Using a Shared Kitchen | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. ここで自分のカップを洗ってもいいですか？

   Can I wash my cup here?

   ここで

   here

   自分の

   my own

   カップ

   cup

   洗って

   wash

   もいいですか

   is it okay?

   More detail

   ここで means “here,” the place where the action is to happen. It comes before the action in this sentence. Example: ここで待ってください。— “Please wait here.” 自分の means “my own” here, with the intended “my” reading confirmed by the fixed translation. の connects this expression to the noun that follows. Example: 自分の本です。— “It is my own book.” カップ is the noun “cup,” a loanword written in katakana. 自分のカップ means “my cup.” 洗って is the te-form of 洗う, “to wash.” Here, the te-form connects the verb to the permission construction. Example: 手を洗ってください。— “Please wash your hands.” もいいですか follows a te-form in the reusable pattern V-てもいいですか, meaning “Is it okay if I ...?” or “May I ...?” Thus, 洗ってもいいですか asks permission to wash. ですか gives the question a polite form. Example: ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか。— “May I take a picture here?” Together, ここで marks the place, 自分のカップ identifies the cup as the speaker’s, and 洗ってもいいですか asks for permission. The complete meaning is “Can I wash my cup here?”

2. 左側のシンクを使ってください。

   Use the sink on the left.

   左側

   left side

   シンク

   sink

   使ってください

   please use

   More detail

   左側 means “the left side.” The noun 側 identifies a side or position, while 左 specifies which side; this is a useful pattern for locations such as 右側 (“the right side”). In 左側のシンク, の links the location phrase to the noun, so the phrase means “the sink on the left.” シンク is the noun “sink,” a loanword used for this fixture. It is the object of the action here. A reusable pattern is [場所・位置]の[名詞], meaning “[noun] at/on/in [place or position].” 使ってください means “please use.” Its lexical verb is 使う (“to use”). The form 使って is the て-form of 使う: this godan verb ending in う forms its て-form with って, giving 使う → 使って. Adding ください to a verb's て-form makes a polite request: [て-form]ください, as in 見てください (“please look”). Here, the requested action is using the sink, not merely looking at it. Putting the parts together, 左側の identifies which sink, シンクを marks that sink as the object with を, and 使ってください politely requests the action. The whole utterance is therefore: “Please use the sink on the left.”

3. この場所をきれいにしておきたいです。

   I want to keep the space clean.

   この

   this

   場所

   place; space

   きれいに

   clean; neatly

   しておきたいです

   want to keep it that way

   More detail

   この comes before 場所 and means “this” as an attributive demonstrative: この + noun. Here it identifies the space being discussed. Japanese demonstratives such as この do not themselves mark a noun as singular or plural. 場所 is a noun meaning “place” or “space.” In this sentence, the fixed translation supports “space,” while the exact physical extent of that space is not specified. A reusable pattern is この場所 (“this place/space”); for example, この場所を使います。 means “I will use this space.” きれいに is the adverbial form of the な-adjective きれいな/きれいだ. Here it means “clean,” not “beautiful,” because it describes the desired condition of the space. The に form lets it describe how an action is carried out or the result aimed at: 場所をきれいにする means “make/keep the space clean.” For example, 部屋をきれいにします。 means “I clean the room.” しておきたいです contains して (the て-form of する, “do”), おく, and たいです. The construction V-ておく presents an action as being done in advance or as leaving the resulting state in place. With たい, V-ておきたい means “want to do/leave it that way.” Thus きれいにしておきたいです expresses the speaker’s wish to leave the space clean. たい is attached to the verb’s masu stem: する → したい, while in this construction the form is しておく → しておきたい. です gives the statement a polite style. For example, 窓を開けておきたいです。 means “I want to leave the window open.” Together, この場所を marks “this space” as the object, きれいに gives the condition aimed at, and しておきたいです says that the speaker wants to leave it in that condition. The whole utterance therefore means: “I want to keep this space clean.”

4. 終わったらテーブルを拭いてください。

   Please wipe the table after you finish.

   終わったら

   after you finish

   テーブル

   table

   拭いてください

   please wipe

   More detail

   終わったら means “after you finish” here. It is built from 終わる (“to finish”): 終わった is its past form, and 〜たら makes a condition or time relationship, here “after/when …”. The subject is not stated in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies it as “you” in this sentence. Example: 仕事が終わったら、帰ります。 — “After work finishes, I’ll go home.” テーブル is the noun “table.” It is a loanword written in katakana. Example: テーブルを使います。 — “I use the table.” 拭いてください is a polite request meaning “please wipe.” It combines the verb 拭く (“to wipe”) in its て-form, 拭いて, with ください, which makes a polite request. The object being wiped is marked separately by を: テーブルを拭いてください (“please wipe the table”). Example: 窓を拭いてください。 — “Please wipe the window.” Together, 終わったら sets the time (“after you finish”), テーブルを marks the table as the object, and 拭いてください gives the polite request. The whole utterance means: “Please wipe the table after you finish.”

5. ごみはこのごみ箱に入れますか？

   Does trash go in this bin?

   ごみ

   trash

   この

   this

   ごみ箱

   bin

   入れますか

   go in?

