Lesson 6: Location - に & が

Goal:
Learn to say that something explains in a specific location.

New Vocabulary
Nouns
がっこう ... School
しょうにん ... Merchant
ばけもの ... Monster
きょうかい ... Church
おうさま ... King
みち ... Road
しろ ... Castle
うま ... Horse
いぬ ... Dog
ねこ ... Cat
まほう ... Magic
ねこ ... Cat
しか ... Deer
うし ... Cow
Verbs
います
       ...Exist (animate) 
あります
      ...Exist (inanimate)

Particles
に ... Non Action Point
が ... Subject marker

Questions
どこ ... Where

New Grammar

います vs. あります
  • Both verbs mean “exist”, as in “A zombie exists”, or “a pencil exists”, or “There is a pencil here”
  • Both can mean “have”, as in “I have a cat” or “I have a pencil”. However, there is a better verb that will be introduced later.
  • あります is used for anything that does not move on its own.
  • います is used for anything that can move on its own.
Particle が - The REAL Subject Marker!
  • The subject marker が is the REAL subject marker.
  • The difference between が and は is emphasis. はemphasizes and contrasts, が just says "the subject".
  • Mastering the difference between the two particles is difficult, and I screw up frequently.
Particle に - Location
  • The particle に comes after the location of a thing.
  • The word before に tells you where something is.
  • に is not used to tell the location of an action.

Examples

  1. おうさま は どこ に います か。 Where is the king?
  2. うま が みち に います。There is a horse on the road
  3. まほう の がっこう は どこ に あります か。Where is the magic school?
  4. うま が います。 There is a horse.
  5. えんぴつ が あります。 I have a pencil
  6. いぬ は います か。 Is there a dog?
  7. ゴブリン が います。 There is a goblin.
  8. ねこ が います。 There is a cat.
  9. おの が あります。 I have an axe.
  10. いぬ が います。 I have a dog.
  11. みち に しょうみん が います。 There is a merchant on the road.
  12. バーバリアン は けん が あります。 The barbarian has a sword
  13. ばけもの が います！There’s a monster!

Practice

(1) You’re in a town, ask someone where the following are.
  • The barbarians.
  • The King.
  • The magic School.
  • The church of (insert deity name).
  • The castle.
  • A mace.
  • Swords.
  • The Horse.
  • The goblin’s dagger.
  • A fighter’s armor.
  • The king’s shield.
  • The monster’s cat.
  • The rogue’s horse
(2) Someone might have stolen from your party. Tell your party leader what each party member has!
The Rogue's Inventory:
Armor; Daggers; Sword; Bow

The Fighter's Inventory:
Armor; Mace; Sword; Axe

The Wizard's Inventory:
Pen; Book; Staff; Dog
(3) Your party is asked the following questions by the party leader. Answer the questions!
ドルイド は ねこ が います か。
ファイター は よろい が あります か。
クレリック は たて が あります か。
ウィザード は ほん が あります か。
バード は いぬ が います か。
ソーサラー は つえ が あります か。
(4) You're a rogue. You were asked to scout ahead and report back what you saw.
Party Leader: “What did you see?” (The first one is a zombie, with a mace)