About This Lesson
Use A Weekly Cleaning Schedule to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
アパートの掃除の予定をもっとよくしないとね。
ah-PAH-toh noh SOH-jee noh yoo-TEH oh MOHT-toh yoh-koo shee-NAI-toh neh. We need a better cleaning schedule for the apartment.
B
家事を平等に分担できていないね。
KAH-jee oh byoh-DOH-nee boon-TAHN deh-KEH-teh ee-NAI neh. We have not been dividing the chores evenly.
A
土曜日の朝に棚のほこりを払えるよ。
doh-YOH-bee noh ah-SAH nee tah-NAH noh hoh-KOH-ree oh hah-rah-EH-roo yoh. I can dust the shelves on Saturday morning.
B
じゃあ、昼食のあとにキッチンの床をモップがけするよ。
jah-AH, choo-SHOH-koo noh ah-TOH nee KEE-cheen noh YOH-kah oh MOHP-poo gah-KEH soo-roo yoh. Then I'll mop the kitchen after lunch.
A
毎週日曜日にお風呂場を掃除しない？
my-SHOO nee-CHEE-yoh-bee nee oh-FOO-roh-bah oh SOH-jee shee-NAI? Should we clean the bathroom every Sunday?
B
すぐ汚れるから、日曜日がいいね。
soo-GOO yoh-GOO-reh-roo kah-RAH, nee-CHEE-yoh-bee gah EE neh. Sunday makes sense because it gets dirty quickly.
A
冷蔵庫に予定を貼っておくね。
reh-ZOH-koh nee yoo-TEH oh hah-TEH-oh-koo neh. I'll put the schedule on the fridge.
B
それなら、それぞれの仕事を忘れずにすみそうだね。
soh-reh-NAH-rah, soh-reh-ZOH-reh noh shee-GOH-toh oh wah-soo-REH-zoo-nee soo-mee-SOH dah neh. That should help us remember each task.Word by Word
アパート
「アパート」means an apartment, the building or place where the speakers live. In 「アパートの掃除」, it identifies the apartment connected with the cleaning. Use it when discussing cleaning or other matters at home.
の
「の」links one noun to the noun that follows and shows that the first noun describes the second. In 「アパートの掃除の予定」, it connects the apartment with cleaning and cleaning with the schedule. This pattern is useful when specifying what a plan or schedule concerns.
掃除
「掃除」means cleaning, the activity of removing dirt. In 「掃除の予定」, it identifies the activity that the schedule is about. Use it when discussing household cleaning or planning cleaning work.
予定
「予定」means a schedule or plan for something that will happen. In this dialogue, 「掃除の予定」is the planned schedule for cleaning. Use it when arranging future activities or deciding when tasks will be done.
を
「を」marks 「予定」as the thing being changed in 「予定をもっとよくしないとね」. It shows what the speakers need to improve. Use it after the object of an action.
もっと
「もっと」means more, and here it asks for a greater improvement. In 「もっとよくしないとね」, it shows that the schedule should become better than it is now. Use it when asking for a greater amount or degree.
よく
「よく」means better here because it combines with 「もっと」to describe a schedule becoming better. In 「もっとよくしないとね」, it shows the direction of the needed improvement. Use it when discussing how to improve a condition or arrangement.
しないと
「しないと」expresses the need to do something, with the sense that not doing it would leave things insufficient. It combines 「し」for doing, 「ない」for not doing, and 「と」for the condition, so 「もっとよくしないとね」means the schedule needs to be improved. Use it when gently discussing an action that needs to happen.
ね
「ね」seeks agreement or softens the statement. In 「もっとよくしないとね」, it presents the need for improvement as something the two speakers can share. Use it when inviting agreement in a conversation with someone familiar.
家事
「家事」means housework or household chores. In 「家事を平等に分担」, it is the work that the two speakers are trying to divide fairly. Use it when discussing work done to maintain a home.
平等
「平等」means equally or fairly in this dialogue. In 「平等に分担」, it says that the housework should not be divided unfairly between the speakers. Use it when discussing a fair division of responsibilities.
