Finding the right city hall counter | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 私は今までこの市役所の中に入ったことがありません。

   I have never been inside this city hall before.

   私は

   I

   今まで

   until now; before

   この

   this

   市役所

   city hall

   の中に

   inside

   入ったことがありません

   have never entered

   More detail

   私は identifies the speaker as the topic: “as for me” or simply “I” here. は marks the topic, while 私 is the first-person pronoun. Japanese often leaves the topic unstated when context makes it clear, but this sentence states it explicitly. 今まで means “up to now” or “before now.” With the negative experience pattern later in the sentence, it sets the time span over which the experience has not occurred: “never before now.” この is the attributive form meaning “this,” used directly before a noun. Here it modifies 市役所, giving “this city hall.” Demonstratives such as この normally need a following noun or noun-like expression; the corresponding forms include その (“that near you” or previously mentioned) and あの (“that over there” or farther from both participants). 市役所 means “city hall” or “municipal office.” It is a noun referring to the relevant public-government building in the fixed translation. A reusable pattern is この + noun, for example この本 means “this book.” の中に expresses being inside something or entering its interior. の links 市役所 to 中, literally making “the inside of the city hall,” and 中 means “inside” or “interior.” に marks the place or destination associated with 入る (“to enter”), so 市役所の中に入る means “enter the inside of the city hall” or more naturally “enter the city hall.” 入ったことがありません is the polite negative experience construction. The base form is 入る (“to enter”); its past form is 入った. In Vたことがある, the nominalized expression Vたこと refers to having the experience of doing V, and ありません makes that experience absent in polite speech. Thus 入ったことがありません means “have never entered” in this context. The past-looking 入った does not by itself set the whole sentence in past time; in this construction it identifies a completed experience. The contrasting form 入ったことがあります means “have entered” or “have been in.” Together, 私は sets the speaker as the topic, 今まで covers the time up to the present, and この市役所の中に入ったことがありません says that entering this city hall has not been part of the speaker’s experience. The complete meaning is: “I have never been inside this city hall before.”

2. 建物は思ったよりきれいです。

   The building is nicer than I expected.

   建物

   building

   思ったより

   than expected

   きれい

   nice

   です

   is

   More detail

   建物 means “building.” It is a noun and is the topic here, marked by は in the full sentence. A useful pattern is N は ...です (“As for N, it is ...”). 思ったより means “than expected” in this sentence. 思った is the past form of 思う (“to think”), and より marks the standard of comparison: A は B より ... means “A is ... than B.” In this expression, the thought used as the comparison standard is understood from context, so the fixed translation naturally supplies “I expected.” きれい is a na-adjective meaning “nice” here, describing the building’s positive appearance or condition. It can also mean “clean” or “beautiful” in other contexts; the intended sense here is the one reflected by “nicer.” Before です, a na-adjective remains in its basic form: きれいです (“is nice/clean/beautiful”). です is the polite predicate ending. With a noun or na-adjective, it forms a polite statement, as in 静かです (“is quiet”) or 学生です (“is a student”). Together, 建物は sets “the building” as the topic, 思ったより establishes the comparison with the speaker’s expectation, and きれいです gives the polite description. The whole utterance means: “The building is nicer than I expected.”

3. 入口は自転車置き場の隣です。

   The entrance is beside the bicycle parking area.

   入口

   entrance

   自転車置き場

   bicycle parking area

   隣

   beside; next to

   More detail

   入口 means “entrance.” It is a noun and can be used as the topic or subject of a description. Example: 入口を探します。 — “I look for the entrance.” 自転車置き場 means “bicycle parking area.” It is a compound noun: 自転車 means “bicycle,” and 置き場 means a place for putting or leaving something. The compound is useful for naming a designated place, rather than simply referring to any bicycle. 隣 means “next to” or “beside” here. It is a noun describing an adjacent position. In the reusable pattern Bの隣, の links B to 隣, giving “next to B” or “B’s adjacent area.” Example: 駅の隣です。 — “It is next to the station.” The pattern AはBの隣です means “A is next to B.” は marks A as the topic, while です makes the statement polite. Here, 入口は sets “the entrance” as the topic, and 自転車置き場の隣 identifies its location as beside the bicycle parking area. Together, 入口は自転車置き場の隣です。 means “The entrance is beside the bicycle parking area.”

