About This Lesson
Use Using a Shared Laundry Room to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
共有の洗濯室を使ってもいいですか。
kyoh-YOO noh sen-TAH-koo-sheets-oo oh tsoo-KAHT-teh moh EE dess-kah Can I use the shared laundry room?
B
今、開いています。
ee-MAH, ah-EE-teh ee-MAHS It is open now.
A
この洗濯機は空いていますか。
KOH-noh sen-TAH-koo-kee wa ah-EE-teh ee-MAHS-kah Is this machine free?
B
こちらは空いています。
koh-CHIR-ah wa ah-EE-teh ee-MAHS This one is available.
A
かごはどこに置けばいいですか。
kah-goh wa doh-KOH nee OH-keh-bah EE dess-kah Where should I put my basket?
B
壁のそばに置いてください。
kah-BEH noh soh-BAH nee OH-ee-teh koo-DAH-sigh Set it beside the wall.
A
洗濯が終わったら、服を取り出します。
sen-TAH-koo gah oh-WAHT-tah-rah, foo-koo oh toh-ree-DAH-shee-MAHS I will take my clothes out when the wash is done.
B
すぐに服を取り出してください。
soo-GOO-nee foo-koo oh toh-ree-DAH-shee-teh koo-DAH-sigh Please collect them right away.Word by Word
共有
共有 means “shared” or “communal” here, describing a laundry room used by more than one person. In 共有の洗濯室, it modifies 洗濯室 through の. This is useful when describing facilities or spaces used by several people.
の
の links 共有 to 洗濯室 in 共有の洗濯室, so the phrase means “the shared laundry room.” It commonly connects a describing noun to the noun that follows. You can reuse this pattern when one noun describes another.
洗濯室
洗濯室 means “laundry room,” the room being used in this dialogue. In 共有の洗濯室を使ってもいいですか, it is the place or facility that the speaker wants to use. This word is useful when asking about access to a laundry room.
を
を marks 洗濯室 as the thing being used in 洗濯室を使ってもいいですか. It commonly follows the object of an action. Here, it identifies the laundry room as what the speaker wants to use.
使って
使って means “use” in the て-form used in 使ってもいいですか. The citation form is 使う, and 使って connects the action to the permission pattern. This form is useful when asking whether you may use something.
も
も is part of the permission question 使ってもいいですか, whose whole meaning is “Is it okay if I use it?” It helps connect the action 使って with いい, rather than independently meaning “also” here. Use this construction when politely asking for permission to do something.
いい
いい means “good” or “okay” inside 使ってもいいですか. The whole expression asks whether using the shared laundry room is permitted. This is useful when checking if an action is acceptable.
です
です gives the permission question 使ってもいいですか a polite sentence ending. The whole sentence is a polite way to ask whether using the laundry room is okay. It is useful when making a courteous request or question.
か
か marks 使ってもいいですか as a question. Here, it turns the permission expression into a polite question asking for approval. It is useful at the end of a polite question.
今
今 means “now” in 今、開いています, indicating the current time. It tells the listener that the room is open at this moment. This word is useful when asking or answering about a present situation.
開いて
開いて describes the room as being open in 開いています. The citation form is 開く, and 開いて is the て-form used with います to describe the current state. This form is useful when talking about whether a room or facility is open.
います
います helps express the continuing state in 開いています: the room is currently open. Together with 開いて, it describes a state that holds now, rather than a single opening action. This is useful for reporting a current condition politely.
この
この means “this” and directly identifies the nearby machine in この洗濯機は空いていますか. It comes before the noun it describes. Use it when pointing out one specific nearby item.
洗濯機
洗濯機 means “washing machine,” the machine whose availability is being checked. In この洗濯機は空いていますか, it is the topic of the question. This word is useful when choosing or asking about a machine in a laundry room.
は
は marks この洗濯機 as the topic in この洗濯機は空いていますか. The question is about whether this particular machine is available. It commonly follows the item currently being discussed.
空いて
空いて means “free” or “available” in 空いています, referring to a machine that is not currently being used. The citation form is 空く, and 空いて is its て-form in this state description. This is useful when asking whether a seat, room, or machine is available.
こちら
こちら means “this one” in こちらは空いています, referring to the available machine being indicated. It is a polite way to identify an item or side near the speaker. Use it when directing someone to one option among several.
