Word
図書館 は 駅 の 左 に あります。toshokan wa eki no hidari ni arimasu.
Meaning
The library is on the left of the station.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of toshokan wa eki no hidari ni arimasu.
はwa
topic particle
のno
possessive case particle
駅eki
station
図書館toshokan
library
Questions & Answers about toshokan wa eki no hidari ni arimasu.
How do you read this sentence?
It is read:
としょかん は えき の ひだり に あります。
Word readings:
- 図書館 = としょかん
- 駅 = えき
- 左 = ひだり
- あります = あります
Why are there spaces between the words?
In normal Japanese writing, there are usually no spaces:
図書館は駅の左にあります。
Spaces are often added in textbooks or beginner materials to make the structure easier to see.
What does は do after 図書館?
は marks the topic of the sentence.
So 図書館は means something like as for the library...
The sentence is then giving information about the library. In English, we do not usually mark the topic this way, so this can feel unfamiliar at first.
Why is it は and not が?
In this sentence, は is used because the speaker is talking about the library as the topic.
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