Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 14

ねこは どこですかWhere is the cat?

Neko wa doko desu ka

The place words: koko (here), soko (there), asoko (over there), doko (where?). These complete the kosoado grid. Neko wa doko desu ka — Asoko desu (Where's the cat? — Over there). You also meet the verbs iku, kuru, miru, taberu, nomu, suru as vocabulary (how to use them comes in the next book). Kana: reading the place words fluently.

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ここ? あそこ?— Koko? Asoko?

  1. YukiねNeこkoはwaどdoこkoでdeすsuかka。Where's the cat?
  2. MikeこKoこkoでdeすsu。Here. (slip: the cat is far from me, so it should be "asoko", not "koko")
  3. Yuki「あAそsoこko」でdeすsuよyo。「こKoこko」じゃjaなnaいiでdeすsu。It's "asoko". Not "koko".
  4. MikeあA、あaそsoこkoでdeすsu!ねNeこkoがgaいiまmaすsu。Oh, over there! There's the cat.
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いえは どこ— Where's the House?

  1. KenマMaイiクkuさsaんnのnoいiえeはwaどdoこkoでdeすsuかka。Mike, where's your house?
  2. MikeあAそsoこkoでdeすsu。いIぬnuもmoあaそsoこkoでdeすsu。Over there. The dog is over there too.
  3. KenいIいiでdeすsuねne!ねNeこkoはwaどdoこkoでdeすsuかka。Nice! Where's the cat?
  4. MikeあA、ねneこkoはwaそsoこkoでdeすsu!ケKeンnさsaんnのnoねneこkoでdeすsuかka。Oh, the cat is right there! Is it your cat, Ken?
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こkoこko

pronounhere

そsoこko

pronounthere (near you)

あaそsoこko

pronounover there

どdoこko

pronounwhere

いiくku

verbto go

くkuるru

verbto come

みmiるru

verbto see, to watch

たtaべbeるru

verbto eat

のnoむmu

verbto drink

すsuるru

verbto do

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Place words: koko/soko/asoko/doko

Explanation

The kosoado grid is complete. For places: koko (near the speaker), soko (near the listener), asoko (far from both), doko (where?). It is the same idea as kore/sore/are for things. The pattern is <what/who> wa doko desu ka — koko/soko/asoko desu: Neko wa doko desu ka — Asoko desu. Ie wa doko desu ka — Soko desu.

Examples

  • ねこは どこですか。— あそこです。Where's the cat? — Over there.
  • いぬは ここです。ねこは そこです。The dog is here. The cat is there.
  • いえは どこですか。— あそこです。Where's the house? — Over there.
  • みずは どこですか。— ここです。Where's the water? — Here.
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ひらがな: こそあどを すらすら— Hiragana: The kosoado Series Fluently

Read them in rows:

  • これ・それ・あれ・どれkore · sore · are · dorethings: this / that / that over there / which
  • ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこkoko · soko · asoko · dokoplaces: here / there / over there / where
  • こ・そ・あ・どko · so · a · dothe four starting sounds

Read aloud:

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