Breakdown of singou de migi ni magaru to, mise ga arimasu.
にni
destination particle
がga
subject particle
でde
location particle
店mise
store
とto
conditional particle
あるaru
to exist
曲がるmagaru
to turn
右migi
right
信号singou
traffic light
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Questions & Answers about singou de migi ni magaru to, mise ga arimasu.
Why is で used after 信号?
で marks the location where an action takes place. Here it tells us you turn at the traffic light. Without で, the sentence wouldn’t specify where you make the turn.
Why is に used after 右?
に indicates the direction or goal of movement—in this case, “to the right.” You’re not turning from the right, but toward it, so 右に曲がる is the natural way to say “turn right.”
Why is 曲がる in the plain (dictionary) form instead of the polite 曲がります?
Because it’s part of a conditional phrase with と. In Japanese, you generally use the plain form of the verb before と to express “when/if you do X, then Y happens.”
What does the particle と do in this sentence?
This と is a conditional conjunction meaning “when” (or “if”). It connects 右に曲がる with 店があります, so it literally reads: “When you turn right at the traffic light, there is a shop.”
Why is 店 marked with が instead of は?
が is used here because you’re stating the existence of something new or just pointing out that there is a shop. は would imply you’re contrasting or already talking about the shop, which isn’t the case.
Why is あります used instead of います for 店?
Japanese verbs for existence distinguish between inanimate and animate subjects. あります is for inanimate things (like buildings, objects), while います is for living beings (people, animals).
Could you say 信号のところで右に曲がると、店があります instead?
Yes. Adding のところ (“the spot/place of”) is perfectly natural and slightly more descriptive: “When you turn right at the spot of the traffic light, there is a shop.” It’s a bit longer but carries the same meaning.