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Study in the app →Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 32
うちに なにが ありますか What is in your home?
Describing your home and rooms. Vocabulary: uchi, heya, daidokoro, ofuro, shinshitsu, ima, beddo, tsukue, mado, doa, neko. Key grammar: the particle "ya" for listing things. "To" lists them all (only those): "beddo to tsukue" (a bed and a desk). "Ya" gives representative examples and means "…and so on": "heya ni beddo ya tsukue ga arimasu" (in my room there is a bed, a desk, and so on). Use "arimasu" for things, "imasu" for people and animals. English speakers tend to chain many things with "to" in a long string: "beddo to tsukue to isu to hon to…" ✗ → "beddo ya tsukue ga arimasu" ✓. Kana corner: the small "tsu" of "beddo", dakuten. Culture 4: the Japanese home (entrance, tatami room, the bath).
Dialogue
ベッドと つくえと… / ベッドや つくえ — beddo to tsukue to… / beddo ya tsukue
- Yuki マイクさん、へやに なにが ありますか？ Mike, what is in your room?
- Mike ベッドと つくえと いすと ほんと まどが あります。 There is a bed and a desk and a chair and books and a window. (slip: for a long, open list use "ya", not a chain of "to" → beddo ya tsukue ga arimasu)
- Yuki たくさん ある ときは「や」です：「ベッドや つくえが あります」。 When there are many, use "ya": "beddo ya tsukue ga arimasu".
- Mike あ、ベッドや つくえが あります。まどや ドアも あります。 Ah, there is a bed, a desk, and so on. There is also a window, a door, and so on.
- Yuki じょうずですね！ものは「あります」、いきものは「います」ですよ。 Well done! Remember: things take "arimasu", living creatures take "imasu".
- Mike はい！いまに ねこが います。 Yes! There is a cat in the living room.
Dialogue
ユキさんの うち — Yuki's home
- Mike ユキさんの うちは おおきいですか？ Yuki, is your home big?
- Yuki ちいさいですが、へやが みっつ あります。 It is small, but there are three rooms.
- Mike だいどころには なにが ありますか？ What is in the kitchen?
- Yuki テーブルや いすが あります。おおきい まども あります。 There is a table, chairs, and so on. There is also a big window.
- Mike いいですね！ペットは いますか？ Nice! Do you have a pet?
- Yuki はい、いまに ねこが います。とても かわいいですよ！ Yes, there is a cat in the living room. It is very cute!
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| うち | uchi | n. | home, house |
| へや | heya | n. | room |
| だいどころ | daidokoro | n. | kitchen |
| おふろ | ofuro | n. | bath, bathroom |
| しんしつ | shinshitsu | n. | bedroom |
| いま | ima | n. | living room |
| ベッド | beddo | n. | bed |
| つくえ | tsukue | n. | desk |
| まど | mado | n. | window |
| ドア | doa | n. | door |
| ねこ | neko | n. | cat |
Grammar
ならべる「や」（〜など） Listing with "ya" (…and so on)
ものを ならべる とき、「と」と「や」の ふたつが あります。「と」は それだけを ぜんぶ ならべます：「ベッドと つくえが あります」＝ベッドと つくえ、それだけ。「や」は だいひょうを あげて、「ほかにも ある」という いみに なります：「ベッドや つくえが あります」＝ベッド、つくえ、など。もっと はっきり させたい ときは「〜など」を つけます：「ベッドや つくえなどが あります」。そんざいは、もの（ベッド、まど…）は「あります」、ひとや どうぶつ（かぞく、ねこ…）は「います」です：「いまに ねこが います」。えいごの ひとは、たくさんの ものを「と」で ながく つなぎがちです：「ベッドと つくえと いすと ほんと…」✗。だいひょうだけを あげる ときは「や」を つかいます：「ベッドや つくえが あります」✓。
When you list things, there are two particles: "to" and "ya". "To" lists exactly those and nothing else: "beddo to tsukue ga arimasu" = a bed and a desk, only those. "Ya" gives representative examples and means "there are others too": "beddo ya tsukue ga arimasu" = a bed, a desk, and so on. To make it clearer, add "…nado": "beddo ya tsukue nado ga arimasu". For existence: things (a bed, a window…) take "arimasu"; people and animals (family, a cat…) take "imasu": "ima ni neko ga imasu" (there is a cat in the living room). English speakers tend to chain many things with "to" in a long string: "beddo to tsukue to isu to hon to…" ✗. When you name only representative examples, use "ya": "beddo ya tsukue ga arimasu" ✓.
- へやに ベッドや つくえが あります。 Heya ni beddo ya tsukue ga arimasu. In my room there is a bed, a desk, and so on.
- だいどころに テーブルと いすが あります。 Daidokoro ni tēburu to isu ga arimasu. In the kitchen there is a table and chairs (just those).
- いまに ねこが います。 Ima ni neko ga imasu. There is a cat in the living room.
- しんしつに まどや ドアが あります。 Shinshitsu ni mado ya doa ga arimasu. In the bedroom there is a window, a door, and so on.
Culture
にほんの いえ The Japanese home
Asking "what is your home like?" reveals a lot about Japanese life. You take off your shoes at the entrance, sit in a tatami room, and in the evening soak slowly in the bath. These three things — taking off your shoes, the Japanese-style room, and the bath — show you what a Japanese home is like.
Taking off shoes at the genkan
When you enter a Japanese home, you always take off your shoes. When you open the door there is a "genkan" (entrance) a little lower than the floor. Here you take off your shoes and step up onto the raised floor. Going into a room with your shoes on is very rude. This keeps the floor clean, and inside the house you wear slippers. But in a tatami room you take off even the slippers. When you visit a friend's home, do not forget this custom.
The washitsu and tatami
Many homes have a "washitsu", a Japanese-style room. The floor is covered with "tatami", mats made of woven rush. In a tatami room you do not use chairs; you sit on the floor. At night you spread a "futon" on the floor to sleep, and in the morning you fold it away. So during the day the same room can be used for many things. Tatami has a lovely smell, is cool in summer and warm in winter. Even in new houses, many people keep at least one washitsu.
The Japanese bath
The Japanese "ofuro" (bath) is an important time to relax. There is one key rule: before getting into the bath, you wash your body outside the tub. Once you are clean, you soak slowly in the warm water. Because of this, the whole family can use the same hot water one after another. The water is very warm and takes away the tiredness of the day. In winter, your body stays warm long after the bath. The "onsen" (hot spring) is the same: first you wash your body, then everyone gets into a large bath together.
In short: a Japanese home is entered with your shoes off (the genkan), lived in on the floor (the washitsu and tatami), and enjoyed in the evening in the bath. Next time a Japanese friend says "come and visit my home", be ready to take off your shoes at the genkan.
kana
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