Reviewing meeting action items | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 会議のアクションアイテムを確認できますか。

   Can we review the action items from the meeting?

   会議

   meeting

   アクションアイテム

   action items

   確認できますか

   can review/check?

   More detail

   会議 means “meeting.” It is a noun and can be used directly before の to specify a relationship: 会議の… means “…of the meeting” or “…from the meeting,” depending on context. Example: 会議が始まります。 — “The meeting is starting.” アクションアイテム is a Japanese loanword for an action item: a task or follow-up item identified for action. The form is commonly used as a noun; the plural meaning “action items” is supplied by context rather than by a visible plural ending. 会議のアクションアイテム therefore means “the action items from the meeting.” 確認できますか asks whether the action can be checked, confirmed, or reviewed. 確認する is the base verb, “to check” or “to confirm,” and 確認できる expresses that checking is possible; できますか is its polite question form. The subject is omitted here, so the sentence does not grammatically specify whether “can” refers to the speaker, the listener, or the participants together. The fixed translation supports the inclusive reading “can we review.” The particle を marks アクションアイテム as the object of 確認できますか: the items are what is reviewed. Together, 会議のアクションアイテムを確認できますか。 asks, politely, whether the participants can review the meeting’s action items. A reusable pattern is Nを確認できますか。 — “Can [we/you] check N?”

2. 要約を開いているので、確認しましょう。

   I have the summary open, so let's check them.

   要約

   summary

   開いている

   have open; be open

   ので

   because; so

   確認しましょう

   let’s check

   More detail

   要約 means “summary.” It is a noun; を marks it as the object of 開いている, so 要約を is “the summary” as the thing being kept open. Example: 要約を読みます。 — “I’ll read the summary.” 開いている is the continuing or resulting-state form of 開く here. With 要約を as its object, 開く has the transitive meaning “to open something,” and 開いている describes the resulting state: the speaker has the summary open. The ている pattern can describe an ongoing action or a resulting state; with this opening action, the resulting open state is intended. The subject is omitted in Japanese and is understood here as “I” from the fixed translation. Example: 資料を開いています。 — “I have the document open.” ので connects a reason to what follows: “because …” or “since …,” often producing a natural English “so …” in the whole sentence. Here, 要約を開いているので gives the reason for the suggestion that follows. For a clause, a reusable pattern is plain-form clause + ので、result. Example: 時間がないので、始めましょう。 — “Since we don’t have time, let’s begin.” 確認しましょう means “let’s check” or “let’s review.” Its base verb is 確認する (“to check” or “to confirm”); 確認し is the form before the polite volitional ending ましょう. This ending commonly proposes a joint action, “let’s …,” rather than merely stating a future action. The object is omitted here. In the supplied context, “them” refers to the meeting’s action items identified in the preceding sentence. Example: 予定を確認しましょう。 — “Let’s check the schedule.” Together, 要約を開いているので gives the reason “because I have the summary open,” and 確認しましょう gives the joint proposal “let’s check/review them.” The complete intended meaning is: “I have the summary open, so let’s check them.”

3. 誰がクライアントに連絡すべきですか。

   Who should contact the client?

   誰

   who

   クライアント

   client

   連絡

   contact

   すべきですか

   should ...?

   More detail

   誰 means “who” and asks for the identity of a person. Together with が, it marks the person who performs the action: 誰が… means “who …?” This differs from 誰に, which asks “to whom?” クライアント is a loanword meaning “client.” The following に marks the recipient or target of contact. Aに連絡する is a reusable pattern meaning “contact A.” 連絡 means “contact” here. It is also used as a noun, and 連絡する means “to contact.” In this sentence, it combines with すべき to describe the action that ought to be performed: 連絡すべき means “should contact.” すべきですか asks politely about an obligation or recommendation. すべき is the “should/ought to” form used with する-type expressions; with the preceding verbal noun, 連絡すべき means “should contact.” ですか gives the expression polite question form. Here, the question is not simply whether contact should happen: 誰が asks which person is responsible for doing it. Putting the parts together, 誰が identifies the person responsible, クライアントに連絡 expresses contacting the client, and すべきですか asks who ought to perform that action. The whole utterance means “Who should contact the client?”

4. それはプロジェクトリーダーが担当します。

   The project lead will handle that.

   それは

   as for that

   プロジェクトリーダー

   project lead

   担当します

   will handle

   More detail

   それは sets “that” as the topic: それ is a demonstrative pronoun for something relatively near the listener or already identified in context, and は marks the topic. Here, the fixed translation identifies that topic as the thing to be handled; it does not specify what the thing is. Example: これは大切です。 — “This is important.” プロジェクトリーダー is a noun meaning “project lead” or “project leader.” It is a compound loanword: プロジェクト means “project,” and リーダー means “leader.” In this sentence, it is the person responsible for the action. Example: 彼女はチームリーダーです。 — “She is the team leader.” 担当します comes from the verb 担当する, “to be in charge of” or “to handle.” 担当します is its polite nonpast form: 担当し is the verb stem followed by polite ます. Japanese nonpast forms can describe a present responsibility or a future action, so the fixed translation naturally uses “will handle” here. The noun phrase プロジェクトリーダー is marked by が, which identifies it as the subject—the person who will handle the matter. Example: 私がこの仕事を担当します。 — “I will handle this work.” Together, それは identifies the matter being discussed, プロジェクトリーダーが identifies the person responsible for the action, and 担当します says that this person will handle it. The whole utterance therefore means: “The project lead will handle that.”

5. 次に何をすればいいですか。

   What should I do next?

