About This Lesson
Use Adjusting a Chair to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
このいすは低すぎます。
koh-NOH EE-soo-wah hee-koo-soo-GHEE-mahs This chair is too low.
B
高さを変えられます。
tah-KAH-sah oh kah-eh-rah-REH-mahs You can change the height.
A
どうすればいいですか。
DOH soo-reh-bah EE DEHS-kah How do I do that?
B
座席の下のボタンを押してください。
zah-SEH-kee noh SHEE-tah noh boh-TAHN oh oh-SHEE-teh koo-dah-SAI Press the button under the seat.
A
そのほうがいいです。ありがとうございます。
soh-noh HOH-oh-gah EE DEHS. ah-ree-gah-TOH-oh goh-zah-ee-MAHS That is better. Thank you.
B
まだよくなければ、教えてください。
mah-dah yoh-koo-nah-keh-reh-bah, oh-SHEE-eh-teh koo-dah-SAI Tell me if it is still not right.Word by Word
この
この means “this” and identifies the nearby chair in このいす. It is placed directly before a noun, as in このいす (“this chair”).
いす
いす means “chair,” the object being discussed in this classroom. It can be used before は in a sentence such as いすは低い (“the chair is low”).
は
は marks このいす as the topic of the sentence, meaning “as for this chair.” The pattern nounは gives the topic before the information about it, as in このいすは低すぎます。
低すぎます
低すぎます means “is too low” here, describing the chair’s height as excessively low. The form combines the idea of 低い (“low”) with すぎます to express “too much,” and it is polite. A reliable pattern is an adjective followed by すぎます when something exceeds the suitable degree.
高さ
高さ means “height,” specifically the height of the chair in 高さを変えられます。It is used as a noun before を when the height is the thing affected by an action, as in 高さを変える (“change the height”).
を
を marks 高さ as the object of the action in 高さを変えられます。The pattern nounをverb identifies what someone changes, presses, or otherwise acts on.
変えられます
変えられます means “can change” here, referring to changing the chair’s height. It is the polite potential form related to 変える (“to change”), and it can be used in a pattern such as 高さを変えられます。
どう
どう asks “how” in どうすればいいですか。, asking what method the speaker should use. It commonly appears with a following action in questions about how to do something, as in どうすればいいですか。
すれば
すれば contributes the idea “if I do” in どうすればいいですか。, forming the question “How should I do that?” It is the conditional form related to する (“to do”), and どうすればいいですか is a reusable way to ask what one should do.
いい
いい means “good” or “okay” in どうすればいいですか。, where it asks what action would be the right one. The pattern 〜すればいいですか asks whether or what someone should do.
です
です gives いいですか a polite tone, making the question suitable for a courteous conversation. It is commonly used before か in a polite question pattern such as 〜ですか。
か
か marks どうすればいいですか as a question. It is placed at the end of a polite question, as in 〜ですか。
座席
座席 means “seat,” referring to the seat of the chair in 座席の下. It can be followed by の下 to identify something located underneath the seat.
の
の connects 座席 with 下 in 座席の下, showing that 下 is related to the seat: “under the seat.” The pattern nounの下 is used to describe a location below a noun.
下
下 means “under” or “below” in 座席の下, identifying where the button is located. It commonly follows a noun with の, as in 机の下 (“under the desk”).
ボタン
ボタン means “button,” the object that should be pressed in the instruction. It can be marked with を before an action, as in ボタンを押してください。
押して
押して means “press” as part of the polite request 押してください。It is the form related to 押す (“to press”) used before ください, and the pattern nounを押してください means “please press the noun.”
ください
ください makes 押してください a polite request meaning “please press.” It follows a verb in the て-form in the reusable request pattern 〜てください。
その
その means “that” and points to the option or adjustment just described in そのほうがいいです。It is placed directly before a noun, here ほう, to identify which option is meant.
ほう
ほう means “option” or “way” in そのほうがいいです。, referring to the option that gives a better result. The pattern 〜のほうがいいです expresses that one option is preferable.
が
が marks そのほう as the option being judged in そのほうがいいです。Together with ほうがいい, it helps express that “that option is better.”
ありがとうございます
ありがとうございます means “thank you” in this dialogue. It is a polite expression in which ありがとう conveys thanks and ございます adds a polite element; use it when courteously thanking someone.
まだ
まだ means “still” in まだよくなければ, showing that the situation may remain unresolved after the adjustment. It can be placed before a condition to indicate that the condition continues.
よく
よく means “well” or “correctly” in まだよくなければ, describing whether the chair is now right or satisfactory. Here it works with なければ to express the condition of something still not being right.
なければ
なければ means “if it is not” in まだよくなければ, giving the condition “if it is still not right.” It is used in a negative conditional pattern such as 〜なければ, followed here by 教えてください。
教えて
教えて means “tell me” or “let me know” as part of 教えてください。It is the form related to 教える (“to tell” or “to teach”) used before ください, and 教えてください is a polite request for information or notice.
Grammar Points
い形容詞 + すぎます
低すぎます
HEE-koo-soo-GHEE-mahsIt is too low.
Add すぎます to an adjective to say that something is excessively or too much of that quality.
動詞て形 + ください
押してください
oh-SHEE-teh koo-dah-SAIPlease press it.
Use the verb's て-form plus ください to make a polite request.
Japanese Vocabulary
ありがとうございます
phrase
ah-ree-gah-TOH-oh goh-zah-ee-MAHS
Thank you.
ありがとうございます。
いす
noun
EE-soo
chair
このいすは低すぎます。
そのほうがいいです
phrase
soh-noh HOH-oh-gah EE DEHS
That is better.
そのほうがいいです。
どうすればいいですか
phrase
DOH soo-reh-bah EE DEHS-kah
How should I do it?
どうすればいいですか。
ボタン
noun
boh-TAHN
button
座席の下のボタンを押してください。
まだ
adv
mah-DAH
still; yet
まだよくなければ、教えてください。
押す
verb
OH-soo
press; push
押してください
座席の下のボタンを押してください。
下
noun
SHEE-tah
under; below
座席の下のボタンを押してください。
高さ
noun
tah-KAH-sah
height
高さを変えられます。
座席
noun
zah-SEH-kee
seat
座席の下のボタンを押してください。
低い
adj
HEE-koo-ee
low
低すぎます
このいすは低すぎます。
変える
verb
kah-EH-roo
change
変えられます
高さを変えられます。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
press; push
Show Answer
押してくださいHow should I do it?
Show Answer
どうすればいいですかchange
Show Answer
変えられますlow