Borrowing a Hammer and Nails | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: In a shared space, one person borrows a hammer and a nail for a shelf and agrees where to return the tool..

EN → JA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Hammer and Nails to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

使えるハンマーがありますか。

tsoo-kah-EH-roo hahn-MAH ah-ree-mahss kah Do you have a hammer I can use?
B

これを使ってください。でも、持ち手をしっかり握ってください。

koh-REH o tsoo-KAHT-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee. deh-MOH, moh-chee-TEH o sheek-KAH-ree nee-GIHT-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee Use this one, but grip the handle firmly.
A

この棚を直すのに使います。

koh-NOH tah-NAH o nah-OH-soo noh-nee tsoo-KAH-ee-mahss I need it to fix this shelf.
B

くぎも必要ですか。

koo-GEE moh hee-tsoo-YOH dehss kah Do you also need any nails?
A

くぎが一本あると助かります。

koo-GEE gah ee-POHN ah-ROO toh tah-soo-kah-REE-mahss One nail would help.
B

あなたの隣の箱にあります。

ah-nah-TAH noh toh-NAH-ree noh hah-KOH nee ah-REE-mahss They are in the box beside you.
A

終わったら、ハンマーを返します。

oh-WAHT-tah-rah, hahn-MAH o kah-eh-SHEE-mahss I will return the hammer when I finish.
B

終わったら、ほかの道具と一緒にここに置いてください。

oh-WAHT-tah-rah, hoh-KAH noh doh-GOO toh ee-SHOH nee koh-KOH nee OH-ee-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee Leave it here with the other tools when you are done.

