Learn Hardcore Japanese: kinen no seki ha iriguti no tikaku ni arimasu ka? - Are the non-smoking seats near the entrance?

の links nouns. In 禁煙の席, it means “a seat of the non-smoking type” (a non-smoking seat). In 入口の近く, it means “the entrance’s vicinity” (near the entrance). Think of the pattern as “N1 の N2” = “N2 related to N1.”

Can I just say 禁煙席 instead of 禁煙の席? Is there a nuance difference?

Yes. Both 禁煙席 and 禁煙の席 are correct. 禁煙席 (a compound noun) is what you’ll see most on signs and menus; 禁煙の席 sounds a bit more descriptive and conversational. In everyday speech, both are fine and understood the same.

Why is it あります and not います?

Use あります for inanimate things (seats, buildings, objects) and います for living beings (people, animals). A seat is inanimate, so あります is correct. Example: 椅子があります (There is a chair), 人がいます (There is a person).

Why is it 近くに and not 近くで?

With existence verbs like あります/います, the location is marked by に: 入口の近くにあります (exists near the entrance). Use で when an action happens at a place: 入口の近くで待ちます (I’ll wait near the entrance).

Could I say 禁煙席は入口の近くですか instead of …近くにありますか?

Yes. …近くですか (equative) and …近くにありますか (existential/location) are both natural here. ありますか emphasizes the placement/existence of the seats; ですか treats “near the entrance” as a property of the seats. In practice, both are commonly used.

Why is there a は after 席? Could I use が instead?

は marks the topic (“as for the non-smoking seat(s)…”), which is natural when asking about their location. が would mark 禁煙の席 as new, focal information: 入口の近くに禁煙の席がありますか (“Are there any non-smoking seats near the entrance?”). Both work; は sounds a bit more contrastive/topic-like, が more purely existential.

How do you read 入口? Why not read it as にゅうこう? Is 入り口 also correct?

入口 is read いりぐち (rendaku turns くち to ぐち). It’s a special reading pattern (jukujikun), so not にゅうこう. 入り口 (with the kana り) is also standard and read the same: いりぐち.

What’s the difference between 近く and 近い?

近く is a noun/adverb meaning “vicinity/nearby.” Patterns: N の近く (駅の近く), 近くに (駅の近くにあります).
近い is an i-adjective meaning “close/near.” Patterns: A は B に近い / B から近い (この店は駅に近い／駅から近い).

Can I change the word order to emphasize the location?

Yes. 入口の近くに禁煙席はありますか is perfectly natural and puts emphasis on “near the entrance.” Both orders—禁煙席は入口の近くにありますか and 入口の近くに禁煙席はありますか—are common, with slight emphasis differences.

How could I make this question softer/more polite at a restaurant?

Add a softener: すみません、禁煙席は入口の近くにありますか。
Use more polite vocabulary: 入口の近くに禁煙席はございますか。
Make it more tentative: 入口の近くに禁煙席はありますでしょうか。 Any of these sounds courteous.

How would someone answer yes or no naturally?

Yes: はい、禁煙席は入口の近くにあります。
No: いいえ、入口の近くにはありません。 or いいえ、禁煙席は入口の近くにありません。 You can add details: 奥のほうになります (They’re toward the back), etc.

Does 席 mean one seat or multiple seats here?

Japanese usually doesn’t mark singular/plural. 禁煙の席 can mean “a non-smoking seat” or “non-smoking seats” depending on context. If you must specify, use counters: 一席（いっせき）/ 二席（にせき）. In conversation, people often specify by people instead: 二人分の席はありますか (Do you have seating for two?).

What’s the difference between 入口の近く and 近くの入口?

入口の近く: “the area near the entrance” (focus on the area).
近くの入口: “an entrance that is nearby (to where we are)” (focus on which entrance). Example: 入口の近くにベンチがあります (There’s a bench near the entrance) vs 近くの入口は閉まっています (The nearby entrance is closed).

Do I need the spaces and the question mark?

No. Standard Japanese doesn’t use spaces between words. A natural write-up is: 禁煙席は入口の近くにありますか。 The か already marks a question; a question mark is optional in modern writing and more common in casual text.