Understanding a Lesson Question | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 授業のこの部分がよく分かりません。

   I don't understand this part of the lesson.

   授業

   lesson; class

   この

   this

   部分

   part; section

   よく

   well

   分かりません

   don’t understand

   More detail

   授業 means “lesson” or “class.” It is a noun. In 授業の, the particle の links it to the following noun phrase, giving the relation “of the lesson” or “lesson’s.” Example: 日本語の授業 — “a Japanese lesson/class.” この means “this” and is a demonstrative used before a noun. Here it modifies 部分, so この部分 means “this part.” Japanese demonstratives in the こ- group generally refer to something associated with the speaker; この itself does not change for number or gender. Example: この本 — “this book.” 部分 means “part” or “section.” It is a noun referring to one portion of a larger thing. In this sentence, the translation identifies that larger thing as the lesson. Example: 文章の一部分 — “part of a text.” よく is the adverbial form of よい/いい (“good”), but with a verb such as 分かる it commonly means “well” or “clearly.” Here, because it occurs with the negative verb form, よく分かりません means that the speaker does not understand the part well or clearly. Example: よく見えます。 — “I can see it clearly.” 分かりません is the polite negative nonpast form of 分かる, “to understand” or “to become clear.” The ending ません makes the statement polite and negative; it does not mark the subject as specifically “I,” and Japanese verbs do not normally change for the subject’s person or number. The positive polite form is 分かります, while the plain forms are 分かる and 分からない. In this utterance, 分かりません expresses “I don’t understand.” Together, 授業の identifies the lesson, この部分 identifies this part of it, and が marks that part as what is understood or not understood. よく分かりません says that it is not understood clearly. The whole utterance is therefore: “I don’t understand this part of the lesson.”

2. どの問題が難しいですか。

   Which question is giving you trouble?

   どの

   which

   問題

   question; problem

   難しい

   difficult

   More detail

   どの means “which” when it comes directly before a noun. It does not stand alone in this use: どの問題 is “which question/problem.” For a choice without an immediately stated noun, Japanese uses どれ instead, as in どれが難しいですか。 (“Which one is difficult?”). 問題 commonly means “question” in an exercise or “problem/issue” more generally. Here, the fixed translation supports the exercise-related sense “question,” specifically the one that is causing difficulty. The word itself is a noun and does not change for singular or plural. 難しい means “difficult” or “hard.” This is the basic form of the Japanese i-adjective. In the sentence, it is used as a predicate before polite です: 難しいです means “is difficult.” An i-adjective does not change for gender or number. Its negative form is 難しくない (“is not difficult”), and the polite version is 難しくないです. が marks 問題 as the element being identified or described as difficult. In this question, the pattern is どの + noun + が + adjective + ですか: “Which noun is adjective?” The final か marks the sentence as a question, while です gives the predicate a polite style. Together, どの問題が asks which question is being singled out, and 難しいですか asks whether it is difficult. The complete utterance therefore means “Which question is giving you trouble?” or more literally, “Which question is difficult?”

3. ここの答えがよく分かりません。

   The answer here doesn't make sense to me.

   ここの

   here / of this place

   答え

   answer

   よく

   well; clearly

   分かりません

   do not understand

   More detail

   ここの modifies the noun that follows it and means “here” or “of this place” in the sense of identifying something located in or associated with the place or context. It consists of ここ (“here”) plus の, which links one noun-like expression to another. Here it identifies the answer as the one being referred to here. 答え means “answer.” It is a noun and can be used in reusable phrases such as 答えを知っています (“I know the answer”). Here, 答えが marks the answer as the grammatical subject of what follows. よく is an adverb meaning “well” or “clearly” with 分かる. In this negative sentence, よく分かりません means that the speaker cannot understand it clearly; よく does not mean “often” here. Example: 説明がよく分かります means “I understand the explanation clearly.” 分かりません is the polite negative form of 分かる, meaning “to understand” or “to be clear.” 分かる is the non-past form, while 分かりません politely says that understanding or clarity is absent. With an answer or other idea as the subject, Japanese can express that something “doesn't make sense” without a separate verb meaning “make sense.” Together, ここの答え identifies the answer being referred to here, and よく分かりません says that it is not clear to the speaker. The whole utterance means: “The answer here doesn't make sense to me.”

4. まず文を読みましょう。

   Let's read the sentence first.

   まず

   first

   文

   sentence

   読みましょう

   let’s read

   More detail

   まず means “first” or “to begin with.” It places this action before another action in the sequence. In this sentence, it is an adverb modifying the action that follows. 文 means “sentence.” Its reading here is ぶん (bun), and 文 can also refer more broadly to a written sentence or text depending on context. The particle を after it marks 文 as the object of the verb: 文を means “the sentence” as what is read. 読みましょう is the polite volitional form of 読む, “to read.” 読む → 読みます is the polite non-past form, while 読みましょう expresses “let’s read” or a polite suggestion to read together. The ましょう ending is attached to the verb’s ます-stem, 読み-. For example, 本を読みましょう。 means “Let’s read a book.” Together, まず文を読みましょう。 means “Let’s read the sentence first.” The sequence is marked by まず, 文を identifies the sentence as the object, and 読みましょう presents the reading as a polite shared suggestion. The following context can then continue the sequence with another action, but this utterance itself only proposes reading first.

5. それから答えを確認しましょう。

   Then check the answer.

