate places in Japanese – how exciting! Keep up the momentum for JLPT N5 prep.
Tomorrow, join us for Day 25: Talking About Time with いつ (Itsu) – When Is It? to explore timing in Japanese.
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Share a どこ question in the comments – where’s something you’re curious about? See you tomorrow!
