Keeping a Shared Bathroom Clean | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: In a shared bathroom, two adults talk about paper towels, the trash bin, and keeping the sink area clean..

EN → JA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Keeping a Shared Bathroom Clean to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

この共用トイレを使ってもいいですか。

koh-noh kyoh-YOH toh-ee-reh oh tsoo-KAHT-teh moh EEE deh-soo kah Can I use this shared bathroom?
B

使ってもいいです。洗面台の周りをきれいにしてください。

tsoo-KAHT-teh moh EEE deh-soo. sehn-mehn-dye noh mah-WAH-ree oh kee-reh-EE nee shee-teh koo-dah-SIGH You can, and please keep the sink area clean.
A

ペーパータオルが必要です。

peh-pah tah-oh-roo gah hee-tsoo-YOH deh-soo I need a paper towel.
B

洗面台の近くに何枚かあります。

sehn-mehn-dye noh CHEE-kah-koo nee nahn-MY-kah ah-ree-MAHS There are some near the sink.
A

これはゴミ箱に入れますか？

koh-reh wah goh-MEE-bah-koh nee ee-reh-MAHS kah Does this go in the trash?
B

小さいゴミ箱に入れてください。

CHEE-sigh goh-MEE-bah-koh nee ee-reh-teh koo-dah-SIGH Put it in the small bin.
A

私も洗面台をすぐに拭きます。

wah-TAH-shee moh sehn-mehn-dye oh soo-GOO-nee foo-kee-MAHS I will wipe the sink quickly too.
B

それは次の人の役に立ちます。

soh-reh wah TSOO-gee noh hee-toh noh yah-koo nee tah-chee-MAHS That helps the next person.

Word by Word

この この means “this” and points to the specific shared bathroom being discussed in 「この共用トイレ」. It is placed before a noun to identify something near or relevant to the speaker.
共用 共用 means “shared” or “communal” in 「この共用トイレ」. It describes a facility used by multiple people and can be placed before a noun to identify something shared.
トイレ トイレ means “toilet” or “bathroom” in this dialogue. It names the shared facility and is the object in 「トイレを使って」.
を を marks 「トイレ」 as the thing being used in 「トイレを使って」. It commonly comes after the object and before the action verb.
使って 使って means “use” in the permission pattern 「使ってもいいですか」. This form is used before 「もいいですか」 when asking whether using something is allowed.
も In 「使ってもいいですか」, も contributes the sense “even if” to the permission pattern, so the question asks whether it is okay to use the bathroom. Here it does not mean “also.”
いい いい means “okay” or “acceptable” in 「使ってもいいですか」. Together with 「も」 and 「ですか」, it asks whether an action is permitted.
です です makes 「いいですか」 polite in this permission question. It gives the sentence a polite tone when speaking to another person.
か か turns 「使ってもいいです」 into a question in 「使ってもいいですか」. It is placed at the end of this polite question.
洗面台 洗面台 means “sink” or “washbasin” in this shared bathroom. In 「洗面台の周り」, it is the place whose surrounding area should be kept clean.
の の connects 「洗面台」 with 「周り」 in 「洗面台の周り」, showing that the area is around the sink. The pattern 「Xの周り」 identifies the area surrounding X.
周り 周り means “the area around” something in 「洗面台の周り」. It is useful for describing the surrounding area of a place or object.
きれい きれい means “clean” in 「きれいにしてください」. It describes the clean state requested for the area around the sink.
に に marks the state in 「きれいにして」, showing that the sink area should be made or kept clean. It connects the state 「きれい」 to the action of making it so.
して して means “make or keep it” in the request 「きれいにしてください」, with the understood object being the sink area. It is the action form that comes before 「ください」 in this polite request.
ください ください means “please do” in 「きれいにしてください」. It turns the preceding action into a polite request, such as asking someone to keep an area clean.
ペーパータオル ペーパータオル means “paper towel” in 「ペーパータオルが必要です」. It is the item the speaker needs and can be used as the item before 「が必要です」.
が が marks 「ペーパータオル」 as the item that is needed in 「ペーパータオルが必要です」. The pattern 「Xが必要です」 states that X is needed.
必要 必要 means “needed” or “necessary” in 「ペーパータオルが必要です」. With 「が」, it describes an item required by the speaker.
近く 近く means “nearby” or “the vicinity” in 「洗面台の近くに」. The pattern 「Xの近く」 describes a place near X.
何枚 何枚 refers to an unspecified number of sheets in 「何枚かあります」. 枚 is used here for flat items such as paper towels, and the full expression means that some sheets are available.
あります あります means “there are” or “are available” in 「何枚かあります」. With a location marked by 「に」, it tells where the items can be found.
これ これ means “this thing” and refers to the item the speaker is holding or indicating in 「これはゴミ箱に入れますか」. It is used when the relevant item is close to the speaker.
は は marks 「これ」 as the topic in 「これはゴミ箱に入れますか」, giving the sense “as for this.” It is useful for making the item being discussed the topic of a question.
ゴミ箱 ゴミ箱 means “trash bin” in 「ゴミ箱に入れますか」. With 「に」, it identifies the container where the item may be put.
入れます 入れます means “put in” in the question 「ゴミ箱に入れますか」. The pattern 「Xに入れます」 describes putting something into X.
小さい 小さい means “small” in 「小さいゴミ箱」. It comes before the noun and specifies which trash bin is meant.
入れて 入れて means “put it in” or “place it inside” in 「小さいゴミ箱に入れてください」. It is used before 「ください」 to make a polite request to put something into a container.
私 私 means “I” or “me” in 「私も洗面台をすぐに拭きます」. Together with 「も」, 「私も」 means that the speaker will do this as well.
すぐ すぐ means “right away” or “quickly” in 「すぐに拭きます」. It gives the timing of the wiping action and commonly comes before the verb.
拭きます 拭きます means “wipe” in 「洗面台をすぐに拭きます」. The pattern 「Xを拭きます」 describes wiping X, such as a sink or another surface.
それ それ means “that” in 「それは次の人の役に立ちます」 and refers back to the wiping action just mentioned. It can be used to refer back to something another person has said or done.
次 次 means “next” in 「次の人」. With 「の」 before a noun, it identifies the person who comes or uses the space afterward.
人 人 means “person” in 「次の人」. The expression refers to the next person who will use the shared bathroom.
役に立ちます 役に立ちます as a whole means “be helpful” or “be useful” in 「次の人の役に立ちます」. 役 refers to a helpful role or benefit, に links that usefulness to the person helped, and 立ちます completes this expression with the meaning “be of service” here. The pattern 「Xの役に立ちます」 says that something is helpful to X.