   それから

   then; after that

   答え

   answer

   確認しましょう

   let’s check; let’s confirm

   More detail

   それから means “then” or “after that.” It marks this action as coming after an earlier step. A reusable pattern is A。それからB。, meaning “A. Then B.” 答え means “answer.” It can refer to an answer to a question or exercise. Japanese nouns do not normally mark singular versus plural here, so this form does not specify a number. 確認しましょう is built from 確認する, “to check” or “to confirm.” The form 確認し occurs before ましょう; ましょう is a polite form used for a proposal or suggestion, often translated as “let’s …” in this pattern. For example, 予定を確認しましょう。 means “Let’s check the schedule.” The particle を marks 答え as the thing being checked. Together, それから + 答えを + 確認しましょう means “Then, let’s check the answer.” The fixed translation, “Then check the answer,” conveys the instructional force without translating the suggestion explicitly as “let’s.”

6. 文を声に出して読めますか。

   Can you read the sentence aloud?

   文

   sentence

   声に出して

   aloud

   読めますか

   can read?

   More detail

   文 means “sentence” here. It is a noun; a useful related contrast is 文章, which more often means a written passage or text. Example: 文を書きます。 — “I write a sentence.” 声に出して means “aloud” in this utterance. The construction 声に出す literally means “put into one’s voice,” and 出して is the て-form of 出す, linking this action to the following verb: 声に出して読む = “read aloud.” Example: 名前を声に出して言います。 — “I say the name aloud.” 読めますか asks whether the listener can read. The base verb is 読む (“to read”); 読める is its potential form, expressing ability or possibility, and 読めますか is the polite question form. The か marks the sentence as a question. Example: この漢字が読めますか。 — “Can you read this kanji?” Together, 文を marks “the sentence” as what is read, 声に出して specifies that the reading is spoken aloud, and 読めますか asks about the listener’s ability to do so. The whole utterance means, “Can you read the sentence aloud?”

7. 私がゆっくり読みます。

   I'll read it slowly.

   私が

   I

   ゆっくり

   slowly

   読みます

   will read

   More detail

   私が means “I” as the subject here. 私 is a first-person pronoun, and が marks the subject; this explicitly presents the speaker as the person who will read. A reusable pattern is 私が + verb, as in 私が読みます。 (“I’ll read it.”). The pronoun itself does not show whether the speaker is male or female. ゆっくり describes the manner of the reading: slowly or at an unhurried pace. It is an adverb and can be placed before a verb, as in ゆっくり話します。 (“I’ll speak slowly.”) It is different from 速く (“quickly” or “fast”), which describes a faster manner. 読みます is the polite nonpast form of 読む (“to read”). The form is 読み- plus the polite ending ます; the 読み- part comes from 読む, not from the preceding noun or adverb. Japanese nonpast forms can refer to a future action when the context does so, so 読みます can mean “I’ll read” here. The object is not stated in the Japanese sentence; the English “it” supplies the understood object from the context. A useful contrast is 読みません (“I will not read / do not read”), where ません makes the polite form negative. Together, 私が identifies the reader, ゆっくり gives the manner, and 読みます expresses the polite reading action. The complete utterance 私がゆっくり読みます。 therefore means “I’ll read it slowly.” The polite ending makes this suitable for a courteous learning or classroom interaction.

8. 大事な言葉をノートに書きます。

   I'll write the key words in my notebook.

   大事な

   important; key

   言葉

   word; words

   ノート

   notebook

   書きます

   write

   More detail

   大事な means “important” here, modifying the noun that follows it. This is the attributive form of the na-adjective 大事だ: before a noun, use 大事な + noun. Example: 大事な予定 means “an important appointment.” 言葉 means “word” or “words.” In 大事な言葉, it is the noun modified by 大事な, so the phrase means “important words” or, as intended here, “key words.” The particle を marks this noun phrase as what is written. ノート means “notebook” or “notepad.” The particle に marks the place or destination where something is written. Thus ノートに means “in a notebook.” Example: 名前をノートに書きます。 means “I’ll write the name in a notebook.” 書きます means “write” in this sentence. It is the polite nonpast form of the verb 書く (“to write”): 書く → 書きます. Japanese nonpast forms can describe a present habit or a future action; the fixed translation gives the future reading “I’ll write.” Example: 手紙を書きます。 means “I’ll write a letter.” Putting the parts together, 大事な言葉 is “the key words,” ノートに is “in my notebook,” and 書きます is “I’ll write.” The whole utterance means “I’ll write the key words in my notebook.” The writer is understood as “I” from the fixed translation, although Japanese does not state a subject in this sentence.

9. それから、もう一度答えてみましょう。

   Then let's try the answer again.

   それから

   then

   もう一度

   again; once more

   答えて

   answer

   みましょう

   let’s…

   More detail

   それから means “then” here and commonly links one step to the next. It can introduce the next action in an ordered sequence. Example: それから帰ります。 — “Then I’ll go home.” もう一度 means “once more” or “again.” もう contributes the sense of an additional occurrence, and 一度 means “one time”; together, this is a reusable expression for repeating an action. Example: もう一度言ってください。 — “Please say it again.” 答えて is the te-form of the verb 答える, “to answer” or “to respond.” The te-form connects this verb to what follows; by itself here, it does not express a completed past action. Example: 質問に答えてください。 — “Please answer the question.” みましょう is the polite volitional form of みる, meaning “let’s try” when it follows another verb in the te-form. In 答えてみましょう, みる is an auxiliary: 答えて + みましょう gives the pattern verb-te + みましょう, “let’s try doing [the verb].” This is different from the ordinary independent meaning of みる, “to see” or “to look.” Example: 使ってみましょう。 — “Let’s try using it.” Putting the parts together, それから sets the next step, もう一度 says that the action will be repeated, and 答えてみましょう says “let’s try answering.” The whole utterance means: “Then let’s try answering once more.”