4. たくさんの人が自転車で来ました。

   A lot of people came by bike.

   たくさんの

   a lot of

   人

   people; person

   自転車で

   by bicycle

   来ました

   came

   More detail

   たくさんの means “a lot of” here. たくさん expresses a large amount or number, and の links it to the noun that follows: たくさんの人 = “a lot of people.” This pattern can also describe things: たくさんの本 means “a lot of books.” 人 means “person” or, in this sentence, “people.” The word itself does not mark plural number; the context and たくさんの show that more than one person is intended. Its common reading here is ひと (hito). Example: 三人の人 is generally avoided as a basic way to say “three people”; 三人 is the natural expression. 自転車で means “by bicycle.” 自転車 is “bicycle,” and the particle で marks the means or vehicle used for an action. The same pattern works with other means of transport, for example 電車で来ました = “I/they came by train.” 来ました means “came” here. It is the polite past form of 来る (くる, kuru), “to come.” The useful form chain is 来る (come) → 来ます (come/will come, polite) → 来ました (came, polite past). The subject is not expressed in this form, so the Japanese verb alone does not specify who came; here, 人 supplies the subject. Together, たくさんの人が identifies a large number of people as the subject, 自転車で says that bicycles were the means of travel, and 来ました says that they came in the polite past. The whole utterance therefore means, “A lot of people came by bike.”

5. そうですね。

   That makes sense.

   そうですね

   That makes sense.

   More detail

   そうですね is a common polite response meaning “That makes sense” here. It is also reusable for agreeing with or acknowledging a preceding statement. そう means “so” or “that way.” In this expression, it points back to the preceding idea rather than naming a specific object. For example: そうです。 — “That’s right.” です is the polite copular form. It makes the response polite; it is not the part that means “make sense.” ね is a sentence-final particle that invites shared understanding or agreement and gives the response a softer, less abrupt tone. Compare そうです。 (“That’s right.”) with そうですね。 (“That’s right / That makes sense.”). Together, そうですね。 acknowledges the preceding point politely and presents it as understandable or agreeable. In this fixed utterance, the intended meaning is “That makes sense.”

6. バスを待つより楽です。

   It is easier than waiting for the bus.

   バス

   bus

   待つ

   to wait

   より

   than; in comparison with

   楽です

   is easy

   More detail

   バス means “bus” here. It is a noun, and を marks it as the object of the following action: the thing being waited for. The full noun phrase バスを therefore means “the bus” as the object of waiting. 待つ is the dictionary-form verb “to wait.” In バスを待つ, it means “wait for the bus”; Japanese uses を with the thing waited for in this pattern. The dictionary form can also appear before another word to describe an action, as in 待つ時間 (“time spent waiting”). より marks the comparison standard. The reusable pattern is XよりYです: “Y is [more/less] … than X.” Here, バスを待つより sets “waiting for the bus” as the standard, not as a separate completed event. 楽です is the polite predicate form of the な-adjective 楽 (raku), meaning “easy” or “less burdensome” in this context. です makes the statement polite; it does not itself mean “easy.” A useful contrast is 楽です (“is easy/comfortable”) versus 大変です (“is difficult/arduous”). Together, バスを待つより楽です means “It is easier than waiting for the bus.” The thing that is easier is understood from the surrounding context, while the sentence explicitly uses waiting for the bus as the comparison standard.

7. 次は私たちもここまで自転車で来られますね。

   Next time, we could ride here too.

