About This Lesson
Use Holding a place in line to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
1分だけ、私の場所を取っておいてもらえますか？
eep-POON DAH-keh, wah-TAH-shee noh BAH-shoh oh TOHT-teh OH-ee-teh moh-rah-eh-MAHS kah? Can you save my place for a minute?
B
あなたがいない間、あなたの場所を取っておけます。
ah-nah-TAH gah ee-NAH-ee EYE-dah, ah-nah-TAH noh BAH-shoh oh TOHT-teh OH-keh-MAHS. I can hold your spot while you are away.
A
財布を置いてきました。
sigh-FOO oh OH-ee-teh kee-mah-SHEE-tah. I left my wallet behind.
B
早く戻ってきてください。
HAH-yah-koo moh-DOHT-teh kee-teh koo-DAH-sigh. Try to come back soon.
A
今、取ってきます。
ee-MAH, TOHT-teh kee-MAHS. I will grab it now.
B
私はここで列に並んでいます。
wah-TAH-shee wah KOH-koh deh REH-tsoo nee nah-RAHN-deh ee-MAHS. I will stay here in line.
A
財布を見つけて、すぐ戻ってきました。
sigh-FOO oh mee-TSOO-keh-teh, SOO-goo moh-DOHT-teh kee-mah-SHEE-tah. I found it and came right back.
B
ここに戻って、列に入ってもいいです。
KOH-koh nee moh-DOHT-teh, REH-tsoo nee HIGH-tteh moh EE-ee dehss. You can step back in here.Word by Word
分
In 1分だけ, 分 counts a duration, so the phrase means one minute. It follows a number when stating a length of time. Use it when asking someone to wait for a short period.
だけ
In 1分だけ, だけ limits the duration to just one minute. It follows the word or phrase being limited. Use it to set a small limit in a request.
私
In 私の場所, 私 means I or me and identifies the place as belonging to the speaker. With の, it forms a phrase meaning the speaker’s place. Use it when referring to your own item or place.
の
In 私の場所, の links 私 with 場所 and shows possession or association. It comes between the owner or associated noun and the thing being described. Use it to connect two nouns in a phrase such as “my place.”
場所
In 私の場所, 場所 means the place or spot that the speaker wants someone to save. In this dialogue, it refers to a spot in the line. Use it when talking about a location or someone’s place.
を
In 場所を取っておいて, を marks 場所 as the object of the action. It comes after the object and before the verb. Use it when saying what someone takes, keeps, or does something to.
取っておいて
In 場所を取っておいて, 取っておいて means to hold or save the place for later. It combines 取って, which links the action of taking, with おいて, which adds the idea of keeping the result in place or doing it in advance. Use this construction when asking someone to keep something available for you.
もらえます
In 取っておいてもらえますか, もらえます presents the preceding action as a favor that the speaker asks whether the listener can do. The polite request meaning comes from the whole construction, not from もらえます alone. Use it after a connected action when politely asking someone to do something for you.
か
At the end of 取っておいてもらえますか, か marks the sentence as a question. Here it asks whether the listener can hold the speaker’s place. Use it at the end of a polite question or request.
あなた
In あなたがいない間, あなた refers to the person being spoken to, meaning you. It is the person who will be away from the line. Use it when directly identifying the listener in a statement.
が
In あなたがいない間, が marks あなた as the subject of いない. It shows who is not present during the stated period. Use it after the subject when specifying who or what is present or absent.
いない
In あなたがいない間, いない means not being present or being away. It describes the period when the listener leaves the line. Use it with 間 to say that something happens while someone is absent.
間
In あなたがいない間, 間 indicates the time period while the listener is away. It follows the clause describing that period. Use it to frame another action that happens during that time.
取っておけます
In あなたの場所を取っておけます, 取っておけます means can hold or keep the place reserved. It combines 取って, which links the action of taking, with おけます, which expresses the ability to keep it that way. Use it after an object when saying that you can keep something available for someone.
財布
In 財布を置いてきました and 財布を見つけて, 財布 means wallet. It is the item that was left behind and then found. Use it with を when describing an action involving the wallet.
置いてきました
In 財布を置いてきました, 置いてきました means left the wallet behind. It combines 置いて, meaning leave or place it, with きました, which completes the idea of going away after leaving it there. Use it when explaining that you must return for something you left behind.
