Using Paper in Class | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. ノートを持ってくるのを忘れました。

   I forgot to bring my notebook.

   ノート

   notebook

   持ってくる

   bring

   のを忘れました

   forgot to

   More detail

   ノート means “notebook” here. It is a noun written in katakana. The particle を marks it as the object of the following action: the notebook is what was brought. 持ってくる means “to bring.” It combines 持つ (“to hold, carry”) with くる (“to come”), expressing movement toward the relevant place or person while carrying something. Its dictionary form is 持ってくる; in a sentence, the form can change with tense and politeness. Example: 本を持ってきます。 — “I will bring a book.” のを忘れました expresses “forgot to …” when の turns the preceding action into something that can be forgotten, and を marks that action as the object of 忘れました. 忘れました is the polite past form of 忘れる (“to forget”): 忘れる → 忘れました. In this sentence, the forgotten action is 持ってくるの, “bringing [it].” Example: 鍵を持ってくるのを忘れました。 — “I forgot to bring my keys.” Together, ノートを持ってくる means “bring the notebook,” and ノートを持ってくるのを忘れました means “I forgot to bring my notebook.” The polite past ending ました presents the forgetting as a completed past event.

2. この紙を使えます。

   You can use this paper.

   この

   this

   紙

   paper

   使えます

   can use

   More detail

   この means “this” before a noun. It is an attributive demonstrative: use この + noun, as in この紙 (“this paper”). The form does not change for singular/plural or grammatical gender. For “that,” compare その for something associated with the listener or already mentioned, and あの for something distant from both sides. Example: この本を読みます。 — “I will read this book.” 紙 means “paper.” It is a noun and can refer to the material or to a sheet/document when the context supports that reading. Here, the fixed translation supports “paper,” and この identifies it as “this paper.” Example: 紙に名前を書きます。 — “I write my name on paper.” 使えます means “can use” here. Its base verb is 使う (“to use”); the potential form is 使える (“be able to use”), and the polite form of that potential is 使えます. The potential form expresses ability or permission depending on context; here it expresses that the addressee can use the paper. 使います would instead mean “use” without expressing ability. Example: このペンが使えます。 — “You can use this pen.” The pattern is この + noun + を + potential verb: この紙を使えます. を marks この紙 as what is used, while 使えます supplies the polite “can use” meaning. In the fixed translation, the understood person able to use it is “you.” Together, この紙を使えます。 means “You can use this paper.”

3. ありがとうございます。新しい単語を書きたいです。

   Thank you. I want to write the new words.

   ありがとうございます

   Thank you

   新しい

   new

   単語

   word(s)

   書きたいです

   want to write

   More detail

   ありがとうございます is a polite way to say “thank you.” It is a set polite expression built around ありがとう; the longer form is more formal/polite than the casual ありがとう. Example: ありがとう。 means “Thanks.” 新しい means “new” here and directly describes 単語. It is an i-adjective: its attributive form is 新しい (“new”), while its past form is 新しかった (“was new”). Example: 新しい本です。 means “It is a new book.” 単語 means “word” or “vocabulary item.” Japanese nouns generally do not mark singular versus plural by their form, so this noun can refer to one or more words; the fixed translation renders it as “words.” The particle を after the noun marks it as the object of the action. Example: 単語を書きます。 means “I write words.” 書きたいです expresses the speaker’s desire to write. The useful base verb is 書く (“to write”); its stem 書き- combines with たい to form 書きたい (“want to write”), and です gives the expression a polite style. This たい pattern attaches to a verb stem: 読みたい means “want to read.” Example: 手紙を書きたいです。 means “I want to write a letter.” Together, 新しい describes the object 単語, を marks that object, and 書きたいです says that the speaker wants to perform the action of writing it or them. Thus the utterance means “Thank you. I want to write the new words.” The Japanese noun form itself does not specify the number of words.

4. いい考えです。私も書きます。

   Good idea. I will write them too.

   いい

   good

   考え

   idea

   です

   is

   私も

   I too

   書きます

   will write

   More detail

   いい means “good” here. It is the form used before a noun in いい考え. Its contrasting form is 悪い (“bad”): いい考え = “a good idea,” while 悪い考え = “a bad idea.” 考え means “idea” here. It is a noun related to 考える (“to think”); do not treat the noun itself as a verb. いい考え is a reusable noun phrase meaning “a good idea.” です is the polite copular ending in いい考えです, making the statement polite. In this sentence, the complete chunk いい考えです means “It is a good idea” or, naturally, “Good idea.” The noun phrase comes before です. 私も means “I too” or “me too.” 私 is the first-person pronoun “I,” and も adds the meaning “also/too” to the element it follows. The phrase does not by itself specify what action is shared; that is supplied by the following clause. 書きます means “will write” in the fixed translation. Its base form is 書く (“to write”), and 書きます is its polite nonpast form. Japanese nonpast forms can refer to a future action when the context does, as here. The subject is understood from 私も, and the object is omitted in the sentence; the surrounding context supports “the new words,” reflected as “them” in the fixed translation. A reusable pattern is [person]も書きます = “[person] will write too.” Together, いい考えです gives the evaluation “Good idea,” and 私も書きます adds “I will write them too.” The whole utterance is therefore: “Good idea. I will write them too.”

5. 授業のあとで、新しい単語を確認できますか。

   Can we check them after class?

   授業

   class

   あとで

   afterward; after that

   新しい

   new

   単語

   word; vocabulary item

   確認できますか

   can check?

   More detail

   授業 means “class” here. It is a noun and can be used in compounds or time expressions, such as 授業が始まります (“Class starts”). あとで means “afterward” or “later.” In 授業のあとで, の links 授業 (“class”) to あと (“after”), giving the reusable pattern Xのあとで = “after X.” The で marks the time when the action occurs. 新しい means “new.” It is an adjective that comes directly before the noun it describes: 新しい単語 = “new word(s).” Its form does not change here for number or gender; Japanese nouns also do not require a plural form, so the exact number is supplied by context when relevant. 単語 means “word” or “vocabulary item.” In this sentence, 新しい単語を is the object phrase: the new vocabulary item(s) are what is checked. を marks that object. Example: 単語を覚えます。 = “I memorize vocabulary.” 確認できますか asks whether the action can be performed: 確認する means “to check/confirm,” and 確認できる means “can check/confirm.” できますか is the polite question form of that ability expression. The Japanese wording does not itself mark the subject as “we”; the supplied translation and surrounding context support “we” here. Example: ここで確認できますか。 = “Can we check it here?” Together, 授業のあとで sets the time, 新しい単語を identifies the object, and 確認できますか asks about the ability to check it: “Can we check the new word(s) after class?”

6. 一緒に読めます。

   We can read them together.

   一緒に

   together

   読めます

   can read

   More detail

   一緒に means “together” and describes doing the reading jointly. The noun 一緒 means “same/togetherness”; with に, it works adverbially: 一緒に読む = “read together.” Example: 一緒に勉強します。 = “We study together.” The subject is not stated in this sentence; the fixed translation supplies the intended “we” in context. 読めます means “can read” here. Its base verb is 読む (“to read”). The form 読める is the potential form, expressing ability or possibility: 読む → 読める; 読めます adds the polite -ます ending to that potential form. This is not the ordinary polite form 読みます, which means “read” or “will read” without specifically expressing ability. Example: 漢字が読めます。 = “I can read kanji.” Together, 一緒に + 読めます gives “can read together.” The subject and the object are omitted from the Japanese sentence, while the fixed translation identifies the intended meaning as “We can read them together.” ます makes the statement polite and suitable for a respectful or neutral conversation.