Hurrying to the Train Platform | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 今日は道路がとても混んでいます。

   The road is really busy today.

   今日

   today

   道路

   road

   とても

   very; really

   混んでいます

   is crowded; is busy

   More detail

   今日 means “today” here and places the situation in the current day. It is a time expression that can be used at the beginning of a sentence: 今日は暑いです。 — “It is hot today.” The particle は marks 今日 as the topic, so the sentence presents what follows as information about today. 道路 means “road” here. It is a noun; the two kanji form one established word, so this entry is not a lesson about two separate words. With は, it becomes the topic: 道路は広いです。 — “The road is wide.” とても means “very” or “really” and intensifies the condition expressed afterward. It does not itself mean “busy”; that meaning comes from 混んでいます. For example, 今日はとても寒いです。 means “It is very cold today.” 混んでいます is the polite form expressing that the road is currently crowded or congested, hence “is really busy” in this translation. Its base form is 混む, “to become crowded” or “to get congested.” The form 混んでいる describes the resulting state that is in effect now, and 混んでいます is its polite form. The ん reflects the connective form of 混む before いる; it is not a separate word meaning “busy.” Example: 電車が混んでいます。 — “The train is crowded.” Together, 今日は sets “today” as the topic, 道路が identifies the road as the subject of the condition, and とても混んでいます says that it is currently very congested. Thus 今日は道路がとても混んでいます。 means “The road is really busy today.”

2. ラッシュアワーが始まりました。

   Rush hour has started.

   ラッシュアワー

   rush hour

   始まりました

   has started

   More detail

   ラッシュアワー means “rush hour” here. It is a noun referring to the period when many people travel, typically making transport busy. Japanese often uses loanwords such as this as nouns; for example, ラッシュアワーは七時です。 means “Rush hour is at seven.” 始まりました means “has started” in this sentence. Its base form is the intransitive verb 始まる (“to start, begin”): 始まる → polite non-past 始まります → polite past 始まりました. The past form presents the beginning as completed; with this context, the result is relevant now. Because 始まる is intransitive, the thing that begins is the subject: 授業が始まりました。 means “The class has started.” The transitive counterpart 始める means “to start something,” as in 先生が授業を始めました。 (“The teacher started the class.”) Together, ラッシュアワーが marks “rush hour” as the subject, and 始まりました says that it has begun. Thus ラッシュアワーが始まりました。 means “Rush hour has started.”

3. 次の電車にまだ間に合いますか。

   Can we still catch the next train?

   次の

   next

   電車

   train

   まだ

   still

   間に合いますか

   can we make it in time?

   More detail

   次の means “next” or “following” when it comes before a noun. Here it describes the train: 次の電車 is “the next train.” The related expression 次に means “next” in a sequence or “next” as an action, so it is not interchangeable with the noun-modifying form here. 電車 means “train,” specifically an electric train. It is a noun and can combine with time or sequence descriptions such as 次の電車 (“the next train”). まだ means “still” here: the possibility of making the train remains at the time of asking. Its meaning depends on context; in a negative sentence, it can instead mean “not yet.” Example: まだ来ていません。 — “They have not arrived yet.” 間に合いますか comes from the dictionary form 間に合う, “to be in time” or “to make it in time.” The observed form uses the polite nonpast form 間に合います plus か to make a question. Japanese verbs do not mark person or number here, so the omitted subject is understood from the situation; the fixed translation presents it as “we.” In the pattern Xに間に合う, に marks the train, event, or deadline that someone makes in time. Thus 電車に間に合う means “make the train” or “catch the train in time.” Together, 次の電車に identifies the train being targeted, まだ says that the opportunity remains, and 間に合いますか asks whether the participants can be in time for it. The whole utterance therefore means “Can we still catch the next train?”

4. はい、間に合うはずです。駅はすぐ先です。

   We should. The station is just ahead.

   はい

   yes

   間に合う

   make it in time

   はずです

   should; be expected to

   駅

   station

   すぐ先

   just ahead

   More detail

   はい is an affirmative response: “yes.” Here it answers the question about making the next train, so it confirms that making it is expected. A useful contrasting response is いいえ (“no”). 間に合う is the dictionary-form verb meaning “to be in time” or “to make it in time.” In this utterance, it refers to making the next train mentioned in the preceding question. The verb is not marked for an English-style subject or tense here; the expectation is expressed by the following construction. Example: 電車に間に合う。 — “I make it in time for the train.” はずです expresses an expectation or conclusion: “should” or “is expected to.” はず is a noun meaning an expected state or outcome, and です is the polite copula. The particle は marks this expected outcome as the topic. This is different from a command or a guarantee: the speaker presents the result as expected, based on the available situation. The pattern verb in plain form + はずです is reusable; for example, 彼は来るはずです。 — “He should come.” 駅 means “station.” It is a noun and can be used with a topic marker when the sentence shifts attention to the station. Example: 駅は近いです。 — “The station is near.” すぐ先 means “just ahead.” すぐ contributes the sense of “right away” or “very near,” while 先 here means the place ahead, not a time such as “earlier” or “later.” Together, すぐ先 describes a location that is only a short distance ahead. Example: 店はすぐ先です。 — “The shop is just ahead.” The first sentence combines はい with 間に合うはずです: “Yes, [we] should make it in time.” Japanese commonly leaves the subject unspoken; the fixed translation identifies it here as “we,” referring to the people trying to catch the next train. The second sentence has 駅は (“as for the station”) followed by すぐ先です (“is just ahead”). Together, the utterance means: “We should [make the next train]. The station is just ahead.”

