Directions & Positions

1. Overview

In Japanese, direction words are used to indicate the position and direction of objects. They are often used with particles such as 「に」, 「へ」, and 「から」 to describe the spatial relationships between objects or to indicate the direction of something. Understanding direction words is essential for effective communication in daily life.

2. List of Direction Words

Japanese	Kanji	Meaning	Example Sentence
うえ	上	Above	机の上に本があります。 The book is on the table.
した	下	Below	椅子の下に猫がいます。 There is a cat under the chair.
まえ	前	In front of	家の前に車が停まっています。 The car is parked in front of the house.
うしろ	後ろ	Behind	彼は私の後ろにいます。 He is behind me.
みぎ	右	Right	右側に銀行があります。 There is a bank on the right.
ひだり	左	Left	左側に公園があります。 There is a park on the left.
なか	中	Inside	箱の中におもちゃがあります。 There are toys inside the box.
そと	外	Outside	外に犬がいます。 There is a dog outside.
ちかく	近く	Nearby	近くにコンビニがあります。 There is a convenience store nearby.
とおく	遠く	Far	遠くに山が見えます。 You can see a mountain in the distance.
よこ	横	Next to	友達が横に座っています。 My friend is sitting next to me.
となり	隣	Neighboring	隣の家には子供がいます。 There are children in the neighboring house.
あいだ	間	Between	テーブルの間に椅子があります。 There is a chair between the tables.
ほう	方	Direction	南の方へ行きましょう。 Let's go to the south direction.
とうざいなんぼく	東西南北	East, West, South, North	東と西の間には山があります。 There is a mountain between the east and west.

3. Structure and Usage

Direction words are usually combined with particles to form complete sentences.
For example:
- Noun + Direction Word + Particle: 机の上に本があります (The book is on the table).
- Verb + Direction Word: 南の方へ行く (Going towards the south).

4. Example Sentences

机の上に本があります。
The book is on the table.
椅子の下に猫がいます。
There is a cat under the chair.
家の前に車が停まっています。
The car is parked in front of the house.
彼は私の後ろにいます。
He is behind me.
右側に銀行があります。
There is a bank on the right.
左側に公園があります。
There is a park on the left.
箱の中におもちゃがあります。
There are toys inside the box.
外に犬がいます。
There is a dog outside.
近くにコンビニがあります。
There is a convenience store nearby.
遠くに山が見えます。
You can see a mountain in the distance.
東の方へ行きましょう。
Let's go towards the east.
南側に公園があります。
There is a park on the south side.
西の方には海があります。
There is an ocean to the west.
北に行くと、山があります。
If you go north, there is a mountain.

5. Summary

Direction words in Japanese help clearly express the spatial relationships between objects. Understanding these direction words and their usage in example sentences can assist learners in better comprehension and communication. Mastering these terms is beneficial for accurate conversation, especially when describing spatial relations.