Borrowing a Charger and Adapter | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 借りられる充電器はありますか？

   Is there a charger I can borrow?

   借りられる

   can borrow

   充電器

   charger

   ありますか？

   is there?

   More detail

   借りられる means “can borrow” here. It is the potential form of 借りる (“to borrow”): 借りる → 借りられる. Before a noun, this form works as a relative clause, so 借りられる充電器 means “a charger that I can borrow.” The understood person who can borrow it is supplied by the fixed translation; the Japanese form itself does not show that person. 充電器 means “charger.” It is a noun formed from 充電 (“charging”) and 器 (“device/container”), but it is best learned here as the ordinary word for a charger. The noun is not marked for singular or plural in this sentence. ありますか？ asks whether a nonliving thing exists or is available. It is the polite form of ある (“to exist; to be available”) plus question particle か: ある → あります → ありますか. For example, 席はありますか？ means “Are there any seats?” Together, 借りられる modifies 充電器, and ありますか？ asks whether such a charger is available: “Is there a charger I can borrow?”

2. ノートパソコンの横にあるものを使ってください。

   Use the one beside my laptop.

   ノートパソコン

   laptop

   の横に

   beside; at the side of

   ある

   be located; exist

   もの

   thing; one

   使ってください

   please use

   More detail

   ノートパソコン means “laptop.” It is a loanword commonly used for a portable computer. In this utterance, the fixed translation identifies it as the speaker’s laptop, although Japanese does not mark that possession directly in this noun by itself. の横に means “beside” or “at the side of.” The pattern A の横に places something beside A. 横 is “side,” and の links the reference point to that location. Example: 机の横に立ちます。 — “I stand beside the desk.” ある means “be located” or “exist” for an inanimate thing. Here its plain form appears before もの in the modifying clause 横にあるもの, meaning “the thing that is beside it.” For an animate referent, Japanese normally uses いる instead: 部屋に人がいる。 — “There is a person in the room.” もの means “thing” or, in this context, “one.” It can refer to an item without repeating its specific noun. The clause before it modifies it: あるもの is “the thing that exists/is located there.” 使ってください is a polite request meaning “please use.” 使って is the te-form of 使う (“to use”), followed by ください. The reusable pattern Vてください asks someone politely to do V. Example: このペンを使ってください。 — “Please use this pen.” Together, ノートパソコンの横にあるもの means “the thing that is beside the laptop”: ノートパソコンの横に identifies the location, ある says that an inanimate item is located there, and もの turns the description into “the one/thing.” Adding を使ってください gives the complete meaning: “Please use the one beside my laptop.”

3. このアダプターも必要ですか？

   Do I need this adapter too?

   この

   this

   アダプター

   adapter

   も

   too; also

   必要ですか？

   is it needed?

   More detail

   この means “this” before a noun. It is a demonstrative determiner: この + noun, as in この本 (“this book”). It does not normally stand alone as the pronoun “this”; Japanese uses a different form when the demonstrative itself is the noun phrase. アダプター is the noun “adapter,” written in katakana because it is a loanword. The reusable pattern is このアダプター (“this adapter”). も follows the noun phrase it affects and adds “too” or “also.” Here, このアダプターも means “this adapter too,” marking this item as an additional item under consideration. For example, このケーブルも必要です。 means “This cable is needed too.” 必要ですか？ asks whether something is needed. 必要 is a na-adjective/noun meaning “necessary” or “needed”; です is the polite copular form, and か marks the sentence as a question. The form 必要ですか does not itself state who needs the item, so the English subject “I” comes from the fixed translation and context rather than from an expressed Japanese pronoun. A related statement is これが必要です。 (“This is needed.”), while これが必要ですか？ asks “Is this needed?” Together, このアダプター identifies “this adapter,” も adds “too,” and 必要ですか？ asks whether it is needed. The whole utterance therefore means “Do I need this adapter too?” in the supplied context. Japanese leaves the person who needs it unstated; the fixed translation identifies that person as the speaker.

4. プラグが合わなければ、それも使ってください。

   Use it if your plug does not fit.

   プラグ

   plug

   合わなければ

   if it does not fit

   それも

   it too

   使ってください

   please use

   More detail

   プラグ means “plug” here. It is a noun, and が marks it as the subject of the condition. Japanese often leaves possession unstated, so this sentence does not grammatically encode the English word “your”; the fixed translation supplies that intended reading. 合わなければ comes from the verb 合う, “to fit” or “to match.” The negative form is 合わない, and its conditional form is 合わなければ: “if it does not fit” or “if it is not compatible.” This is a useful reusable pattern: 〜なければ = “if … not.” For example, 時間がなければ、明日にします。 means “If there is no time, I’ll do it tomorrow.” それも means “it too” or “that one as well.” それ is a demonstrative pronoun referring to the intended item, while も adds the sense of “also/too.” The specific item is not identified by the Japanese wording alone, so the explanation should retain the translation’s general “it.” 使ってください is a polite request meaning “please use.” It combines the verb 使う, “to use,” with 〜てください, a common pattern for asking someone to do something. The omitted subject is understood from the situation as the person being addressed; Japanese does not require that subject to be stated. Together, プラグが合わなければ sets the condition “if the plug does not fit,” and それも使ってください gives the request “please use it too.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Use it if your plug does not fit.”

5. ケーブルはテーブルまで届きますか？

   Will the cable reach the table?

   ケーブル

   cable

   テーブル

   table

   まで

   to; as far as

   届きますか

   will reach?