   次に

   next

   何

   what

   すれば

   do; if doing

   いい

   good; okay

   More detail

   次に means “next” or “next in sequence.” It is an adverb showing when or at what stage an action should happen. Example: 次に名前を書きます。 — “Next, I will write my name.” 何 means “what.” In 何を, it asks which thing is the object of an action; を marks that object. Example: 何を読みますか。 — “What will you read?” すれば is the conditional form of する (“to do”): する → すれば. By itself, it can mean “if someone does” or “when someone does.” In the pattern 〜ばいい, it contributes to the meaning “it would be good to do,” which commonly expresses advice or what someone should do. It does not itself mean “should.” いい means “good” or “okay.” In 〜ばいい, it says that the action described by the conditional form would be appropriate. Thus, すればいい can mean “should do” or “it would be good to do.” The polite question ending ですか turns the statement-like pattern すればいい into a question. The full pattern 何をすればいいですか asks what action the speaker should take. The subject is not stated in Japanese; here, the fixed translation identifies the speaker as “I.” Together, 次に (“next”) + 何を (“what” as the object) + すればいいですか (“should do?”) gives 次に何をすればいいですか。 — “What should I do next?” This is a polite, reusable way to ask for the appropriate next action.

6. メモを更新して、ファイルを共有してください。

   Update the notes and share the file.

   メモ

   notes

   更新して

   update and

   ファイル

   file

   共有してください

   please share

   More detail

   メモ means “notes” here. It is a noun; Japanese nouns generally do not change form for singular versus plural, so the context determines whether this means one note or multiple notes. The particle を marks it as the object of the following action. 更新して comes from 更新する, “to update.” The form 更新して is the て-form. Here it links the first action to the next one: “update the notes, and then …” The て-form is also used in many other connections, such as 確認して送る (“check and send”). ファイル means “file.” It is another noun marked by を, this time as the object of 共有してください. Japanese does not require an article before this noun, so the sentence does not by itself state whether it is one file or more than one. 共有してください is a polite request meaning “please share.” It consists of 共有する, “to share,” in its て-form 共有して, followed by ください, which makes the expression a polite request. This pattern is reusable with other verbs, for example 確認してください (“Please check.”). The person being asked and the subject carrying out the requested actions are not stated explicitly; the translation presents the utterance as a request to update the notes and share the file. Together, メモを更新して gives the first requested action, and ファイルを共有してください gives the second. The complete utterance therefore means: “Update the notes and share the file.”

7. チームに更新内容を送ります。

   I will send the update to the team.

   チーム

   team

   更新内容

   updated content

   送ります

   will send

   More detail

   チーム means “team” here. It is a noun, commonly used for a group working toward a shared task. Example: チームで働きます。 — “We work as a team.” 更新内容 means “the update” or, more literally, “the contents of the update.” It is a compound noun: 更新 means “update” or “updating,” and 内容 means “contents” or “content.” In this sentence, the compound refers to the information being sent, not to the act of updating itself. Example: 更新内容を確認します。 — “I will check the update.” 送ります means “will send” here. Its dictionary form is 送る (“to send”); 送ります is the polite nonpast form. Japanese nonpast forms can describe a future action when the context concerns a planned or intended event, as here. The same form can also describe a habitual action in another context. Example: 明日、資料を送ります。 — “I will send the materials tomorrow.” The particle に after チーム marks the destination or recipient: チームに means “to the team.” The particle を after 更新内容 marks what is sent: 更新内容を means “the update.” The reusable pattern is [recipient]に [thing]を 送ります — “I will send [thing] to [recipient].” Together, チームに更新内容を送ります。 means “I will send the update to the team.” The sentence presents the speaker as the sender, the update as the thing sent, and the team as its recipient.

8. すると、全員が最新バージョンを持つことになります。

   Then everyone will have the latest version.

   すると

   then; in that case

   全員

   everyone; all members

   最新

   latest; most up-to-date

   バージョン

   version

   持つ

   to have; to hold

   ことになります

   will result in; will mean that

   More detail

   すると Here, すると links this sentence to the preceding situation and means “then” or “in that case.” It presents the following result as arising from what came before. Example: すると、問題は解決します。 — “Then the problem will be solved.” 全員 全員 means “everyone” or “all members,” referring to the complete group relevant in the situation. It is a noun and does not itself specify a grammatical gender distinction. Example: 全員が参加しました。 — “Everyone participated.” The particle が marks 全員 as the subject of the following clause. 最新 最新 means “latest” or “most up-to-date.” In 最新バージョン, it comes before the noun it describes: “the latest version.” The contrasting form 古い means “old,” while 最新 specifically selects the newest current version rather than merely a recent one. Example: 最新の情報を確認します。 — “I will check the latest information.” バージョン バージョン means “version,” as in a particular release or form of software or another item. It is a noun; in this sentence, 最新 modifies it. Example: このバージョンは新しいです。 — “This version is new.” 持つ The observed form 持つ is the dictionary form of the verb meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Here it expresses having the version, not physically holding it. In this clause it appears before こと, which turns the verb clause into the content of the result expression. Example: 私はチケットを持っています。 — “I have a ticket.” ことになります ことになる is a reusable construction meaning that something comes to be decided, arranged, or established as the result of circumstances; なります is its polite nonpast form. With 持つ before こと, 持つことになります means “it will mean that [someone] has” or “it will result in [someone] having.” The nonpast form can describe a future result here. This construction does not by itself say that the subject personally chose the outcome. Example: 来月から新しい担当者が来ることになります。 — “It has been decided that a new person in charge will come starting next month.” Putting the parts together, 全員が最新バージョンを持つ means “everyone has the latest version.” Adding ことになります presents that state as the result that will come about, and すると connects it to the preceding action or condition. The complete meaning is: “Then everyone will have the latest version.”