About This Lesson
Use Asking About Homework to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
宿題は何をすればいいですか？
shoo-koo-DYE wa NAH-nee oh soo-REH-bah EE dess kah What should I do for homework?
B
まず、この練習問題を終わらせてください。
MAH-zoo, KOH-no ren-SHOO mon-DYE oh oh-WAH-rah-seh-teh koo-dah-SIGH Start by completing this exercise.
A
どのページを使えばいいですか？
DOH-no PAY-jee oh tsoo-KAH-eh-bah EE dess kah Which page should I use?
B
短い質問があるページを使ってください。
mee-JEE-kai shee-TSOO-mon gah AH-roo PAY-jee oh tsoo-KAHT-teh koo-dah-SIGH Use the page with the short questions.
A
いつ終わらせればいいですか？
EE-tsoo oh-WAH-rah-seh-reh-bah EE dess kah When should I finish it?
B
授業の前に終わらせてください。
joo-GYOH no MAH-eh nee oh-WAH-rah-seh-teh koo-dah-SIGH Finish it before class.
A
あとで私の答えを見てもらえますか？
AH-toh-deh wah-tah-SHEE no KOH-tah-eh oh mee-teh moh-rah-EH-mahss kah Can you look at my answers later?
B
終わったら、答えを私に持ってきてください。
oh-WAHT-tah-rah, KOH-tah-eh oh wah-tah-SHEE nee MOHT-teh kee-teh koo-dah-SIGH Bring them to me after you finish.Word by Word
宿題
In 「宿題は何をすればいいですか？」, 宿題 means homework, the work assigned for study. It is reused when talking about work to complete outside regular class, such as in a classroom question.
は
In 「宿題は何をすればいいですか？」, は marks 宿題 as the topic: “as for the homework.” It is reused after the topic when asking or explaining about it, including classroom instructions.
何
In 「何をすればいいですか？」, 何 asks what action or thing is involved. It is reused before を in 「何を」 when asking what someone should do, especially when requesting instructions.
を
In 「何をすればいいですか？」, を marks 何 as the object of the action. It is reused after the thing being acted on and before the action word.
すれば
In 「何をすればいいですか？」, すれば presents the action being considered in the question. Together with いい, it helps ask what action would be appropriate; this pattern is useful when asking for instructions about a task.
いい
In 「何をすればいいですか？」, いい means acceptable or appropriate as part of the expression asking what one should do. This expression is useful when asking a teacher or another person what action is best.
です
In 「何をすればいいですか？」, です gives the sentence a polite style. It is reused at the end of polite statements and questions when speaking respectfully to someone such as a teacher.
か
In 「何をすればいいですか？」, か marks the sentence as a question. It is reused at the end of a polite question when asking for information or instructions.
まず
In 「まず、この練習問題を終わらせてください。」, まず means first and signals the first step in a sequence. It is reused at the beginning of instructions when telling someone what to do before later steps.
この
In 「この練習問題」, この means this and identifies a particular exercise in the current context. It is reused directly before a noun when pointing out a specific nearby or currently discussed item.
練習問題
In 「この練習問題を終わらせてください。」, 練習問題 means exercise or practice problem. It is useful in a classroom when identifying a task that a learner must complete.
終わらせて
In 「終わらせてください」, 終わらせて means finish or complete the task. Before ください, it is reused to make a polite request that someone complete something.
ください
In 「この練習問題を終わらせてください」, ください adds the meaning “please” to the request. It is reused after an action form such as 終わらせて when politely asking someone to do something.
どの
In 「どのページを使えばいいですか？」, どの means which and asks the listener to select one page from the available choices. It is reused directly before a noun when asking which item is wanted or appropriate.
ページ
In 「どのページを使えばいいですか？」, ページ means page. It is used here to ask which part of the learning material should be used, a common situation in a classroom.
使えば
In 「どのページを使えばいいですか？」, 使えば presents using a page as the action whose appropriate choice is being asked about. Together with いい, this pattern is useful for asking which item or method should be used.
短い
In 「短い質問」, 短い means short and describes the questions on the page. It is reused before a noun when describing something as having limited length or duration.
質問
In 「短い質問があるページ」, 質問 means question. It identifies the questions included on the page, as when a teacher directs a learner to particular classroom material.
が
In 「短い質問があるページ」, が marks 短い質問 as what exists on the page. It is reused after the thing that is present with ある.
