Working toward a deadline | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 締め切りはもうすぐですか？

   Is the deadline coming up soon?

   締め切り

   deadline

   もうすぐ

   soon

   ですか？

   is it?

   More detail

   締め切り means “deadline,” the noun for the time or date by which something must be completed. It is useful in patterns such as 締め切りは明日です (“The deadline is tomorrow”) and 締め切りを確認する (“check the deadline”). もうすぐ means “soon” or “before long,” referring to something expected in the near future. Example: 電車はもうすぐ来ます。 — “The train will arrive soon.” ですか？ is the polite question form of the copular expression です. After a noun or noun phrase, it asks whether that identification or description is correct. Example: 試験は明日ですか？ — “Is the exam tomorrow?” The question marking here comes from か, while です keeps the question polite. は marks 締め切り as the topic: “As for the deadline...” The pattern X は Y ですか？ asks whether X is Y or has the stated description. Here, もうすぐ supplies the time-related description, so the whole utterance asks whether the deadline is soon: “Is the deadline coming up soon?”

2. 締め切りが近いです。

   The deadline is close.

   締め切り

   deadline

   近い

   close; near

   More detail

   締め切り is a noun meaning “deadline”: the time by which something must be submitted or completed. Example: 締め切りを確認します。 — “I’ll check the deadline.” 近い is the basic form of the adjective meaning “near” or “close.” Here it describes the deadline as approaching in time. Its negative form is 近くない (“not near”), and a common opposite is 遠い (“far”). Example: 駅が近いです。 — “The station is nearby.” が marks 締め切り as the subject of the description. です gives the sentence a polite ending; it does not add a separate idea of distance or time. Together, 締め切りが近いです。 states politely that the deadline is close or coming up soon.

3. では、主な部分から始めましょう。

   So let's start with the main part.

   では

   So / then

   主な

   main

   部分

   part

   から

   from

   始めましょう

   let's start

   More detail

   では sets up a transition such as “so” or “then.” Here it moves from the preceding situation to the proposed next action. It is a short connective expression, not part of the noun phrase that follows. 主な means “main” here. It is the attributive form used directly before a noun: 主な部分 means “the main part.” 主な is a fixed attributive form rather than an ordinary い-adjective ending that changes in the same way as 大きい; for example, 主な理由 means “the main reason.” 部分 is a noun meaning “part” or “section.” In this utterance it refers to the relevant main section, without specifying a more particular kind of section. Example: この部分を読みます。 — “I’ll read this part.” から marks the point from which an action begins. In 主な部分から, it means “from the main part” or, more naturally with 始める, “with the main part.” This is the starting-point use of から, distinct from its use for a source or cause in other sentences. 始めましょう is the polite volitional form of 始める, “to start” or “to begin.” The ending -ましょう proposes a shared action, so 始めましょう means “let’s start.” Compare 始めます (“I/we will start” or “start[s]” in a polite statement) with 始めましょう (“let’s start”). Example: ここから始めましょう。 — “Let’s start here.” Together, では introduces the transition, 主な部分から identifies the starting point, and 始めましょう proposes beginning there: “So, let’s start with the main part.”

4. それを今、引き受けますか？

   Do you want to take that on now?

   それ

   that

   今

   now

   引き受けます

   take on; undertake

   More detail

   それ means “that” here: a demonstrative pronoun referring to the thing or task being taken on. Japanese demonstratives distinguish distance or discourse position; それ is used for something associated with the listener or already identified in the conversation. It can refer to a thing or matter, and the fixed translation supports the task-related reading here. 今 means “now.” It places the taking-on at the present time. Japanese time words such as 今 commonly appear without a separate preposition: 今、始めます。 means “I’ll start now.” 引き受けます is the polite nonpast form of 引き受ける, “to take on,” “to undertake,” or “to accept responsibility for.” The observed form contains the polite ending ます; 引き受ける is the base form, while 引き受けました is the polite past form, “took on” or “undertook.” In this sentence, the verb concerns accepting the task or responsibility represented by それ. At the end, か marks the utterance as a question. The pattern 〜ますか asks whether the listener will or does perform the action; in this fixed translation, the intended question is naturally rendered as “Do you want to take that on now?” The wording does not require an explicit Japanese subject, so the listener understood as “you” is supplied by the situation and the fixed translation. Together, それを marks “that” as what is acted on, 今 sets the time as now, and 引き受けますか asks whether the listener will take it on. Thus the whole utterance means: “Do you want to take that on now?”

