✨ Why Learn Japanese Place Expressions?

Understanding Japanese place expressions is key to navigating locations, giving directions, and exploring Japan confidently. By mastering these phrases, you’ll easily find your way around, ask for help, and interact with locals in everyday situations. Whether you’re traveling, shopping, or simply exploring, knowing how to describe places and locations will enhance your experience and make communication smoother.

☛ Key Japanese Phrases

Where did you go yesterday?
きのう、どこに／へいきましたか。
Kinou, doko ni/e ikimashita ka?
I went to a shopping mall.
ショッピングモールに／へいきました。
Shoppingumōru ni/e ikimashita.
Did you go anywhere yesterday?
きのう、どこかにいきましたか。
Kinou, dokoka ni ikimashita ka?
No, I did not go anywhere.
いえ、どこにもいきませんでした。
Ie, dokonimo ikimasen deshita.

➡ Key Grammar Points:

Particle “に” (ni): Goal
Particle “へ” (e): Direction
- どこに／へいきましたか。 → Where did you go?
Verb: いく (iku)
- Polite Form: いきます (ikimasu)
- Past Tense: いきました (ikimashita)

Vocabulary

Place: 場所 (ばしょ)｜Basho
House/Home: 家 (いえ)｜Ie / Uchi
Bank: 銀行 (ぎんこう)｜Ginkou
Post Office: 郵便局 (ゆうびんきょく)｜Yuubinkyoku
Fire Station: 消防署 (しょうぼうしょ)｜Shoubousho
Police Station: 警察署 (けいさつしょ)｜Keisatsusho
Hospital: 病院 (びょういん)｜Byouin
Drug Store: ドラッグストア｜Doraggusutoa
Company: 会社 (かいしゃ)｜Kaisha
Office: 事務所 (じむしょ)｜Jimusho
Factory: 工場 (こうじょう)｜Koujou
Station: 駅 (えき)｜Eki
Bus Stop: バス停 (ばすてい)｜Basutei
Airport: 空港 (くうこう)｜Kuukou
Shopping Mall: ショッピングモール｜Shoppingumōru
Department Store: デパート｜Depāto
Supermarket: スーパー｜Sūpā
Convenience Store: コンビニ｜Konbini
Bookstore: 本屋 (ほんや)｜Honya
Flower Shop: 花屋 (はなや)｜Hanaya
Bakery: パン屋 (ぱんや)｜Panya
Toy Store: おもちゃ屋 (おもちゃや)｜Omochaya
Clothing Shop: 服屋 (ふくや)｜Fukuya
Eyeglass Store: 眼鏡屋 (めがねや)｜Meganeya
Pet Shop: ペットショップ｜Petto Shoppu
Hair Salon: 美容院 (びよういん)｜Biyouin
Gym: ジム｜Jimu
Hotel: ホテル｜Hoteru
Japanese Hotel (Ryokan): 旅館 (りょかん)｜Ryokan
Restaurant: レストラン｜Resutoran
Family Restaurant: ファミレス｜Famiresu
Izakaya (Japanese Pub): 居酒屋 (いざかや)｜Izakaya
Bar: バー｜Bā
Park: 公園 (こうえん)｜Kouen
Zoo: 動物園 (どうぶつえん)｜Doubutsuen
Amusement Park: 遊園地 (ゆうえんち)｜Yuuenchi
Aquarium: 水族館 (すいぞくかん)｜Suizokukan
Art Museum: 美術館 (びじゅつかん)｜Bijutsukan
Museum: 博物館 (はくぶつかん)｜Hakubutsukan
Movie Theatre: 映画館 (えいがかん)｜Eigakan
Library: 図書館 (としょかん)｜Toshokan
Game Center: ゲームセンター｜Gēmu Sentā
School: 学校 (がっこう)｜Gakkou
Classroom: 教室 (きょうしつ)｜Kyoushitsu

Interrogative Words

Where: どこ｜Doko
Anywhere: どこか｜Dokoka
anywhere + negative｜どこにも｜Dokonimo

📝 Practice Questions

昨日、どこかに行きましたか？
Kinou, dokoka ni ikimashita ka?
Did you go anywhere yesterday?

どこに行きましたか？
Doko ni ikimashita ka?
Where did you go?
一昨日、どこかに行きましたか？
Ototoi, dokoka ni ikimashita ka?
Did you go anywhere the day before yesterday?

どこに行きましたか？
Doko ni ikimashita ka?
Where did you go?
今日、どこかに行きましたか？
Kyou, dokoka ni ikimashita ka?
Did you go anywhere today?

どこに行きましたか？
Doko ni ikimashita ka?
Where did you go?
明日、どこかに行きますか？
Ashita, dokoka ni ikimasu ka?
Will you go anywhere tomorrow?

どこに行きますか？
Doko ni ikimasu ka?
Where will you go?
明後日、どこかに行きますか？
Asatte, dokoka ni ikimasu ka?
Will you go anywhere the day after tomorrow?

どこに行きますか？
Doko ni ikimasu ka?
Where will you go?

🌟 Pro Tips for Mastering Place Expressions

✅ Practice asking and answering questions about places in real conversations.

✅ Use “に” for goal and “へ” for direction when talking about locations.

✅ Listen to native speakers for natural sentence flow and intonation.

✅ Try role-playing with a friend or language partner to improve your fluency.

Master these skills, and you’ll be able to confidently ask about places and talk about your plans in Japanese!

Boost Your Japanese Fluency with Personalized Lessons!

My name is Ellie<Eri えり>, and I’m a Japanese tutor on italki. If you’re looking to practice speaking Japanese and improve your fluency, I’d love to help! Feel free to schedule a lesson with me, and let’s start speaking Japanese together. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, I’ll tailor the lesson to your needs. Looking forward to our conversation! Apply for italki here!