Log inSign up

kousikisaito de kouen no tizu wo sirabemasita.

公式こうしきサイト　で　公園こうえん　の　地図ちず　を　調しらべました。kousikisaito de kouen no tizu wo sirabemasita.
I looked up a map of the park on the official site.
FromLesson 15inHardcore Japanese
……

Questions & Answers about kousikisaito de kouen no tizu wo sirabemasita.

Why is で used after 公式サイト instead of に or を?

In Japanese, で marks the place or context where an action happens. Here, you “looked up” (調べました) the park map on the official site, so the website is the location or medium of the action.

  • に would mark a destination (“to” somewhere) or a point in time, not the place of an action.
  • を usually marks the direct object, not the location.
What does 公式サイト mean, and why isn’t there a particle like の between 公式 and サイト?
公式サイト literally means official site (often a website). 公式 is a na-adjective (or noun used adjectivally) modifying サイト, so no particle is needed. If you said 公式のサイト, that’s also correct and more explicitly “the official site,” but dropping の is common in fixed compounds.
Why is の used between 公園 and 地図?

The particle の shows a genitive (possessive or descriptive) relationship.

  • 公園の地図 means “map of the park.”
    It links the noun 公園 (park) to 地図 (map), telling you what kind of map it is.
Could we say 公園地図 without の?
You could see 公園地図 in compound form (especially on signs or in titles), but in everyday sentences 公園の地図 is more natural. Using の makes the relationship clear and is the standard spoken/written form.
Why is を used before 調べました?

The particle を marks the direct object of a transitive verb. 調べる (“to look up; investigate; check”) takes a direct object, so the thing you investigate (the park map) is marked with を:
– 地図を調べました = “I checked/looked up the map.”

What is the nuance of 調べました compared to 見ました or 探しました?
  • 調べました implies you actively searched for information or details (e.g. on a website or in a book).
  • 見ました simply means you saw or viewed something. It doesn’t necessarily imply effort to find information.
  • 探しました means you physically or mentally searched but not necessarily studied details; it’s more like “looked for.”

So when you consult a website to find out specific info, 調べる is the best choice.

Why is there no subject in this sentence? Who did the action?
Japanese often omits the subject when it’s clear from context or irrelevant. Here, it’s assumed the speaker or writer is the one who did the action. If you needed to be explicit, you could say 私は公式サイトで…調べました, but in most contexts 私 is dropped.
Could I switch the word order, for example 公園の地図を公式サイトで調べました?

Yes. Japanese word order is fairly flexible as long as particles mark each element. Both
公式サイトで公園の地図を調べました
and
公園の地図を公式サイトで調べました
are grammatical and mean the same. You can move the object (公園の地図を) to the front for emphasis.

More from this lesson

houhouteiansuruii houhou wo mituketara, tomodati ni teiansimasu.taiikukanundoukaitaiikukan de undoukai no zyunbi wo simasu.taiikukanmisosiru
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Japanese

Master Japanese — from kousikisaito de kouen no tizu wo sirabemasita to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Japanese freeBrowse the full course