Borrowing cleaning supplies | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 使ってもいい掃除用の布はありますか？

   Do you have a cleaning cloth I can use?

   使ってもいい

   okay to use

   掃除用

   for cleaning

   布

   cloth

   ありますか

   do you have?

   More detail

   使ってもいい means “may use” or “is it okay to use?” here. It comes from 使う (“to use”) in the て-form 使って plus もいい, a pattern for permission: V-てもいい = “it is okay to V.” For example, ここに座ってもいいですか。 means “May I sit here?” 掃除用 identifies the intended use of the noun that follows: it means “for cleaning.” The suffix 用 forms a noun modifier meaning “for use in” or “intended for.” For example, 旅行用のかばん means “a bag for traveling.” 布 means “cloth.” In this utterance it is the item being asked about, specifically a cloth suitable for cleaning. The following context’s 一枚 also treats the item as a flat object such as a cloth, but the question itself does not state how many there are. ありますか is the polite question form of ある, used here to ask whether the listener has or can provide an inanimate item. あります is the polite form of ある, and か marks the sentence as a question. For example, 予備のペンがありますか。 means “Do you have a spare pen?” Together, 使ってもいい modifies the item by describing permission to use it, 掃除用 describes its purpose, and 布 names the item: “a cleaning cloth that I may use.” The final ありますか asks whether such an inanimate item is available from the listener, giving the complete meaning: “Do you have a cleaning cloth I can use?”

2. 箱の中に一枚あります。

   There is one in the box.

   箱

   box

   の中に

   inside; in

   一枚

   one flat item

   あります

   there is; there are

   More detail

   箱 means “box.” It is the noun form and can be reused in compounds such as 箱のふた (“the box’s lid”). の中に places something inside a container or area. の links 箱 to 中 (“inside of the box”), and に marks the location where something exists. For example, かばんの中にあります。 means “It is in the bag.” 一枚 means “one flat item.” 一 is “one,” while 枚 is the counter used for thin or flat items such as sheets, cloths, and paper. The counter form is not a general replacement for every noun: for example, a book is normally counted with 一冊, not 一枚. あります is the polite non-past form of ある, used here to say that an inanimate thing exists. A reusable pattern is 場所に物があります (“There is/are an object or objects in a place”). The polite form あります can describe either one or more inanimate things; the quantity is supplied separately by 一枚 here. Together, 箱の中に (“inside the box”) + 一枚 (“one flat item”) + あります (“there is”) gives: “There is one in the box.” The item itself is omitted because it is understood from the surrounding exchange; 一枚 still identifies it as one flat item. The sentence states its location and existence, without adding any further information about it.

3. 掃除用スプレーもありますか？

   Do you have cleaning spray too?

   掃除用

   for cleaning

   スプレー

   spray

   も

   also; too

   ありますか

   is there?; do you have?

   More detail

   掃除用 means “for cleaning” here. It is a compact modifier: 掃除 means “cleaning” or “cleaning/clean-up,” and 用 marks intended purpose. Thus 掃除用 + noun means “a noun intended for cleaning.” Example: 旅行用バッグ means “a travel bag.” スプレー is the noun “spray,” written in katakana as a borrowed word. In 掃除用スプレー, it is the head noun, while 掃除用 specifies its purpose. Example: 消毒用スプレー means “disinfectant spray” or literally “spray for disinfection.” も is an additive particle meaning “also” or “too.” It presents the cleaning spray as an additional item being asked about. The pattern Aも can mean “A too” when A is the added topic or item. Example: 水もあります。 means “There is water too.” ありますか is a polite question form for existence or availability. The base form is ある, “to exist” or “to be available”; あります is its polite nonpast form, and final か marks a question. Japanese commonly uses this existence pattern for possession or availability: ありますか can therefore mean “is there one?” or, with the English perspective supplied by context, “do you have it?” This form is used for things rather than people; the corresponding polite form for a person’s presence is いますか. Together, 掃除用スプレー means “cleaning spray,” も adds it to something already under consideration, and ありますか asks politely about its availability. The whole utterance is: “Do you have cleaning spray too?”

4. スプレーはその隣にあります。

   The spray is beside it.

   スプレー

   spray

   その

   that; it (before a noun)

   隣

   side; beside

   あります

   is located; exists

   More detail

   スプレー Here, スプレー means “spray.” It is a noun written in katakana, commonly used for loanwords. In the previous question, 掃除用スプレー means “cleaning spray”; the fixed sentence itself refers simply to the spray. その その is a demonstrative placed before a noun. In その隣, it contributes the meaning “its” in the fixed translation. Its grammatical role is to indicate something associated with the context; the supplied texts do not uniquely identify what “it” refers to. Japanese demonstratives include この “this,” その “that/that associated with the listener or context,” and あの “that over there.” 隣 隣 is a noun meaning “the side next to something” or “the adjacent place.” With a noun or demonstrative, it forms location expressions such as Xの隣 “beside X” and その隣 “beside it.” Example: 机の隣に椅子があります。—“There is a chair beside the desk.” あります あります is the polite present form of ある, used for the existence or location of an inanimate thing. The polite form chain is ある → あります; the corresponding polite negative is ありません. Japanese uses いる for the existence or location of people and animals, while ある is used here for スプレー. In this sentence, あります is naturally understood as “is located” rather than merely “exists.” Sentence structure The particle は marks スプレー as the topic. The location phrase その隣に means “beside it,” with に marking the place where the spray is located. The pattern [topic]は [place]に あります is reusable for locating an inanimate object: 本は机の上にあります。—“The book is on the desk.” Together, スプレーはその隣にあります。means “The spray is beside it.”

5. 私はこの机を掃除する必要があります。

   I need to clean this desk.