5. あなたがファイルを確認している間、私は始められます。

   I can start while you check the file.

   あなたが

   you

   ファイル

   file

   確認している

   checking

   間

   period; interval

   私は

   I

   始められます

   can start

   More detail

   あなたが means “you” as the subject of the subordinate clause. が marks the subject here; it is not part of the pronoun itself. In this sentence, the person checking the file is explicitly “you.” A reusable pattern is Xが… for “X …” when X is the subject. ファイル means “file.” With the following を, ファイルを means “the file” as the object of checking. を marks the direct object of many action verbs; it does not mean “of” here. 確認している comes from 確認する, “to check” or “to confirm.” The form uses ている to show that the checking is in progress here: “are checking.” For example, 彼は書類を確認している。 means “He is checking the documents.” 間 means an interval or period. After 確認している, the sequence 確認している間 forms the reusable pattern Vている間, “while V is in progress” or “during the time that V is happening.” Thus, あなたがファイルを確認している間 means “while you are checking the file.” 私は means “I” as the topic. は marks the topic and can also create a contrast with another possible participant, but this sentence does not specify any further contrast. The pronoun 私 itself does not identify the speaker’s gender here. 始められます comes from 始める, “to start” or “to begin.” 始められる is its potential form, meaning “can start” or “be able to start”; 始められます is the polite nonpast form. The polite ending expresses the register, while the potential form expresses ability or possibility. For example, 今、始められます。 means “I can start now.” Together, あなたがファイルを確認している間 sets the time condition, “while you are checking the file,” and 私は始められます says “I can start.” The complete meaning is: “I can start while you check the file.”

6. 最初に何を見ればいいですか？

   What should I look for first?

   最初に

   first

   何

   what

   見ればいいですか

   should I look?

   More detail

   最初に means “first” or “at the beginning.” The に marks 最初 as the time or order in which the action happens. A reusable pattern is 最初に + action for “first, do ...”; for example, 最初に名前を書きます。 means “I write my name first.” 何 means “what.” Here it is the thing being looked at, and the fixed translation identifies that intended meaning. Its exact pronunciation can vary by context, so it is useful to learn the form together with the surrounding sentence rather than assume one pronunciation in every use. 見ればいいですか asks what action is appropriate: literally, it has the structure “if [someone] looks, is that good?” The observed verb 見 comes from 見る (“to look” or “to see”), and 見れば is its conditional form. 〜ばいいですか is a reusable way to ask “what should I do?” or “is it okay if I ...?” For example, どこで待てばいいですか。 means “Where should I wait?” The polite ですか makes the utterance a polite question; the subject is not stated because Japanese commonly leaves it understood from context. Together, 最初に何を見ればいいですか？ asks which thing the speaker should look at first: “What should I look for first?” The order is 最初に (first) + 何を (what, as the object) + 見ればいいですか (should I look at?).

7. メモと依頼が合っているか確認してください。

   Make sure the notes match the request.

