Breakdown of ryou no sangai ni yuubinbako ga arimasu.
がga
subject particle
のno
possessive case particle
にni
location particle
あるaru
to exist
寮ryou
dormitory
三階sankai
third floor
郵便箱yuubinbako
mailbox
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Questions & Answers about ryou no sangai ni yuubinbako ga arimasu.
Why is の used between 寮 and 三階?
Particle の indicates a possessive or attributive relationship between two nouns. Here 寮の三階 literally means “the dormitory’s third floor,” linking the building (寮) and its level (三階).
Why is に used after 三階?
Particle に marks the specific location where something exists when used with verbs like ある/あります. So 三階に means “on the third floor.”
Why is が used before あります instead of は?
In existence sentences, が marks the thing that is said to exist. If you used は, you’d be making the mailbox the topic or contrasting it (“As for the mailbox, it exists”), which changes the nuance.
Why do we use あります for the mailbox instead of います?
あります is used for inanimate objects; います is for animate beings. Since a mailbox is inanimate, we use あります.
Why is あります used here rather than the plain form ある?
あります is the polite -ます form. In casual speech among friends you could drop politeness and say 寮の三階に郵便箱がある.
How do you pronounce 三階, and why isn’t it read みっかい or みかい?
It’s read さんがい. Both 三 (さん) and 階 (かい) use their on-yomi readings, and by rendaku (voicing) the かい becomes がい.
What’s the difference between 郵便箱 and 郵便受け?
郵便箱 (ゆうびんばこ) literally means “mail box” and usually refers to a standalone or wall-mounted box. 郵便受け (ゆうびんうけ) literally means “mail receiver” and often refers to a slot or small tray inside or at the door.
Can I rearrange the sentence as 郵便箱は寮の三階にあります? If so, does it change the nuance?
Yes. Using は makes 郵便箱 the topic: “As for the mailbox, it’s on the dorm’s third floor.” It shifts emphasis to the mailbox rather than simply stating its location.
Why does 三階に come before 郵便箱が? Could I say 郵便箱が三階にあります?
Japanese is flexible, but the most natural pattern for existence is [location]に [thing]が [ある/あります]. You could say 郵便箱が三階にあります, but leading with the location (三階に) sets the scene more clearly.
Is there a more formal way to say “there is a mailbox” on the third floor?
Yes. You could say 寮の三階に郵便箱が設置されています, which literally means “a mailbox has been installed on the dorm’s third floor,” giving a more formal or official tone.