About This Lesson
Use Tidying the living room before guests arrive to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
もうすぐお客さんが来るね。
moh-GOO-soo oh-KYAHK-san gah KOO-roo neh. Our guests are coming soon.
B
じゃあ、お客さんが来る前にリビングを片づけよう。
jahh, oh-KYAHK-san gah KOO-roo MAH-eh nee RI-beeng-goo oh KAH-tsoo-keh-YOH. Then we should clear the living room before they arrive.
A
本を棚に戻すね。
HOHN oh TAH-nah nee moh-DOH-soo neh. I'll put the books back on the shelf.
B
ソファのクッションを整えるね。
SOH-fah noh KOOSH-shohn oh toh-toh-NOH-eh-roo neh. I'll straighten the cushions on the sofa.
A
ラグも掃除機をかけようか。
RAH-goo moh SOH-jee-kee oh KAH-keh-YOH-kah. Should we vacuum the rug as well?
B
掃除機をかけると助かるね。特に出入り口の近くは。
SOH-jee-kee oh KAH-keh-roo toh tah-SOO-kah-roo neh. toh-koo-NEE deh-ee-ree-GOO-chee noh CHEE-kah-koo wah. Vacuuming would help, especially near the doorway.
A
もう部屋が過ごしやすくなったね。
moh HEH-yah gah soo-GOH-shee yah-soo-KOO nah-tah neh. The room already feels more comfortable.
B
全部準備できたら、お茶を入れよう。
ZEM-boo JOOHM-bee deh-KEE-tah-rah, oh-CHAH oh ee-REH-YOH. Let's make tea once everything is ready.Word by Word
もうすぐ
In もうすぐお客さんが来るね, it means soon: the guests are expected to come shortly. A reusable pattern is もうすぐ followed by the event that is about to happen.
お客さん
Here, お客さん means the guests who will visit the home. It is the person or people arriving in お客さんが来る, and the same expression can refer to a visitor or customer depending on the situation.
が
In お客さんが来る, が marks お客さん as the person arriving. A reusable pattern is a noun followed by が when it performs an action or is in a state.
来る
Here, 来る means come or arrive, referring to the guests reaching the home. In 来る前に, it identifies the action that must happen after the stated time boundary.
ね
At the end of もうすぐお客さんが来るね, ね invites agreement and gives the statement a conversational tone. It is useful when sharing an observation with someone and expecting them to acknowledge it.
じゃあ
Here, じゃあ means then or well then and responds to the situation that the guests will arrive soon. It commonly starts a transition from a situation to a plan, as in じゃあ、お客さんが来る前に.
前
In 来る前に, 前 means before, specifically before the guests come. A reusable pattern is a verb form followed by 前に to place one action before another.
に
In 来る前に, に marks the time relation before the guests come; in 棚に, it marks the shelf as the destination for the books. The pattern verb + 前に expresses timing, while place + に can show a destination.
リビング
Here, リビング means the living room, the place that needs tidying. It is the object in リビングを片づけよう, so a place being tidied can appear before を.
を
を marks the thing directly acted on, such as リビング in リビングを片づけよう and 本 in 本を棚に戻すね. A reusable pattern is noun + を + verb.
片づけよう
Here, 片づけよう means let’s tidy up the living room. It is a proposal to do the action together, as in リビングを片づけよう, and can be used after the place or thing being tidied.
本
In 本を棚に戻すね, 本 means the books being put back. Japanese does not require a separate plural form here, so the context shows that it refers to the books in the room.
棚
Here, 棚 means the shelf where the books belong. In 棚に戻す, it is the destination marked by に.
戻す
In 本を棚に戻すね, 戻す means put the books back or return them to their place. A reusable pattern is item + を + place + に + 戻す.
ソファ
Here, ソファ means the sofa whose cushions are being arranged. It appears in ソファのクッション, linking the sofa with the cushions associated with it.
の
In ソファのクッション, の links two nouns and shows that the cushions are associated with the sofa. A reusable pattern is noun A の noun B to connect two related nouns.
クッション
Here, クッション means the cushions on the sofa, and they are the things being straightened. In ソファのクッションを整えるね, the whole noun phrase is marked by を.
整える
In クッションを整えるね, 整える means straighten or arrange the cushions into a neat state. It commonly takes the thing being arranged with を, as in クッションを整える.
ラグ
Here, ラグ means the rug that may also be vacuumed. It is added to the cleaning tasks in ラグも掃除機をかけようか.
も
In ラグも掃除機をかけようか, も means also or as well and adds the rug to the things being cleaned. It commonly follows a noun when that item is being included in an existing plan.
掃除機
Here, 掃除機 means the vacuum cleaner. In 掃除機をかける, the whole expression describes using the vacuum cleaner to vacuum.
