Basic states, preparation, and time | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 気分がよくなりました。

   I am feeling better.

   気分

   feeling; mood

   よくなりました

   got better

   More detail

   気分 means a feeling or mood. In this sentence, it refers to the speaker’s condition or how they feel, matching “feeling” in the translation. A useful related expression is 気分が悪い, “to feel unwell,” but that is a separate example, not part of the source sentence. 気分が: が marks 気分 as the subject of the change being described. The pattern Nがよくなる means “N gets better,” so it can be reused with another noun when that noun is what improves. よくなりました is the polite past form of よくなりました’s base expression よくなる, “to become better” or “to improve.” Here, よく is the adverbial form of いい/良い, “good,” used before なる, “become.” The change is therefore expressed as “become good/better,” rather than with a separate adjective meaning “better.” なりました contains なる in its polite past form: なる → なります → なりました. The polite ending presents the statement respectfully; the past form presents the improvement as having occurred or the improved state as having been reached. In context, this naturally corresponds to English “I am feeling better.” Whole utterance: 気分が identifies the feeling or condition that has changed, and よくなりました says that it became better. Together, 気分がよくなりました。 means “I am feeling better.”

2. 私はとても忙しいです。

   I am very busy.

   私は

   I; as for me

   とても

   very

   忙しい

   busy

   です

   am; is; polite copula

   More detail

   私は means “I” here, with は marking the topic: “As for me, …”. 私 is the first-person pronoun in this sentence. The same topic pattern is reusable: 私は学生です。 — “I am a student.” とても means “very” and strengthens the description that follows. It normally comes before the adjective or other descriptive expression it modifies. For example, とても大きいです。 means “It is very large.” 忙しい means “busy” here. Its base form is also 忙しい; Japanese i-adjectives can function as the predicate without an inserted word equivalent to English “am.” Its negative form is 忙しくない — “not busy.” です is the polite predicate ending. After an i-adjective such as 忙しい, it adds a polite style rather than supplying the adjective’s inflection: 忙しいです is the polite form of “am/is busy.” Together, 私は sets “I” as the topic, とても intensifies 忙しい, and です makes the statement polite: “I am very busy.”

3. もう準備ができています。

   I am ready now.

   もう

   now; already

   準備

   preparation; readiness

   できています

   is ready

   More detail

   もう means “now” here, with the sense that the speaker has reached the state of being ready. It can also mean “already” in other contexts; the fixed translation supports the present “now” reading. Example: もう帰ります。 — “I’m going home now.” 準備 is a noun meaning “preparation.” In 準備ができる, it forms the reusable pattern “be ready” or literally “preparation becomes possible/complete,” with 準備 marked by が. Example: 準備ができました。 — “The preparation is complete” or, naturally, “I’m ready.” できています is the polite non-past form of できている, based on できる. In this pattern, できている presents the state of being ready as already achieved and currently in effect; it is not simply the action “do.” The ending ます makes the expression polite. The related negative form in the supplied context is できていません, “is not ready.” Example: 資料ができています。 — “The materials are ready.” Together, もう + 準備が + できています gives “I am ready now.” The speaker is understood as the subject through the fixed translation; Japanese leaves that subject unstated in this sentence. The polite form suits a neutral, respectful conversation.

4. 準備ができていません。

   I am not ready.

   準備

   preparation; readiness

   できていません

   is not ready

   More detail

   準備 is a noun meaning “preparation” or “readiness.” In this sentence, it refers to being prepared for the relevant activity. A useful related expression is 準備をする (“to prepare”): 旅行の準備をします。 means “I prepare for the trip.” できていません is the polite negative form of できている. Here, できている means “be ready” or “be completed,” not simply “can.” The form is built from できる (“be possible; be able to; get done”), the state-forming ている, and polite negation: できていません = “is not ready” / “has not been completed.” In this fixed sentence, the translation identifies the omitted subject as the speaker: “I am not ready.” The subject is omitted in Japanese because the context makes it recoverable. The positive contrast is できています, “is ready” or “has been completed,” as in the preceding sentence もう準備ができています。 (“I am ready now.”) Together, 準備が marks “preparation/readiness” as the thing whose state is being described, and できていません says that this readiness has not been achieved. Thus 準備ができていません。 means “I am not ready.”

5. もっと時間が必要です。

   I need more time.

   もっと

   more

   時間

   time

   必要です

   is needed

   More detail

   もっと means “more” and modifies what follows here: it indicates an amount greater than the relevant amount of time. It is an adverb, so it does not itself change for number or tense. A reusable pattern is もっと + noun, as in もっと水 (“more water”). 時間 means “time.” It is a noun; in this sentence, 時間が marks time as the thing that is needed. The particle が commonly marks the thing that exists or is needed in patterns such as 時間が必要です (“time is needed”). 必要です means “is needed” or “is necessary.” The useful base form is 必要, meaning “necessary,” followed here by polite です. With a noun, 必要な時間 means “the necessary time”; with the pattern Xが必要です, X is what is needed. For example, 休みが必要です。 means “A break is needed.” Together, もっと時間が必要です。 presents “more time” as the thing that is necessary. Japanese leaves the experiencer unstated here; with the fixed translation, the intended meaning is “I need more time.” The polite ending です makes the sentence suitable for a neutral polite interaction.

6. 時間がありますか。

   Do you have time?

   時間

   time

   ありますか

   do you have?

   More detail

   時間 means “time” here, the noun being asked about. It can also be used in reusable combinations such as 時間が必要です (“[someone] needs time”), as in the preceding context. The particle が marks 時間 as the thing whose existence or availability is being expressed. ありますか is polite nonpast あります plus the question particle か. あります is the polite form of ある, used for the existence or availability of a nonliving thing; in this pattern, it expresses having or having available something such as time. Adding か turns the statement into a question. For example, お金がありますか。 means “Do you have money?” Together, 時間がありますか。 asks whether the addressee has time available: “Do you have time?”