Deciding the next task | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 今、何をしましょうか？

   What should we do now?

   今

   now

   何

   what

   しましょう

   let’s do

   か

   question marker

   More detail

   今 means “now,” referring to the present time. It is a useful time word that can come before the action: 今、始めます。 means “I’ll start now.” 何 means “what.” It asks about an unspecified thing or action. In this sentence, it is part of 何を, where を marks what the action is directed toward. For example, 何を食べますか？ means “What will you eat?” しましょう is the polite volitional form of する (“to do”). The form する becomes しましょう when the speaker proposes doing something together or asks what course of action should be taken. It includes the speaker in the proposed action, so 何をしましょうか？ is naturally “What should we do?” rather than simply “What do you do?” A related form is します, a polite statement such as これをします。 — “I/we will do this.” か marks the sentence as a question. At the end of a polite Japanese sentence, it commonly turns the preceding statement or proposal into a question. Here it makes しましょう into a question about the proposed action. Together, 今 sets the time as “now,” 何を asks what action is involved, and しましょうか politely asks for a shared decision or proposal. The complete utterance means “What should we do now?”

2. 短いリストから始めましょう。

   Let's start with the short list.

   短い

   short

   リスト

   list

   から

   from

   始めましょう

   let’s start

   More detail

   短い means “short” here and modifies the noun リスト directly: 短いリスト = “a short list.” It is an i-adjective; its basic form is 短い, and its negative form is 短くない (“not short”). Example: 短い文章です。 = “It is a short sentence.” リスト is the noun “list.” It is a loanword written in katakana. In this sentence it is the thing used as the starting point, not the action of making or checking a list. から marks the point or item from which an action begins. In the pattern Xから始める, it contributes “start with X” or literally “begin from X.” Here it follows 短いリスト, so the starting point is the short list. 始めましょう means “let’s start.” It is the polite volitional form of 始める, “to start” or “to begin.” The verb 始める is transitive: someone starts something. By contrast, 始まる means “to begin” in the sense that something starts, without presenting someone as starting it. The ending -ましょう makes a polite proposal or invitation, as in 休みましょう。 = “Let’s take a break.” Together, 短いリストから (“with/from the short list”) and 始めましょう (“let’s start”) produce the complete meaning: “Let’s start with the short list.” The omitted subject is understood from the proposal expressed by -ましょう; the sentence does not need an overt pronoun.

3. ファイルを確認する前に、それを終わらせましょうか？

   Should we finish it before reviewing the file?

   ファイル

   file

   確認する

   review; check

   前に

   before

   それ

   it

   終わらせましょうか

   shall we finish something?

   More detail

   ファイル means “file” here. It is a noun, and ファイルを marks the file as the object of the following action. For example, ファイルを開く means “open the file.” 確認する means “review” or “check” here. Its base form is 確認する; する is the verb part of this noun-plus-verb expression. The pattern Nを確認する means “check/review N.” In ファイルを確認する, the whole phrase means “review the file.” 前に means “before” when it follows a clause or action. The plain form 確認する comes before 前に, giving the reusable pattern V-plain + 前に (“before doing V”). Thus 確認する前に means “before reviewing” rather than simply “before the file.” For example, 出かける前に、窓を閉めます。 means “Before going out, I close the window.” それ is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “it” in this sentence. The fixed sentence does not identify that referent with a specific Japanese noun. それを marks the referent as the object of 終わらせる. 終わらせましょうか comes from the transitive verb 終わらせる, “finish something” or “bring something to an end.” This differs from 終わる, “end,” which describes something ending without presenting it as an object someone finishes. The ending -ましょうか makes a polite proposal or asks whether the participants should do the action together. The question therefore has the reusable pattern Nを終わらせましょうか (“Shall we finish N?”). For example, この仕事を終わらせましょうか。 means “Shall we finish this work?” Together, ファイルを確認する前に sets the time condition: “before reviewing the file.” それを終わらせましょうか asks whether the participants should finish the contextually understood task before that review. The complete meaning is: “Should we finish it before reviewing the file?”

4. 仕事を分ければ、すぐに終えられます。

   We can get through it quickly if we split the work.

   仕事

   work

   分ければ

   if we divide

   すぐに

   quickly

   終えられます

   can finish

   More detail

   仕事 means “work” or “a task.” Here it is the work being divided so that it can be completed. The noun does not by itself specify who owns or performs the work. Example: 仕事が多い。— “There is a lot of work.” 分ければ comes from 分ける (“to divide” or “to separate”). The ending -ば makes a conditional: 分ける → 分ければ, “if [someone] divides it” or “when [someone] divides it.” Japanese leaves the subject unspoken here; the fixed translation gives the intended collaborative reading as “if we split the work.” Example: 仕事を二つに分ければ、やりやすい。— “If we divide the work into two parts, it is easier to do.” すぐに means “quickly” in this sentence, and can also mean “soon” when the context is about time until an event. The に makes this form function adverbially. Here it modifies the completion expressed afterward. 終えられます is the polite nonpast form of the potential expression 終えられる, from 終える (“to finish” or “to bring [something] to an end”): 終える → 終えられる (“can finish”) → 終えられます (polite “can finish”). It expresses ability or possibility, rather than simply stating that something finishes. 終わる is a different verb, meaning “to end” or “to be finished,” without the same transitive “finish something” pattern. Example: 今日この仕事を終えられます。— “We can finish this work today.” Together, 仕事を分ければ sets the condition “if we split the work,” すぐに says that the result happens quickly, and 終えられます says that the work can be finished. The complete meaning is: “We can get through it quickly if we split the work.”

5. では、私が最初の部分を担当します。

   Then I'll take the first part.