かご
かご means “basket” in かごはどこに置けばいいですか. It is the item whose proper location the speaker is asking about. This word is useful when discussing where to place a basket in a shared space.
どこ
どこ means “where” in どこに置けばいいですか, asking for the location where the basket should be placed. With に, it asks about a destination or place. This pattern is useful when asking where to put or take something.
に
に marks the location or destination in どこに置けばいいですか and 壁のそばに置いてください. With どこ, it asks where something should go; with 壁のそば, it identifies the place beside the wall. It is useful with actions involving putting or moving something to a place.
置けば
置けば means “if or when I put it” in どこに置けばいいですか. The citation form is 置く, and 置けば is its conditional form in the pattern asking what placement is appropriate. This pattern is useful when asking where or how something should be placed.
壁
壁 means “wall” in 壁のそばに置いてください. It identifies the reference point for the basket’s location. This word is useful when giving directions for placing something near a wall.
そば
そば means “beside” or “near” in 壁のそばに置いてください. In 壁のそば, it describes a place close to the wall, and に marks that place as the destination. This is useful when telling someone to put something near a particular object.
置いて
置いて means “put” or “place” in 置いてください. The citation form is 置く, and 置いて connects the action to ください to make a polite request. Here, the listener is asked to place the basket beside the wall.
ください
ください makes 置いてください a polite request to put something in a specified place. The whole phrase 壁のそばに置いてください means “Please put it beside the wall.” This is useful when politely giving a simple instruction.
洗濯
洗濯 means “washing” or “laundry” in 洗濯が終わったら, referring to the washing process in the machine. The whole phrase means “when the wash is finished.” This word is useful when talking about laundry as an activity or process.
が
が marks 洗濯 as the thing that finishes in 洗濯が終わったら. The sentence links the completion of the washing to the next action. This particle is useful when identifying what changes, happens, or finishes.
終わったら
終わったら means “when it is finished” in 洗濯が終わったら. The citation form is 終わる, and 終わったら introduces a condition or time after the washing has finished. This form is useful when one action should happen after another event is complete.
服
服 means “clothes” in 服を取り出します and 服を取り出してください. It is the item being taken out of the washing machine. This word is useful when talking about clothes during washing, drying, or collecting.
取り出します
取り出します means “will take out” or “take out” in 服を取り出します. The citation form is 取り出す, and 取り出します is its polite non-past form; here it states the speaker’s intended action after the wash ends. This is useful when saying that you will remove an item from a machine or container.
すぐに
すぐに means “right away” in すぐに服を取り出してください. It emphasizes that the clothes should be taken out without delay. This word is useful when requesting prompt action.
取り出して
取り出して means “take out” in 取り出してください. The citation form is 取り出す, and 取り出して connects the action to ください to form a polite request. Here, the listener is asked to remove the clothes promptly after washing.
Grammar Points
〜てもいい
こちらを使ってもいいですか。
koh-CHIR-ah oh tsoo-KAHT-teh moh EE dess-kahMay I use this one?
Attach てもいい to a verb to ask for or give permission. It is commonly used with ですか for polite questions.
〜てください
かごを置いてください。
kah-goh oh OH-ee-teh koo-DAH-sighPlease put down the basket.
Attach てください to a verb to make a polite request. The verb comes before ください.
Japanese Vocabulary
かご
noun
KAH-goh
basket
かごはどこに置けばいいですか
こちら
pron
koh-CHIR-ah
this one
こちらは空いています
どこ
adv
doh-KOH
where
どこに置けばいいですか
開く
verb
ah-EE-koo
be open
開いて
今、開いています
共有
adj
kyoh-YOO
shared
共有の
共有の洗濯室
空く
verb
AH-koo
be free; be available
空いて
洗濯機は空いていますか
今
adv
ee-MAH
now
今、開いています
使う
verb
tsoo-KAH-oo
use
使って
洗濯室を使ってもいいですか
洗濯機
noun
sen-TAH-koo-kee
washing machine
この洗濯機は空いていますか
洗濯室
noun
sen-TAH-koo-sheets-oo
laundry room
共有の洗濯室
置く
verb
OH-koo
put; place
置けば; 置いて
どこに置けばいいですか。壁のそばに置いてください
壁
noun
kah-BEH
wall
壁のそばに置いてください
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
where
Show Answer
どこbe open
Show Answer
開いてwashing machine
Show Answer
洗濯機be free; be available