About This Lesson
Use Asking about sauce ingredients to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
このソースの材料について聞いてもいいですか。
KOH-noh SOH-soo noh ZAI-ryoh nee tsu-EE-teh KEE-teh moh EE dess kah? Could I ask about the ingredients in this sauce?
B
牛乳と少しのにんにくが入っています。
GYOO-nyoo toh suh-KOH-shee noh NEEN-nee-koo gah HIGH-teh-ee-MAHSS. It contains milk and a little garlic.
A
牛乳はだめです。
GYOO-nyoo wah DAH-meh dess. I can't have milk.
B
ソースを別にしておけます。
SOH-soo oh BEH-tsoo nee SHEE-teh oh-KEH-mahss. I can keep the sauce on the side.
A
そのほうが私にはいいです。
SOH-noh HOH gah wah-TAH-shee nee wah EE dess. That would work better for me.
B
ほかに避ける必要のある食べ物はありますか。
HOH-kah-nee sah-KEH-roo hee-tsu-YOH noh AH-roo tah-beh-MOH-noh wah ah-ree-MAHSS kah? Are there any other foods you need to avoid?
A
にんにくは大丈夫です。
NEEN-nee-koo wah DAI-joh-boo dess. Garlic is fine.
B
ソースなしであなたの皿を用意します。
SOH-soo NAH-shee deh ah-NAH-tah noh SAH-rah oh YOH-ee SHEE-mahss. I'll prepare your plate without the sauce.Word by Word
この
この means “this” in このソース, pointing to the sauce near or relevant to the speakers. It comes directly before a noun and identifies which thing is meant.
ソース
ソース means “sauce” here, specifically the sauce whose ingredients are being discussed. It can be used as the noun in このソースの材料 or ソースなしで.
の
In このソースの材料, の connects このソース to 材料 and makes the first phrase describe the ingredients. This is a common way to link one noun phrase to another.
材料
材料 means “ingredients” here, referring to what is contained in the sauce. It is used in the phrase このソースの材料 about the ingredients of a particular item.
について
について means “about” or “concerning” in 材料について. The exact construction について is made from に and ついて: に points to the topic, and ついて completes the expression meaning concerning that topic. It is useful when asking or speaking about a subject.
聞い
In 聞いてもいいですか, 聞い is the form of 聞く used before て, and here it means “ask” rather than “hear.” The full expression is a polite request for permission to ask about something.
て
In 聞いてもいいですか, て links 聞い to the permission expression that follows. The full pattern politely asks whether it is okay to do the action, so て does not by itself mean “ask.”
も
In 聞いてもいいですか, も is part of the permission pattern following the て-form. Together with the surrounding words, it helps form the polite meaning “may I ask?”
いい
いい means “okay” or “acceptable” in 聞いてもいいですか. With the preceding て and も, it asks whether the action is permitted.
です
In 聞いてもいいですか, です gives the permission question a polite sentence ending. It helps keep the request courteous in conversation.
か
か marks the end of the question in 聞いてもいいですか. It turns the polite statement about being okay into a question, such as when asking permission.
牛乳
牛乳 means “milk” in both 牛乳と少しのにんにく and 牛乳はだめです. In this dialogue, it is an ingredient that the speaker cannot have.
と
と connects 牛乳 and 少しのにんにく in 牛乳と少しのにんにく. It links items in a list and means “and” between them.
少し
少し means “a little” in 少しのにんにく, indicating a small amount of garlic. With の, it describes the amount of the noun that follows.
にんにく
にんにく means “garlic” here, one of the sauce ingredients. The dialogue also uses it in にんにくは大丈夫です to say that garlic is acceptable.
が
In にんにくが入っています, が marks にんにく as the item that is in the sauce. This pattern can identify an ingredient or other thing contained in something.
入っ
In 入っています, 入っ is the part of 入る used before て. Together with the rest of the expression, it describes garlic as being contained in the sauce; the whole meaning does not come from 入っ alone.
い
In 入っています, い is part of いる after て and helps describe the state of something being in place. The complete expression 入っています means that the ingredient is contained in the sauce.
ます
In 入っています, ます makes the verb expression polite. It presents the information about the sauce in a polite conversational style.
