I found this example sentence in a book, could you explain it to me?


The expression is この近くにトイレがある literally means "this close is a bathroom" I've
been studying positions, shouldn't it be ここの近くにトイレがある? The grammar rule is:
Placeのpositionにobject がある/いる ここ is a place so for me the second one have more
sense Help me understand the grammar of the first sentence




> A: この近くにトイレがある  
>  B: ここの近くにトイレがある

# Differece in meaning

Basically, "A" means _there is a bathroom in the vicinity of the place where
we are now_ , while "B" means _there is a bathroom in the vicinity of the
place where I'm pointing at or the place on a map or like that_.

Of course you can say the phrase "A" by **touching** the place on a map and
that makes sense, and you can say the phrase "B" by **pointing at** the ground
where we are now.

* * *

# Grammartical difference

  1. **この近く** = この + 近く + に 
    * **この** is a 連体詞｛れんたいし｝ _pre-noun adjectival_ or _adnominal adjective_ , and it means **_this** (something or someone close to the speaker ( **including the speaker** ), or ideas expressed by the speaker)_. 
    * **近く** is a 名詞｛めいし｝ _noun_ , and it means _neighborhood or vicinity_
    * **に** is a 助詞｛じょし｝ _particle_ which _indicates location_ , and it means _in_ , _at_ or _on_. 

The whole meaning of **この近くに** is **_in this vicinity (where I am)_**.

  2. **ここの近く** = ここ + の + 近く + に 
    * **ここ** is a 名詞｛めいし｝ _noun_ , and it means **_here** (place physically close to the speaker, **place pointed by the speaker while explaining** ); this place)_. 
    * **の** is a 助詞｛じょし｝ _particle_ which _indicates possessive_.
    * **近く** is a 名詞｛めいし｝ _noun_ , and it means _neighborhood or vicinity_
    * **に** is a 助詞｛じょし｝ _particle_ which indicates location, and it means _in_ , _at_ or _on_. 

The whole meaning of **ここの近くに** is **_near here (where I am pointing)_**.




Either sentence works. The first one reads, more or less, "In **this**
vicinity, there's a bathroom". Your rewording of it reads, "Close to **here**
there is a bathroom."

Both work. I think the first one sounds more natural if only because it's less
wordy.

Don't take your grammar rule too literally. It more suited to sentences like:

  * いすの下に本がある。 There's a book under the chair.
  * 都市のちかくに公園がある。There's a park near the city.

