About This Lesson
Use Tightening a Loose Bathroom Door Handle to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
浴室のドアノブがまたぐらぐらするね。
yoh-koo-SHEE-tsu no doh-ah NOH-boo gah mah-TAH goo-rah goo-RAH soo-roo neh. The bathroom door handle feels loose again.
B
私は昨日気づいたけど、ドアノブを締めるのを忘れちゃった。
wah-TAH-shee wah kee-NOH kee-ZOO-ee-tah keh-doh, doh-ah noh-boo oh shee-MEH-roo noh oh wah-soo-reh-CHAHT-tah. I noticed it yesterday but forgot to tighten it.
A
引き出しにドライバーはある？
hee-kee-DAH-shee nee doh-RAH-ee-baa wah ah-ROO? Do we have a screwdriver in the drawer?
B
このネジには小さいほうで大丈夫だと思う。
koh-NOH NEH-jee nee wah CHEE-sah-ee hoh deh dye-JOH-boo dah toh oh-MOH-oo. The small one should work for these screws.
A
私が締める間、ドアノブを押さえてくれる？
wah-TAH-shee gah shee-MEH-roo ah-ee-dah, doh-ah noh-boo oh oh-sah-EH-teh koo-REH-roo? Could you hold the handle while I tighten it?
B
あなたが回している間、ドアノブをしっかり押さえておくね。
ah-nah-TAH gah mah-WAH-shee-teh ee-roo ah-ee-dah, doh-ah noh-boo oh SHEE-kah-ree oh-sah-EH-teh oh-koo neh. I'll keep it steady while you turn it.
A
今はかなりしっかりした感じだね。
ee-MAH wah kah-NAH-ree SHEE-kah-ree shee-TAH kahn-JEE dah neh. It feels much firmer now.
B
念のため、あとでもう一度確認しよう。
NEHN noh TAH-meh, moh ee-CHEE-doh kah-koo-NEEN shee-YOO. Let's check it once more later, just in case.Word by Word
浴室
浴室 means “bathroom” here, specifically the room where the loose door handle is located. It can be used to identify a room or area in the home.
の
In 「浴室のドアノブ」, の links two nouns and means that the door handle is associated with the bathroom. In 「締めるのを忘れちゃった」, の turns the action of tightening into the thing that was forgotten.
ドアノブ
ドアノブ means “door handle” here. It is the object being described, held, tightened, and checked in the dialogue.
が
が marks ドアノブ as the thing that feels wobbly in 「ドアノブがまたぐらぐらするね」. This form is useful when identifying what has a particular condition or behavior.
また
また means “again” here, showing that the door handle has become wobbly another time. It is useful when reporting a repeated problem or event.
ぐらぐら
ぐらぐら describes the handle as wobbling or being loose in 「またぐらぐらする」. It is useful for describing something that is not firmly fixed and moves unsteadily.
する
In 「ぐらぐらする」, する makes ぐらぐら describe how the handle feels or behaves, rather than meaning “do” by itself. This pattern is useful for describing a condition or sensation.
ね
ね softens the statement and invites the listener to agree with the observation that the handle is loose. It is natural in a familiar conversation about something both people can notice.
私
私 means “I” here, referring to the speaker who noticed the problem and forgot to tighten it. It can identify the speaker when describing their own action or experience.
は
は marks 私 as the topic in 「私は昨日気づいた」. It presents what the speaker did or experienced as the topic of the sentence.
昨日
昨日 means “yesterday” here and places the noticing in the previous day. It is useful for specifying when a past event happened.
気づいた
気づいた means “noticed” or “realized” here, referring to noticing the loose handle yesterday. It is the past form of 気づく and is useful when reporting that someone became aware of something.
けど
けど means “but” in 「気づいたけど、ドアノブを締めるのを忘れちゃった」. It connects the fact that the speaker noticed the problem with the contrasting fact that they forgot to fix it.
を
を marks the object of an action. In 「ドアノブを締める」 it marks the handle being tightened, and in 「締めるのを忘れちゃった」 it marks the action that was forgotten.
締める
締める means “tighten” here, as in tightening the door handle. It is useful with an object such as a handle or screw when making something less loose.
忘れちゃった
忘れちゃった means “forgot,” with a casual sense of regret about the completed mistake. It is a colloquial form related to 忘れてしまった, and 「締めるのを忘れちゃった」 is useful for saying that someone forgot to do an action.
引き出し
引き出し means “drawer” here, the place where the screwdriver may be. It can be used to name a storage place when asking where an object is kept.
に
に marks the location in 「引き出しにドライバーはある？」. Here it identifies the drawer as the place where the screwdriver may exist or be available.
ドライバー
ドライバー means “screwdriver” here, the tool needed for the repair. It can be used when asking whether a particular tool is available.
ある
ある expresses the existence or availability of an inanimate object in 「ドライバーはある？」. In this question, it corresponds to asking whether there is a screwdriver available to use.
この
この means “this” and directly points to the screws in 「このネジ」. It is used before a noun when identifying a particular nearby or shared object.
ネジ
ネジ means “screw” here, referring to the screws involved in the repair. It is useful when discussing the hardware that a tool will turn or tighten.
小さい
小さい means “small” here and identifies the smaller tool in 「小さいほう」. It is useful when distinguishing an object by its size from another available option.