   では

   then

   私が

   I

   最初の

   first

   部分

   part

   担当します

   will handle

   More detail

   では sets up the next step from the preceding situation. Here it is naturally understood as “then” or “in that case.” Example: では、始めましょう。 — “Then, let’s begin.” 私が identifies the speaker as the person taking responsibility. 私 means “I/me,” and が marks it as the subject that performs or takes on the action. Japanese can use は instead when contrasting or presenting a topic, but が here directly identifies who will handle the part. The translation and context support “I” as the actor. 最初の means “first” in the attributive pattern 最初の + noun: 最初の部分 is “the first part.” 最初 is the base form used for “the beginning” or “first”; の connects it to the noun that follows. Example: 最初の質問に答えます。 — “I’ll answer the first question.” 部分 means “part” or “section.” It is a noun, and in this sentence it is the thing being assigned to the speaker. Example: この部分を読んでください。 — “Please read this part.” 担当します means “will handle” or “will be in charge of.” Its base form is 担当する; します is the polite non-past form of する in this compound. Japanese non-past forms can describe a future action when the context makes that clear, as here. Example: 私は受付を担当します。 — “I’ll be in charge of reception.” Together, 最初の部分 forms the object “the first part,” and 私が担当します says that the speaker will handle it. With では introducing this assignment, the whole utterance means: “Then I’ll take the first part.”

6. 残りは私が担当します。

   I'll handle the rest.

   残り

   the rest; what remains

   私が

   I (subject)

   担当します

   will handle; will be in charge of

   More detail

   残り means “the rest” or “what remains.” It is a noun referring to the remaining part of an already understood task, rather than naming a new task. A useful pattern is 残りの + noun, as in 残りの仕事 (“the remaining work”). 私が means “I” as the subject. 私 is the first-person pronoun “I,” and が marks it as the subject of the clause. In this utterance, the speaker is the person who will take responsibility for the remaining part. Japanese 私 itself does not mark the speaker’s gender or number. 担当します means “will handle” or “will be in charge of.” 担当する is the base form; 担当します is its polite nonpast form. Japanese nonpast forms can describe a planned or upcoming action, so here the meaning is future-oriented. The verb 担当する takes the thing or area someone is responsible for: 仕事を担当します means “I will handle the work.” Together, 残りは sets “the rest” as the topic, 私が identifies the speaker as the responsible subject, and 担当します states the planned responsibility. The whole utterance therefore means “I’ll handle the rest.” It is a concise, polite way to volunteer for or confirm responsibility for the remaining portion of a task.

7. その後、分からないところを確認できます。

   After that, we can review anything unclear.

   その後

   after that

   分からない

   unclear; not understood

   ところ

   part; point

   確認できます

   can check; can review

   More detail

   その後 means “after that.” その points to something already established, and 後 means “after/behind” or “later”; together they form a reusable time expression. Here it links the checking to the earlier situation, with the intended meaning “after that.” Example: その後、連絡します。 — “I’ll contact you after that.” 分からない is the plain negative form of 分かる, “to understand” or “to be clear”: 分かる → 分からない, “do not understand / is unclear.” In this sentence it does not stand alone; it modifies the following noun. Japanese commonly places a modifying clause before the noun it describes. Example: 分からない言葉を調べます。 — “I look up words I don’t understand.” ところ literally refers to a place, but it can also mean a point, part, or aspect of something. Here, 分からないところ means “parts or points that are unclear,” not a physical location. The noun remains ところ; the preceding clause identifies which points are meant. Example: 分からないところを教えてください。 — “Please tell me which parts you don’t understand.” 確認できます means “can check” or “can review.” It is the polite nonpast form of 確認できる, the potential form associated with 確認する (“to check/confirm”): 確認する → 確認できる → 確認できます. The potential form expresses ability or possibility, while ます makes the statement polite. Japanese does not state an explicit subject here; the fixed translation supplies the intended “we.” Example: この内容は後で確認できます。 — “We can check this content later.” The sentence builds as その後 (“after that”) + 分からないところ (“parts that are unclear”) + を (marks what is checked) + 確認できます (“can review”). Thus the whole utterance means, “After that, we can review anything unclear.”

8. リストが終わったら、私がファイルを開きます。

   I'll open the file when the list is done.

   リスト

   list

   終わったら

   when finished

   私が

   I (subject)

   ファイル

   file

   開きます

   open

   More detail

   リスト is a noun meaning “list.” It is a loanword written in katakana. In リストが, が marks the subject of the clause, so the list is the thing that reaches completion. 終わったら comes from the intransitive verb 終わる (“to end; finish”). Its form is 終わった plus ら: 終わったら means “when it has finished” or “once it is finished.” Here, the completed thing is the list; the form does not say who caused it to finish. Example: 仕事が終わったら、帰ります。 — “When work is finished, I’ll go home.” 私が means “I” with が marking the subject. In this sentence, が identifies the person who will perform the opening: the speaker, rather than someone else. 私 is a first-person pronoun; its reference is determined by the speaker. ファイル is a noun meaning “file.” The following particle を (visible in the full sentence as ファイルを) marks it as the object of the verb: it is the thing that will be opened. Example: ファイルを保存します。 — “I will save the file.” 開きます is the polite nonpast form of the transitive verb 開く (ひらく), “to open.” Japanese nonpast polite forms can describe a future action, so here 開きます means “will open,” not only “opens.” It is distinct from the intransitive verb 開く (あく), “to open/become open,” which does not take an object in the same way. Example: 窓を開きます。 — “I will open the window.” Together, リストが終わったら sets the time condition, “when the list is finished.” 私がファイルを開きます states the resulting action, with the speaker as the subject and the file as the object. The whole utterance therefore means: “I’ll open the file when the list is done.”