   More detail

   ごみ means trash or rubbish. It is a noun and can be used for unwanted material generally. Example: ごみを捨てます。 means “I throw away the rubbish.” は marks ごみ as the topic. The topic is what the question is about; it does not by itself say that trash is the grammatical subject of every following verb. A reusable pattern is Xは… (“As for X, …”). この means “this” before a noun. It is an attributive demonstrative, so it appears directly before the noun it specifies: このごみ箱 means “this bin.” Japanese also has その (“that/your-mentioned”) and あの (“that over there”), but この identifies something as “this” from the speaker’s perspective or the shared situation. ごみ箱 means “bin” or “rubbish bin.” It is a compound noun: ごみ (“trash”) + 箱 (“box”). The full compound names a container for trash, rather than merely any box. 入れますか contains the verb 入れる, “to put something in,” in its polite nonpast form 入れます, followed by か, which marks a question. The nonpast form can describe a present routine or a proposed/current action; here the question asks whether the trash belongs in or should be put in the indicated bin. 入れる is transitive, so the thing being put in is ごみ, while the destination is marked by に. The pattern XをYに入れますか means “Do you put X in Y?” or “Should X go in Y?” In this sentence, ごみ is marked as the topic with は, and このごみ箱 is the destination with に: ごみはこのごみ箱に入れますか？ The Japanese leaves the agent implicit, so the natural fixed translation is “Does trash go in this bin?” Assembled, ごみは sets trash as the topic, このごみ箱に identifies this bin as the destination, and 入れますか asks whether it is put there. Together: “Does trash go in this bin?”

6. ドアのそばのごみ箱に入れてください。

   Put it in the bin by the door.

   ドア

   door

   そば

   nearby; beside

   ごみ箱

   bin

   入れてください

   please put it in

   More detail

   ドア means “door.” It is a noun and can combine with の to modify another noun: ドアのそば means “beside the door.” そば means “near” or “beside.” In ドアのそばのごみ箱, the first の links ドア to そば, and the second の links that location to ごみ箱: “the bin beside the door.” ごみ箱 means “bin” or “trash can.” The compound consists of ごみ (“trash”) and 箱 (“box”), but the whole word is the ordinary term for a container for trash. Here it is the destination of the action. 入れてください is a polite request meaning “please put it in.” The verb is 入れる, “to put something in” or “to insert something.” Its te-form, 入れて, combines with ください to make a polite request. The object is not stated in the Japanese sentence; the fixed translation supplies “it,” and the surrounding context supports that omitted object. Do not confuse this transitive verb with 入る, “to enter” or “to go in,” which describes the thing entering rather than someone putting it in. Together, ドアのそばのごみ箱に means “into the bin beside the door,” and 入れてください asks the listener to put the understood object there. The whole utterance is therefore: “Put it in the bin by the door.”

7. 今、私が片づけます。

   I will take care of it now.

   今

   now

   私が

   I

   片づけます

   will take care of it

   More detail

   今 means “now.” It is a time adverb and can be placed near the beginning to set when the action happens. Example: 今、行きます。 means “I’m going now.” 私が identifies 私 (“I”) as the subject or agent, with が marking that role. The particle が can highlight who performs an action; it does not itself mean “will.” In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the actor as “I.” 片づけます is the polite nonpast form of 片づける, meaning “to put in order,” “to tidy up,” or, in this context, “to take care of it.” The nonpast form can refer to an action that will happen shortly, so the translation “will take care of it” fits here. The polite ending ます makes the statement suitable for a polite interaction. Example: 部屋を片づけます。 means “I will tidy the room.” The object can be omitted when it is understood from the situation; here, the fixed translation supplies “it,” while the surrounding context identifies the relevant tidying task. Together, 今 sets the time, 私が marks the speaker as the person responsible for the action, and 片づけます states politely that the speaker will put the relevant thing or area in order now: “I will take care of it now.”

8. そうすると、みんながキッチンを使える状態にしておけます。

   That keeps the kitchen ready for everyone.

   そうすると

   that way; then

   みんな

   everyone

   キッチン

   kitchen

   使える

   can use

   状態

   state; condition

   にしておけます

   can keep it as …

   More detail

   そうすると links the preceding action to its result: “that way” or “then.” Here it presents the condition or method described before and introduces what it makes possible. みんな means “everyone” here. With が, it is the subject of 使える: everyone is the group able to use the kitchen. The word itself is a general noun/pronoun-like expression for all the relevant people; the sentence does not specify their identities. キッチン is the kitchen. The particle を marks it as the object of 使える in the phrase キッチンを使える. 使える is the potential form of 使う (“to use”), so it means “can use” or “be able to use.” In みんながキッチンを使える状態, it describes a state in which everyone can use the kitchen. For example, ここで使える means “can use it here,” with the specific object supplied by context. 状態 means “state” or “condition.” The pattern 〜が…できる状態 describes a condition in which someone or something can do something; here, 使える状態 is “a state in which [they] can use [it].” にしておけます combines にする (“make something become or be in a condition”), 〜ておく (“do something in advance or leave it that way”), and the potential form おける, politely inflected as おけます. Thus 状態にしておけます means “can leave it in that state” or “can keep it ready in that condition.” The subject is understood from the situation as the speaker, while the people able to use the kitchen are expressed separately by みんなが. Together, みんながキッチンを使える状態にしておけます means “can keep the kitchen in a state where everyone can use it.” With そうすると, the complete utterance is: “That way, the speaker can keep the kitchen ready for everyone,” or, naturally as in the fixed translation, “That keeps the kitchen ready for everyone.”