ほう
In 「小さいほう」, ほう means “the one” or “the option” among alternatives. Together with 小さい, it identifies the smaller one as the suitable choice.
で
で shows the means or tool used in 「小さいほうで大丈夫」. Here it means that using the smaller one should be sufficient for the screws.
大丈夫
大丈夫 means “okay,” “suitable,” or “good enough” here. In 「大丈夫だと思う」, it reassures the other person that the small screwdriver should work.
だ
だ links 大丈夫 to the speaker’s thought in 「大丈夫だと思う」. It gives the casual plain statement “it is okay” as the content of 思う.
と
と marks the content of the thought in 「大丈夫だと思う」. It is useful for connecting a statement to verbs such as thinking or saying.
思う
思う means “think” or “believe” here, expressing the speaker’s judgment that the small screwdriver will be sufficient. It is useful when giving a personal assessment without stating it as absolute certainty.
間
間 means “while” or “during” in 「私が締める間」 and 「あなたが回している間」. It frames the period in which one action continues while another action takes place.
押さえて
押さえて means “hold” or “keep pressed in place” here, referring to holding the door handle steady. It is the te-form used in 「ドアノブを押さえてくれる？」 and 「押さえておく」.
くれる
In 「押さえてくれる？」, くれる shows that the listener would do the action for the speaker. The full question is a casual way to ask someone to help by holding the handle.
あなた
あなた means “you” here and identifies the person who is turning the handle in 「あなたが回している間」. It is useful when making the other person the clear subject of an action.
回して
回して means “turning” or “turn it” here, referring to turning the handle while tightening it. The te-form in 「回している」 connects the action with いる to show that it is in progress.
いる
In 「回している」, いる indicates that the turning action is ongoing. This form is useful after a te-form when describing an action currently in progress.
しっかり
しっかり means “firmly” or “steadily” here, describing how the handle is held in 「しっかり押さえておく」. It is useful before an action when emphasizing careful, firm, or proper performance.
おく
In 「押さえておく」, おく means to keep the handle held in place after taking that action. This pattern is useful when an action is done in advance or when its resulting state is maintained.
今
今 means “now” here and refers to the handle’s condition after it has been tightened. It is useful for contrasting the current state with an earlier state.
かなり
かなり means “quite” or “considerably” here and strengthens the description of how firm the handle feels. It is useful when describing a noticeable degree without giving an exact measurement.
した
In 「しっかりした感じ」, した helps describe the handle as firm or solid. The expression refers to the condition now felt after the repair.
感じ
感じ means “feeling” or “impression” here, as in the impression that the handle is now firm. It is useful when describing how something seems or feels rather than making a strict measurement.
念のため
念のため means “just in case” in the full expression 「念のため、あとでもう一度確認しよう」. 念 conveys care or concern, の links the parts, and ため expresses the purpose or reason; together they introduce a precaution.
あと
あと means “later” or “afterward” here in 「あとでもう一度」. It places the second check after the current repair and is useful when arranging a later action.
もう
In 「もう一度」, もう means “one more” or “again.” This expression is useful when proposing that an action be repeated.
一度
一度 means “once” or “one time” here. Together with もう in 「もう一度」, it specifies one additional check.
確認
確認 means “checking” or “confirmation” here, referring to checking whether the handle remains firm. It combines with しよう in 「確認しよう」 to propose checking a condition or result.
しよう
しよう is the volitional form of する and means “let’s do” here, as in 「確認しよう」, “let’s check.” It is useful when suggesting a joint action to the listener.
Grammar Points
〜ちゃった
ドライバーを忘れちゃった。
doh-RAH-ee-baa oh wah-soo-reh-CHAHT-tah.I forgot the screwdriver.
「〜てしまった」のくだけた形で、完了したことや残念な気持ちを表します。
〜しよう
念のため、もう一度確認しよう。
NEHN noh TAH-meh, moh ee-CHEE-doh kah-koo-NEEN shee-YOO.Let's check once more just in case.
動詞の意志形で、「一緒に〜しよう」や「自分が〜しよう」という提案・意志を表します。
Japanese Vocabulary
ぐらぐらする
verb
goo-rah goo-RAH soo-roo
to wobble; to feel loose
ドアノブがまたぐらぐらする
ドアノブ
noun
doh-ah NOH-boo
door handle
浴室のドアノブ
ドライバー
noun
doh-RAH-ee-baa
screwdriver
ドライバーはある?
また
adv
mah-TAH
again
またぐらぐらする
引き出し
noun
hee-kee-DAH-shee
drawer
引き出しにドライバー
気づく
verb
kee-ZOO-koo
to notice
気づいた
昨日気づいた
昨日
noun
kee-NOH
yesterday
私は昨日気づいた
小さい
adj
chee-SAH-ee
small
小さいほう
大丈夫
adj
dye-JOH-boo
all right; okay
大丈夫だと思う
締める
verb
shee-MEH-roo
to tighten
ドアノブを締める
忘れる
verb
wah-soo-REH-roo
to forget
忘れちゃった
締めるのを忘れちゃった
浴室
noun
yoh-koo-SHEE-tsu
bathroom
浴室のドアノブ
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
door handle
Show Answer
ドアノブto forget
Show Answer
忘れちゃったto notice
Show Answer
気づいたdrawer