Borrowing small tools | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. はさみを使ってもいいですか。

   Can I use the scissors?

   はさみ

   scissors

   使って

   use

   もいいですか

   is it okay?

   More detail

   はさみ means “scissors.” In Japanese, this noun commonly refers to the cutting tool; its form does not change for singular versus plural in this sentence. The following を marks はさみ as the object of the action. 使って is the て-form of 使う (“to use”). The て-form is used here before もいいですか to ask whether performing the action is acceptable. A useful form chain is 使う (dictionary form) → 使って (て-form). For example, これを使ってください。 means “Please use this.” もいいですか is an “is it okay?” pattern. After an action in the て-form, V-てもいいですか asks for permission to do V. Here, 使って + もいいですか gives “Is it okay if I use [it]?” The subject is understood from the situation rather than stated explicitly. Together, はさみを使ってもいいですか。 means “Can I use the scissors?” The context identifies the object as the scissors, while the sentence itself is a polite request for permission to use them.

2. これを持っていって、刃を下に向けてください。

   Take these and keep the blades pointed down.

   これ

   these

   持っていって

   take away

   刃

   blade

   下

   down

   向けてください

   please point

   More detail

   これ means “this” or “this one” and refers here to the item or items being taken, as established by the fixed translation. Japanese これ itself does not mark plural; the English “these” supplies the intended plural reading. The particle を marks it as the object of the action. A useful contrast is それ “that near you” and あれ “that over there,” while これ is used for something near the speaker. 持っていって is the て-form of 持っていく (“take/carry something away”). The form connects this action to what follows and, in this context, presents the first requested action: “take them.” 持つ means “hold/carry,” whereas 持っていく adds movement away from the current place. The て-form of a verb can also be used to make a request when it stands alone, as in 持っていって。 (“Take it/them.”), but here the polite request ending appears in the later clause. 刃 means “blade” or “cutting edge.” The translation identifies the intended items as blades; Japanese uses this noun without an overt plural marker. With を, 刃を marks the blades as the things whose direction is controlled. A useful related noun is はさみ (“scissors”), which appears in the preceding context, but it is not the noun in this phrase. 下 means “down” or “the lower direction.” In 下に, the particle に marks the direction or resulting orientation. The pattern AをBに向ける means “point/direct A toward B,” so 刃を下に means “the blades downward.” 向けてください is 向ける (“point,” “direct,” or “turn toward”) in the て-form, followed by ください, a polite request form. It asks the listener to direct the blades downward. The subject of 向ける is understood from the situation rather than stated; the object 刃を identifies what should be pointed. Compare 右に向けてください (“Please point it/them to the right.”), where 右に supplies a different direction. Together, これを持っていって gives the first request, “Take these,” and 刃を下に向けてください gives the second, polite request, “keep the blades pointed down.” The full utterance therefore means: “Take these and keep the blades pointed down.”

3. テープも少し必要です。

   I also need some tape.

   テープ

   tape

   も

   also; too

   少し

   a little; some

   必要です

   need; be necessary

   More detail

   テープ means “tape” here. It is a noun, and Japanese nouns do not change form for singular or plural. The same form can refer to tape generally or to some tape when the surrounding expression supplies that meaning. も is an additive particle. It marks the item as an addition to something already understood: “also” or “too.” Here it adds tape to the set of things needed; it does not by itself identify what the other items are. A reusable pattern is Nも = “N too / also N.” 少し means “a little” or “some” in this sentence. It indicates a small amount. In 少し必要です, it modifies the amount of what is needed, rather than asserting a specific numeric count. For example, 水を少しください。 means “Please give me a little water.” 必要です expresses “is needed” or, with an understood experiencer, “need.” 必要 is commonly used in the pattern Nが必要です (“N is needed” / “someone needs N”), while です is the polite copular form. In this utterance, the speaker is the person who needs the tape, as specified by the fixed translation, although that participant is not named in the Japanese sentence. The polite ending makes the statement suitable for ordinary courteous conversation. The negative counterpart is 必要ではありません or the more conversational 必要ありません, meaning “is not needed.” Together, テープも marks tape as an additional item, 少し specifies a small amount, and 必要です says that it is needed by the speaker. The whole utterance therefore means: “I also need some tape.”

4. テープは引き出しの中にあります。

   The tape is in the drawer.

   テープ

   tape

   引き出し

   drawer

   中

   inside

   あります

   is located; exists

   More detail

   テープ means “tape” here. It is a noun and can be used with は to mark the item being talked about: テープは… means “As for the tape, …”. The particle は marks the topic; it is not part of the noun itself. 引き出し means “drawer”. It is a noun. For example, 引き出しを開けます。 means “I open the drawer.” 中 means “inside” or “the interior”. In 引き出しの中, the particle の links the two nouns: 引き出しの中 is “the inside of the drawer”. The following に marks that inside location. Thus 引き出しの中に means “in the drawer”, not merely “drawer” or “inside” in isolation. あります is the polite nonpast form used here for the existence or location of an inanimate thing. Its base form is ある; あります is the polite form. A useful contrast is います, used for people and animals: 猫が部屋にいます。 means “A cat is in the room.” For an object, 本が部屋にあります。 means “A book is in the room.” Together, テープは sets the tape as the topic, 引き出しの中に specifies its location, and あります states that it is located there. The complete meaning is “The tape is in the drawer.”

5. 定規もありますか。

   Do you have a ruler too?

