Learn Hardcore Japanese: deguti no mae ni tiisai tyuusyazyou ga aru. - There is a small parking lot in front of the exit.

It links two nouns to show an attributive/possessive relationship. 出口の前 literally means the front of the exit. So the location phrase 出口の前に = at/in front of the exit.

Why is に used after 前 and not で?

With existence verbs (ある / いる), the location takes に. You say 場所に Xがある/いる to mean “There is X at the place.” Use で for places where an action happens:

Existence: 出口の前に駐車場がある。
Action: 出口の前で待つ。 (to wait in front of the exit)

Why is が used before ある instead of は?

が marks the thing that exists (focus/new info). 駐車場がある presents the parking lot as new information. は topicalizes and often adds contrast:

出口の前には小さい駐車場がある。 (As for in front of the exit, there is a small lot.)
小さい駐車場はある (There is a small lot, but… [contrast implied])

Can I say 出口の前には小さい駐車場がある?

Yes. Adding は after the location (出口の前には) topicalizes the location, often implying contrast with other places.

Why ある and not いる?

Use ある for inanimate things and places; いる for animate beings (people/animals). A parking lot is inanimate, so ある is correct. Polite forms: あります / いらっしゃいます (for people/animals).

Can I use 小さな instead of 小さい?

Yes: 小さな駐車場 is natural. 小さい is a regular i-adjective used both before nouns and as a predicate. 小さな is a pre-noun modifier (連体詞) used only before nouns. Nuance difference is small; 小さな can feel a bit more literary/compact.

What’s the difference between 小さい駐車場がある and 駐車場が小さい?

小さい駐車場がある: “There exists a small parking lot” (modifies the noun).
駐車場が小さい: “The parking lot is small” (states a property of a specific lot already in context).

Can I change the word order?

Yes, as long as the verb stays at the end:

小さい駐車場が出口の前にある。
出口の前に小さい駐車場がある。
Both are natural. The earlier element tends to be what you’re framing/topicalizing.

Does 前に mean “before” (time) or “in front of” (place)?

Both; context decides.

Place: 出口の前に人がいる。 (in front of)
Time: 出発の前に準備する。 (before departure)

What’s the difference between 前に and 前の?

前に
- clause/verb: marks a location or a time point (adverbial).
前の
- noun: modifies a noun.
  Examples:
出口の前に駐車場がある。 (There is … in front of the exit.)
出口の前の駐車場 (the parking lot in front of the exit)

How do you read the kanji?

出口: でぐち (deguchi)
前: まえ (mae)
小さい: ちいさい (chiisai)
駐車場: ちゅうしゃじょう (chuushajou)
ある: aru

Does 駐車場 mean a parking lot or a parking garage?

駐車場 is a general “parking area/facility” and can be open-air or a structure. If you need to be specific:

Multi-story garage: 立体駐車場
Coin-operated lot: コインパーキング
A single parking space: 駐車スペース／駐車枠

How do I make the sentence polite, negative, or past?

Polite: 出口の前に小さい駐車場があります。
Negative: …ありません。 (plain: ない)
Past: …ありました。
Past negative: …ありませんでした。

How do I ask “Is there a small parking lot in front of the exit?”

Two common ways:

出口の前に小さい駐車場はありますか。 (topic-marking the item)
出口の前に小さい駐車場がありますか。 (neutral yes/no)

Why are there no articles like “a/the”?

Japanese has no articles. Definiteness is inferred from context. 小さい駐車場 can mean “a small parking lot” or “the small parking lot,” depending on what’s known.

Can particles be dropped in casual speech?

Yes, often が is omitted in casual conversation:

出口の前に小さい駐車場あるよ。 (There’s a small lot in front of the exit, you know.)
Don’t drop them in formal writing.

Is 前 the best word here? What about 近く?

前: directly in front/facing the exit.
近く: “near/nearby,” looser.
You can also intensify: 出口のすぐ前に (right in front of the exit).

Any traps like 前の出口 I should avoid?

Yes. 前の出口 means “the exit that is in front (of us),” not “in front of the exit.” To say “in front of the exit,” use 出口の前 (or 出口の前に for the location marker).