に
「に」has different roles in this dialogue: 「平等に」shows the manner of dividing the chores, while 「あとに」marks the time after lunch. It connects an action with its manner or timing. Use it to make the way or timing of an action clear.
分担
「分担」means sharing or dividing responsibilities between people. In 「家事を平等に分担」, it describes the speakers assigning household chores to themselves. Use it when people divide work or duties among themselves.
できて
「できて」shows being able to carry out the division of chores and connects to 「いない」. In 「平等に分担できていない」, it helps express that the speakers have not managed to divide the work fairly. Use it before 「いない」when describing an action that has not been successfully managed.
いない
「いない」shows that the state expressed by 「できて」is not present. In 「分担できていない」, it means the speakers are not managing to divide the chores fairly. Use it to describe an action or state that is not being maintained or has not been achieved.
土曜日
「土曜日」means Saturday. In 「土曜日の朝」, it identifies the day when the speaker can dust the shelves. Use it when setting a weekly plan or naming a day for an activity.
朝
「朝」means morning. In 「土曜日の朝」, it specifies the time of day for the cleaning task. Use it after a day or in a time expression when arranging a morning activity.
棚
「棚」means a shelf or shelving unit. In 「棚のほこり」, it identifies the surface where the dust is found. Use it when talking about cleaning or placing things on a shelf.
ほこり
「ほこり」means dust. In 「棚のほこりを払える」, it is what the speaker can remove from the shelves. Use it when describing dusting or noticing dust in a room.
払える
「払える」means being able to brush or dust something away. In 「棚のほこりを払える」, it says the speaker can remove the dust from the shelves. Use it when offering to remove dust or another light substance from a surface.
よ
「よ」adds emphasis and presents the information to the listener. In 「払えるよ」, it reassures the other speaker that the speaker can do that task. Use it when informing someone or emphasizing your ability or intention.
じゃあ
「じゃあ」means then or in that case and marks a response based on what was just said. In 「じゃあ、昼食のあとに」, it introduces the other speaker’s corresponding cleaning plan. Use it when moving from one person’s suggestion to a related decision or action.
昼食
「昼食」means lunch. In 「昼食のあと」, it gives the event used to set the cleaning time. Use it when arranging something in relation to lunchtime.
あと
「あと」means after when it follows 「昼食の」. In 「昼食のあとに」, it places mopping after lunch. Use it to refer to an action or time that follows a particular event.
キッチン
「キッチン」means kitchen. In 「キッチンの床」, it identifies the kitchen as the place connected with the floor being mopped. Use it when discussing cleaning or activities in the kitchen.
床
「床」means floor. In 「キッチンの床をモップがけする」, it is the surface that will be mopped. Use it when describing cleaning a room’s floor.
モップがけ
「モップがけ」means mopping, the action of cleaning a surface with a mop. In 「床をモップがけする」, it names the cleaning task applied to the floor. Use it with a surface when assigning or describing mopping work.
する
「する」means do or carry out the action named before it. In 「モップがけする」, it turns the mopping action into the activity the speaker will perform. Use it after an action noun when saying that someone carries out that activity.
毎週
「毎週」means every week. In 「毎週日曜日」, it shows that the bathroom cleaning is planned for each Sunday. Use it when describing a regular weekly activity.
日曜日
「日曜日」means Sunday. In 「毎週日曜日」, it names the regular day for cleaning, and in 「日曜日がいい」, it is the day judged suitable. Use it when choosing or scheduling an activity on Sunday.
お風呂場
「お風呂場」means the bathroom or bathing area. In 「お風呂場を掃除」, it identifies the area to be cleaned. Use it when discussing cleaning or other activities in the bathing area.
しない
「しない」means not clean or not do in this dialogue. In 「掃除しない？」, the negative form is used as a suggestion meaning “shall we clean?” rather than as a firm refusal. Use it in this question pattern when proposing an activity together.
すぐ
「すぐ」means quickly here. In 「すぐ汚れる」, it says that the bathroom becomes dirty after a short time. Use it when describing something that happens soon or quickly.