   私は

   as for me; I

   この

   this

   机

   desk

   掃除する

   clean

   必要があります

   need; it is necessary

   More detail

   私は marks the speaker as the topic: “as for me.” 私 is the usual neutral word for “I”; は presents it as the topic. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies that topic as the person who needs to do the cleaning. この means “this” and comes before the noun it identifies. It is a demonstrative for something near the speaker or treated as near in the conversation. The form itself does not show the noun’s gender or number. Pattern: この + noun, as in この本 (“this book”). 机 means “desk” or “table.” It is a noun; in this sentence, この机 is the object being cleaned. Japanese commonly marks a direct object with を, so the complete object chunk is この机を. 掃除する means “to clean.” The base form is 掃除する; 掃除 is “cleaning,” and する makes a verb meaning “do cleaning.” Here it appears in plain form before 必要があります, a pattern that expresses the necessity of carrying out the action. For example, 部屋を掃除する必要があります。 means “I need to clean the room.” 必要があります expresses that something is necessary. 必要 means “necessary” or “necessity,” and あります is the polite form of ある (“to exist” for things or situations). After a plain-form clause, 〜必要があります means “it is necessary to …” or, naturally in English, “need to ….” It is different from simply saying that something exists: 時間があります means “There is time” or “I have time.” Together, この机を identifies this desk as the object, and 掃除する必要があります says that cleaning it is necessary. With 私は as the topic, the whole utterance means: “I need to clean this desk.”

6. 少しだけ使ってください。

   Use only a small amount.

   少し

   a little; a small amount

   だけ

   only

   使ってください

   please use

   More detail

   少し: Here it means “a small amount” or “a little.” It can modify an amount without specifying the substance or object. In this sentence, it refers to the amount to be used; the supplied text does not identify exactly what that object is. Example: 少し水を飲みます。— “I drink a little water.” だけ: This means “only” and limits 少し: the requested amount is small, with no larger amount intended. The pattern 少しだけ is a reusable way to say “only a little.” 使ってください: This is a polite request meaning “please use.” The lexical verb is 使う, “to use”; 使って is its connective form, and ください after this form makes a polite request. The person being asked is understood from the situation rather than stated in the sentence. Example: これを使ってください。— “Please use this.” Together, 少しだけ specifies the amount and 使ってください makes the request: “Please use only a small amount.” The object of 使う is omitted, so the fixed sentence itself does not identify what should be used.

7. 私は机を拭いて、二つとも元に戻します。

   I will wipe the desk and put both back.

   私は

   I; as for me

   机

   desk

   拭いて

   wipe and

   二つとも

   both items

   元

   original place or state

   戻します

   put back; return

   More detail

   私は marks 私 (“I”) as the topic with は. The topic is the person who performs the actions in this utterance. 私 is the first-person pronoun; unlike English, Japanese often omits it when the context already makes the actor clear. 机 means “desk.” With the object marker を, 机を means “the desk” as the thing being acted on. The pattern NをV marks N as the object of the verb. 拭いて is the て-form of 拭く (“to wipe”). Here it connects this action to the following action: “wipe the desk and …” The て-form can link actions in sequence without repeating the subject. For example, 手を洗って食べます。 means “I wash my hands and eat.” 二つとも means “both items.” 二つ counts two items, and とも adds the meaning “both/all of them” within that counted set. In this utterance, the fixed translation identifies the two items as the things that will be put back. The pattern 二つとも is useful when referring to both members of a pair or set of two. 元に contains 元 (“the original place or state”) plus に, which marks the destination or resulting state. 元に戻す is a reusable pattern meaning “return something to its original place or state.” The に here is not part of 元; it shows what state or place is restored. 戻します is the polite nonpast form of 戻す (“to put something back” or “to return something”). Its form chain is 戻す → 戻します. Japanese nonpast forms can describe a future action, so here the polite form is understood as “will put back,” matching the fixed translation. 戻す is transitive: a person returns something. This differs from 戻る, which means “return” or “go back” without taking the returned thing as its direct object. Together, 私は机を拭いて means “I will wipe the desk,” and 二つとも元に戻します means “I will put both items back in their original place or state.” The て-form links the two actions, while the subject is understood to remain 私. Thus the whole utterance means: “I will wipe the desk and put both back.”

8. 二つとも箱の中で一緒にしておいてください。

   Keep them together in the box.

   二つとも

   both of them

   箱

   box

   中

   inside

   一緒にして

   put together

   おいてください

   please leave it that way

   More detail

   二つとも means “both of them.” 二つ is the Japanese native counting form for two things, and とも adds the meaning “both,” referring to the two items intended here. Example: 二つとも使ってください。 — “Please use both of them.” 箱 means “box.” 中 means “inside” or “the interior.” Together, 箱の中 means “inside the box,” with の linking the box to its interior. In 箱の中で, で marks the place where the action takes place. Example: 箱の中で組み立てます。 — “I assemble it inside the box.” 一緒にして is from 一緒にする, meaning “put together” or “make into a together state.” 一緒に means “together,” and する is “do” or “make”; its て-form is して, which connects to the following auxiliary construction. This presents bringing the things together, rather than merely describing them as already together. Example: 二つを一緒にしてください。 — “Please put the two together.” おいてください completes しておいてください. Here おく is used as the auxiliary V-ておく, not as the literal verb “place.” V-ておく means to do something and leave the resulting state in place; it can also express doing something in advance. ください makes the request polite. Thus 一緒にしておいてください asks the listener to put them together and leave them that way. Example: ドアを閉めておいてください。 — “Please close the door and leave it closed.” Taken together, 二つとも identifies both items, 箱の中で gives the location, and 一緒にしておいてください requests that the listener put them together and leave them together there. The whole utterance means: “Keep them together in the box.”