0030 : Japanese basics (N5-N3) – 階 (Floor)

 

How to ask a floor

 

When you want to ask the floor of a shop or your hotel room or your friend’s house, use a question word :

 

何階

nangai

which floor

 

for example, 

 

本屋は何階ですか。

honya wa nangai desu ka.

On which floor is the book store?

 

わたしの部屋は何階ですか。

Watashi no heya wa nangai desu ka.

On which floor is my room?

 

Talk about the floor

 

When talking about the floor, the keyword is 

 

階

floor

 

but it’s tricky because it has three names.

 

階

kai

kkai

gai

floor

 

*Its basic pronunciation is kai.

 

And the number changes the name as well.

 

Now, as we have seen, the question word for the floor is

 

何階

nan gai

which floor

 

and the rest is determined by the number of floors.

 

So, 

 

3, 何 : gai

1, 6, 8 : kkai

2, 4, 5, 7, 9 : kai

 

And with the number (Note how the name of the number changes).

 

 

Tips

 

In Japan, the very 1st floor that you enter is １階 and there is no ground floor.

And below the 1st floor is 

 

地下１階

chika i kkai

the 1st basement floor