Both words basho [場所] and tokoro [所] are nouns and both mean place. Are there differences between these two words? When to use each one? Are there similar words? Let’s answer these and other Japanese questions in this article.
There are various situations where it doesn’t matter which of the two words to use in the sentence. There are also other Japanese words that mean place. Before we understand the differences between basho and tokoro, I wanted to mention them quickly:
位置 – Ichi means place, situation, position, and location. This word is usually used to refer to a location on a map, the position of a country, or something like that.
余地 – Yochi can also refer to a place or space, but its use usually indicates a margin, scope, or leeway. For example, you can use yochi when you want to say that there are no excuses for your delay.
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Understanding the meaning of Basho [場所]
Basho is a Chinese word [場所] that also uses the ideogram of tokoro. This word tends to be more specific and concrete than tokoro [所], which is a Japanese word. Basho can be used for place, location, local, position, room, and space.
Basho is often used to show the exact location. For example:
事故が起きた場所
Jiko ga okita basho
Location of the accident
Basho can be used to talk about a construction site, the location of a movie, and many other examples.
We also find situations where the BA [場] stands alone. This ideogram alone can refer to a situation, placement, scene, session, round, field, and other situations.
Understanding the meaning of Tokoro [所]
On the other hand, the word Tokoro [所] tends to be much broader than basho. Tokoro can refer to a place, local, scene, address, area, locality, district, house, point, aspect, facet, passage, part, space, thing, issue, and others.
Tokoro can refer to a physical location just like basho, but it is often used in an abstract way. For example, you can use tokoro to refer to a piece of a song’s lyrics. Here are some examples:
この歌のところが一番好きと思います。
Kono uta no tokoro ga ichiban sukito omoimasu.
I like this part of the song, it's the best!
ここが最も重要な所だ
Koko ga mottomo jūyōna tokoroda
This is the most important part
所変われど人変わらず
Tokoro kawaredo hito kawarazu
No matter where you go, people do not change;
Tokoro has several other interesting functions, see some combinations with particles:
- Tokoroga [所が] – Means even so, however, still, even if, on the contrary, indeed, despite..;
- Tokorode [所で] – Means by the way, moreover, or it doesn’t matter (where, when, why, how).
- Tokoroka [所か] – Means far from, nothing, leave it alone, not to talk about…
- Issho [一所] – Means one place, same place, one person, and together (archaic version of [一緒]).
Simplifying, basho is literally a location and tokoro is literally a place. Just don’t consider this previous sentence as something absolute. Japanese is simple but sometimes it is full of confusing things, just living and using it in everyday life to make sense.
Words related to Basho and Tokoro
To conclude the article, I will share a list of words related to places in Japanese. The list below contains words related to the ideograms of place [場] and [所]. Perhaps these words will help you understand the differences!
I hope you enjoyed the article. We appreciate comments and shares…
| Portuguese | Romaji | Kanji |
| Here and there, various places | tokorodokoro | 所々 |
| Income, salary | shotoku | 所得 |
| Possession | shoji | 所持 |
| View, opinion | shoken | 所見 |
| Case, situation | baai | 場合 |
| Scene | bamen | 場面 |
| Arena | jyouri | 場裏 |
| Outside the place | jyougai | 場外 |
| Experiences | bakazu | 場数 |
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