Word by Word

使える In 「使えるハンマー」, 使える means “can use” or “usable,” describing the hammer available for the speaker. It is related to 使う as the form expressing ability and is placed before the noun it describes.
ハンマー In 「使えるハンマー」 and 「ハンマーがありますか」, ハンマー means “hammer,” the tool being requested. It can be followed by がある or がありますか when asking whether the item is available.
が In 「ハンマーがありますか」, が marks ハンマー as the thing whose presence is being asked about; in 「くぎが一本あると助かります」, it marks the nail as the helpful thing. It commonly follows the item with ある or あります in these patterns.
あります In 「ハンマーがありますか」, あります politely asks whether the inanimate hammer is present or available, which English renders as “do you have.” It is the polite form related to ある and follows the item with が in this availability question.
か At the end of 「ありますか」 and 「必要ですか」, か turns the polite statement into a question. It is useful at the end of a polite question when checking availability or need.
これ In 「これを使ってください」, これ means “this one,” referring to the hammer being offered. It is used before を when the indicated item is the object of an action.
を In 「これを使ってください」 and 「ハンマーを返します」, を marks the item directly acted on: using this and returning the hammer. The dialogue shows the reusable pattern of placing the object before the action.
使って In 「これを使ってください」, 使って means “use” in the request to use this hammer. It is related to 使う and is followed by ください to make a polite request, as in 「使ってください」.
ください In 「使ってください」, 「握ってください」, and 「置いてください」, ください makes the preceding action a polite request meaning “please do it.” It follows the て-form in each of these dialogue requests.
でも In 「でも、持ち手をしっかり握ってください」, でも means “but” and introduces a contrasting instruction after offering the hammer. It can begin a new sentence or clause that adds a condition or correction.
持ち手 In 「持ち手をしっかり握ってください」, 持ち手 means the handle or gripping part of the hammer. It is followed by を because it is the part being gripped, and the phrase is useful when giving a handling instruction.
しっかり In 「しっかり握ってください」, しっかり means “firmly,” telling the listener how to grip the handle. It commonly comes before an action to describe doing it securely.
握って In 「持ち手をしっかり握ってください」, 握って means “grip” or “hold” in a polite request. It is related to 握る and combines with ください to request that someone hold something.
この In 「この棚を直す」, この means “this” and directly identifies 棚. The この plus noun pattern points out a specific nearby item.
棚 In 「この棚を直す」, 棚 means “shelf,” the item being repaired. It appears before を because it is the object of 直す, as in 「棚を直す」.
直す In 「この棚を直すのに使います」, 直す means “fix” or “repair,” describing the purpose for using the hammer. It takes the item being repaired before を and appears before のに in the purpose expression.
の In 「直すのに使います」, の turns 「直す」 into a noun-like purpose unit. The purpose meaning comes from the whole 「直すのに」, not from の alone, and this pattern connects an action with something used for that purpose.
に In 「直すのに使います」, に helps mark the purpose of using the hammer; in 「箱にあります」 and 「ここに置いてください」, it marks a location, and in 「一緒に」 it helps express doing something together. Its function is determined by the surrounding expression.
使います In 「この棚を直すのに使います」, 使います means “use” and states what the hammer will be used for. It is the polite form related to 使う, and the dialogue uses it in the purpose pattern 「直すのに使います」.
くぎ In 「くぎも必要ですか」 and 「くぎが一本あると助かります」, くぎ means “nail.” It is the extra item requested for the shelf and is followed by も when adding it to the hammer or by が when presenting it as available.
も In 「くぎも必要ですか」, も means “also,” adding nails to the hammer already under discussion. It follows the item being included, so 「くぎも」 asks whether nails are needed as well.
必要 In 「くぎも必要ですか」, 必要 means “needed” or “necessary.” The phrase asks whether the nails are required for the task, and an item can be placed before 必要ですか when checking someone’s need.
です In 「必要ですか」, です is the polite copula that makes 必要 a polite statement or question. Here か asks whether something is needed, while 「必要です」 is the corresponding polite statement.
ある In 「くぎが一本あると助かります」, ある means “there is” or “is available,” referring to a nail being available. It is the plain form used before と in the pattern 「あると助かります」 for saying that having something would help.
と In 「あると助かります」, と introduces the condition “if” or “when” there is one. In 「道具と一緒に」, it links 道具 with 一緒に to mean “together with” the other tools, so its function depends on the surrounding expression.
助かります In 「あると助かります」, 助かります means “that would help” or “would be helpful,” politely expressing that the requested item would make the task easier. It is related to 助かる and is useful after a condition when acknowledging helpful assistance.
あなた In 「あなたの隣の箱」, あなた means “you,” referring to the listener. It is followed by の to identify a place in relation to that person, as in this location phrase.
隣 In 「あなたの隣の箱」, 隣 means “beside” or “next to,” identifying the box’s location relative to the listener. The pattern 「あなたの隣」 places a person before の and the nearby location after it.
箱 In 「あなたの隣の箱にあります」, 箱 means “box,” the container where the nails are located. It can be followed by にあります to state that something is in that container.
終わったら In 「終わったら、ハンマーを返します」 and 「終わったら、ほかの道具と一緒にここに置いてください」, 終わったら means “when” or “after it is finished.” It is related to 終わる and introduces the time condition for the following action; the 「終わったら、...」 pattern is useful for giving a next-step instruction.
返します In 「ハンマーを返します」, 返します means “return,” referring to giving the borrowed hammer back. It is the polite form related to 返す and follows the returned item with を.
ほか In 「ほかの道具」, ほか means “other,” distinguishing these tools from the hammer already being returned. It comes before の and the noun it describes, as in 「ほかの道具」.
道具 In 「ほかの道具と一緒に」, 道具 means “tool” or “tools,” referring to the shared collection of tools. It can be followed by と一緒に when something is placed together with those tools.
一緒 In 「道具と一緒に」, 一緒 means “together,” and the whole phrase means “together with the other tools.” A noun followed by と一緒に is a reusable pattern for doing something alongside or together with that noun.
ここ In 「ここに置いてください」, ここ means “here,” the place where the hammer should be left. It is followed by に to mark the location or destination for placing something.
置いて In 「ここに置いてください」, 置いて means “leave” or “place,” telling the listener to put the hammer here after finishing. It is related to 置く and combines with ください in a polite request.

Grammar Points

～てください

ハンマーを使ってください。

hahn-MAH o tsoo-KAHT-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee

Please use the hammer.

Attach てください to a verb to make a polite request, meaning “please do …”. The object takes を.

～たら

終わったら、道具を返します。

oh-WAHT-tah-rah, doh-GOO o kah-eh-SHEE-mahss

When I finish, I will return the tool.

たら expresses “when” or “after” an action is completed. It can connect a condition or time to the main clause.

Japanese Vocabulary

くぎ noun
koo-GEE nail
しっかり adv
sheek-KAH-ree firmly; securely
ハンマー noun
hahn-MAH hammer
握ってください phrase
nee-GIHT-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee please grip; please hold
一本 num
ee-POHN one (long cylindrical object)
使える verb
tsoo-kah-EH-roo can use; usable

使えるハンマー

使ってください phrase
tsoo-KAHT-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee please use
持ち手 noun
moh-chee-TEH handle; grip
助かります phrase
tah-soo-kah-REE-mahss that would help; I would appreciate it
棚 noun
tah-NAH shelf
直す verb
nah-OH-soo fix; repair
必要 adj
hee-tsoo-YOH necessary; needed

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

hammer

Show Answerハンマー

please use

Show Answer使ってください

please grip; please hold

Show Answer握ってください

firmly; securely

Show Answerしっかり