家と近所Home and Neighborhood
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Name common rooms in a home and basic features of a neighborhood.
- Say what exists and where, using あります and います with location particles.
- Point to and identify places using ここ／そこ／あそこ and describe nearby items using この／その／あの.
- Describe the position of one thing relative to another using position nouns such as 上, 下, and 中 together with の.
- Say where an activity takes place using activity で.
- Read and write ten new katakana symbols (タ through ホ rows) and the katakana long-vowel mark ー.
- Recognize and read the nine Chapter 6 kanji in familiar words, with furigana support.
- Read a simple neighborhood map and write a short description of your own home.
Communication Scenario
Tom has just moved into a small apartment near the community center where he attends the exchange program. His neighbor, Mrs. Tanaka, stops by to welcome him and ask about his new home. Later, a new friend asks Tom for directions to a convenience store near his building. Tom needs to describe his apartment, say what is in each room, and explain what is located around his neighborhood.
- This chapter teaches you to describe where things are — inside your home and around your neighborhood — using the existence patterns you saw briefly in Chapter 4.
- By the end of the chapter, you will be able to describe your own home and give a simple description of your neighborhood to someone who has never been there.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary covers the home, its rooms, the neighborhood, and words for describing position.
いえ — The home
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 家 | いえ | house; home |
| アパート | アパート | apartment |
| へや | へや | room |
| だいどころ | だいどころ | kitchen |
| おふろ | おふろ | bath; bathroom |
| トイレ | トイレ | toilet; restroom |
| げんかん | げんかん | entryway |
| つくえ | つくえ | desk |
| いす | いす | chair |
| ベッド | ベッド | bed |
きんじょ — The neighborhood
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| きんじょ | きんじょ | neighborhood |
| コンビニ | コンビニ | convenience store |
| こうえん | こうえん | park |
| スーパー | スーパー | supermarket |
| 山 | やま | mountain |
| 川 | かわ | river |
| じゅうしょ | じゅうしょ | address |
| ちず | ちず | map |
ばしょのことば — Position words
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 上 | うえ | on top of; above |
| 下 | した | under; below |
| 中 | なか | inside; in |
| 右 | みぎ | right |
| 左 | ひだり | left |
| 前 | まえ | in front of; before |
| 後ろ | うしろ | behind |
| となり | となり | next to; neighboring |
Words such as 上, 下, and 中 behave as nouns in Japanese, not as prepositions. This is why they connect to another noun with の, as in つくえの上 (on top of the desk) — literally, "the desk's top." You will practice this pattern in the Grammar section below.
Script Focus: Katakana タ–ホ and the Long-Vowel Mark
カタカナ — タ行・ナ行・ハ行
This chapter adds three more katakana rows to the fifteen symbols you learned in Chapter 4. Practice these alongside アパート, コンビニ, and スーパー above.
Katakana words lengthen a vowel with a straight mark, ー, rather than by repeating a vowel symbol as hiragana sometimes does. Compare スーパー (sūpā, supermarket) with アパート (apāto, apartment) — both contain a long vowel mora shown by ー. This mark always represents one full mora of length, so スーパー has four morae: す・ー・ぱ・ー.
Unit II かんじ — Nine new kanji
These nine kanji support home and neighborhood vocabulary. As in Unit I, furigana continues to support every kanji in this chapter's reading passages.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write each new katakana row three times, then write the nine new kanji next to their readings from memory. Check your work against the charts above.
Pronunciation Focus
Loanwords such as アパート, コンビニ, and スーパー are ordinary Japanese words with Japanese mora timing — they are not simply English words spoken faster. Say each word aloud, tapping once per mora:
- アパート — 4 morae: あ・パ・ー・と
- コンビニ — 4 morae: こ・ん・び・に
- スーパー — 4 morae: す・ー・ぱ・ー
Notice that the moraic ん in コンビニ takes one full mora of time, just as it does in native Japanese words.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
6.1 ここ／そこ／あそこ — Place demonstratives
Purpose: identify and point to a specific location.
- ここはわたしのへやです。Koko wa watashi no heya desu. — Here is my room.
- そこにコンビニがあります。Soko ni konbini ga arimasu. — There is a convenience store there.
- あそこはこうえんです。Asoko wa kōen desu. — Over there is a park.
ここ／そこ／あそこ identify places, while これ／それ／あれ (Chapter 2) identify things. Both series follow the same near-speaker, near-listener, far-from-both pattern, and both depend on shared attention and context rather than on fixed physical distance alone.
6.2 この／その／あの — Modifying a following noun
Purpose: point out a specific item before naming it.
- このへやはひろいです。Kono heya wa hiroi desu. — This room is spacious.
- そのアパートはあたらしいです。Sono apāto wa atarashii desu. — That apartment is new.
- あのやまはたかいです。Ano yama wa takai desu. — That mountain over there is tall.
この／その／あの must always be followed directly by a noun; unlike これ／それ／あれ, they cannot stand alone.
