What is the difference between ここはXです 。and Xはここです。? When to use which?
When to use which?
When being asked
Xはどこですか。
X wa doko desu ka.
Where is X?
Chose the pattern
Xはここです。
X wa koko desu.
For example,
A:
トイレはどこですか。
toire wa doko desu ka.
Where is the toilet?
B:
トイレはそこです。
toire wa soko desu.
The toilet is there.
Note :
you can omit the X part when answering :
B:
そこです。
soko desu.
It’s there.
Otherwise, you can choose the pattern
ここはXです。
koko wa X desu.
Here, this is X.
for example,
ここはトイレです。
koko wa toire desu.
Here, this is the toilet.
And this is usually used when you explain where X is without anticipating the listener’s question.
Tips
Pay attention to the valid type of X :
X can only be places : ここはXです 。
X can be both places and objects : Xはここです。
For example, we can say
あそこは駅です。
asoko wa eki desu.
That is a station over there.
駅はあそこです。
eki wa asoko desu.
The station is over there.
田中さんはあそこです。
Tanaka-san wa asoko desu.
Tanaka-san is over there.
but you CANNOT SAY
あそこは田中さんです。
asoko wa Tanaka-san desu.
The reason is that the pattern Xはここです。which, as mentioned above, is used to give an answer to the question asking for the position or place of something. So, we can say that X is somewhere.
But the pattern ここはXです 。is not
- the answer to the question asking the position of something
- since ここ is the demonstrative pronoun for PLACE, X must als be a word for place
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