About This Lesson
Use Cleaning a Small Stain to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
テーブルにしみがあります。
TAY-boo-roo nee SHEE-mee gah ah-ree-MAHSS. There is a stain on the table.
B
私にはカップの近くに見えます。
wah-TAH-shee nee wah KAP-poo noh CHEE-kah-koo nee mee-eh-MAHSS. I can see it near the cup.
A
きれいなスポンジはありますか。
kee-RAY nah SOH-pon-jee wah ah-ree-MAHSS kah? Do we have a clean sponge?
B
スポンジはシンクのそばにあります。
SOH-pon-jee wah SHEEN-koo noh SOH-bah nee ah-ree-MAHSS. The sponge is by the sink.
A
石けんを少し使いましょうか。
ee-shee-KEN oh SOO-koh-shee tsoo-KAI mah-SHOH kah? Should I use some soap?
B
スポンジに石けんを少しつけてください。
SOH-pon-jee nee ee-shee-KEN oh SOO-koh-shee tsoo-KAY-tay koo-dah-SIGH. Put a little soap on the sponge.
A
しみはほとんど消えました。
SHEE-mee wah hoh-TOHN-doh kee-eh-mah-SHEE-tah. The stain is almost gone.
B
テーブルはきれいに見えます。
TAY-boo-roo wah kee-RAY nee mee-eh-MAHSS. The table looks clean.Word by Word
テーブル
テーブル means “table” here. It names the surface where the stain is and is also the topic in テーブルはきれいに見えます. A useful reuse pattern is a place or object followed by に or は, as in テーブルにしみがあります and テーブルはきれいに見えます.
に
In テーブルにしみがあります, に marks テーブル as the place where the stain exists. It connects a location with あります in this sentence. The same location pattern appears in シンクのそばにあります.
しみ
しみ means “stain” in this dialogue. In しみがあります, it is the thing that exists on the table; in しみはほとんど消えました, it is the stain that has nearly disappeared. A useful reuse pattern is しみが or しみは followed by a description of its state.
が
In しみがあります, が marks しみ as the thing that exists. It identifies the stain as the subject of あります. A useful pattern is a noun followed by が and あります when stating that something exists.
あります
あります means “there is” in しみがあります, referring to the stain’s existence on the table. It is used here for an inanimate thing. The reusable pattern in テーブルにしみがあります is a location followed by a noun and あります.
私
私 means “I” or “me” here and refers to the speaker in 私にはカップの近くに見えます. It presents the speaker’s viewpoint for how the stain appears. A useful reuse point is 私には followed by an observation about what is visible or noticeable.
は
In 私には, は sets 私 as the topic of the speaker’s viewpoint. It also sets テーブル as the topic in テーブルはきれいに見えます. A useful pattern is a noun followed by は when describing or commenting on that topic.
カップ
カップ means “cup” here. In カップの近く, it identifies the object whose vicinity is being described. A useful reuse pattern is a noun followed by の近く to indicate that something is nearby.
の
In カップの近く, の links カップ with 近く, meaning “near the cup” or “the cup’s vicinity.” It connects one noun to a following noun that describes a related place or relationship. The same linking pattern is useful with a noun followed by の近く.
近く
近く means “near” or “the vicinity” in カップの近くに見えます. It identifies the location where the stain appears to be visible. A useful reuse pattern is カップの近く, a noun followed by の and 近く.
見えます
見えます means “can be seen” or “appears visible” in 私にはカップの近くに見えます. It presents something as visible from a viewpoint, rather than describing a deliberate act of looking. The dialogue also uses きれいに見えます, so 〜に見えます is a useful pattern for saying how something appears.
きれい
きれい means “clean” here. Before スポンジ it appears as きれいなスポンジ, while before 見えます it appears as きれいに見えます, meaning “looks clean.” These two dialogue forms show how きれい connects differently to a noun and to 見えます.
な
In きれいなスポンジ, な links the description きれい to the noun スポンジ. Together, the phrase means “a clean sponge.” A useful reuse pattern is a description ending in な followed directly by a noun.