6.3 [場所]に[人／もの]が います／あります — Existence with location
Purpose: state that a person, animal, or thing exists at a specific place.
- へやにつくえがあります。Heya ni tsukue ga arimasu. — There is a desk in the room.[place]に[thing]が あります
- だいどころにははがいます。Daidokoro ni haha ga imasu. — My mother is in the kitchen.[place]に[person]が います
- こうえんにいぬがいます。Kōen ni inu ga imasu. — There is a dog in the park.
The same information can also be expressed by starting with the person or thing and marking it as the topic: つくえはへやにあります。 ("As for the desk, it is in the room.") Both patterns are correct; the choice depends on what the speaker wants to introduce first — the place or the item.
6.4 [ものA]の[位置ことば] — Describing position with の
Purpose: describe exactly where something is relative to another object.
- つくえの上にほんがあります。Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu. — There is a book on top of the desk.desk の on-top-of に book が あります
- いすの下にねこがいます。Isu no shita ni neko ga imasu. — There is a cat under the chair.
- いえのとなりにコンビニがあります。Ie no tonari ni konbini ga arimasu. — There is a convenience store next to the house.
- がっこうの前にこうえんがあります。Gakkō no mae ni kōen ga arimasu. — There is a park in front of the school.
Because position words such as 上 and 中 are nouns, they connect to the reference object with の, exactly as two ordinary nouns connect in にほんごのほん from Chapter 5.
6.5 活動の で — Marking where an activity happens
Purpose: state the location where an action takes place, as distinct from where something simply exists.
- だいどころでたべます。Daidokoro de tabemasu. — I eat in the kitchen.activity で, not に
- へやでべんきょうします。Heya de benkyō shimasu. — I study in my room.
Error: *だいどころにたべます。
Correction: だいどころでたべます。 — Use に only with います／あります to state that something exists somewhere. Use で with action verbs to state where an activity happens.
From existence to precise position. Chapter 4 introduced います and あります for simple existence. This chapter adds three tools that make your descriptions precise: place demonstratives for pointing, position nouns with の for exact location, and activity で for distinguishing "being somewhere" from "doing something somewhere."
Practice — Position sentences
Complete each sentence using a position word and the correct particle.
- ねこはいすの＿＿にいます。 (under)
- コンビニはがっこうの＿＿にあります。 (in front of)
- 本はつくえの＿＿にあります。 (on top of)
- こうえんはいえの＿＿にあります。 (next to)
Model Dialogue
Setting: Mrs. Tanaka, Tom's new neighbor, visits Tom's apartment for the first time.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What is on top of Tom's desk, and what does he do there?
- Where is the bathroom located, according to Tom?
- What two places does Tom mention are near his apartment?
- Identify each use of に and で in this dialogue and explain the difference.
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Complete the description. Use the picture in your mind of a simple studio apartment: a bed, a desk, a chair, and a small kitchen. Write four sentences describing what is where, using at least two position words from this chapter.
タスク２ — Transform the sentence. Rewrite each sentence below by switching the topic from the place to the item, or from the item to the place, without changing the meaning.
- へやにベッドがあります。 → ______
- ねこはいすの下にいます。 → ______
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following description aloud at a clear, moderate pace.
きくタスク — Priya's apartment
わたしのアパートはちいさいです。げんかんの右にトイレがあります。トイレのとなりにおふろがあります。だいどころはへやの中です。つくえといすがあります。つくえの上にほんがあります。まどの下にベッドがあります。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Draw a simple floor-plan sketch based on the description, labeling each room and item in the position described. Then compare your sketch with a partner or check it against the passage above.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Where is it?
Look around the room you are in right now. Ask and answer the following, substituting real objects and positions.
- つくえはどこにありますか。
- いすの上に何がありますか。
- まどのとなりに何がありますか。
コミュニケーションタスク — Describe and draw
One partner describes an imaginary room aloud using at least four existence and position sentences. The other partner draws the room based only on what they hear, then compares the drawing with the description.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: My home
Record yourself describing your own home or room in five to six sentences, using あります, います, at least two position words, and one activity sentence with で.
Reading Practice
Read the following simple neighborhood map description and answer the questions below.
きんじょのちず — Neighborhood description
わたしの家は川のとなりにあります。家の前にこうえんがあります。こうえんの中に山のちいさいえがあります。コンビニは家の右にあります。スーパーはコンビニの後ろにあります。がっこうは家の左にあります。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What is next to the writer's house?
- What is in front of the house?
- Where is the supermarket, relative to the convenience store?
- Which direction is the school from the house?
- Draw a simple map based on this passage, then write one additional sentence in Japanese describing a place you added to your own map.
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a description of your own home and neighborhood.
- Sketch your home or room. Label the rooms or main items in English first, so you know what vocabulary you will need.
- Write four to six sentences describing your home. Include at least two items with あります or います, and at least two position sentences using の and a position word.
- Write two to three sentences describing your neighborhood. Mention at least one place using この／その／あの or ここ／そこ／あそこ.