5. もう入口が見えます。

   I can see the entrance now.

   もう

   now; already

   入口

   entrance

   見えます

   can see; is visible

   More detail

   もう here means “now” in the sense that a change has occurred: the entrance has become visible at this point. With an affirmative statement it can also mean “already,” as in もう終わりました (“It is already finished”). Do not confuse it with まだ, which means “still” or “not yet,” depending on the sentence. 入口 is the noun “entrance.” It can be reused in compounds and contrasts with 出口, “exit.” Example: 入口はあちらです。 — “The entrance is over there.” 見えます is the polite nonpast form of 見える, “to be visible” or “to be perceptible.” In this sentence, it expresses the speaker’s visual access: the entrance is visible to the speaker, translated naturally as “I can see the entrance.” 見える is different from 見る, “to look at” or “to see” as an intentional action: 入口を見ます means “I look at the entrance,” while 入口が見えます means “The entrance is visible / I can see the entrance.” The ending -ます makes the statement polite; the nonpast form can describe a present situation, as it does here. 入口 followed by が is the noun phrase functioning with 見える: 入口が見えます means “the entrance is visible.” The Japanese subject of the perception is not stated explicitly; the fixed translation identifies the perceiver as “I.” Together, もう + 入口が見えます gives “I can see the entrance now.” The utterance presents the entrance as visible at the current point, without explicitly stating how it became visible.

6. ホームへまっすぐ行きましょう。

   Let's head straight to the platform.

   ホーム

   platform

   へ

   to; toward

   まっすぐ

   straight ahead

   行きましょう

   let’s go

   More detail

   ホーム means “platform” here. In Japanese, it commonly refers to a train platform; the exact intended meaning is supported by the translation and the surrounding station context. Example: ホームで待ちます。 — “I’ll wait on the platform.” へ marks the direction or destination of movement. It is written へ but pronounced e when used as this particle. The pattern 場所へ行く means “go to a place.” Example: 駅へ行きます。 — “I’m going to the station.” まっすぐ means “straight” or “straight ahead.” With movement, it describes continuing directly rather than turning. Example: まっすぐ歩いてください。 — “Please walk straight ahead.” 行きましょう is the polite “let’s go” form of 行く (“to go”). The pattern verb stem + ましょう proposes a shared action: 行き + ましょう. It expresses “let’s go,” not simply a statement that someone goes. Example: 一緒に帰りましょう。 — “Let’s go home together.” Together, ホームへ sets the destination, まっすぐ describes the route, and 行きましょう proposes that the speakers go there: “Let’s head straight to the platform.”

7. 電車がもう入ってきています。

   The train is pulling in already.

   電車

   train

   もう

   already

   入ってきています

   is pulling in

   More detail

   電車 means “train.” It is a noun and can be used with は or が to mark the train as the topic or subject. Example: 電車が来ます。—“The train is coming.” もう means “already” here: the event is happening sooner or further along than expected or than a relevant point in time. It commonly appears with a completed or currently developing situation. Example: もう始まっています。—“It has already started.” 入ってきています describes the train’s movement into the relevant place and toward the speaker or viewpoint. The underlying verb is 入る, “to enter,” whose て-form is 入って. This is followed by くる, “to come,” forming 入ってくる, “to come in.” The ている form, 入ってきている, presents that movement as currently in progress or as a current resulting situation; the polite ending ます gives the observed form its polite style. Here, with the fixed translation and the platform context, “is pulling in” is the natural meaning. Example: バスが入ってきています。—“The bus is pulling in.” Together, 電車が marks “the train” as the subject, もう adds “already,” and 入ってきています says that it is pulling into the relevant area now. Thus the complete utterance means “The train is pulling in already.” The polite form is suitable for a neutral spoken announcement or observation.

8. 近くにいてください。一緒に乗りましょう。

   Stay close, and we'll board together.

   近くに

   nearby; close by

   いてください

   please stay

   一緒に

   together

   乗りましょう

   let’s board

   More detail

   近くに means “nearby” or “close by” here. 近く is the adverbial form of 近い (“near; close”), and に marks the place or state being requested. For example, 駅の近くに住んでいます。 means “I live near the station.” いてください asks someone to remain or be present. It is formed from いる (“be/stay,” used for people and other animate beings): いる → いて + ください (“please”). The て-form plus ください is a polite request. In this sentence, it means “please stay,” rather than simply “please exist.” 一緒に means “together.” 一緒 is a noun meaning “being together/the same group,” and に makes it function adverbially, so it describes an action done together. For example, 一緒に帰りましょう。 means “Let’s go home together.” 乗りましょう comes from 乗る (“board; ride; get on”). Its polite volitional form, 乗りましょう, proposes a shared action: “let’s board” or “let’s ride.” The ましょう ending can express the speaker’s proposal or invitation; it is not merely a neutral statement about a future event. Here, 一緒に specifies that the boarding will be done together. Together, 近くにいてください asks the listener to stay close, and 一緒に乗りましょう proposes that the speaker and listener board together. The complete meaning is: “Stay close, and we’ll board together.”