   More detail

   ケーブル means “cable” here. It is a noun and can be used as the topic with は: ケーブルは… means “as for the cable…” or simply “the cable…” in this sentence. テーブル means “table.” It is the endpoint associated with まで, forming テーブルまで, “as far as the table” or “to the table.” まで marks an endpoint or limit. In テーブルまで届きますか, it asks whether the reaching extends as far as the table. It differs from に, which can mark a destination more generally; まで emphasizes the limit or extent. 届きますか comes from the verb 届く, “to reach” or “to arrive.” 届きます is its polite nonpast form, and か turns the clause into a question. The nonpast form can describe a present capability or a future result, so the fixed translation naturally uses “will reach.” Example: 声が届きます。 — “The voice reaches you.” Putting the parts together, ケーブルは sets the cable as the topic, テーブルまで specifies the endpoint, and 届きますか asks whether it reaches that far. The complete meaning is: “Will the cable reach the table?”

6. 壁の近くに座れば、ケーブルは届きます。

   It reaches if you sit near the wall.

   壁

   wall

   近く

   nearby; vicinity

   座れば

   if (someone) sits

   ケーブル

   cable

   届きます

   reaches

   More detail

   壁 means “wall.” It is the noun 壁, and it can be followed by の to connect it to a location or relation: 壁の近く means “near the wall.” 近く means “nearby” or “the vicinity.” In 壁の近くに, it functions as a location expression: の links it to 壁, and に marks the place where the sitting occurs. Example: 駅の近くに店があります。— “There is a shop near the station.” 座れば means “if [someone] sits.” Its base form is 座る, “to sit”; 座れば is the conditional -ば form. The sentence does not state the subject explicitly, so the English “you” comes from the intended translation rather than from an overt Japanese pronoun. The -ば form presents sitting near the wall as the condition for the result. Example: ここに座れば、よく見えます。— “If you sit here, you can see well.” ケーブル means “cable.” It is a noun written in katakana. In this sentence it is the topic, marked by は: ケーブルは. 届きます means “reaches” here. Its base form is 届く, “to reach” or “to arrive”; 届きます is its polite nonpast form. With a cable as the subject, it describes the cable being long enough to reach the relevant destination. The same verb can also describe something arriving, depending on context. Example: このコードはコンセントまで届きます。— “This cord reaches the outlet.” Together, 壁の近くに座れば sets the condition “if you sit near the wall,” and ケーブルは届きます states the result “the cable reaches.” Thus the complete utterance means: “It reaches if you sit near the wall.” Japanese leaves the person who sits and the destination understood from context; the fixed translation supplies the intended reading without adding an explicit pronoun to the Japanese sentence.

7. 使い終わったら、全部元に戻します。

   I will put everything back when I finish.

   使い終わったら

   when I finish using it

   全部

   everything

   元に戻します

   put back

   More detail

   使い終わったら means “when I finish using it.” The compound verb 使い終わる combines 使う (“use”) with 終わる (“end, finish”): 使い終わる means “finish using.” Here it appears as 使い終わったら, the plain past form plus たら, which marks a condition or time; in this sentence, the relevant meaning is “when/after finishing.” Japanese leaves the subject and the thing being used unstated, while the fixed translation supplies “I” and “it.” 全部 means “everything” or “all of it.” It indicates that the whole set of relevant things is included, rather than only some of them. For example, 全部食べました。 means “I ate everything.” 元に戻します means “put back” in this sentence. The verb is 戻す, “return something” or “put something back”; 戻します is its polite nonpast form. The nonpast form can refer to a future action, so it fits the translated “will put.” 元に means “to the original state/place”: 元 is “the original condition or position,” and に marks the destination or resulting state. 戻す is transitive, so the thing being returned is supplied by 全部 here. The subject is not stated in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies it as “I.” Together, 使い終わったら sets the time—“when I finish using it”—and 全部元に戻します says that I will return everything to its original place or state. The complete meaning is: “I will put everything back when I finish.”

8. 私が見つけられるように、私の机の上に置いてください。

   Leave it on my desk so I can find it.

   私が

   I (subject)

   見つけられる

   can find

   ように

   so that

   私の

   my

   机

   desk

   上

   top; surface

   置いてください

   please put; please leave

   More detail

   私が marks 私 (“I”) as the subject of the clause that follows. Here it is the person who will be able to find the item. In Japanese, が commonly marks the subject inside a subordinate clause; it is not the same as 私の, which means “my.” 見つけられる means “can find” here. Its base form is 見つける (“find”), and 見つけられる is its potential form, expressing ability. The fixed translation supports this potential meaning rather than a passive reading. For example, 見つけられます means “can find” in polite style. ように follows the desired ability or condition and introduces a purpose: “so that” or “in order that.” The pattern 〜ように is useful when one action is done to make a situation possible or bring about a desired result. Thus 見つけられるように means “so that I can find it.” 私の means “my.” の links the possessor to what follows: 私の机 is “my desk.” The pronoun 私 itself does not specify gender here; the surrounding context determines the intended speaker. 机 means “desk.” It is a noun and can combine with の to identify a relation, as in 私の机 (“my desk”). 上 means “top” or “surface” here. In 机の上, it identifies the surface of the desk: literally, “the desk’s top.” The particle の linking 机 and 上 is part of the location expression, even though the selected phrase entry is the noun 上 itself. 置いてください is a polite request meaning “please put” or “please leave.” Its base verb is 置く (“put; place”); 置いて is its connective te-form, followed by ください, which makes a polite request. The object is understood from the fixed translation as “it.” Together, 私の机の上に specifies the destination location, “on my desk.” The particle に marks that location as the place where the item should be put. 置いてください requests that the item be left there, while 私が見つけられるように gives the purpose: “so that I can find it.” The whole utterance therefore means, “Leave it on my desk so I can find it.”