About This Lesson
Use Finding the Restroom During a Break to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
休み時間はどのくらいですか。
yah-soo-mee-JEE-kahn wa DOH-noh koo-RAI dess kah How long is the break?
B
休み時間は10分です。
yah-soo-mee-JEE-kahn wa JOO-pun dess The break is ten minutes long.
A
トイレはどこですか。
TOY-reh wa DOH-koh dess kah Where is the restroom?
B
教室を出て、右に曲がってください。
KYOH-shits-oh oh DEH-teh, MEE-gee nee mah-GAHT-teh koo-dah-SAI Go out of the room and turn right.
A
見つけられると思います。
mee-TSOO-keh-rah-REH-roo toh oh-MOH-ee-MAHS I think I can find it.
B
授業がまた始まる前に、ここで待ちます。
JOO-gyoh gah mah-TAH hah-jee-MAH-roo mah-eh nee, KOH-koh deh mah-chee-MAHS I will wait here before class starts again.Word by Word
休み時間
休み時間 means “break time” in 休み時間はどのくらいですか and 休み時間は10分です. It names the time when the lesson is paused, and it can be used as the topic in 休み時間は... when asking or stating something about the break. A learner would use 休み時間 when talking with a teacher or classmate about when the lesson pauses.
は
は marks 休み時間 as the topic in 休み時間はどのくらいですか and 休み時間は10分です. It presents the following information as being about the break time, and it commonly follows a noun in the pattern [topic]は... . Use it when asking or answering about a particular topic.
どのくらい
どのくらい asks about the extent or amount of something; here, 休み時間はどのくらいですか asks how long the break is. In this whole expression, どの asks “which/how” and くらい adds an approximate extent, so together they ask about duration. Use どのくらいですか with a topic when asking how long or how much something is, such as a break or another amount.
です
です politely states the information in 休み時間は10分です and politely completes the question 休み時間はどのくらいですか. It is used after the information being stated or asked about, as in [topic]は[answer]です or [topic]はどのくらいですか. A learner would use it in polite conversations with a teacher, classmate, or other unfamiliar person.
か
か marks 休み時間はどのくらいですか and トイレはどこですか as questions. It comes at the end of these polite questions after です, turning the sentence into a request for information. Use it when politely asking where something is or asking about a duration.
分
分 is the counter for minutes in 10分, so 休み時間は10分です means the break is ten minutes. It follows a number to express a duration, in the pattern [number]分. Use number + 分 when telling someone how many minutes an activity or wait lasts.
トイレ
トイレ means “restroom” in トイレはどこですか. It is the place the speaker wants to locate, and it can be followed by は when asking about its location. A learner would use トイレ when asking for or talking about a restroom in a school, station, shop, or other public place.
どこ
どこ means “where” in トイレはどこですか. It asks for the location of the restroom and is used with は and ですか in this polite location question. Use どこですか when asking where a person, place, or thing is.
教室
教室 means “classroom” in 教室を出て、右に曲がってください. It identifies the room that the listener should leave, and it can be followed by を when the room is the place being exited. A learner would use 教室 when giving or asking for directions inside a school.
を
を marks 教室 as the place being left in 教室を出て、右に曲がってください. It shows what the action 出て is connected to, and the pattern [place]を出て、... links leaving a place to the next action. Use it when describing leaving a room, building, or other place.
出て
出て means “go out of” or “leave” in 教室を出て、右に曲がってください. Here it links leaving the classroom to the next direction, so the listener should leave first and then turn right. Use [place]を出て、... when giving directions that begin with leaving a place.
右
右 means “right” in 右に曲がってください. It identifies the direction of the turn, and it is followed by に to show the direction toward which the person should turn. A learner would use 右 when giving or following simple directions.
に
に marks the direction in 右に曲がってください, meaning to turn toward the right. It follows a direction word before 曲がってください, in the pattern [direction]に曲がってください. Use it when telling someone which way to turn.
曲がって
曲がって means “turn” in 右に曲がってください. Together with 右に and ください, 曲がってください politely asks the listener to turn right. Use [direction]に曲がってください when giving a simple navigation instruction.
