About This Lesson
Use Asking for a Quiet Study Room to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
勉強部屋は空いていますか？
ben-KYOH beh-YAH wah eye-TEH ee-MAHS kah Is a study room available?
B
今、一つ空いています。
ee-MAH hee-TOHT-soo ah-EE-teh-mahss One is open now.
A
そこで本を読んでもいいですか？
soh-KOH-deh hohn oh yohn-deh-moh EE-dehss kah Can I read in there?
B
読書に使ってもいいです。ドアを閉めてください。
doh-KOO-shoh nee tsoo-KAHT-teh moh EE-dehss. doh-AH oh she-MEH-teh koo-DAH-sigh You can use it for reading and close the door.
A
静かなままですか？
shee-ZOO-kah nah MAH-mah dehss kah Will it stay quiet?
B
壁が音をほとんど通しません。
kah-BEH gah OH-toh oh hoh-TOHN-doh TOH-shee-mah-SEN The walls block most of the noise.
A
この部屋なら大丈夫です。
KOH-noo heh-YAH nah-rah dye-JOH-boo dehss This room works for me.
B
ほかの人のために、きれいにしておいてください。
hoh-KAH noh HEE-toh noh tah-MEH nee, kee-REH-ee nee she-TEH oh-EE-teh koo-DAH-sigh Please leave it clean for other people.Word by Word
勉強
In 「勉強部屋」, 勉強 means study and identifies the room’s purpose. It appears before 部屋 to form the compound meaning study room, so it is useful when naming a place intended for an activity.
部屋
部屋 means room in 「勉強部屋」. It is the noun being asked about and follows 勉強 in the compound; in this scene, the learner uses it when asking about a library room.
は
は marks 「勉強部屋」 as the topic of the question. In 「勉強部屋は空いていますか？」, the question asks about that room’s availability, and は commonly follows the topic under discussion.
空いて
空いて means available or unoccupied here. It connects to います in 「空いています」 to describe the room’s current availability, a useful expression when asking whether a space is free.
います
います completes the polite state expression 「空いています」, meaning that the room is currently available. It follows 空いて and presents the room’s present condition politely.
か
か marks the sentence as a question in 「空いていますか？」. It comes at the end of this polite question and turns the availability statement into a request for information.
今
今 means now in 「今、一つ空いています」. It limits the statement to the present time, so the listener is saying that one room is available at this moment.
そこ
そこ means there, referring here to the study room. In 「そこで本を読んでもいいですか？」, it identifies the place where the reading would happen.
で
で marks the place where an action occurs in 「そこで」. It links そこ with 本を読む, showing where the reading takes place.
本
本 means book in 「本を読んで」. It is the thing being read, so it is followed by を before the reading verb.
を
を marks 本 as the object of reading in 「本を読んで」. It follows the thing acted on and comes before the verb that describes the action.
読んで
読んで is the connected form of 読む, meaning read, in 「本を読んでもいいですか？」. It links the action of reading to the permission pattern もいいですか, which is used to ask whether an action is allowed.
も
も is part of the permission pattern 「読んでもいいですか」. Together with the connected verb form and いいですか, it helps ask whether reading is permitted; here it follows 読んで rather than meaning simply also.
いい
いい means okay or permitted in 「読んでもいいですか」. It makes the question ask whether the action is acceptable and follows も in this permission expression.
です
です gives the permission expression 「いいですか」 a polite form. It comes before か, helping make the request for permission polite.
読書
読書 means reading in 「読書に使ってもいいです」. It names the intended activity for the room, and に links that activity to using the room for that purpose.
に
に marks purpose or intended use in 「読書に使って」. It links 読書 with 使う, showing that the room may be used for reading.
使って
使って is the connected form of 使う, meaning use, in 「読書に使ってもいいです」. It says that using the room for reading is permitted; this connected form can be followed by もいい to express permission.
ドア
ドア means door in 「ドアを閉めてください」. It is the object that the listener is asked to close and is followed by を.
閉めて
閉めて is the connected form of 閉める used before ください in 「ドアを閉めてください」. It expresses a polite request to close the door, following the object of the action.
ください
ください means please as part of the polite request 「閉めてください」. It follows the connected verb form and asks the listener to carry out the action.
