Learn Japanese: Describe Rooms and Furniture with Prepositions and Adjectives
Learn to describe interiors in Japanese using あります, います, location words like となり and ちかく, and adjectives such as ちいさい and おおきい. Build natural sentences like 'There is a small table by the window.'
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
This lesson teaches you how to describe what is inside a room and where furniture is placed. Unlike talking about towns or buildings, here we focus on interiors: tables, chairs, windows, and their positions. You will learn the basic pattern 'Place に Thing が あります' (There is a thing in/at place) and how to add adjectives like ちいさい (small) or あたらしい (new). You will also learn location nouns such as まどぎわ (by the window), となり (next to), and ちかく (near). By the end, you can say where things are and what they are like, using natural Japanese word order and particles.
By the end, you can…
- say that a piece of furniture or an object exists in a room using あります.
- describe the position of furniture using location words like まどぎわ, となり, and ちかく.
- add adjectives like ちいさい, おおきい, and あたらしい to describe furniture.
- ask where something is using どこに ありますか.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
まどぎわに ちいさい テーブルが あります。
There is a small table by the window.
madogiwa ni chiisai tēburu ga arimasu.
Use まどぎわ (by the window) for location. あります is for inanimate things like tables.
へやの なかに おおきい ソファが あります。
There is a big sofa in the room.
heya no naka ni ōkii sofa ga arimasu.
へやの なか means 'inside the room'. おおきい is an い-adjective meaning 'big'.
つくえの となりに いすが あります。
There is a chair next to the desk.
tsukue no tonari ni isu ga arimasu.
となり means 'next to' and follows the noun it is next to, with の.
ベッドの ちかくに ランプが あります。
There is a lamp near the bed.
beddo no chikaku ni ranpu ga arimasu.
ちかく means 'near' or 'nearby'. Use の before it to link to the reference object.
テレビは どこに ありますか。
Where is the television?
terebi wa doko ni arimasu ka.
Use は to mark the topic (the TV) and どこに to ask 'where'. か makes it a polite question.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: [Place] に [Thing] が あります。 This means 'There is [Thing] in/at [Place].' The particle に marks the location, and が marks the thing that exists. To add an adjective, put it directly before the noun: ちいさい テーブル (small table), あたらしい いす (new chair). For example: へやに あたらしい つくえが あります。 (There is a new desk in the room.) For living things like people or animals, use います instead of あります: へやに ねこが います。 (There is a cat in the room.)
When to use it
Use this pattern whenever you want to state what exists in a room or where something is located. It is neutral and polite, suitable for everyday conversation. If you want to ask about location, say: [Thing] は どこに ありますか。 For example: つくえは どこに ありますか。 (Where is the desk?) To answer, you can say: つくえは まどぎわに あります。 (The desk is by the window.) Note that あります can also mean 'to have' when the possessor is the topic: わたしは くるまが あります。 (I have a car.) But in this lesson, we focus on existence in a place.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
へやに なにが ありますか。
What is in the room?heya ni nani ga arimasu ka.まどぎわに ちいさい テーブルが あります。それから、ベッドの ちかくに ランプも あります。
There is a small table by the window. Also, there is a lamp near the bed.madogiwa ni chiisai tēburu ga arimasu. sorekara, beddo no chikaku ni ranpu mo arimasu.テレビは どこに ありますか。
Where is the television?terebi wa doko ni arimasu ka.テレビは つくえの となりに あります。
The television is next to the desk.terebi wa tsukue no tonari ni arimasu.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese homes, rooms often have specific purposes, and furniture placement can reflect that. When describing interiors, it is common to mention the room type (e.g., リビング, へや) and use location words relative to fixed features like windows or doors. Politeness matters: in formal situations, use あります/います rather than casual forms like ある/いる. Also, when referring to someone else's home, avoid overly direct comments about size or clutter; use neutral adjectives like ひろい (spacious) or コンパクト (compact) to be polite.
One thing to watch for
Using います for inanimate objects, e.g., テーブルが います。
Try this instead: Use あります for inanimate things like tables, chairs, and lamps. For example: テーブルが あります。 (There is a table.) Use います only for living beings: ねこが います。 (There is a cat.)
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'There is a new chair next to the desk' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
つくえの となりに あたらしい いすが あります。
This uses the pattern [Place] に [Adjective + Noun] が あります. となりに marks 'next to the desk', and あたらしい modifies いす. You could also say つくえの よこに, which is similar but slightly less specific.
2What is the difference between あります and います?
Show a sample answer
あります is used for inanimate objects, while います is used for living things (people and animals).
For example, ほんが あります (There is a book) vs. いぬが います (There is a dog). Using the wrong one sounds unnatural, so remember the distinction.
3Translate into Japanese: 'Where is the lamp?'
Show a sample answer
ランプは どこに ありますか。
This uses the question pattern [Thing] は どこに ありますか. You can also omit は and say ランプは どこですか, but the あります version is more specific to existence.
To describe rooms and furniture, use [Place] に [Thing] が あります for existence, add adjectives before nouns, and use location words like まどぎわ, となり, and ちかく to say where things are. Remember: あります for things, います for living beings.
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