Asking What a Product Warranty Covers | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. この小さいスピーカーを買おうと思っています。

   I'm thinking about buying this small speaker.

   この

   this

   小さい

   small

   スピーカー

   speaker

   買おうと思っています

   am thinking of buying

   More detail

   この means “this” when it comes before a noun. It is an attributive demonstrative: この + noun, as in この本 (“this book”). Here it helps identify the speaker being referred to; the form itself does not state who owns it. 小さい means “small” here. It is an い-adjective, and this form can directly modify a noun: 小さいスピーカー means “a small speaker.” Its useful negative form is 小さくない (“not small”). Example: 小さい部屋です。 — “It is a small room.” スピーカー is the noun “speaker,” the audio device. Japanese commonly uses this loanword for the device; the noun itself does not mark singular or plural in this sentence. Example: スピーカーがあります。 — “There is a speaker” or “There are speakers,” depending on context. 買おうと思っています expresses an ongoing thought or intention to buy. 買おう is the volitional form of the verb 買う (“buy”); with と思っています, it gives the pattern verb-volitional form + と思っています, meaning “am thinking of doing” or “intend to do.” 思っています is the ている form of 思う (“think”), presenting the thought or intention as continuing at this point. The subject is omitted in Japanese, and the fixed translation supplies “I” here. Example: 来年、日本へ行こうと思っています。 — “I’m thinking of going to Japan next year.” Together, この identifies the speaker, 小さい describes it, and スピーカー names it. The particle を marks that speaker as the object of buying, and 買おうと思っています says that the person speaking is currently thinking of buying it. The whole utterance therefore means, “I’m thinking about buying this small speaker.”

2. お決めになる前に、保証について説明できます。

   I can explain the warranty before you decide.

   お決めになる

   decide

   前に

   before

   保証

   warranty

   について

   about; concerning

   説明できます

   can explain

   More detail

   お決めになる means “decide” here, referring respectfully to the addressee. Its base verb is 決める (“to decide”). The pattern お + verb stem + になる is a respectful expression for someone’s action; it is not the ordinary way to say that the speaker decides. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the addressee as the person deciding. Example: お選びになる means “you choose” in respectful language. 前に means “before.” 前 is “front” or “before,” and に marks the time at which an event is situated. In お決めになる前に, it follows the non-past clause and creates the reusable pattern [clause]前に = “before [clause].” Example: 寝る前に本を読みます。 — “I read a book before going to bed.” 保証 means “warranty” in this context. It is a noun; the following について connects it to the topic of the explanation. The same word can refer more broadly to a guarantee, depending on context. について means “about” or “concerning.” The pattern noun + について marks what is being discussed or explained. Example: 料金について説明します。 — “I will explain the fees.” 説明できます means “can explain.” Its base verb is the compound verb 説明する (“to explain”). The potential form is 説明できる (“be able to explain”), and 説明できます is its polite form. The potential form expresses ability or feasibility; here, the fixed translation presents the speaker as able to explain the warranty. Example: この言葉を説明できます。 — “I can explain this word.” Together, お決めになる前に sets the time as “before you decide,” 保証について identifies the topic as “the warranty,” and 説明できます says “I can explain.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I can explain the warranty before you decide.”

3. 保証では何が対象ですか。

   What does the warranty cover?

   保証では

   under the warranty

   何が

   what (as the subject)

   対象

   covered item

   ですか

   is it?

   More detail

   保証では sets the context: “under the warranty” or “as for warranty coverage.” 保証 is a noun meaning “warranty” or “guarantee.” Here で marks the situation or scope, and は makes that scope the topic. This is a useful pattern for asking about what applies in a particular context: この制度では何が対象ですか。 means “What is covered under this system?” 何が means “what” with が marking the subject. The question asks which thing is the one that qualifies, rather than who performs an action. 何 can also occur with other particles, such as 何を for an object (“what” someone does something to) and 何に for a destination or target (“to/for what”). 対象 is a noun meaning “covered item,” “eligible matter,” or “subject of coverage” in this context. The form itself is not an inflection; it remains the same when the covered thing changes. A useful pattern is Xが対象です, “X is covered/eligible.” Example: このサービスは学生が対象です。 — “This service is for students.” ですか makes the statement a polite question. です is the polite form used here to state that something is the relevant category, and か marks the sentence as a question. Thus 対象ですか asks whether something is covered or eligible; it does not itself express a past or future time. Together, 保証では establishes the warranty as the scope, 何が asks which item is the subject, and 対象ですか asks whether it is covered. The whole utterance therefore means “What does the warranty cover?”

