What does it mean word for word?
大学 (daigaku) means "university".
Which one should you use?
Other variations include 大学はそちらにございます and あの辺りには大学がございます for even more formal or slightly different spatial contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
大学はあそこにあります is a polite, standard way to state a fact due to the ~masu verb ending. For very formal situations, you can use 大学はそちらにございます or あの辺りには大学がございます. In casual conversation with friends, you might use the informal 大学はあそこにあるよ, 大学はそこにあるからね, あの辺りに大学があるよ or the plain form 大学はそこにある.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle は marks 大学 as the topic of the sentence. The verb あります is used because a university is an inanimate object/institution.
How do you pronounce it?
Daigaku wa asoko ni arimasu
What mistakes should you avoid?
When referring to the university, always use arimasu. You must not use imasu, as that verb is reserved for living beings like people or animals.
Did you know?
- While 'university' is a single concept in English, the Japanese 大学 (daigaku) is composed of the characters for 'great' and 'study', literally translating to 'great learning'.
- The word あそこ (asoko) specifically refers to a location that is 'over there' from the perspective of both the speaker and the listener.
- The extremely formal version ございます is a 'polite' version of あります that implies a level of humility. Using it to describe the university's location often suggests the speaker is providing a service or acting as a guide.
Examples in context
- 大学はあそこにあります。Daigaku wa asoko ni arimasu.The university is there.
- はい、大学はあそこにあります。Hai, daigaku wa asoko ni arimasu.Yes, the university is there.
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are looking for the campus from a distance.
- 蓮 Ren美咲さん、大学はどこですか。Misaki-san, daigaku wa doko desu ka.Misaki, where is the university?
- 美咲 Misakiあそこを見てください。大学はあそこにあります。Asoko o mite kudasai. Daigaku wa asoko ni arimasu.Please look over there. The university is there.
- 蓮 Ren本当だ！大きい建物ですね。Hontou da! Ookii tatemono desu ne.You're right! It's a big building.
- 美咲 Misakiはい、あそこまで歩きましょう。Hai, asoko made arukimashou.Yes, let's walk over there.