ある
In 「短い質問があるページ」, ある means that the short questions are present on the page. It is reused to say that an inanimate thing exists or is available in a place or context.
使って
In 「ページを使ってください」, 使って means use the page. Before ください, it forms a polite request telling the learner what material to use.
いつ
In 「いつ終わらせればいいですか？」, いつ asks when the task should be finished. It is reused in questions about timing, deadlines, or the time for an action.
終わらせれば
In 「いつ終わらせればいいですか？」, 終わらせれば presents finishing the task as the action whose appropriate time is being requested. This pattern is useful when asking when something should be completed.
授業
In 「授業の前に終わらせてください」, 授業 means class or lesson. It is used here to identify the classroom time before which the homework must be completed.
の
In 「授業の前」, の links 授業 with 前 and gives the meaning “before class.” It is reused between nouns to connect one noun with another related noun.
前
In 「授業の前に終わらせてください」, 前 means before in a time expression. Together with 授業の and に, it identifies the time limit for finishing the work.
に
In 「授業の前に終わらせてください」, に marks the time indicated by 授業の前. It is reused after a time expression to show when an action takes place or must be completed.
あとで
In 「あとで私の答えを見てもらえますか？」, あとで means later and postpones the checking until a later time. It is reused when arranging an action for later in a conversation or task.
私
In 「私の答え」, 私 refers to the speaker, “I” or “me.” Before の, it identifies whose answers are being discussed, a useful pattern when referring to the speaker’s own belongings or work.
答え
In 「私の答えを見てもらえますか？」, 答え means answer or answers. It refers here to the learner’s completed homework responses, as when asking a teacher to check them.
見て
In 「見てもらえますか？」, 見て supplies the action of looking at or checking the answers. With もらえますか, the whole expression politely asks whether the listener can do that favor.
もらえ
In 「見てもらえますか？」, もらえ helps express receiving the favor of having someone look at the answers. This pattern is useful when politely asking another person to do something for you.
ます
In 「見てもらえますか？」, ます contributes polite wording to the question. It is reused in polite questions and statements when speaking respectfully to another person.
終わったら
In 「終わったら、答えを私に持ってきてください」, 終わったら means when you finish or after it is finished. It sets the condition for the next action and is useful at the start of instructions about what to do afterward.
持ってきて
In 「答えを私に持ってきてください」, 持ってきて means bring the answers to the speaker. In this expression, 持って contributes carrying or holding, and きて contributes coming toward the speaker or the relevant place; together they describe bringing something, and before ください they make a polite request.
Grammar Points
Vたら
宿題が終わったら、答えを見てもらえますか。
shoo-koo-DYE gah oh-WAHT-tah-rah, KOH-tah-eh oh mee-teh moh-rah-EH-mahss kahWhen I finish my homework, could you look at my answers?
「たら」は、ある動作が終わった後の条件や時間を表します。「終わったら」は「when/after you finish」の意味です。
Vて＋もらえますか
答えを見てもらえますか。
KOH-tah-eh oh mee-teh moh-rah-EH-mahss kahCould you look at my answers?
「てもらえますか」は、相手に何かをしてくれるよう丁寧にお願いする表現です。
Japanese Vocabulary
いつ
adv
EE-tsoo
when
いつ終わらせればいいですか?
どの
det
DOH-no
which
どのページを使えばいいですか?
ページ
noun
PAY-jee
page
どのページを使えばいいですか?
まず
adv
MAH-zoo
first; to start with
まず、この練習問題を終わらせてください。
何
pron
NAH-nee
what
宿題は何をすればいいですか?
使えばいいですか
phrase
tsoo-KAH-eh-bah EE dess kah
should I use?
どのページを使えばいいですか?
質問
noun
shee-TSOO-mon
question
短い質問があるページを使ってください。
授業
noun
joo-GYOH
class; lesson
授業の前に終わらせてください。
終わらせてください
verb
oh-WAH-rah-seh-teh koo-dah-SIGH
please finish
この練習問題を終わらせてください。
宿題
noun
shoo-koo-DYE
homework
宿題は何をすればいいですか?
短い
adj
mee-JEE-kai
short
短い質問があるページを使ってください。
練習問題
noun
ren-SHOO mon-DYE
exercise; practice problem
この練習問題を終わらせてください。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
please finish
Show Answer
終わらせてくださいexercise; practice problem
Show Answer
練習問題should I use?
Show Answer
使えばいいですかshort