Talking about a sore back | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: At home, two adults talk about a sore back, sitting more comfortably, and standing up slowly..

EN → JA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Talking about a sore back to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

背中が痛い感じがします。

seh-NAH-kah gah ee-TAH-ee KAHN-jee gah shee-MAHSS My back feels sore.
B

まっすぐ座ってみてください。

mahs-SOO-goo soo-WAHT-teh mee-teh koo-dah-SAI Try to sit up straight.
A

今日は長く座りすぎました。

KYOH wah nah-gah-KOO soo-ah-ree-soo-gee-mah-SHEE-tah I sat too long today.
B

できたら、ゆっくり体を伸ばしてください。

deh-kee-TAH-rah YOOK-koo-ree kah-rah-DAH oh noh-bah-SHEE-teh koo-dah-SAI Stretch slowly if you can.
A

この椅子のほうが楽です。

KOH-noh EE-soo noh HOH gah RAH-koo dess This chair feels better.
B

そこに数分いてください。

SOH-koh nee SOO-foon ee-teh koo-dah-SAI Stay there for a few minutes.
A

少し休むと、楽になるでしょう。

soo-KOH-shee yah-soo-MOO toh RAH-koo nee nah-roo deh-SHOH A short rest should help.
B

立つときはゆっくり動いてください。

TAH-tsoo toh-kee wah YOOK-koo-ree oo-GOH-ee-teh koo-dah-SAI Move slowly when you stand up.