ください
ください makes 右に曲がってください a polite request: “Please turn right.” It follows the action form 曲がって to ask another person to do that action, in the pattern [action]てください. A learner would use it when giving a courteous instruction to a classmate, visitor, or stranger.
見つけられる
見つけられる expresses the ability to find something in 見つけられると思います, meaning “I think I can find it.” It describes being able to locate the restroom and can be followed by と 思います to present that ability as the speaker’s thought. Use [object]を見つけられる when saying that you can find a person or thing.
と
と connects the thought 見つけられる to 思います in 見つけられると思います. It marks the preceding statement as the content of the speaker’s thought, in the pattern [thought]と思います. Use this pattern when politely saying what you think or expect.
思います
思います means “think” in 見つけられると思います, where the speaker says they think they can find the restroom. It follows と, which introduces the thought being expressed, in the pattern [thought]と思います. A learner would use it to give a polite opinion or expectation.
授業
授業 means “class” or “lesson” in 授業がまた始まる前に、ここで待ちます. It refers to the lesson that will start again, and it can be followed by が when it is the subject of 始まる. A learner would use 授業 when talking about a class or lesson schedule.
が
が marks 授業 as the subject of 始まる in 授業がまた始まる前に、ここで待ちます. It shows that the class is the thing that starts again, and the pattern [event]が始まる describes an event beginning. Use it when identifying what event starts, ends, or changes.
また
また means “again” in 授業がまた始まる前に、ここで待ちます. It shows that the class will start one more time after the break, and it is placed before the verb phrase it modifies. Use また when an action or event happens another time.
始まる
始まる means “start” in 授業がまた始まる前に、ここで待ちます. It describes the class beginning again and appears before 前に to form “before class starts again.” Use [event]が始まる when saying that a class, meeting, or other event begins.
前
前 means “before” in 授業がまた始まる前に、ここで待ちます. In 始まる前に, it places the waiting action earlier than the class starting again; the pattern [event]前に means “before [event].” A learner would use it when arranging an action before a scheduled event.
ここ
ここ means “here” in ここで待ちます. It points to the place where the speaker will remain while waiting for class to start again, and it can be followed by で when an action happens at that place. Use ここ when directing someone to or referring to the speaker’s current location.
で
で marks ここ as the location of the action in ここで待ちます, meaning “wait here.” It identifies where the waiting takes place, in the pattern [place]で[action]. A learner would use it when saying where an activity will happen.
待ちます
待ちます means “wait” in ここで待ちます, where the speaker says they will wait here before class starts again. It describes the speaker’s planned action and follows the location ここで. A learner would use it when telling someone that they will remain until a person, time, or event arrives.
Grammar Points
Vてください
教室を出て、右に曲がってください。
KYOH-shits-oh oh DEH-teh, MEE-gee nee mah-GAHT-teh koo-dah-SAIPlease leave the classroom and turn right.
Use the て-form plus ください to make a polite request: “please do ...”
Vる前に
授業が始まる前に、ここで待ちます。
JOO-gyoh gah hah-jee-MAH-roo mah-eh nee, KOH-koh deh mah-chee-MAHSI will wait here before class starts.
前に means “before.” Put the plain non-past verb form before 前に.
Japanese Vocabulary
10分
num
JOO-pun
ten minutes
ください
phrase
koo-dah-SAI
please
トイレ
noun
TOY-reh
restroom; toilet
どこ
pron
DOH-koh
where
どのくらい
phrase
DOH-noh koo-RAI
how long; how much
右
noun
MEE-gee
right
休み時間
noun
yah-soo-mee-JEE-kahn
break time
教室
noun
KYOH-shits
classroom
曲がる
verb
mah-GAH-roo
to turn
曲がって
見つける
verb
mee-TSOO-keh-roo
to find
見つけられる
思う
verb
oh-MOH-oo
to think
思います
出る
verb
DEH-roo
to leave; to go out
出て
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
break time
Show Answer
休み時間how long; how much
Show Answer
どのくらいto turn
Show Answer
曲がってto find