があります vs. にいきます

Hey guys.

I'm working through Genki 1 and have come across the phrase "カラオケがありましたが、なにもうたいませんでした". From what I understand, this roughly translates as "There was karaoke, but I didn't sing". Why would I say this instead of "カラオケにいきました, なにもうたいませんでした" (I went to karaoke, but didn't sing)?

Cheers.

Because... karaoke is a "thing" as well as a destination or location, and so the example given by the textbook was completely valid.

There was a tennis court, but I didn't play.
There was a hot dog stand, but I didn't eat anything.

(They could have also said as you suggested, but maybe they felt that was slightly more complicated than was required)
(Note you left out the が in your example... nitpicking, I know).

Yeah, カラオケ refers to karaoke equipment and karaoke box (a small room containing karaoke equipment) in your example sentences, respectively.

カラオケにいきました shows that the speaker was in another place before going to the karaoke box, and then went there, i.e., they went to the karaoke box from another place, whereas カラオケがありました means that they were already in a place (in a saloon, friend's room, etc.) and there was a karaoke equipment there. Thus, the situation where those expressions are used is different as same as "I went to a karaoke (box)" vs. "There was a karaoke (equipment)" in English.

Another nitpicking; speaking strictly, なにもうたいませんでした means "didn't sing anything/any song".

Toritoribe said:

Another nitpicking; speaking strictly, なにもうたいませんでした means "didn't sing anything/any song".

Click to expand...

So "I went to karaoke, but didn't sing" would be "カラオケにいきましたが, うたいませんでした"?

thx fam.

Yes.