Understanding a Lesson Question | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: In a language classroom, two adults work through a confusing lesson question by reading the sentence again..

EN → JA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Understanding a Lesson Question to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

授業のこの部分がよく分かりません。

joo-GYOH noh KOH-noh BOO-boon gah YOH-koo wah-kah-ree-mah-SEN I don't understand this part of the lesson.
B

どの問題が難しいですか。

DOH-noh mohn-DAI gah moo-zoo-kah-SHEE dess kah Which question is giving you trouble?
A

ここの答えがよく分かりません。

KOH-koh noh KOH-tah-eh gah YOH-koo wah-kah-ree-mah-SEN The answer here doesn't make sense to me.
B

まず文を読みましょう。

mah-ZOO boohn oh yoh-mee-mah-SHOH Let's read the sentence first.
B

それから答えを確認しましょう。

soh-REH-kah-rah KOH-tah-eh oh kah-koo-NIN shee-mah-SHOH Then check the answer.
A

文を声に出して読めますか。

boohn oh KOH-eh nee dah-SHEE-teh yoh-MEH-mahss kah Can you read the sentence aloud?
B

私がゆっくり読みます。

wah-TAH-shee gah YOOK-koo-ree yoh-MEE-mahss I'll read it slowly.
A

大事な言葉をノートに書きます。

DAI-jee nah koh-TOH-bah oh NOH-toh nee kah-kee-mahss I'll write the key words in my notebook.
B

それから、もう一度答えてみましょう。

soh-REH-kah-rah moh-oo ee-chee-DOH KOH-tah-eh-teh mee-mah-SHOH Then let's try the answer again.