Word by Word

背中 背中 means “back” in 背中が痛い感じがします。, referring to the speaker’s back. Use it when identifying the body area involved in a physical condition, such as when reporting back discomfort at home.
が が marks 背中 as the body part associated with the painful sensation in 背中が痛い感じがします。. It commonly follows the thing being described in a statement about a condition, so it is useful when reporting a symptom to another person.
痛い 痛い means “painful” or “sore” in 背中が痛い感じがします。, describing the back as causing discomfort. A reliable reuse pattern is to place a body-part noun before 痛い when reporting where something hurts, for example when speaking to someone who is helping you.
感じ 感じ means “feeling” or “sensation” in 痛い感じ, so 痛い感じ describes a sensation of pain rather than simply naming pain. Use it when describing how something feels, especially when reporting an impression or physical sensation.
します します helps form the polite expression 感じがします, meaning that something feels a certain way; here it expresses that the back feels painful. This expression is useful when calmly describing a sensation to another person, such as when explaining a symptom.
まっすぐ まっすぐ means “straight” or “upright” in まっすぐ座ってみてください, describing how the person should sit. Place it before an action or posture to give advice about doing that action carefully, such as correcting a sitting position.
座って 座って means “sit” in まっすぐ座ってみてください. It is the form of 座る that links sitting with the suggestion to try it and the polite request that follows. Use it when telling someone how to sit or asking them to sit in a particular way.
みて みて means “try doing it” in 座ってみてください, following 座って to suggest trying the action of sitting straight. The pattern verb in this form plus みて is useful for making a gentle suggestion, such as asking someone to try a different posture.
ください ください makes 座ってみてください a polite request meaning “please try sitting straight.” It follows the connected action form in a courteous instruction, useful when giving careful advice to another person.
今日 今日 means “today” in 今日は長く座りすぎました。, limiting the statement to the current day. Use it with an activity or condition when explaining what happened today, such as describing the cause of a current discomfort.
は は marks 今日 as the topic in 今日は長く座りすぎました。, focusing the statement on today. It is useful after a time expression when organizing what happened during that time or discussing the current day’s situation.
長く 長く means “for a long time” in 長く座りすぎました, describing the duration of sitting. This form modifies an action to show that it continued for a long period, so it is useful when explaining how long an activity lasted.
座りすぎました 座りすぎました means “sat too long” in 今日は長く座りすぎました。, reporting that the sitting continued more than was good or appropriate. The form combines the action of sitting with the meaning “too much” and politely reports it as completed, useful when explaining why the back now feels sore.
できたら できたら means “if you can” or “if possible” in できたら、ゆっくり体を伸ばしてください, making the request conditional and gentler. Put it before an instruction when the other person may not be able to do the action, such as during stretching with a sore back.
ゆっくり ゆっくり means “slowly” in ゆっくり体を伸ばしてください, showing that the stretching should be done at a careful pace. Place it before an action when advising someone to move gently, especially when discomfort makes quick movement unsuitable.
体 体 means “body” in 体を伸ばしてください, referring to the body being stretched. It is useful when describing a physical action involving the body, such as giving simple exercise or recovery advice.
を を marks 体 as the thing acted on in 体を伸ばしてください. It commonly follows the object of an action and comes before the action word, which is useful when describing what part of the body someone should move or stretch.
伸ばして 伸ばして means “stretch” or “extend” in 体を伸ばしてください, describing the requested action for the body. It links the action to ください to make a polite instruction, useful when asking someone to stretch carefully.
この この means “this” in この椅子, identifying a particular chair near the speaker or already understood in the situation. Place it directly before a noun when selecting or referring to one specific nearby thing, such as a more comfortable seat.
椅子 椅子 means “chair” in この椅子のほうが楽です, identifying the seat being compared. Use it with a demonstrative or comparison when discussing which chair someone should sit in, such as when helping a person with a sore back.
の の links 椅子 to ほう in 椅子のほうが楽です, making the chair the option or side being compared. The pattern noun plus のほう is useful when indicating one choice as preferable to another.
ほう ほう means “side” or “option” in この椅子のほうが楽です, where it presents this chair as the more comfortable choice. Use it in a comparison when choosing between options, such as deciding which seat feels better.
楽 楽 means “comfortable” or “easier” in この椅子のほうが楽です, describing relief or reduced physical strain from this chair. It is useful for giving a personal assessment of comfort, especially when comparing places to sit while recovering from discomfort.
です です politely states the assessment in この椅子のほうが楽です, making the sentence a courteous statement that this chair is more comfortable. Use it at the end of a polite description or evaluation when speaking calmly to another person.
そこ そこ means “there” in そこに数分いてください, referring to the place where the listener should remain. Use it to identify a place already clear from the situation, such as a particular chair or resting spot.
に に marks そこ as the location in そこにいてください, meaning “stay there.” It is useful after a place when telling someone where to remain or where someone is located.
数分 数分 means “a few minutes” in そこに数分いてください, specifying the short duration of staying there. Use it with an action of staying or resting when giving a limited amount of time, such as asking someone to remain seated briefly.
いて いて means “stay” or “be there” in そこにいてください, referring to remaining in that place. It links the state of being there to ください for a polite request, useful when asking someone to remain in a safe or comfortable position.
少し 少し means “a little” or “for a short amount” in 少し休むと, limiting the amount of rest. Place it before an action when suggesting a small amount or short duration, such as recommending a brief rest.
休む 休む means “rest” in 少し休むと、楽になるでしょう, naming the action expected to improve the condition. Use it after 少し when recommending a brief break for someone who feels physical discomfort.
と と links the condition 少し休む with the expected result 楽になるでしょう in 少し休むと、楽になるでしょう. It is useful for expressing that one action is expected to lead to a particular result, such as rest making someone feel better.
なる なる means “become” or “get” in 楽になるでしょう, describing a change into a more comfortable state. The pattern of a condition followed by なる is useful when explaining how someone’s condition may change after an action, such as resting.
でしょう でしょう expresses a polite expectation in 楽になるでしょう, meaning that the person will probably feel better or that rest should help. Use it after a statement when offering a reassuring prediction without presenting the result as completely certain.
立つ 立つ means “stand up” in 立つときはゆっくり動いてください, naming the action of rising. Its form before とき is useful when giving advice about what to do at the time of an action, such as getting up from a chair carefully.
とき とき means “when” or “at the time” in 立つときはゆっくり動いてください, marking the occasion of standing up. Use it after an action when giving instructions for that moment, such as advising someone to move slowly while getting up.
動いて 動いて means “move” in ゆっくり動いてください, asking the person to move slowly. It links the movement instruction to ください for a polite request, useful when telling someone to change position carefully because of a sore back.

Grammar Points

〜すぎる

今日、長く座りすぎました。

KYOH, nah-GAH-koo soo-ah-ree-soo-gee-mah-SHEE-tah

I sat too long today.

Attach すぎる to a verb stem to say that someone does something excessively.

〜てください

ゆっくり体を伸ばしてください。

YOOK-koo-ree kah-rah-DAH oh noh-bah-SHEE-teh koo-dah-SAI

Please stretch your body slowly.

Attach ください to the て-form to make a polite request.

Japanese Vocabulary

できたら phrase
deh-kee-TAH-rah if you can
まっすぐ adv
mahs-SOO-goo straight
ゆっくり adv
YOOK-koo-ree slowly
感じ noun
KAHN-jee feeling; sensation
今日 adv
KYOH today
座ってみてください phrase
soo-WAHT-teh mee-teh koo-dah-SAI please try to sit
座りすぎる verb
soo-ah-ree-soo-GEE-roo to sit too long 座りすぎました
座る verb
soo-WAH-roo to sit 座って
体 noun
kah-rah-DAH body
長い adj
nah-GAH-ee long 長く
痛い adj
ee-TAH-ee sore; painful
背中 noun
seh-NAH-kah back

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

please try to sit

Show Answer座ってみてください

straight

Show Answerまっすぐ

to sit too long

Show Answer座りすぎました

if you can

Show Answerできたら