4. 通常の使用中の製品の故障が対象です。

   It covers product faults during normal use.

   通常の

   normal

   使用中

   during use

   製品

   product

   故障

   fault

   対象です

   is covered

   More detail

   通常の means “normal” here and modifies the following expression 使用中, giving “during normal use.” 通常 is a noun-like word commonly used with の to describe a standard or ordinary condition. Example: 通常の方法で行います。 — “We will do it in the usual way.” 使用中 means “during use” or “while being used.” The ending 中 marks an ongoing period or state; it is attached here to 使用 (“use”). This is a useful pattern for time or state: 作業中 means “while working” or “in the middle of work.” Example: 使用中は電源を切らないでください。 — “Please do not turn off the power while it is in use.” 製品 means “product.” It is the noun linked by の to 故障: 製品の故障 means “a product fault” or “a product malfunction.” The の here connects a related noun to the noun that follows; it does not by itself express possession in the narrow sense. 故障 means “fault,” “malfunction,” or “breakdown.” In this sentence it refers to a fault in a product, rather than to an act of damaging it. Example: この製品は故障しています。 — “This product is malfunctioning.” 対象です combines 対象 (“scope,” “eligible matter,” or “covered matter”) with polite です. In the warranty context, 対象です means “is covered” or “is eligible.” The form です is a polite copular form; it does not itself mean “cover.” Example: この修理は保証の対象です。 — “This repair is covered by the warranty.” The particle が marks 製品の故障 as the matter that is 対象です. The structure is: 通常の使用中の + 製品の故障 + が + 対象です “faults in products during normal use” + “are covered.” Together, the utterance states that product faults occurring during normal use fall within the warranty’s covered scope. 通常の describes the use period, while 製品の connects the product to its fault; が対象です identifies that fault as covered.

5. 誤って壊した場合はどうですか。

   What about accidental damage?

   誤って

   accidentally

   壊した

   damaged; broke

   場合

   case; situation

   はどうですか

   what about …?

   More detail

   誤って This means “accidentally” here and modifies 壊した, so the damage is presented as unintended. A useful contrast is わざと (“deliberately”): わざと壊した means “deliberately broke it.” 壊した This is the past form of the transitive verb 壊す (“to break; to damage”). The form indicates a completed act; it does not itself specify who caused the damage or what was damaged. In this utterance, 誤って壊した is understood as accidental damage. Contrast the intransitive verb 壊れる (“to break; become damaged”): 機械が壊れた means “The machine broke,” while 機械を壊した means “Someone broke the machine.” 場合 場合 means “case” or “situation.” The pattern verb-past form + 場合 presents a situation as a condition: 壊した場合 is “if/when [someone] broke or damaged [it].” Japanese leaves the actor and object unspoken here; the fixed translation supports the general reading “in the case of accidental damage.” はどうですか This is a reusable “what about …?” pattern. は marks the preceding topic, and どうですか literally asks how it is, but together they ask about the treatment or status of that topic. Here, the topic is 誤って壊した場合 (“the case of accidental damage”), not merely the word 場合 alone. Putting the parts together, 誤って壊した場合 means “in the case of accidental damage,” and adding はどうですか asks how that case is handled: “What about accidental damage?” The sentence is a concise question about whether that situation is included under the relevant coverage or policy; it does not state the answer itself.

6. それは保証の対象外です。

   That would not be included.