静かな
静かな means quiet in 「静かなまま」. It describes the quiet state that is expected to remain and appears immediately before まま.
まま
まま expresses remaining in the same state in 「静かなままですか？」. The question asks whether the room will stay quiet, and まま follows the state being continued.
壁
壁 means wall or walls in 「壁が音をほとんど通しません」. It is presented as the thing that prevents the sound from passing through, so it is followed by が.
が
が marks 壁 as the subject in 「壁が音をほとんど通しません」. It identifies the walls as the thing responsible for the described effect on the sound.
音
音 means sound or noise in 「音をほとんど通しません」. It is the thing that the walls do not let through and is marked by を.
ほとんど
ほとんど means most or almost all in 「音をほとんど通しません」. With the negative form 通しません, it expresses that almost no sound gets through, and it appears before the verb to show the extent.
通しません
通しません means does not let through in 「壁が音をほとんど通しません」. It describes what the walls do to the sound and follows ほとんど to say that very little sound passes through.
この
この means this in 「この部屋なら」 and identifies the particular room being considered. It comes before 部屋 to specify which room the speaker is referring to.
なら
なら frames 「この部屋」 as the condition or choice being evaluated in 「この部屋なら大丈夫です」. The speaker is saying that this room is acceptable, and なら follows the noun phrase under consideration.
大丈夫
大丈夫 means okay or suitable in 「この部屋なら大丈夫です」. Here it says that this room works for the speaker, and it is commonly used to say that something is acceptable or causes no problem.
ほか
ほか means other in 「ほかの人」. It identifies people besides the current user and appears before の to connect with the following noun.
の
の links ほか with 人 in 「ほかの人」, giving the meaning other people. It follows the word that describes the relationship and comes before the noun it modifies.
人
人 means person or people in 「ほかの人」. Here it refers to other people who may use the room, and it is modified by ほかの.
ため
ため means benefit or purpose in 「ほかの人のために」, meaning for the sake of other people. It follows the noun phrase with の and is followed by に to mark the intended benefit.
きれい
きれい means clean in 「きれいにしておいてください」. It names the desired state of the room and takes に before して to express making or leaving something clean.
して
して is the connected form of する in 「きれいにしておいてください」. It contributes the meaning make or leave the room clean and connects きれいに with おいてください in the request.
おいて
おいて completes 「しておいてください」 and asks the listener to leave the room in the clean condition. It adds the idea that the condition should be maintained or left ready for other people, and it comes before ください.
Grammar Points
Vて＋もいいですか
そこで本を読んでもいいですか
soh-KOH-deh hohn oh yohn-deh-moh EE-dehss kahMay I read a book there?
Use Vてもいいですか to ask permission to do something.
Vておいてください
きれいにしておいてください
kee-REH-ee nee she-TEH oh-EE-teh koo-DAH-sighPlease leave it clean.
Use Vておいてください to ask someone to do something and leave it in that state.
Japanese Vocabulary
そこで
adv
soh-KOH-deh
there; in that place
そこで本を読んでもいいですか?
ドア
noun
doh-AH
door
ドアを閉めてください。
一つ
num
hee-TOHT-soo
one; one thing
今、一つ空いています。
空いていますか
verb
ah-EE-teh ee-MAHS kah
is available; is open
勉強部屋は空いていますか?
今
adv
ee-MAH
now
今、一つ空いています。
使ってもいいです
phrase
tsoo-KAHT-teh moh EE-dehss
may use; can use
読書に使ってもいいです。
静かなまま
phrase
shee-ZOO-kah nah MAH-mah
quiet as it is; remaining quiet
静かなままですか?
読んでもいいですか
phrase
yohn-deh-moh EE-dehss kah
may I read?
そこで本を読んでもいいですか?
読書
noun
doh-KOO-shoh
reading; reading books
読書に使ってもいいです。
閉めてください
phrase
she-MEH-teh koo-DAH-sigh
please close
ドアを閉めてください。
勉強部屋
noun
ben-KYOH beh-YAH
study room
勉強部屋は空いていますか?
本
noun
hohn
book
そこで本を読んでもいいですか?
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
may I read?
Show Answer
読んでもいいですかstudy room
Show Answer
勉強部屋may use; can use
Show Answer
使ってもいいですis available; is open