Grammar Points

〜てもいいです

共用トイレを使ってもいいです。

kyoh-YOH toh-ee-reh oh tsoo-KAHT-teh moh EEE deh-soo

May I use the shared bathroom?

This pattern asks for or gives permission. てもいい means “it is okay to do.”

〜てください

ゴミ箱に入れてください。

goh-MEE-bah-koh nee ee-REH-teh koo-dah-SIGH

Please put it in the trash bin.

Attach ください to the て-form to make a polite request: “please do ...”

Japanese Vocabulary

きれい adj
kee-reh-EE clean

洗面台の周りをきれいにしてください。

ください phrase
koo-dah-SIGH please

きれいにしてください。

ゴミ箱 noun
goh-MEE-bah-koh trash bin

これはゴミ箱に入れますか?

ペーパータオル noun
peh-pah tah-oh-roo paper towel

ペーパータオルが必要です。

何枚か num
nahn-MY-kah several; some sheets

洗面台の近くに何枚かあります。

共用トイレ noun
kyoh-YOH toh-ee-reh shared bathroom

この共用トイレを使ってもいいですか。

近く noun
CHEE-kah-koo near; nearby

洗面台の近くに何枚かあります。

使う verb
tsoo-KAH-oo to use 使って

この共用トイレを使ってもいいですか。

使ってもいい phrase
tsoo-KAHT-teh moh EEE may use; it is okay to use

使ってもいいです。

周り noun
mah-WAH-ree area around; surroundings

洗面台の周りをきれいにしてください。

洗面台 noun
sehn-mehn-dye sink; washbasin

洗面台の周りをきれいにしてください。

必要 adj
hee-tsoo-YOH necessary; needed

ペーパータオルが必要です。

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

may use; it is okay to use

Show Answer使ってもいい

shared bathroom

Show Answer共用トイレ

please

Show Answerください

paper towel

Show Answerペーパータオル