   それ

   that

   保証

   warranty

   対象外

   not covered

   です

   is

   More detail

   それ means “that” here. It is a demonstrative pronoun, so it refers to something already identifiable in the conversation; the supplied text does not specify a more particular referent. Japanese demonstratives include これ “this” and それ “that,” but the choice depends on the discourse situation, not simply on the nearest noun. 保証 means “warranty” or “guarantee.” In this sentence it is the noun in 保証の対象, “the scope of the warranty” or “what the warranty covers.” The particle の links the nouns: AのB can mean “B of A” or “B associated with A.” 対象外 means “outside the scope” or “not covered.” 対象 is “subject, applicable item, or scope,” while 外 means “outside.” Together, 対象外 is a useful compact expression for something excluded from coverage or applicability. For example, このサービスは対象外です。 means “This service is not covered / is outside the scope.” です is the polite copular form, making the statement polite. It presents the preceding noun-based expression as a statement; it does not itself add the meaning “included.” The full structure is それは (“as for that”) + 保証の対象外 (“outside the warranty’s coverage”) + です (polite statement). Together, それは保証の対象外です。 means “That would not be included,” with the intended sense that the thing under discussion is not covered by the warranty. In a more explicit reusable pattern, Xは保証の対象外です means “X is not covered by the warranty.”

7. 動かなくなったら、どこへ行けばいいですか。

   Where should I go if it stops working?

   動かなくなったら

   if it stops working

   どこへ

   where to

   行けばいいですか

   should I go?

   More detail

   動かなくなったら describes a change into a non-working state and the condition “if/when that happens.” 動く means “to work” or “to operate” here. 動かなくなる combines the negative form 動かない (“not work”) with なる (“become”), so it means “stop working,” not simply “not work.” The たら conditional form makes the condition: 動かなくなったら = “if it stops working” or “when it stops working.” The subject is omitted in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies it only as “it,” without specifying a particular noun. どこへ asks about a destination. どこ means “where,” and へ marks the direction or destination of movement. In this sentence, it asks where the speaker should go, rather than identifying the destination itself. 行けばいいですか uses 行く (“go”) in the conditional form 行けば, followed by いい (“good/okay”) and the polite question ending ですか. The pattern V-ばいいですか asks what action would be appropriate or advisable: 何をすればいいですか。 = “What should I do?” Here, 行けばいいですか means “should I go?” The question meaning “Where should I go?” comes from combining it with どこへ. Together, 動かなくなったら sets the condition, and どこへ行けばいいですか asks for the appropriate destination in that situation. The complete utterance means: “Where should I go if it stops working?”

8. レシートと箱をサービスカウンターに持ってきてください。

   Bring the receipt and the box to customer service.

   レシート

   receipt

   箱

   box

   サービスカウンター

   customer service counter

   持ってきてください

   please bring

   More detail

   レシート means “receipt.” It is a loanword written in katakana. In this sentence it is one of the two things the listener is asked to bring. 箱 means “box.” Japanese nouns generally do not change form for singular or plural, so 箱 can refer to one box or more than one when context supports that reading. Here, the translation identifies it as the box. サービスカウンター means “customer service counter.” It is a compound expression: サービス means “service,” and カウンター means “counter.” Together they name the destination in this sentence. 持ってきてください is a polite request meaning “please bring.” The base expression is 持ってくる (“to bring”): 持つ means “to hold/carry,” and くる means “to come.” In 持ってきて, the two actions form one directional idea—carry something and come toward the relevant place or speaker. The てください pattern turns a verb’s て-form into a polite request. For example, ここに名前を書いてください。 means “Please write your name here.” The particle と links レシート and 箱 as the two objects: “the receipt and the box.” The particle を marks that combined object as what is carried. The particle に marks サービスカウンター as the destination. Thus, レシートと箱をサービスカウンターに持ってきてください。 assembles as “Please bring the receipt and the box to the customer service counter.”

9. 担当者が確認します。

   They can check it.

   担当者

   person in charge

   確認します

   checks; confirms

   More detail

   担当者 is a noun meaning “the person in charge” or “the person responsible for handling the matter.” It is related to 担当, “being in charge of” or “handling,” plus 者, “person.” It does not by itself identify the person’s name or gender. 確認します uses 確認する, “to check,” “to confirm,” or “to verify.” します is the polite nonpast form of する, so this form can refer to a present or future action. The form itself does not mark ability; in this fixed utterance, the translation conveys the intended meaning “can check it.” The object is omitted in Japanese, and the source does not specify exactly what “it” refers to. The pattern NがVます presents N as the subject of a polite nonpast action. Here, が marks 担当者 as the subject, and 確認します describes checking or confirming. Together, the utterance means: “The person in charge can check it.”