I can say what there is and isn't in a room and in a house: 「へやにテレビがあります」, 「トイレはありません」 — and ask whether there's something I need: 「せんたくきがありますか」.
What's in the room: ～に～があります
What's in the room: ～に～があります
Goal of the lesson: say what there is in a home and ask whether the thing you need is there.
The structure: place ＋ に, thing ＋ が, あります at the end. The particle に shows where the thing is; the particle が, what exactly is there. Both go after their word, and the predicate, as with です, comes last. English “There's a TV in the room” puts the place last; Japanese puts it first.
English “I have a TV” is 「テレビがあります」: literally “there is a TV”. No verb “have” is needed, and the TV takes が, not を.
Negative: ありません. In the negative, は usually replaces が: 「トイレはありません。」 In conversation you'll also hear ないです, the same “there isn't”, but in your answers write ありません.
Question: か at the end, same word order. Short answer: 「はい、あります。」 or 「いいえ、ありません。」
If the thing is already being talked about, it moves to the front with は, and the place keeps に: 「テレビは田中（たなか）さんのへやにあります。」
How many: the number ひとつ, ふたつ… goes right before あります, with no particle: 「いすがよっつあります。」 To name the place itself: 「ここはだいどころです。」 (“This is the kitchen.”)
Common mistakes:
• NOT 「へやにテレビをあります」 — を goes with an action (テレビをみます); with あります the thing takes が.
• NOT 「へやテレビがあります」 — the place needs に.
• NOT 「はい、ありません」 — after はい comes あります.
• NOT 「テレビがあります、へやに」 — あります comes last; the place goes before it.
What there is and what there isn't
The place takes に, the thing takes が; in the negative, usually は. The predicate always comes last.
| What you say | Model | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| there is | へやにテレビがあります。 | there's a TV in the room |
| there isn't | トイレはありません。 | there's no restroom |
| question | つくえがありますか。 | is there a desk? |
Parts of a house
The character 家: you only need to recognize it in writing.
| Word | Meaning | In writing |
|---|---|---|
| いえ | house | 家（いえ） |
| へや | room | — |
| だいどころ | kitchen | — |
| おふろ | bath (the room with the tub) | — |
| トイレ | restroom, toilet | — |
| げんかん | entryway | — |
Lesson notes
What's in the room: ～に～があります
Goal of the lesson: say what there is in a home and ask whether the thing you need is there.
The structure: place ＋ に, thing ＋ が, あります at the end. The particle に shows where the thing is; the particle が, what exactly is there. Both go after their word, and the predicate, as with です, comes last. English “There's a TV in the room” puts the place last; Japanese puts it first.
English “I have a TV” is 「テレビがあります」: literally “there is a TV”. No verb “have” is needed, and the TV takes が, not を.
Negative: ありません. In the negative, は usually replaces が: 「トイレはありません。」 In conversation you'll also hear ないです, the same “there isn't”, but in your answers write ありません.
Question: か at the end, same word order. Short answer: 「はい、あります。」 or 「いいえ、ありません。」
If the thing is already being talked about, it moves to the front with は, and the place keeps に: 「テレビは田中（たなか）さんのへやにあります。」
How many: the number ひとつ, ふたつ… goes right before あります, with no particle: 「いすがよっつあります。」 To name the place itself: 「ここはだいどころです。」 (“This is the kitchen.”)
Common mistakes:
• NOT 「へやにテレビをあります」 — を goes with an action (テレビをみます); with あります the thing takes が.
• NOT 「へやテレビがあります」 — the place needs に.
• NOT 「はい、ありません」 — after はい comes あります.
• NOT 「テレビがあります、へやに」 — あります comes last; the place goes before it.