   定規

   ruler

   もありますか

   do you have one too?

   More detail

   定規 means “ruler.” It is a noun for a measuring or straightedge tool. Example: 定規を使います。 — “I use a ruler.” もありますか combines も with the polite question form ありますか. も adds the meaning “also” or “too,” indicating that the ruler is being added to something already under discussion. ありますか asks whether something exists or is available; with an object understood from context, it can naturally mean “do you have it?” The polite non-past form is あります; adding か makes it a question. Example: ペンもありますか。 — “Do you have a pen too?” Together, 定規もありますか。 asks politely whether a ruler is also available, naturally translated here as “Do you have a ruler too?”

6. はい、私の机の上にあります。

   Yes, it is on my desk.

   はい

   yes

   私の

   my

   机

   desk

   上に

   on top of

   あります

   is located

   More detail

   はい means “yes” here. It is a common affirmative response and can stand alone or introduce a confirming sentence. 私の means “my.” 私 is “I/me,” and の links it to a following noun to show possession or association: 私の机 means “my desk.” The same pattern is reusable with another possessor, such as 先生の本 (“the teacher’s book”). 机 means “desk” or “table.” In this sentence it refers to the speaker’s desk, because it follows 私の. 上に means “on top of” or “on.” 上 means “top” or “upper part,” and に marks the location where something exists. The pattern Nの上に describes something located on top of N, as in 机の上に (“on the desk”). あります is the polite nonpast form of ある, used here for the existence or location of an inanimate thing. It can mean “there is” or “is located” depending on the sentence. The polite form is suitable for ordinary respectful conversation; the plain form is ある. Together, 私の机の上にあります literally presents the item as existing on top of the speaker’s desk: “It is on my desk.” With はい, the complete utterance is “Yes, it is on my desk.”

7. そこから取ってもいいです。

   You can take it from there.

   そこから

   from there

   取って

   take

   もいいです

   is okay

   More detail

   そこから means “from there.” そこ is a demonstrative for a place understood from the situation, and から marks the starting point or source. Here, the relevant location is the place indicated by “there”; the preceding context makes the desk a relevant location. 取って is the て-form of 取る, which here means “to take.” The て-form can connect the verb to a following expression. Example: これを取ってください。 means “Please take this.” もいいです means “is okay” in this pattern. After a verb’s て-form, もいいです forms V-てもいいです, meaning “may/can do V” or “it is okay to do V.” Thus, 取って + もいいです becomes 取ってもいいです, “may take it.” The contrasting pattern 取ってはいけません means “must not take it.” Together, そこから identifies the source location, and 取ってもいいです gives permission to take the item. The whole utterance therefore means “You can take it from there.”

8. 終わったら、全部返します。

   I will return everything when I finish.

   終わったら

   when finished

   全部

   everything

   返します

   will return

   More detail

   終わったら means “when I finish” here. It is built from 終わる (“to finish, end”) → 終わった (past form) + ら. After a past form, 〜たら commonly marks a condition or a time: “when/once …” or “if …”. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the relevant subject as the speaker: “when I finish.” Japanese does not need to state that subject when the context makes it clear. Example: 仕事が終わったら、帰ります。 — “When I finish work, I will go home.” 全部 means “everything” or “all of it.” It is a noun-like quantity expression that can stand as the object of an action. Here it is the thing being returned. Example: 全部食べました。 — “I ate everything.” 返します means “will return” here. Its base form is 返す, “to return something”; 返します is the polite non-past form. Japanese non-past forms can describe a future action when the situation is future-oriented, as here. The polite form can also describe a regular or immediate action in another context. Example: 本を返します。 — “I will return the book.” Together, 終わったら sets the time condition, 全部 identifies what will be returned, and 返します states the speaker’s polite future action: “I will return everything when I finish.”

9. 後で見つけられるように、定規を上に置いてください。

   Leave the ruler on top so I can find it later.

   後で

   later

   見つけられる

   can find

   ように

   so that

   定規

   ruler

   上

   top / above

   置いてください

   please put / leave

   More detail

   後で means “later” and places the finding in a later time. It is an adverbial expression built from 後 “after/later” plus で; compare 今 “now” for a simple time contrast. Example: 後で電話します。— “I’ll call later.” 見つけられる means “can find” here. The base verb is 見つける “to find,” and 見つけられる is its potential form, expressing ability or possibility. The fixed translation establishes this potential meaning; the same-looking ending can have other functions in other contexts, but that is not the reading here. Example: これならすぐ見つけられます。— “With this, I can find it quickly.” ように links the preceding desired possibility to the action that follows: “so that …” or “in order that ….” The pattern 見つけられるように means “so that [the speaker] can find [it].” The subject of the potential form is understood from the fixed translation, which says “I.” 定規 is the noun “ruler.” It names the object being placed. Example: 定規を使います。— “I use a ruler.” 上 means “the top” or “above.” In 上に, the particle に marks the location toward which something is placed, so 上に置く means “put [something] on top” or “leave [something] above.” The exact supporting surface is not specified by the sentence. 置いてください is a polite request meaning “please put/leave.” Its base verb is 置く “to put” or “to place”; 置いて is its te-form, followed by ください to make a polite request. The request is directed at the listener, while the object is 定規. Together, 後で見つけられるように gives the purpose “so I can find it later,” and 定規を上に置いてください gives the requested action “please leave the ruler on top.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Leave the ruler on top so I can find it later.”