Question 1

Why is the particle を used after 交差点 in 交差点を右に曲がる? I thought で marks where you do an action.

Accepted Answer

In Japanese, some motion verbs treat the place you move “through” or “along” as a direct object with を rather than で. Verbs like 曲がる (to turn), 通る (to pass through), 渡る (to cross) take を to mark the route or point you go by. So 交差点を右に曲がる literally means “turn the intersection to the right,” which native speakers understand as “turn right at the intersection.” Using 交差点で右に曲がる would sound unnatural here.

Question 2

What is the role of に in 右に曲がる? Could I use へ or drop the particle?

Accepted Answer

に marks the direction or target of the turning action (“to the right”). You can also use へ (右へ曲がる) with almost the same meaning—に emphasizes the resultant direction, while へ highlights movement toward it. However, omitting the particle (右曲がる) is ungrammatical; you need に or へ.

Question 3

What does the particle と do after 交差点を右に曲がる? Why not use たら or ば for “when”?

Accepted Answer

Here と expresses a natural, almost guaranteed consequence. “If/when you turn right at the intersection, then there is a post office.” With と, the second clause follows automatically every time. You could use たら (曲がったら) for a single hypothetical instance, but と feels more like stating a general fact or routine.

Question 4

Why is there no subject in this sentence? Who is doing the turning?

Accepted Answer

Japanese often omits the subject when it’s clear from context or general. In giving directions, the implied subject is “you” (the listener) or a general “one.” It’s understood as “If you turn right at the intersection, there is a post office.”

Question 5

What kind of verb is 曲がる, and how do I conjugate it?

Accepted Answer

曲がる is a godan (u‐ending) verb. Its basic conjugations:
- Dictionary: 曲がる  
- Negative: 曲がらない  
- Past: 曲がった  
- Te‐form: 曲がって  
Remember to adjust the ending according to politeness or tense.

Question 6

Why do we use あります after 郵便局? Could we say います instead?

Accepted Answer

あります is the existence verb for inanimate objects (buildings, things). Since 郵便局 (post office) is inanimate, we use あります. います is reserved for animate beings (people, animals).

Question 7

Why say 郵便局があります instead of 郵便局です here?

Accepted Answer

あります indicates existence or presence at a location: “There is a post office.” です would be used to identify or describe something (“It is a post office”), which doesn’t fit when you want to point out that something exists at that spot.

kousaten wo migi ni magaru to, yuubinkyoku ga arimasu.

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