は
は marks the topic in 牛乳はだめです and にんにくは大丈夫です. It singles out milk as unacceptable and garlic as acceptable for the speaker in this context.
だめ
だめ means “not okay” or “not acceptable” in 牛乳はだめです. Here it communicates that the speaker cannot have milk, and the pattern Xはだめです can state that something is not suitable.
を
In ソースを別にしておけます, を marks ソース as the item being made separate and kept that way. It commonly marks the object affected by an action.
別
別 means “separate” in ソースを別にしておけます. The expression 別にする describes putting something apart from the main item, here keeping the sauce separate.
に
In 別にしておけます, に marks the state or result of being separate. It shows the condition into which the sauce is put.
し
In 別にしておけます, し is the form of する used before て. It links making the sauce separate with the following idea of leaving it in that condition.
おけ
In おけます, おけ conveys leaving or keeping something in a particular condition. Together with the rest of 別にしておけます, it says that the sauce can be kept separately.
その
その means “that” in そのほう, referring to the option just mentioned: keeping the sauce separate. It points back to something already understood in the conversation.
ほう
ほう means “option” or “way” in そのほうが私にはいいです. The phrase そのほうがいい presents that choice as the better or more suitable option.
私
私 means “I” or “me,” and in 私には it frames the judgment from the speaker’s point of view. The full phrase says that the option is better for the speaker.
ほか
ほか means “other” or “additional” in ほかに避ける必要のある食べ物. It asks about foods besides the milk already mentioned.
避ける
避ける means “avoid” in 避ける必要のある食べ物. It names the action that is necessary in the phrase describing foods the speaker should not eat.
必要
必要 means “need” or “necessity” in 避ける必要のある食べ物. It expresses that avoiding the foods is required, not merely optional.
ある
ある means “exist” or “be present” in 必要のある. Here it says that a need to avoid the foods exists, and the phrase modifies 食べ物.
食べ物
食べ物 means “food” or “foods” in ほかに避ける必要のある食べ物. It refers to additional edible items that might need to be avoided.
大丈夫
大丈夫 means “fine,” “okay,” or “acceptable” in にんにくは大丈夫です. Here it tells the other person that garlic is safe or acceptable for the speaker to have.
なし
なし means “without” or “none” in ソースなしで. It states that the sauce is absent, and the pattern Xなしで describes doing something without X.
で
In ソースなしで, で marks the condition or manner of doing something without the sauce. The full phrase gives the condition for preparing the plate.
あなた
あなた means “you,” and in あなたの皿 it contributes the possessive meaning “your.” The pattern AのB connects a person or thing with something belonging to or associated with it.
皿
皿 means “plate” in あなたの皿を用意します. It is the item being prepared for the other person in this scene.
用意
用意 means “preparation” and, with します in 用意します, expresses “prepare.” In the dialogue, the thing being prepared is あなたの皿, and the sauce is left off it.
Grammar Points
〜ています
ソースに牛乳が少し入っています。
SOH-soo nee GYOO-nyoo gah suh-KOH-shee HIGH-teh-ee-MAHSS.There is a little milk in the sauce.
〜ています can describe a current state or condition, not only an action in progress.
Nなしで
ソースなしで用意します。
SOH-soo NAH-shee deh YOH-ee SHEE-mahss.I will prepare it without the sauce.
なしで means “without N” and shows that something is excluded when preparing or doing an action.
Japanese Vocabulary
この
det
KOH-noh
this
このソース
ソース
noun
SOH-soo
sauce
そのほうが
phrase
SOH-noh HOH gah
that way; that option
だめ
adj
DAH-meh
not allowed; cannot have
にんにく
noun
NEEN-nee-koo
garlic
ほかに
adv
HOH-kah-nee
besides; other
牛乳
noun
GYOO-nyoo
milk
材料
noun
ZAI-ryoh
ingredients
少し
adv
suh-KOH-shee
a little
入っています
verb
HIGH-teh-ee-MAHSS
is contained; contains
聞いてもいいですか
phrase
KEE-teh moh EE dess kah
Could I ask?
別にしておけます
phrase
BEH-tsoo nee SHEE-teh oh-KEH-mahss
can keep separately; can keep on the side
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
garlic
Show Answer
にんにくCould I ask?
Show Answer
聞いてもいいですかis contained; contains
Show Answer
入っていますthat way; that option