日本語１３１ 　　　　　　　　　　L.5 Location Nouns

Words like inside, outside, next to, on top of, underneath, next to, in front of, in back of (behind), etc.

Two things:

1. We see に　with these words to locate things in space.  Loc　に Thing が　あります

2. The word order in Japanese is the opposite of English.

We start with the thing to which you are relating the object. For example, to locate something on top of something else, you start with the "something else," i.e., the thing that the object you want to locate is on top of.

For example, for "On top of the chair,"

you start with chair or  いす and then add の上に for  “on top of” =

いすの　上　上に　Something が　あります

中 or なか = Inside = うちの　中に　or 学生かいかん　の　中に = inside the house or the student center おしいれの中に　ふとんが　あります= Inside the closet, there are futons

そと　= outside the window = まどの　そとに

となり = next to (same category)　ぎんこう　の　となり に　コンビニが　あります

よこ = next to, different type of object　たてもの　の　よこに、くるまが　あります

ちかく = close to, nearby　大学の　ちかく に

うしろ = behind　Xさんの　うしろに　Yさんがいます

まえ = in front of　えきの　まえ に

上 = on top of　ソファの　上 に

下 = underneath つくえの　下に　

みぎ = right (side of)　ぎんこうの　みぎ（がわ）に

ひだり = left (side of)　としかん　のひだり に