- Add one sentence about an activity you do somewhere in your home, using activity で.
- Revise and check using the checklist below before finalizing your work.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I chose correctly between います and あります.
- I used の correctly to connect a position word to its reference noun.
- I used に for existence and で for activities, without mixing them up.
- I used この／その／あの only directly before a noun.
- I wrote new katakana words accurately, including the long-vowel mark ー where needed.
- I used the nine new kanji correctly, with furigana.
- I ended each sentence with 。.
Culture and Communication
Homes in Japan vary widely by region, household size, and city, ranging from compact urban apartments to larger houses in suburban and rural areas. Many apartments in dense city neighborhoods make efficient use of limited space, but this is a practical pattern common in many large cities worldwide, not a universal or defining feature of Japanese life.
In many communities in Japan, it is common for new residents or their neighbors to exchange a short greeting and small gift when someone moves in, though this custom is far from universal and varies by region, building type, and generation. The dialogue in this chapter reflects one common, friendly version of this kind of first neighborly exchange.
Common Mistakes
Error: *つくえ上に本があります。
Correction: つくえの上に本があります。 — Because position words are nouns, they must be connected to the reference noun with の.
Error: *へやにべんきょうします。
Correction: へやでべんきょうします。 — Activity verbs take で for location, not に.
Error: *このはわたしのへやです。
Correction: これはわたしのへやです。 — Use これ when standing alone; reserve この for directly modifying a following noun, such as このへや.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Name four rooms or parts of a home in Japanese.
2. Name three places you might find in a neighborhood.
3. Give the Japanese words for "right," "left," "in front of," and "behind."
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the katakana タ・ナ・ハ rows from memory.
2. Write アパート, コンビニ, and スーパー, marking the long vowel correctly.
3. Write the nine Chapter 6 kanji and give one word using each.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Write a sentence saying something exists in a specific room, using に and あります.
2. Write a sentence describing where a pet is, using います and a position word.
3. Write a sentence saying where you study or eat, using activity で.
4. Write a sentence using この, その, or あの correctly before a noun.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the neighborhood description in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing where the school and the supermarket are located.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Write a five-sentence description of an imaginary apartment, including at least two position sentences.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Describe your own home aloud without reading from the page, then answer two follow-up questions about where specific items are.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
家とご近所のしょうかい — Introducing your home and neighborhood
A new acquaintance from the exchange program is coming to visit your home for the first time.
- Written: Write a description of at least eight sentences covering your home's rooms and layout, at least three position sentences, and two neighborhood sentences.
- Spoken: Give a short spoken tour of your home from memory, pointing out where things are as you speak.
- Interaction: Answer at least three questions a partner asks about your home or neighborhood, using どこ, 何, or ありますか／いますか.
- Script check: Hand-write the katakana タ・ナ・ハ rows and the nine Chapter 6 kanji from memory.
Assessment focus: correct choice between います and あります; correct use of の with position nouns; correct choice between location に and activity で; correct use of ここ／そこ／あそこ and この／その／あの; accurate new katakana and kanji; and an organized, connected description of a home and neighborhood.
Answer Key
Practice — Position sentences
1. ねこはいすの下にいます。 2. コンビニはがっこうの前にあります。 3. 本はつくえの上にあります。 4. こうえんはいえのとなりにあります。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- There is a computer on top of Tom's desk; he studies there.
- The bathroom is next to the kitchen.
- Tom mentions a convenience store and a park.
- に marks existence locations (つくえの上にコンピューターがあります); で marks the location of an activity (あそこでべんきょうします).
Listening task — Model description
The bathroom is to the right of the entryway; the bath is next to the bathroom; the kitchen is inside the room, with a desk, chair, books on the desk, and a bed under the window.
Reading — Comprehension
- A river is next to the house.
- A park is in front of the house.
- The supermarket is behind the convenience store.
- The school is to the left of the house.
- Open-ended; accept any accurate sentence consistent with the added map detail.
Chapter Review — Section A
- Any four of: へや、だいどころ、おふろ、トイレ、げんかん.
- Any three of: コンビニ、こうえん、スーパー.
- 右・左・前・後ろ.
Chapter Review — Section B
- タ行: タ チ ツ テ ト; ナ行: ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ; ハ行: ハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ.
- アパート・コンビニ・スーパー — check the placement of ー against the vocabulary tables.
- 山・川・上・下・中・右・左・前・後 — check against the kanji grids above.
Chapter Review — Section C
- Model: へやにつくえがあります。
- Model: ねこはベッドの下にいます。
- Model: だいどころでたべます。
- Model: このへやはひろいです。
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: がっこうは家の左にあります。スーパーはコンビニの後ろにあります。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate spoken work against the Performance Task assessment focus.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can describe a home and neighborhood, state what exists and where using います and あります, point out specific places and items, describe precise positions with の, and distinguish location に from activity で. You can read and write ten new katakana symbols, the long-vowel mark ー, and nine new kanji.