Breakdown of atarasii tatemono no tika ni resutoran ga aru.
がga
subject particle
のno
possessive case particle
新しいatarasii
new
にni
location particle
あるaru
to exist
レストランresutoran
restaurant
建物tatemono
building
地下tika
basement
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Questions & Answers about atarasii tatemono no tika ni resutoran ga aru.
What does the particle の do in 建物の地下?
の shows a relationship between two nouns (possession, location, classification). Here, 建物の地下 means “the basement of the building.”
Why doesn’t 新しい use の when it comes before 建物?
新しい is an i-adjective, and i-adjectives directly modify nouns without needing の. So 新しい建物 means “new building.”
Why is the particle に used after 地下?
In existential sentences (with ある/いる), に marks the location where something exists. Thus 地下に means “in the basement.”
Why do we use が before ある instead of を or は?
が marks the subject (the thing that exists) in sentences with ある/いる. It introduces new information: レストランがある means “there is a restaurant.”
Can I replace が with は here?
Yes, but it shifts the focus.
– レストランが地下にある。 (There is a restaurant in the basement. → New info: the restaurant’s existence.)
– レストランは地下にある。 (As for the restaurant, it’s in the basement. → You’re talking about a known restaurant and stating its location.)
Why is ある used instead of いる?
Use ある for inanimate objects and places; use いる for animate beings (people, animals). A restaurant is inanimate, so we say ある.
Why is レストラン written in katakana?
Katakana is used for foreign loanwords. レストラン comes from the English/French word “restaurant,” so it’s written in katakana.
How do you pronounce 地下 and what exactly does it mean?
地下 is read ちか (chi-ka). It literally means “under ground,” commonly translated as “basement” or “underground level.”
Can I change the word order in this sentence?
Japanese word order is flexible because particles mark roles. You could say:
レストランが新しい建物の地下にある。
However, leading with 新しい建物の地下に (the location) is more natural when you want to set the scene first.
What’s the difference between 建物の地下 and 地下の建物?
– 建物の地下: “the basement of the building” (the space under that specific building).
– 地下の建物: “an underground building” (a building located entirely underground).