かけよう
In 掃除機をかけようか, かけよう means let’s run the vacuum or let’s vacuum. It presents the action as a suggestion, and the final か turns that suggestion into a question.
か
At the end of ラグも掃除機をかけようか, か marks a question and makes the proposal mean shall we vacuum the rug as well. It can follow a proposed action when inviting the other person’s agreement.
かける
In 掃除機をかけると助かるね, かける means use the vacuum cleaner or vacuum. The meaning here comes from its use with 掃除機, and the phrase 掃除機をかける names the cleaning action.
と
In 掃除機をかけると助かるね, と links the action with its result: if or when someone vacuums, it will help. A reusable pattern is an action followed by と and the resulting situation.
助かる
Here, 助かる means be helpful or be appreciated, referring to the benefit of someone vacuuming. In 掃除機をかけると助かるね, it expresses that the suggested help would make the situation easier.
特に
Here, 特に means especially and narrows attention to the area near the doorway. It is useful before the point or place that needs particular attention, as in 特に出入り口の近く.
出入り口
Here, 出入り口 means the doorway or entrance, the place near which vacuuming would be helpful. It appears in 出入り口の近く, a reusable pattern for describing an area near a place.
近く
In 出入り口の近くは, 近く means near or nearby. The pattern noun + の近く identifies an area close to that noun.
は
In 出入り口の近くは, は sets the area near the doorway as the topic or focus. Here it gives special focus to that location after 特に.
もう
In もう部屋が過ごしやすくなったね, もう means already and shows that the room has changed by now. It commonly appears before a statement about a state that is already true.
部屋
Here, 部屋 means the room being tidied. In 部屋が過ごしやすくなった, it is the subject whose condition has become more comfortable.
過ごしやすく
In 過ごしやすくなった, 過ごしやすく means comfortable or easy to spend time in. This exact form connects to なった to show that the room has changed into a more comfortable state.
なった
In 過ごしやすくなった, なった means became or has become and marks a change of state. A reusable pattern is a state or description followed by なった to say that something changed into that state.
全部
Here, 全部 means everything or all, referring to the tidying and preparation as a whole. In 全部準備できたら, it gives the condition the meaning once everything is ready.
準備
In 全部準備できたら, 準備 means preparation or readiness. The phrase 準備できたら sets readiness as the condition before the next action.
できたら
Here, できたら means once it is ready or finished. In 準備できたら、お茶を入れよう, it places making tea after the preparation has been completed.
お茶
Here, お茶 means tea, the drink they plan to prepare after tidying. It is the object in お茶を入れよう.
入れよう
In お茶を入れよう, 入れよう means let’s make or prepare tea. It presents the action as a shared proposal after everything is ready.
Grammar Points
〜前に
お客さんが来る前に、リビングを片づけよう。
oh-KYAHK-san gah KOO-roo MAH-eh nee, RI-beeng-goo oh KAH-tsoo-keh-YOH.Let's tidy up the living room before the guests arrive.
〜前に means “before.” The verb before it stays in the plain form: 来る前に.
〜たら
全部準備できたら、お茶を入れよう。
ZEM-boo JOOHM-bee deh-KEE-tah-rah, oh-CHAH oh ee-REH-YOH.Once everything is ready, let's make tea.
〜たら means “once” or “when.” It introduces a condition that must be completed before the next action.
Japanese Vocabulary
お客さん
noun
oh-KYAHK-san
guest
もうすぐお客さんが来るね。
クッション
noun
KOOSH-shohn
cushion
ソファのクッションを整えるね。
じゃあ
intj
jahh
then; well then
じゃあ、お客さんが来る前にリビングを片づけよう。
もうすぐ
adv
moh-GOO-soo
soon
もうすぐお客さんが来るね。
リビング
noun
REE-beeng-goo
living room
じゃあ、お客さんが来る前にリビングを片づけよう。
整える
verb
toh-toh-NOH-eh-roo
to straighten; to arrange
ソファのクッションを整えるね。
棚
noun
TAH-nah
shelf
本を棚に戻すね。
片づける
verb
KAH-tsoo-keh-roo
to tidy up; to clear away
片づけよう
リビングを片づけよう。
本
noun
HOHN
book
本を棚に戻すね。
戻す
verb
moh-DOH-soo
to put back; to return
本を棚に戻すね。
来る
verb
KOO-roo
to come
お客さんが来る前にリビングを片づけよう。
来る前に
phrase
KOO-roo MAH-eh nee
before coming; before they arrive
お客さんが来る前にリビングを片づけよう。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
before coming; before they arrive
Show Answer
来る前にliving room
Show Answer
リビングto tidy up; to clear away
Show Answer
片づけようsoon