XはYです

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Here are the key points of this lesson: Omission of the subject (Xは) Using 'は' for clarity Nouns in Japanese” Omission of the subject (Xは) In Japanese, sentences often omit subjects when the context makes them clear, unlike in English where subjects like "I" or "it" are typically included.  For example, "I am a student," "My major is Japanese language," and "It is 12:30" translate into Japanese as "がくせいです," "にほんごです," and "12じはんです," respectively, without direct subjects. Using 'は' for clarity If the context doesn't provide clarity, Japanese sentences can start with a topic marked by "wa" (は in hiragana), indicating "As for X, it is Y.” For example,  “わたしは がくせいです" (As for me, I am a student), “せんこうは にほんごです" (As for my major, it is Japanese language), and "じかんは12じはんです" (As for the current time, it is 12:30). The particle "wa" (は), used to denote ...
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22. Can you say “Where is the Ai hotel?” in Japanese?

 22. Locating Things and People: "N wa Doko ni Arimasuka/Imasuka?" 



This structure pattern is used to ask about the location of a specific thing or person.

A: AIホテルはどこにありますか。Ai hoteru wa doko ni arimasuka?
Where is the Ai Hotel?
B: (AIホテルは) 伊豆にあります。(Ai hoteru wa) Izu ni arimasu. 
The Ai Hotel is in Izu.

A: マリアさんはどこにいますか。Maria-san wa doko ni imasuka? 
Where is Maria?
B: (マリアさんは食堂にいます。) (Maria-san wa) shokudō ni imasu. 
Maria is at the cafeteria.


You can also use the phrase "N wa doko desuka?" instead of "N wa doko ni arimasuka/imasuka?"

A: AIホテルはどこですか。Ai hoteru wa doko desuka?  Where is the I Hotel?
B: (AIホテルは)伊豆です。(Ai hoteru wa) izu desu.  The I Hotel is in Izu.

A: マリアさんはどこですか。Maria-san wa doko desuka?  Where is Maria?
B: マリアさんは食堂です。Maria-san wa shokudō desu.   Maria is at the cafeteria.


There is a difference between "(place) ni N ga arimasuka/imasuka?" and "N wa doko ni arimasuka/imasuka?" "(Place) ni N ga arimasuka/imasuka?" is used to ask if a certain thing exists or not. On the other hand, "N wa doko ni arimasuka/imasuka?" is used to inquire about the specific location of N.
For example:
A: 日本にカフェがありますか。Nihon ni kafe ga arimasuka?  Are there any cafes in Japan?
B: はい、あります。Hai, arimasu. Yes, there are.
A:カフェはどこにありますか。 Kafe wa doko ni arimasuka?  Where is the cafe?
B: カフェはあそこにあります。Kafe wa asoko ni arimasu.  The cafe is over there.



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