Talking about strong wind outside | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 外は風が強いです。

   It's windy outside.

   外

   outside

   風

   wind

   強い

   strong

   More detail

   外 means “outside” here. With は, it sets the outside as the topic: 外は = “as for outside” or naturally “outside.” は marks the topic, while が later marks the thing being described. 風 means “wind.” In this sentence it is the subject of the description 風が強い, literally “the wind is strong.” Japanese often uses this pattern to describe weather conditions. 強い is an i-adjective meaning “strong.” Its base/nonpast form is 強い; it can describe physical strength or intensity. Here it describes the wind’s intensity, so 風が強い is naturally understood as “it is windy.” A useful contrast is 風が弱い = “the wind is weak.” です follows the predicate and makes the sentence polite. The adjective itself is 強い; です does not change it into a different adjective form. In a plain style, the same nonpast statement can end with 強い instead. Together, 外は風が強いです。 means “It’s windy outside.” The structure is 外は (outside as the topic) + 風が強い (the wind is strong) + です (polite ending).

2. 片手で帽子を押さえてください。

   Hold your hat with one hand.

   片手で

   with one hand

   帽子

   hat

   押さえてください

   please hold it down

   More detail

   片手で means “with one hand” here. 片手 is the noun “one hand,” contrasted with 両手 (“both hands”). The particle で marks the means or body part used for an action, so this pattern can be reused with other means, such as 箸で食べます (“I eat with chopsticks”). 帽子 means “hat.” It is a noun; Japanese nouns do not normally change form for singular and plural, so the form can refer to a hat or hats when the context allows. Here, the fixed translation identifies it as the hat being held. 押さえてください comes from 押さえる, “to hold down,” “keep in place,” or “press down.” Its て-form combines with ください to make a polite request: [て-form] + ください means “please do …”. This is different from 押す, “to push”: 押さえる emphasizes keeping something from moving or keeping it in position. For example, ドアを押さえてください means “Please hold the door in place.” Together, 片手で specifies the means, 帽子 is the object, and 押さえてください politely requests holding it down. The whole utterance therefore means “Please hold your hat down with one hand.” In the windy situation established by the context, the request is to keep the hat in place; it does not specify which hand.

3. 木が大きく揺れています。

   The trees are moving a lot.

   木

   tree(s)

   大きく

   greatly; a lot

   揺れています

   are swaying

   More detail

   木 means “tree” here. Japanese nouns generally do not mark singular versus plural, so 木 can refer to one tree or multiple trees; the fixed translation identifies the intended referent as trees. A useful related word is 森 (“forest”), but it is not interchangeable with 木. 大きく is the adverbial form of the adjective 大きい (“big; large”): 大きい → 大きく. In this sentence it describes the degree or manner of the movement, so “greatly” or “a lot” is natural—not the size of the trees. For example, 大きく開ける means “open [something] wide.” 揺れています comes from the verb 揺れる (“to sway; to shake”). The form -ています presents the swaying as currently happening: 揺れる → 揺れています. 揺れる is intransitive, so the trees are presented as undergoing the swaying; the sentence does not grammatically state what causes it. For example, 船が揺れています。 means “The boat is rocking.” Together, 木が marks the trees as the subject, 大きく says that the movement is substantial, and 揺れています says that it is happening now. The whole utterance means: “The trees are moving a lot.”

4. 通りの近くは風が強いです。

   The wind is stronger near the street.

   通り

   street

   近く

   nearby area

   風

   wind

   強い

   strong

   です

   polite sentence ending

   More detail

   通り means “street” here. It is a noun and can combine with の to specify a related place or thing: 通りの近く = “near the street.” Example: 通りを歩きます。 — “I walk along the street.” 近く means “the nearby area” in this sentence. In 通りの近く, の links 通り with 近く, so the phrase describes the area near the street. 近く can also be used more generally for proximity: 駅の近く — “near the station.” 風 means “wind.” The particle が marks it as the subject of the description: 風が強い says that the wind is strong. Example: 今日は風がありません。 — “There is no wind today.” 強い is the i-adjective meaning “strong.” Its base form is 強い; it describes the wind’s strength here. The negative form is 強くない — “not strong,” and the past form is 強かった — “was strong.” The Japanese form itself has no explicit comparative marker such as より. The fixed translation’s “stronger” gives the intended relative meaning, but that comparison is not marked by a separate comparative form in the Japanese sentence. です is the polite sentence ending. With an i-adjective, the adjective stays in its い form before です: 強いです, not 強いだ. It makes the statement polite; it does not supply the adjective’s meaning. The pattern is 場所の近くは + subjectが + adjectiveです: “As for near [a place], [the subject] is [adjective].” Here, 通りの近くは sets the area as the topic, 風が identifies the wind as the subject, and 強いです politely describes its strength. Together, 通りの近くは風が強いです。 means “The wind is stronger near the street,” following the relative meaning specified by the fixed translation.

5. もっとゆっくり歩きましょうか。

   Should we walk more slowly?

   もっと

   more

   ゆっくり

   slowly

   歩きましょうか

   shall we walk?