   メモ

   notes

   依頼

   request

   合っているか

   whether it matches

   確認してください

   please check

   More detail

   メモ means “notes.” It is a noun and can refer to written reminders or recorded information. Example: メモを取ります。 — “I take notes.” 依頼 means “request” or “commission.” It is a noun for something asked of someone. Example: 依頼を受けました。 — “I received a request.” 合っているか asks whether something is correct, matching, or in agreement. The base verb is 合う (“match” / “fit”); 合っている presents the matching as an ongoing or resulting state, and か turns the clause into an embedded yes-or-no question. Here, メモと marks the notes as the item being compared with the request: メモと依頼が合っているか means “whether the notes match the request.” Example: 答えが合っているか確認します。 — “I will check whether the answer is correct.” 確認してください means “please check” or “please confirm.” It consists of 確認する, “to check or confirm,” in the て-form 確認して, followed by ください, a polite request pattern. This is a request to perform the checking, not a statement that the match has already been confirmed. Example: 住所を確認してください。 — “Please check the address.” Together, メモと依頼が合っているか identifies what must be checked—whether the notes correspond to the request—and 確認してください politely asks the listener to perform that check. The whole utterance means: “Make sure the notes match the request.”

8. それから、短い報告を書きます。

   Then I'll write a short update.

   それから

   then; after that

   短い

   short; brief

   報告

   report; update

   書きます

   write; will write

   More detail

   それから means “then” or “after that” and places this action after something already mentioned. It is a useful sequence marker: A。それから、B。 = “A. Then, B.” Here it connects the writing to the preceding confirmation step. 短い means “short” or “brief.” It is an adjective modifying 報告; Japanese descriptive adjectives can directly precede the noun they describe. Its dictionary form is also 短い, while the contrasting adjective is 長い (“long”). Example: 短いメールを書きます。 = “I’ll write a short email.” 報告 is a noun meaning “report” or, in this context, “update.” A useful pattern is 報告を書く, literally “write a report,” for producing a written report or update. The noun itself does not indicate who writes it or when; those details come from the surrounding expression. 書きます means “write” here. Its dictionary form is 書く; 書きます is the polite nonpast form. Japanese nonpast forms can refer to a planned or intended future action, so the fixed translation naturally gives “I’ll write.” The subject is not stated in the Japanese sentence, but the fixed translation identifies it as “I.” For comparison, 書きました means “wrote” or “have written” in the polite past form. Example: 明日、報告を書きます。 = “I’ll write the report tomorrow.” Together, それから marks the next step, 短い describes the noun 報告, and 報告を書きます expresses writing that report. The complete utterance therefore means “Then I’ll write a short update.”

9. それができたら、私たちはそれを共有できます。

   When it's ready, we can share it.

   それが

   that

   できたら

   when it is ready

   私たちは

   we

   それを

   it

   共有できます

   can share

   More detail

   それが: それ is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” or “it,” and が marks it as the subject of the following condition. The form itself does not identify the item’s exact referent; here, the fixed translation supports the intended item being the thing that will be ready. できたら: In this sentence, できた is the past form of できる, used with たら to mean “when/once it becomes ready” or “if it is ready.” Although できる can also mean “be possible” or “be able to,” the fixed translation selects the completion/readiness meaning here. Pattern: verb/adjective + たら can mark a condition or a time after which something happens. Example: 準備ができたら、始めます。 — “When the preparation is ready, I’ll start.” 私たちは: 私たち means “we” or “us,” referring to a group that includes the speaker; は marks this group as the topic. Japanese 私たち does not itself specify the group’s exact size or identity. Example: 私たちは帰ります。 — “We’re going home.” それを: それ means “that” or “it,” and を marks it as the direct object of the sharing action. In the fixed translation, this is the item to be shared. The demonstrative’s exact referent is not otherwise named. 共有できます: 共有する means “to share,” and 共有できます is its polite potential form, meaning “can share.” The potential form expresses ability or possibility: 共有する → 共有できる → 共有できます. The final ます makes the statement polite; it does not create the ability meaning by itself. Example: このファイルを共有できます。 — “I can share this file.” Together, それができたら sets the condition “when it is ready,” 私たちは makes “we” the topic, and それを共有できます says “can share it.” Thus the whole utterance means: “When it’s ready, we can share it.”