汚れる
「汚れる」means become dirty. In 「すぐ汚れる」, it describes the bathroom changing into a dirty condition quickly. Use it when talking about a place or object becoming dirty.
から
「から」means because and introduces the reason for the statement that follows. In 「すぐ汚れるから、日曜日がいいね」, the bathroom becoming dirty quickly is the reason Sunday is suitable. Use it after a reason when explaining a choice or decision.
が
「が」marks 「日曜日」as the option being judged in 「日曜日がいい」. It presents Sunday as the suitable choice. Use it when identifying the thing that is considered good, suitable, or preferable.
いい
「いい」means good or suitable here. In 「日曜日がいい」, it says Sunday is a suitable day for cleaning. Use it when agreeing on a preferred option or arrangement.
冷蔵庫
「冷蔵庫」means refrigerator or fridge. In 「冷蔵庫に予定を貼っておく」, it is the place where the schedule will be posted. Use it when referring to a common place for keeping or displaying household information.
貼っておく
「貼っておく」means to put something up and leave it posted for later use. 「貼って」expresses putting or sticking it up, while 「おく」adds the idea of doing this in advance and keeping the result. In 「冷蔵庫に予定を貼っておく」, the schedule is posted so it will remain available as a reminder.
それ
「それ」means that and points back to an idea already mentioned. In 「それなら」, it refers to the plan to post the schedule on the fridge. Use it when responding to something the other person has just said or proposed.
なら
「なら」means if that is the case or then, based on the preceding information. In 「それなら」, it connects the schedule-posting idea with the expected helpful result. Use it when drawing a conclusion from what has just been said.
それぞれ
「それぞれ」means each or respective, with the members considered individually. In 「それぞれの仕事」, it refers to the separate task assigned to each person. Use it before 「の」and a noun when talking about individual items or responsibilities.
仕事
「仕事」means work or task here. In 「それぞれの仕事」, it refers to each person’s assigned household task. Use it when discussing duties that someone needs to complete.
忘れず
「忘れず」means without forgetting. In 「忘れずにすみそう」, it connects the idea of not forgetting the tasks with the expected result. Use it when describing completing something while avoiding forgetting it.
すみそう
「すみそう」means that something seems likely to be manageable or avoid a problem. In 「忘れずにすみそう」, it suggests that posting the schedule will make it possible to get through the situation without forgetting each task. Use this pattern when a plan appears likely to help someone avoid a difficulty.
だ
「だ」makes the preceding assessment a complete statement. In 「すみそうだね」, it states that it seems likely to work and invites agreement through the following 「ね」. Use it in a casual sentence when presenting an evaluation or conclusion.
Grammar Points
〜ておく
予定を冷蔵庫に貼っておく。
yoo-TEH oh reh-ZOH-koh nee hah-TEH-oh-koo.Put the schedule up on the fridge and leave it there.
The 〜ておく form shows that an action is done in advance or that its result is left ready for later.
〜ずに
仕事を忘れずにする。
shee-GOH-toh oh wah-soo-REH-zoo-nee soo-roo.Do the task without forgetting.
The 〜ずに form means “without doing” something. It is a more formal alternative to 〜ないで.
Japanese Vocabulary
アパート
noun
ah-PAH-toh
apartment
ほこり
noun
hoh-KOH-ree
dust
家事
noun
KAH-jee
housework; chores
掃除
noun
SOH-jee
cleaning
棚
noun
tah-NAH
shelf
昼食
noun
choo-SHOH-koo
lunch
朝
noun
ah-SAH
morning
土曜日
noun
doh-YOH-bee
Saturday
払える
verb
hah-rah-EH-roo
can dust; can brush off
分担
noun
boon-TAHN
division; sharing of duties
平等に
adv
byoh-DOH-nee
evenly; equally
予定
noun
yoo-TEH
schedule
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
apartment
Show Answer
アパートSaturday
Show Answer
土曜日can dust; can brush off
Show Answer
払えるcleaning