Where is it?

こんにちは！

So this week my Japanese class was taught a new structure--prepositions of location and the existential structure (in English, we use "there is/are..."). An interesting note is that in Japanese, different verb forms are used depending on animacy. Animacy refers to whether or not a word refers to a living (animate) object or a non-living (inanimate) object. Here are some fun examples of both forms, along with other sentences using prepositions.

Technically speaking, these are not prepositions. Prepositions come before (pre) the noun. In Japanese, the words appear after the noun, and are called "postpositions". Adpositions (prepositions AND postpositions) are grammatical aspects of every language. Chinese also uses postpositions (冰箱里 bingxiangli "in the fridge; lit. fridge-in") just like Japanese--even though most of the other aspects of grammar are very different.

Animate

There is a ghost over there.  
あそこに御化けがおります。　    　asokoni obakega orimasu.

There is cat on a unicorn.    
ねこがウニコーンのうえおります。nekoga unikoonnoue orimasu.

There is a pig in the sky.      
豚が空の中おります。　　　　　　butaga soranonaka orimasu.

Inanimate

There is a hamburger in my mouth.
ハンバーグが私の口の中います。　hanbaagaga watashinokuchinonaka imasu

There is a book under the bed.
本が臥所の下います。　　　　　　yonga fushitonoshita imasu.

There is a car on the roof.
車が屋根の上います。　　　　　   shaga yanenoue imasu.

Other sentences

I am on a boat.
私はボートの上です。　　　　　  watashiwa bootonoue desu.

What is on my head?
なにが私の頭の上です。　　　　　nanga watashinoatamanoue desu.



What are some fun sentences that you can think of? Is animacy grammatically important in your language? Have fun making sentences!

さよなら！

P.S. I am sure that I am making mistakes. Please feel free to correct me--that's how I learn. Experimenting with new knowledge can help one improve more quickly.