Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha uketukegakari ni kaigisitu no basyo wo kikimasita. - I asked the receptionist where the meeting room is.

In Japanese, に marks the target or recipient of an action. Here, you’re asking something to the receptionist, so 受付係に means “to the receptionist.”

What function does the の in 会議室の場所 serve?

The particle の links two nouns in a possessive or descriptive way. 会議室の場所 literally means “the location of the meeting room.”

Why is 場所 followed by を before 聞きました?

を marks the direct object of a transitive verb. When you 聞く (ask/ask for information), the thing you ask for—here, 場所—is the direct object, so you say 場所を聞く.

Why is 私 marked with は instead of が?

は is the topic marker, often translated as “as for.” By saying 私は, you set “I” as the topic of your sentence. Using が would mark “I” as the grammatical subject in a different context, but here you’re introducing who did the asking, so は is natural.

Can 私は be omitted in this sentence?

Yes. In Japanese, if the topic or subject is clear from context, you can drop it. So 受付係に会議室の場所を聞きました is perfectly fine when it’s obvious you’re the one asking.

Could you use 尋ねる instead of 聞く? Is there a nuance difference?

Yes. 尋ねる (たずねる) also means “to ask,” but it’s a bit more formal or literary. 聞く is more common in everyday conversation. So you could say 受付係に会議室の場所を尋ねました for a slightly more polite tone.

What’s the difference between saying 聞きました and 教えてもらいました?

聞きました simply means “I asked.”
教えてもらいました means “I received (the information)” and implies you got it as a favor. It’s more polite and emphasizes gratitude for the answer.

How would you quote the actual question asked?

You can embed the question with Japanese quotation marks:
受付係に「会議室はどこですか」と聞きました
This literally shows you asked, “Where is the meeting room?”

How do you pronounce 受付係, and what does it mean?

受付係 is read うけつけがかり. It means “receptionist” or “front-desk staff.”