Adjusting a Chair | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. このいすは低すぎます。

   This chair is too low.

   この

   this

   いす

   chair

   低すぎます

   is too low

   More detail

   この means “this” and is a demonstrative used before a noun. It identifies a noun as being near the speaker or otherwise selected as the relevant “this” item; its exact referent here is the chair named immediately after it. A useful pattern is この + noun: この本 means “this book.” いす means “chair.” It is a noun, written here in hiragana. In the pattern このいす, the demonstrative modifies the noun directly, without an article. 低すぎます describes the chair as being below the suitable or wanted height. The useful base adjective is 低い (“low”); 低すぎる means “to be too low,” and its polite nonpast form is 低すぎます. The “too” meaning comes from すぎる, which attaches to the adjective stem: 高い → 高すぎる (“too high”) and 低い → 低すぎる (“too low”). Here, 低い is the adjective carrying the meaning “low,” while すぎる adds excess beyond an appropriate level. The form is polite and nonpast; Japanese present-time descriptions commonly use this form. The topic marker は presents このいす as the thing being described. Thus このいすは means “as for this chair,” and 低すぎます says that its height is excessively low. Together, the utterance means “This chair is too low.” The following related pattern 高さを変えられます expresses that the height can be changed, but it is a separate sentence.

2. 高さを変えられます。

   You can change the height.

   高さ

   height

   変えられます

   can change

   More detail

   高さ means “height” here. It is a noun formed from the adjective 高い (“high; tall”) with -さ, which turns a degree or quality into a noun: 高い → 高さ. The particle を marks 高さ as the object of the action. 変えられます comes from the transitive verb 変える (“to change”). Its form 変えられる is the potential form, meaning “can change” or “be able to change”; ます makes it polite and non-past. In this sentence, the fixed translation establishes the potential meaning, not the passive meaning “is changed.” For example, 明るさを変えられます。 means “You can change the brightness.” Together, 高さを (“the height” as the thing affected) and 変えられます (“can change”) produce “You can change the height.” The subject is not stated in the Japanese sentence; here, the fixed translation identifies it as “you.”

3. どうすればいいですか。

   How do I do that?

   どうすればいいですか

   What should I do?

   More detail

   どうすればいいですか is a reusable way to ask what action is appropriate: “What should I do?” or “How should I do it?” In this utterance, the intended meaning is “How do I do that?” どう means “how” and asks about a manner or procedure. For example, どうしますか。 means “What will you do?” or “What should we do?”, depending on context. すれば is the conditional form of する, “to do.” The pattern どうすればいい literally asks, “If I do how, is it good/okay?” In natural English, this becomes “What should I do?” or “How should I do it?” The conditional form is すれば; it is not the past form of する. いい means “good,” “okay,” or “suitable.” In this pattern, 〜ばいい expresses the action that would be appropriate: 何をすればいいですか。 means “What should I do?” ですか makes the utterance a polite question. です is the polite copular form, and か marks a question here. The politeness applies to the question as a whole. Together, どう + すればいい + ですか asks which method or action is appropriate. The omitted subject and object are understood from the situation, so this sentence does not itself specify who should act or what “that” refers to. In the supplied context, it naturally asks how to carry out the relevant action. The complete meaning is “How do I do that?”

4. 座席の下のボタンを押してください。

   Press the button under the seat.

   座席

   seat

   下

   below; underneath

   ボタン

   button

   押してください

   please press

   More detail

   座席 means “seat.” It is a noun; in this sentence it identifies the seat used as the reference point for the location. 下 means “under” or “below.” In 座席の下, the pattern Aの下 means “under/below A.” The first の links 座席 to 下, so the phrase means “under the seat.” ボタン means “button.” It is a noun. The second の links the location phrase to this noun: 座席の下のボタン means “the button under the seat.” 押してください means “please press.” Its base verb is 押す (“to press”). The form 押して is the connective form of 押す, and 〜てください is a polite request pattern meaning “please do 〜.” For example, 見てください。 means “Please look.” This request form is polite, but it does not itself specify how urgent the action is. Together, 座席の下のボタン identifies the object, を marks that object as what is acted on, and 押してください politely requests the action. The whole utterance means: “Please press the button under the seat.”

5. そのほうがいいです。ありがとうございます。

   That is better. Thank you.

   そのほうがいい

   that option is better

   ありがとうございます

   Thank you very much

   More detail

   そのほうがいい means “that option is better” here. その is a demonstrative meaning “that” and modifies ほう (方), which can mean a way, side, or option. The specific option is not named in this sentence; the fixed translation supports the general meaning “that is better.” ほうがいい is a reusable pattern for saying that one option is preferable: Aのほうがいい means “A is better” or “I prefer A.” The comparison is carried by いい (good/better in this context), whose base form is いい; its opposite is 悪い (bad). The polite ending です follows this phrase in the source and makes the statement polite. Example: こちらのほうがいいです。 — “This option is better.” ありがとうございます is the polite expression “Thank you very much.” ありがとう is the core word for thanks, and ございます adds a polite form used in this expression. The observed form is not a verb meaning “to thank,” so it should be learned as a conventional expression. A less formal expression is ありがとう — “Thanks.” Together, そのほうがいいです says “That is better,” and ありがとうございます adds “Thank you.” The complete utterance is therefore “That is better. Thank you.”

6. まだよくなければ、教えてください。

   Tell me if it is still not right.

   まだ

   still

   よくなければ

   if it is not right

   教えてください

   please tell me

   More detail

   まだ means “still” here: the condition continues from an earlier point. It commonly appears with a negative expression to mean that something has not yet changed, as in まだ終わっていません。 — “It is still not finished.” よくなければ means “if it is not right/good.” The useful base expression is いい (“good; right”). Its negative form is irregular: いい → よくない, not いくない. The conditional ending -なければ attaches to the negative form: よくない → よくなければ (“if it is not good/right”). Here, よく is the form of よい／いい used before ない; it is not the separate adverb meaning “well” in this construction. Example: 都合がよくなければ、別の日にしましょう。 — “If it is not convenient, let’s choose another day.” 教えてください means “please tell me.” 教える is the base verb, meaning “to tell” or “to teach” depending on context. In 教えてください, its て-form combines with ください to make a polite request: “please tell me.” Example: 住所を教えてください。 — “Please tell me your address.” Together, まだ + よくなければ gives “if it is still not right,” and 教えてください asks the listener to tell the speaker. The whole utterance is therefore: “Tell me if it is still not right.” The conditional clause comes before the request, a common Japanese pattern for expressing “if …, please …”.