Learn Hardcore Japanese: eki no yoko ni basutei ga arimasu. - There is a bus stop next to the station.

の here is the genitive or attributive particle. It links two nouns, showing that the second noun (横, “side”) belongs to or is related to the first noun (駅, “station”). So 駅の横 literally means “the side of the station.”

Why do we use に after 横?

The particle に marks the location where something exists or takes place. In an existence sentence with あります (“there is/are”), X に indicates “at X.” Hence 駅の横に means “at the side of the station.”

Why is が used after バス停 instead of は?

In existence sentences with あります/います, が marks the thing that exists (the subject). Using が keeps the sentence neutral and introduces the existence of バス停 (“bus stop”). If you used は, you’d be making バス停 the topic and potentially implying contrast or known information (e.g. “As for the bus stop, there is one…”).

What’s the role of あります in this sentence? Could we use います instead?

あります is the verb for “to exist” when referring to inanimate objects or plants. Since a bus stop is inanimate, we use あります. います is used for animate beings (people, animals). Saying バス停がいます would be ungrammatical because a bus stop isn’t animate.

What’s the difference between 横, 隣, and そば when describing location?

横 (よこ): “side” or “beside,” typically adjacent but can allow a bit of distance.
隣 (となり): “next to” or “neighboring,” implies immediate adjacency, often used when two things are of the same category.
そば: “beside” or “near,” a looser “nearby,” less precise about exact contact.
So 駅の横に suggests the bus stop is alongside the station, perhaps a bit offset, whereas 駅の隣に would imply it’s directly next door.

Could we say 駅の横にはバス停があります? What changes?

Yes. Adding は after に (i.e. 駅の横には) makes 駅の横 the topic with a slight contrast or emphasis: “As for the side of the station, there is a bus stop.” The basic meaning is the same, but it feels a bit more like you’re drawing attention specifically to that location.

Why aren’t there any articles like “the” or “a” in the Japanese sentence?

Japanese doesn’t have grammatical articles. Specificity (definite or indefinite) is inferred from context. バス停があります can mean “there is a bus stop” or “there is the bus stop,” depending on what you’ve already mentioned or what’s understood.

How would you turn this sentence into a question in Japanese?

Add か to the end:
駅の横にバス停がありますか。
This becomes “Is there a bus stop next to the station?” You can also use rising intonation in speech without か, but in writing か is standard.