   More detail

   もっと means “more” here: it increases the degree of the following manner, so もっとゆっくり means “more slowly.” It can also modify other words, as in もっと大きい (“bigger”) or もっと食べる (“eat more”). ゆっくり describes the manner of walking: at a slow pace or without hurrying. It is functioning adverbially here. Example: ゆっくり話してください。 — “Please speak slowly.” 歩きましょうか is the polite question form built from 歩く (“to walk”). The form 歩きましょう is the polite volitional form, used for a suggestion involving the speaker and listener: “let’s walk.” Final か makes it a question, giving “Shall we walk?” or “Should we walk?” This form is different from 歩きますか, which usually asks whether someone walks or will walk, rather than proposing joint action. In source order, もっと increases the degree of ゆっくり, and that manner modifies 歩きましょうか. Together, もっとゆっくり歩きましょうか。 asks whether the speaker and listener should walk more slowly. The phrasing is a polite suggestion and question.

6. 通りの近くではゆっくり歩きましょう。

   Let's slow down near the street.

   通り

   street

   近く

   nearby area

   ゆっくり

   slowly

   歩きましょう

   let’s walk

   More detail

   通り means “street” here. It is a noun and can combine with の to link it to another noun: 通りの名前 means “the street’s name” or “the name of the street.” In this sentence, 通りの makes 通り the noun that specifies which 近く is meant. 近く means “nearby” or “the vicinity.” It can function as a noun-like location expression. The sequence 通りの近く means “near the street” or “in the vicinity of the street.” In 近くでは, で marks the place where the walking takes place, and は presents that place as the topic or frame. The は can add a mild contrast, but the fixed sentence does not require a strong contrastive meaning. ゆっくり means “slowly” in this sentence. It is an adverb, so it describes how the walking is done. It commonly combines directly with a verb: ゆっくり話す means “speak slowly.” Its useful opposite in this kind of contrast is 速く, “quickly” or “fast.” 歩きましょう means “let’s walk.” Its base form is 歩く, “to walk,” and ましょう is the polite volitional form, used for a suggestion or proposal involving the speaker and the listener. Japanese verbs do not change this form for the speaker’s or listener’s gender or number. Compare 歩きます, “walk/will walk” in polite speech, with 歩きましょう, “let’s walk.” Together, 通りの近くでは sets the location, ゆっくり describes the manner, and 歩きましょう proposes walking together: “Let’s walk slowly near the street.”

7. 私もバッグを近くで持ちます。

   I'll hold my bag close too.

   私も

   I too; me as well

   バッグ

   bag

   近くで

   close; nearby

   持ちます

   will hold; hold

   More detail

   私も means “I too” or “me as well.” も marks the participant as included in the same relevant action or situation as someone else. Here, 私 is “I,” and も adds “too”; it does not by itself specify who the other participant is. バッグ is the noun “bag.” It is written in katakana, a script commonly used for many loanwords. In this sentence it is the object of the action, marked by を: バッグを means “the bag” as the thing being held. Example: 本を持ちます。 — “I will hold/carry a book.” 近くで expresses doing the action close by or in a nearby position. 近く is the noun-like form meaning “nearby” or “close,” and で marks the place or setting where an action occurs. The same で can mark the setting of many actions: 家で読みます。 — “I read at home.” Here, 近くで modifies 持ちます, so the holding is done close by. It is distinct from 近くに, which commonly marks a place where something exists or a destination, as in 駅の近くにあります。 — “It is near the station.” 持ちます is the polite nonpast form of 持つ, “to hold” or “to carry.” Japanese nonpast forms can describe a future action or a present habit; the fixed translation selects the future/intended reading “will hold.” The polite ending ます gives the utterance a neutral polite style. Example: 傘を持ちます。 — “I will carry an umbrella.” Together, 私も identifies the speaker as joining the relevant action, バッグを marks the bag as what is held, 近くで says that this is done close by, and 持ちます expresses the polite future/intended action. The whole utterance therefore means: “I’ll hold my bag close too.”

8. それで、バッグが風で開かないでしょう。

   That should keep it from blowing open.

   それで

   so; that way

   バッグ

   bag

   風

   wind

   開かない

   does not open; will not open

   でしょう

   should; probably will

   More detail

   それで means “so” or “that way.” Here it links the sentence to the preceding action and presents its result: “with that” or “that way.” It can also introduce a consequence in other contexts. バッグ is the noun “bag.” In this sentence, バッグが marks the bag as the thing whose opening is at issue. The particle が identifies the subject of the clause; it does not itself mean “the bag” as a separate vocabulary item. 風 means “wind.” In 風で, the particle で marks the cause or force involved: the bag would open because of the wind. Compare the reusable pattern 風で飛ぶ — “be blown away by the wind.” 開かない is the negative nonpast form of the intransitive verb 開く (“to open”). Thus 開く → 開かない expresses that something does not open or will not open. The nonpast form can describe a present state or a future expected result, depending on context. 開ける is a different, transitive verb meaning “open something”; バッグが開かない describes the bag not opening by itself, while バッグを開けない describes someone not opening the bag. でしょう follows the clause and presents it as a likely result: “should” or “will probably.” It can also invite agreement, but here the fixed translation supports the prediction “should keep it from blowing open.” The pattern 〜ないでしょう means “will probably not …” or “should not …,” with the exact English choice depending on context. Together, それで (“that way”), バッグが風で開かない (“the bag will not open because of the wind”), and でしょう (“should/probably”) produce: “That should keep it from blowing open.” The bag is the thing expected not to open, and the wind is the force whose effect is being prevented.