8.5 Open-Ended Questions with あります (ari masu) and います (i masu)
This module focuses on the use of open-ended questions with question markers in the ありますか and いますか sentence patterns, enhancing your conversational skills.
1. 何（なに）が (nani ga): What
2. どこに (doko ni): Where
3. いつ (itsu): When
4. 誰（だれ）が (dare ga): Who
1. 何: What
To form an open-ended question using ‘X があります’ and ‘X がいます’ with the question marker 何, you replace the ‘X’ with 何 and add the question particle か at the end.
Examples:
京都（きょうと）にXがあります。
Kyouto ni X ga ari masu.
There are X in Kyoto.
↓
Q: 京都に何がありますか。
Kyouto ni nani ga ari masu ka.
What’s in Kyoto? [Literally, ‘What are there in Kyoto?’]
A: お寺（てら）があります。
Otera ga ari masu.
There are temples.
NOTE: When answering, there is no need to repeat the location, 京都に.
2. どこ: Where
Similar to using the question marker 何, to form an open-ended question with ‘X に Y があります’ and ‘X に Y がいます’ using the question marker どこ, you replace the ‘X’ with どこ and add the question particle か at the end.
Examples:
Xに先生（せんせい）がいます。
X ni sensei ga i masu.
There is a teacher in X.
↓
Q: どこに先生がいますか。
Doko ni sensei ga i masu ka.
Where is a teacher?
A: *クラスの中にいます。
Kurasu no naka ni i masu.
There is a teacher in the class / The teacher is in the class.
NOTE: When answering, there is no need to repeat the subject ’先生が’.
3. いつ: When
To form an open-ended question with ‘X に Y が あります’ and ‘X に Y がいます’ using the question word いつ, replace X に with いつ and add the question particle か at the end. As explained in Module 7.5, いつ does not take any particles, so the particle に should be omitted.
Examples:
Xに日本語のクラスがあります。
X ni Nihongo no kurasu ga ari masu.
The Japanese language class is on X.
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Q: いつ日本語のクラスがありますか。
Itsu Nihongo no kurasu ga ari masu.
When is the Japanese language class?
A: 水曜日にあります。
Sui-youbi ni ari masu.
It’s on Wednesday(s).
NOTE: While the question marker いつ does not take particles, when answering with specific time references like days of the week, you should place the particle に immediately after the time reference word.
4. 誰: Who
To form an open-ended question using the question marker 誰 with ‘X がいます’, you replace X with 誰 and add the question particle か at the end.
Examples:
図書館（としょかん）にXがいます。
Toshokan ni X ga i masu.
There are X at the library.
↓
Q: 図書館に誰がいますか。
Toshokan ni dare ga i masu ka.
Who is at the library?
A: 学生（がくせい）がいます。
Gakusei ga i masu.
There are students at the library.
NOTE: 誰 is used specifically for people.
Exercise 1