早く
In 早く戻ってきてください, 早く means quickly or soon and urges an early return. It modifies the following return expression. Use it when asking someone to do something sooner.
戻ってきてください
戻ってきてください is a polite request meaning please come back. It combines 戻って, return, きて, come toward the current place, and ください, please. Use it when asking someone who has gone away to return to the speaker or current location.
今
In 今、取ってきます, 今 means now and shows that the action will happen immediately. It is placed before the action being announced. Use it when saying that you are about to do something.
取ってきます
In 今、取ってきます, 取ってきます means go get something and bring it back. It combines 取って, which links the getting action, with きます, which adds movement back toward the current place. Use it when leaving briefly to retrieve something and return.
は
In 私はここで列に並んでいます, は marks 私 as the topic, meaning the speaker is talking about what they will do. It follows the person or thing being presented as the topic. Use it to frame the statement that follows about a person or thing.
ここ
In ここで列に並んでいます, ここ means here, referring to the speaker’s current place in the line. It combines with で to show where the activity occurs. Use it when pointing out the place where something happens.
で
In ここで列に並んでいます, で marks ここ as the place where the speaker is standing and waiting. It follows a place expression before the activity. Use it to say where an action or activity takes place.
列
In 列に並んでいます and 列に入ってもいいです, 列 means a line or queue. It is the line where the speakers are waiting and where the returning speaker may enter. Use it when talking about waiting in or joining a queue.
に
In 列に並んでいます and 列に入ってもいいです, に marks 列 as the position or destination associated with standing or entering. It follows the place or position here. Use it with a place when describing where someone stands or enters.
並んでいます
In 列に並んでいます, 並んでいます means is standing or waiting in line. It combines 並んで, the linked form of lining up, with います, which expresses an ongoing state. Use it with a place marked by に when saying that someone is waiting in a line.
見つけて
In 財布を見つけて、すぐ戻ってきました, 見つけて means find the wallet and then continue to the next action. Its linked form connects finding with returning. Use it to connect a first action to what happens next in a sequence.
すぐ
In すぐ戻ってきました, すぐ means right away or immediately. It shows that the speaker returned without delay after finding the wallet. Use it when emphasizing that an action happened very soon.
戻ってきました
In すぐ戻ってきました, 戻ってきました means came back to the current place. It combines 戻って, return, with きました, came toward here in a completed polite statement. Use it when telling someone that you have returned after going away.
戻って
In 戻って、列に入ってもいいです, 戻って means return or come back and links that action to the following permission statement. It is the first action in the sequence of returning and entering the line. Use it before another action when returning is the first step.
入ってもいいです
In 列に入ってもいいです, 入ってもいいです says that it is okay to enter the line. 入って means entering, もいい expresses that the action is permitted, and です gives the statement a polite ending. Use the pattern Vて + もいいです to ask for or give permission; here it gives permission to re-enter the line.
Grammar Points
〜ておいてもらえますか
取っておいてもらえますか
TOHT-teh OH-ee-teh moh-rah-eh-MAHS kahCould you save or hold it for me?
「〜てもらえますか」は、相手に何かをしてもらう丁寧な依頼を表します。
〜てきます
取ってきます
TOHT-teh kee-MAHSI will go and get it.
「〜てきます」は、どこかへ行って行動をし、戻ることを表します。
Japanese Vocabulary
1分
num
eep-POON
one minute
あなた
pron
ah-nah-TAH
you; your
いない
verb
ee-NAH-ee
not be present; be away
間
noun
EYE-dah
while; during
財布
noun
sigh-FOO
wallet
私
pron
wah-TAH-shee
I; me
取っておいてもらえますか
phrase
TOHT-teh OH-ee-teh moh-rah-eh-MAHS kah
Could you save or hold it for me?
取っておけます
verb
TOHT-teh OH-keh-MAHS
can hold or keep
場所
noun
BAH-shoh
place; spot
早く
adv
HAH-yah-koo
quickly; soon
置いてきました
verb
OH-ee-teh kee-mah-SHEE-tah
left behind
戻ってきてください
phrase
moh-DOHT-teh kee-teh koo-DAH-sigh
Please come back
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
can hold or keep
Show Answer
取っておけますCould you save or hold it for me?
Show Answer
取っておいてもらえますかleft behind
Show Answer
置いてきましたPlease come back