Learn Hardcore Japanese: tikaku no kouen de sanposimasu.

So 近くの公園 is literally “the park of the nearby area”, which we naturally translate as “a nearby park / the park nearby.”
Here, 近くの is just saying that the park is in the nearby area.

Is 近く an adjective, like “near,” or something else?

In this sentence, 近く is not an adjective; it’s a noun that means “vicinity / nearby area.”
Japanese often uses:

近い (chikai) – an i-adjective meaning “near, close”
近く (chikaku) – a noun or adverbial noun meaning “nearby, vicinity”

Here we have 近く + の + 公園, so 近く is the noun being used with の to modify 公園.

What’s the difference between 近くの公園 and 近い公園?

Both can be translated as “a nearby park.” The difference is form and nuance:

近くの公園
- Uses the noun 近く
  - の.
- Very common, sounds completely natural in everyday speech.
- Slight nuance of “the park in the nearby area.”
近い公園
- Uses the adjective 近い directly before the noun.
- Grammatically fine but less common in this exact phrase; it can sound a bit more bookish or descriptive, depending on context.

In most everyday contexts, 近くの公園 is the more usual way to say “the nearby park.”

Why is で used after 公園? Why not に?

で marks the location where an action takes place.
In 公園で散歩します, you’re saying “take a walk in/at the park” — the park is the place where the walking happens.

に can also mark locations, but it usually focuses on arrival/existence/target (go to a park, be at a park):

公園に行きます。– I go to the park.
公園にいます。– I am at the park.

For actions that happen in a place (eat, study, play, walk, etc.), で is normally used:

公園で遊びます。– I play at the park.
公園で散歩します。– I take a walk in the park.

Why is there no subject like “I” in this sentence?

Japanese often omits the subject when it’s clear from context.

So instead of saying:

私は近くの公園で散歩します。 – I take a walk in the nearby park.

it’s completely natural to just say:

近くの公園で散歩します。

Listeners infer the subject from context (usually “I” in normal conversation about your own actions). Adding 私 is fine, but not necessary unless you want to emphasize it’s “I (as opposed to someone else).”

Why is it 散歩します and not just 歩きます?

歩きます means “to walk” in a neutral sense (moving on foot).
散歩します (from the noun 散歩, “a walk / stroll”) means “to go for a walk / to take a stroll”, usually with a nuance of leisure or exercise, not just moving from A to B.

So:

駅まで歩きます。 – I walk to the station.
近くの公園で散歩します。 – I (go for a) walk in the nearby park (for leisure / exercise).

I learned 散歩をします. Why is there no を here?

散歩 is a verbal noun (サ変名詞). For many such nouns, both patterns are possible:

散歩をする
散歩する

Both mean “to take a walk.” The を is optional here.

So:

近くの公園で散歩をします。
近くの公園で散歩します。

are both correct and natural. The version without を is very common in speech.

What tense and politeness level is 散歩します?

します is:

Polite form (ます-form) of する (“to do”)
Non-past tense, which in Japanese covers both:
- future: “I will take a walk”
- habitual / general: “I (often) take a walk”

So 近くの公園で散歩します。 can mean:

I will take a walk in the nearby park.
I (usually / often) take a walk in the nearby park.

The exact nuance depends on context (time words like 明日, 毎日, etc.).

Is 近くの公園で散歩します a complete sentence, or is something missing?

It is a complete sentence. In Japanese:

A sentence can end with a verb or an adjective without needing です or だ.
Here, 散歩します is the verb, so the sentence is complete.

You do not need anything like “です” at the end, because this is not a noun or adjective sentence; it’s a verb sentence already finished by します.

Can I change the word order, like 公園で近くの散歩します?

No, that word order is not natural and is confusing.

The structure is:

近くの公園 – one noun phrase, “a nearby park”
で – location particle
散歩します – verb phrase

So the basic order should keep 近くの directly in front of 公園:

近くの公園で散歩します。 ✅ natural
公園で近くの散歩します。 ❌ odd/incorrect

You can add other elements (time words, subjects, etc.), but 近くの公園 should stay together as a unit.

What’s the difference between 近くの公園で散歩します and 近くの公園を散歩します?

Both can be understood, but there’s a nuance difference in the particle:

近くの公園で散歩します。
- Emphasis: you take a walk in the park.
- で marks the park as the place where the action happens.
- Very common, neutral phrasing.
近くの公園を散歩します。
- Emphasis: you walk around / through the park (treating the park more like a route or area traversed).
- を can mark a path/space you move through.
- Sounds a bit more literary or descriptive; not as common in everyday speech as the で version.

For everyday use, 近くの公園で散歩します is usually the safest and most natural choice.

Can I say この近くの公園で散歩します? How is that different?

Yes, この近くの公園で散歩します is correct and natural.

近くの公園 – “a nearby park” (near the speaker, or near some contextually known point)
この近くの公園 – “a park near here” / “the park near this place”

この points explicitly to “here / this place”, so:

If you’re talking about where you live or are standing, この近くの公園 emphasizes “the park near here.”
Without この, it’s just “a nearby park” from context, without explicitly saying “here.”

Where can I put time expressions like “tomorrow” or “every day” in this sentence?

Time expressions are flexible and usually go before the verb, often near the beginning of the sentence. All of these are natural:

明日、近くの公園で散歩します。 – Tomorrow, I will take a walk in the nearby park.
毎日、近くの公園で散歩します。 – Every day, I take a walk in the nearby park.
近くの公園で明日散歩します。 – I will take a walk in the nearby park tomorrow. (Also understandable, but less typical than putting 明日 at the front.)

Japanese word order is quite flexible, but putting the time near the beginning is very common.