Word by Word

授業 授業 means a lesson or class here, as in 授業のこの部分, “this part of the lesson.” It is used before の when connecting the class to something belonging to or related to it. A learner can use it when talking about what happens in a class or lesson.
の In 授業のこの部分, の links 授業 with この部分 and shows that the part is related to the lesson. It is placed between the noun 授業 and the noun phrase この部分. This linking use is common when describing a part, topic, or item associated with something.
この この means “this” and points to the specific item or part near the speaker or under discussion, as in この部分. It comes directly before a noun. Use it when identifying one particular nearby or currently discussed thing.
部分 部分 means a part or section, here referring to a section of the lesson in 授業のこの部分. It can follow a noun phrase that identifies what the part belongs to. It is useful when discussing only one section of a lesson, text, or activity.
が In 授業のこの部分がよく分かりません, が marks 授業のこの部分 as the thing that is not understood. It comes after the subject or focus of the description. With 分かりません, it identifies what the speaker does not understand.
よく Here よく means “well” or “clearly” and makes 分かりません mean “do not really understand” or “cannot understand well.” It is placed before 分かりません to describe the degree of understanding. This use is common when politely saying that something is not clear.
分かりません 分かりません means “do not understand” in this dialogue and is the polite form used by the speaker. It follows the thing being understood with が, as in 授業のこの部分がよく分かりません. Use it when explaining that the meaning or answer is not clear to you.
どの どの means “which” and asks the listener to identify one item from several, as in どの問題. It comes directly before a noun. Use it when asking which specific question, item, or option someone means.
問題 問題 means a question or problem here, referring to a difficult lesson question in どの問題が難しいですか. It can be followed by が when the question or problem is being described. In a classroom, it is used for an exercise or question that needs an answer.
難しい 難しい means “difficult” here, describing the question as hard for the learner. In どの問題が難しいですか, it comes after the subject どの問題. Use it to describe something that requires effort to understand or do.
です です politely completes the statement どの問題が難しいですか. Here it gives the description 難しい a polite sentence ending before the question marker か. It is used in polite descriptions and statements.
か か marks the sentence どの問題が難しいですか as a question. It comes at the end after the polite ending です. Use it to turn a polite statement into a question.
ここ ここ means “here” and identifies the place or point currently being indicated, as in ここの答え. It is placed before の when linking “here” to a following noun. Use it to refer to the current location or the part being pointed out.
答え 答え means “answer” here, referring to the answer in ここの答え and 答えを確認しましょう. It can be marked by を when it is the thing being checked. Use it when discussing a response to a question or exercise.
まず まず means “first” and sets the first step in the sequence: まず文を読みましょう. It appears before the action that should happen initially. Use it to organize instructions or actions in order.
文 文 means “sentence” here, as in 文を読みましょう and 文を声に出して読めますか. It is marked by を when it is the thing being read. Use it when talking about a written sentence in a lesson or text.
を を marks 文 as the object of 読みましょう and 読めますか, so 文を means “the sentence” being read. It comes immediately after the object and before the verb. Use it to mark what an action is done to.
読みましょう 読みましょう means “let’s read” and invites the listener to read together or follow the suggested reading step. It is used after 文を in 文を読みましょう. This form is useful for making a polite suggestion about reading or another shared action.
それから それから means “then” or “after that” and connects the next step to the previous one. In それから答えを確認しましょう and それから、もう一度答えてみましょう, it introduces what should happen next. Use it when giving sequential instructions or describing actions in order.
確認しましょう 確認しましょう means “let’s check” or “let’s confirm” and suggests checking the answer together. It follows 答えを in 答えを確認しましょう. Use it when inviting someone to verify information, an answer, or a result.
声に出して 声に出して means “aloud” or “by saying it out loud” in 声に出して読めますか. 声 means “voice,” に marks the result or state involving the voice, and 出して connects that action to 読めますか. This expression is used before an action to ask someone to perform it audibly, especially when reading.
読めます 読めます means “can read” here and asks about the ability to read the sentence aloud in 文を声に出して読めますか. It follows the object and the manner expression before the question ending か. Use it when asking whether someone is able to read something.
私 私 means “I” or “me” and identifies the speaker in 私がゆっくり読みます and 私がゆっくり読みます. In the first line, it is followed by が to mark the person who will read. Use it when making the speaker’s role or action explicit.
ゆっくり ゆっくり means “slowly” and describes how the speaker will read in 私がゆっくり読みます. It comes before the verb 読みます. Use it when asking for or describing an action done at a slower, more comfortable pace.
大事な 大事な means “important” or “key” here and describes the words as 大事な言葉. The form 大事な comes directly before the noun 言葉. Use it to identify something that should receive attention or be remembered.
言葉 言葉 means “word” or “words” here, referring to the key words written in 大事な言葉をノートに書きます. It is marked by を because it is what the speaker writes. Use it when talking about vocabulary or words in a lesson.
ノート ノート means “notebook” here, the place where the speaker writes the key words in ノートに書きます. It is followed by に to mark where the writing is put. Use it when talking about recording information in a notebook.
書きます 書きます means “write” here and states the speaker’s planned action of writing the key words. It follows 大事な言葉をノートに in 大事な言葉をノートに書きます. Use it when describing writing something in a notebook or another place.
もう一度 もう一度 means “again” or “one more time” in もう一度答えてみましょう. もう indicates an additional time, and 一度 means “one time”; together they ask for the action to happen once more. It is placed before the action that should be repeated.
答えて 答えて means “answering” or “replying” here and connects the action of answering with みましょう in 答えてみましょう. It is the form used before みましょう to express trying the action. Use it when linking answering to a following suggestion to try.
みましょう みましょう means “let’s try doing it” when it follows 答えて in 答えてみましょう. Together, 答えてみましょう means “let’s try answering,” so みましょう adds the idea of trying the action and makes it a polite suggestion. This form is used after an action form when inviting someone to try that action.

Grammar Points

この／どの／ここの＋名詞

この部分は難しいです。どの問題ですか。

KOH-noh BOO-boon wah moo-zoo-kah-SHEE dess. DOH-noh mohn-DAI dess kah

This part is difficult. Which question is it?

この and どの come before a noun. ここの means “the ... here” and also comes before a noun.

V-ます → V-ましょう

まず文を読みましょう。それから確認しましょう。

mah-ZOO boohn oh yoh-mee-mah-SHOH. soh-REH-kah-rah kah-koo-NIN shee-mah-SHOH

First, let's read the sentence. Then, let's check.

ましょう changes a polite verb into a suggestion to do something together, such as 読みましょう and 確認しましょう.

Japanese Vocabulary

ここの det
KOH-koh-noh here; the ... here

ここの答え

この det
KOH-noh this

この部分

どの det
DOH-noh which

どの問題

まず adv
mah-ZOO first

まず文を読みましょう

よく adv
YOH-koo well; clearly

よく分かりません

授業 noun
joo-GYOH lesson; class

授業のこの部分

答え noun
KOH-tah-eh answer

ここの答え

難しい adj
moo-zoo-kah-SHEE difficult

問題が難しいですか

部分 noun
BOO-boon part

授業のこの部分

分かりません verb
wah-kah-ree-mah-SEN do not understand

よく分かりません

文 noun
boohn sentence

文を読みましょう

問題 noun
mohn-DAI question; problem

どの問題が難しいですか

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

do not understand

Show Answer分かりません

well; clearly

Show Answerよく

first

Show Answerまず

question; problem

Show Answer問題