   次は

   next time

   私たちも

   we too

   ここまで

   here; this far

   自転車で

   by bicycle

   来られます

   can come

   ね

   right?; you know

   More detail

   次は sets the time as “next time.” 次 means “next,” and は marks the topic. The same pattern works with another time expression, such as 今日は (“as for today” / “today”). Here, 次は refers to a future occasion, not simply the next item in a sequence. 私たちも means “we too” or “we also.” 私たち is the first-person plural pronoun “we,” and も adds the meaning “also/too.” For example, 私も行きます。 means “I will go too.” The exact number of people included in 私たち is not specified here. ここまで means “to here” or “this far.” ここ means “here,” while まで marks an endpoint or limit. The same particle appears in 駅まで歩きます。 (“I walk to the station”). In this sentence, it marks here as the destination reached by coming. 自転車で means “by bicycle” or “on a bicycle.” 自転車 is “bicycle,” and で marks the means or vehicle used for an action. For example, 電車で行きます。 means “I go by train.” The で here does not mark the destination; it marks how the movement is made. 来られます expresses the ability to come: “can come.” Its base verb is 来る (“to come”), and 来られる is its potential form, meaning “be able to come.” 来られます is the polite non-past form, so it can describe being able to come in the future as well as a general ability. In this sentence, the intended meaning is a future possibility: “could come.” Japanese 来る describes movement toward the relevant place, while 行く describes movement away from the relevant reference point; the choice here is 来る because the movement is understood as coming here. ね is a sentence-final particle inviting agreement or presenting the statement as something shared: “right?” or “you know.” It does not change the ability expressed by 来られます; it gives the utterance a conversational, confirmatory tone. Together, 次は establishes the next occasion, 私たちも adds the speaker’s group, ここまで identifies here as the endpoint, and 自転車で gives the means of travel. 来られます then says that coming is possible, while ね invites the listener to share or confirm that understanding. The whole utterance means: “Next time, we could ride here too.”

8. それなら、入口の近くに自転車を置けます。

   Then we can leave the bikes close to the entrance.

   それなら

   then; in that case

   入口

   entrance

   近く

   vicinity; nearby area

   自転車

   bicycle; bike

   置けます

   can leave; can place

   More detail

   それなら means “then” or “in that case.” それ refers to something already established in the conversation, while なら presents the following statement as applying under that condition. A reusable pattern is それなら、… for “Then, …” or “In that case, …”. 入口 means “entrance.” It is a noun and can combine with location expressions, as in 入口の近く (“near the entrance”). 近く means “nearby” or “the vicinity.” Here it is a noun-like location expression linked to 入口 by の: 入口の近く means “the area near the entrance.” The particle に then marks that area as the place where something can be put: 入口の近くに = “near the entrance.” 自転車 means “bicycle” or “bike.” Japanese does not normally mark singular versus plural on this noun, so the fixed translation’s “bikes” is compatible with the form 自転車; the number comes from the intended context rather than a plural ending here. The particle を marks it as what is placed. 置けます comes from 置く, “to put” or “to leave something in a place.” 置けます is the polite nonpast potential form, meaning “can put” or “can leave.” The potential form expresses ability or possibility, and ます gives the utterance a polite style. For example, ここに荷物を置けます。 means “I/we can leave the luggage here.” The omitted actor is understood from the fixed translation as “we”; Japanese does not require that subject to be stated in this sentence. Together, それなら sets the condition as “Then,” 入口の近くに identifies the location as “near the entrance,” and 自転車を置けます says that the bikes can be left there. The complete meaning is: “Then we can leave the bikes close to the entrance.”

9. 今は中に入って、正しい窓口を探しましょう。

   For now, let's go inside and find the right counter.

   今は

   for now

   中

   inside

   入って

   go inside

   正しい

   right; correct

   窓口

   counter; service desk

   探しましょう

   let’s look for

   More detail

   今は means “for now” here. 今 is “now,” and は marks it as the time being set apart as the topic: “as for now.” The phrase does not necessarily mean that the situation will last only briefly; it presents the current step or time. 中 is the noun meaning “inside” or “the interior.” In this sentence, 中に uses に to mark the destination or location into which someone enters. A reusable pattern is 場所の中に入る, “enter inside a place.” 入って is the te-form of the verb 入る, “to enter.” The te-form connects this action to what follows, so 中に入って、… means “go inside and then …” or “enter, and …” The te-form itself does not mark past tense here. 正しい is an i-adjective meaning “right” or “correct.” Before a noun, it stays in this form: 正しい窓口, “the right/correct counter.” Its past form is 正しかった, “was right/correct,” and its negative form is 正しくない, “not right/correct.” 窓口 is a noun for a counter, service desk, or designated point for handling a service. In this sentence, 正しい窓口 means “the right counter,” with 正しい describing which counter is intended. 探しましょう comes from the verb 探す, “to look for” or “search for.” ましょう is the polite volitional form, used here to propose joint action: “let’s look for.” For example, 駅を探しましょう。 means “Let’s look for the station.” Together, 今は中に入って sets the current next action as entering inside, and 正しい窓口を探しましょう proposes searching for the appropriate service counter. The whole utterance is: “For now, let’s go inside and find the right counter.”