スポンジ
スポンジ means “sponge” here. It is described as clean in きれいなスポンジ, located by the sink in スポンジはシンクのそばにあります, and receives the soap in スポンジに石けんを少しつけてください. A useful reuse point is using スポンジに when describing something applied to the sponge.
か
At the end of ありますか and 使いましょうか, か marks the sentence as a question. In ありますか it asks whether something exists, and in 使いましょうか it turns a suggestion into a question. A useful pattern is a polite sentence followed by か for a question.
シンク
シンク means “sink” here. In シンクのそば, it identifies the reference point for the sponge’s location. A useful reuse pattern is a place noun followed by のそば to describe something nearby.
そば
そば means “beside” or “near” in シンクのそばにあります. It describes the sponge as being close to the sink. A useful reuse pattern is a noun followed by のそば when locating something nearby.
石けん
石けん means “soap” here. In 石けんを少し使いましょうか, it is the soap being considered for use, and in 石けんを少しつけてください, it is applied to the sponge. A useful reuse point is 石けんを when marking soap as the thing used or applied.
を
In 石けんを少し使いましょうか and 石けんを少しつけてください, を marks 石けん as the object of the action. It shows what is used or applied. A useful pattern is a noun followed by を before an action verb.
少し
少し means “a little” here and indicates a small amount of soap in 石けんを少し使いましょうか and 石けんを少しつけてください. It comes after the object 石けん and before the action. A useful reuse pattern is an object followed by 少し and then the verb.
使いましょう
使いましょう means “shall we use” in 石けんを少し使いましょうか. Its dictionary form is 使う, and this form presents the action as a polite suggestion. With か, the speaker asks whether to use a little soap.
つけて
つけて means “apply” or “put on” here, referring to applying a little soap to the sponge in スポンジに石けんを少しつけてください. It is the て-form of つける and connects the action to ください. A useful reusable pattern is スポンジに石けんを少しつけてください, with the place, object, amount, and request all kept in position.
ください
ください makes つけてください a polite request meaning “please apply it.” It follows the て-form in this dialogue. A useful pattern is an action in the て-form followed by ください when asking someone to do something.
ほとんど
ほとんど means “almost” in ほとんど消えました. It shows that the stain has nearly disappeared, but the statement does not say that it is completely gone. A useful reuse pattern is ほとんど followed by a verb to describe an action or change that is nearly complete.
消えました
消えました means “disappeared” or “is gone” in しみはほとんど消えました. Its dictionary form is 消える, and the form used here reports the completed change politely. A useful pattern is a thing followed by は and 消えました when reporting that it has disappeared.
Grammar Points
〜を使いましょうか
スポンジを使いましょうか。
SOH-pon-jee oh tsoo-KAI mah-SHOH kah?Shall I use the sponge?
The volitional form 〜ましょうか offers to do something or asks whether the speaker should do it.
〜てください
スポンジに石けんをつけてください。
SOH-pon-jee nee ee-shee-KEN oh tsoo-KAY-tay koo-dah-SIGH.Please put soap on the sponge.
The て-form plus ください makes a polite request: “Please do ….”
Japanese Vocabulary
カップ
noun
KAP-poo
cup
きれいな
adj
kee-RAY nah
clean
しみ
noun
SHEE-mee
stain
シンク
noun
SHEEN-koo
sink
スポンジ
noun
SOH-pon-jee
sponge
そば
noun
SOH-bah
beside; near
テーブル
noun
TAY-boo-roo
table
近く
noun
CHEE-kah-koo
nearby; vicinity
使いましょうか
phrase
tsoo-KAI mah-SHOH kah
Shall I use it?
私
pron
wah-TAH-shee
I; me
少し
adv
SOO-koh-shee
a little; some
石けん
noun
ee-shee-KEN
soap
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
sponge
Show Answer
スポンジclean
Show Answer
きれいなtable
Show Answer
テーブルShall I use it?