About This Lesson
Use Identifying a Bag at Lost Property to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
遺失物取扱所でバッグを探しています。
ee-SHEET-soo-boo-tsu toh-ree-aht-soo-kah-ee-joh deh BAG-goo oh sah-gah-SHEE-teh-ee-mahs I'm looking for my bag at lost property.
B
どんなバッグか説明していただけますか。
DOHN-nah BAG-goo kah seh-tsuh-MAY shee-teh ee-tah-dah-keh-mahs kah Can you describe it for me?
A
赤いストラップが付いていて、ファスナーが壊れています。
ah-KAI soo-toh-RAP-poo gah tsui-teh-ee-teh, fah-soo-NAH gah koh-WAH-reh-teh-ee-mahs It has a red strap and a broken zipper.
B
前に何か模様がありますか。
MAH-eh nee NAH-nee-kah moh-YOO gah ah-ree-MAHS kah Is there any pattern on the front?
A
小さな花の模様があります。
CHEE-sah-nah HAH-nah noh moh-YOO gah ah-ree-MAHS There's a small flower pattern.
B
こちらはあなたのバッグかもしれません。
koh-CHIR-ah wah ah-nah-TAH noh BAG-goo kah-moh shee-reh-mah-SEN This might be yours.
A
それは間違いなく私のバッグです。
soh-reh wah mah-chee-GAI-nah-koo wah-TAH-shee noh BAG-goo deh-soo That's definitely my bag.
B
持っていく前に、この用紙にサインしてください。
MOHT-teh EE-koo MAH-eh nee, KOH-noh YOO-shee nee SAI-n shee-teh koo-DAH-sai Please sign this form before you take it.Word by Word
遺失物取扱所
In 遺失物取扱所で, this means the lost property office, where the speaker is looking for a bag. It is useful for naming the place where lost items are reported or collected, such as a station or airport office.
で
In 遺失物取扱所で, で marks the place where the action takes place: at the lost property office. Use it after a place when describing an activity carried out there, such as looking, asking, or signing.
バッグ
バッグ means the bag being looked for in this dialogue. It is a loanword used for a bag or handbag, and it commonly appears before を when the bag is the object of an action.
を
In バッグを探しています, を marks バッグ as the object of the action. Use it after the thing someone looks for, carries, or signs for.
探して
In 探しています, 探して expresses the action of looking for something as part of the ongoing expression. Here it describes the speaker’s current search for the bag, and the same pattern can be used when explaining what someone is currently looking for.
います
In 探しています, います helps express that the action is currently continuing, so the speaker is looking for the bag now. This pattern is useful for describing an action in progress, with the action expressed before います.
どんな
In どんなバッグか, どんな asks what kind of bag it is. It is used directly before a noun when asking about that noun’s type or characteristics, especially in a question such as describing an item.
か
In どんなバッグか説明していただけますか, か turns どんなバッグ into an embedded question about what kind of bag it is. It is useful when placing a question or uncertain point inside a larger request or statement.
説明して
In 説明していただけますか, 説明して means describe or explain as part of a polite request. Here it asks the other person to describe the bag, and the same request pattern can be used for asking someone to explain information.
いただけます
In 説明していただけますか, いただけます makes the request polite and asks whether the listener can kindly provide the action. It commonly follows an action form such as 説明して when making a respectful request.
赤い
In 赤いストラップ, 赤い describes the strap as red. It is placed before a noun to give that noun a color or other description, which is useful when identifying a lost item.
ストラップ
ストラップ means the strap attached to the bag in this dialogue. It is useful for identifying a bag by describing a visible part, and it commonly appears with a color or other feature before or after it.
が
In 赤いストラップが付いていて and ファスナーが壊れています, が marks the feature being described. It is useful when stating that an item or part has a particular condition or is present.
付いて
In ストラップが付いていて, 付いて describes the strap as attached to or included with the bag. It connects this feature to the following description, and the pattern can be reused when listing several features of an object.
いて
In 付いていて, いて continues the description after the attached strap and links it to the statement about the broken zipper. This form is useful when connecting one state or feature to another in a single description.
ファスナー
ファスナー means the zipper of the bag, which is described as broken here. It is useful when identifying clothing, bags, or cases by referring to their zipper.
壊れて
In 壊れています, 壊れて describes the zipper as being in a broken or damaged state. Together with います, it states the current condition of the zipper, and this pattern can be used to report damage to an object.
前
In 前に何か模様がありますか, 前 refers to the front of the bag. It is useful when identifying an object by location, especially when describing what appears on its front or back.
に
In 前に何か模様がありますか, に marks the location where the pattern exists: on the front. Use it after a place or surface when saying that something is located there with あります.
何か
In 何か模様がありますか, 何か asks whether there is something, here a pattern, on the front. It is useful in questions about an unspecified item or feature when the speaker does not know exactly what is there.
模様
模様 means a pattern or design on the front of the bag. It is useful for describing a visible decoration, and it can be combined with a noun such as 花 through の to specify the design.
あります
In 模様があります and 何か模様がありますか, あります states that a pattern exists or is present. It is used for the existence or location of an object or feature, such as a design on a bag.
小さな
In 小さな花の模様, 小さな describes the flower pattern as small. It appears directly before the noun or noun phrase it describes, making it useful for identifying an item by size.
花
In 花の模様, 花 means a flower and identifies the design as a flower pattern. With の, it specifies what kind of pattern is being described, which is useful when identifying decorations.
の
In 花の模様, の links 花 to 模様 and shows that the pattern is a flower pattern. This reusable structure places the describing noun before の and the main noun after it.
こちら
In こちらはあなたのバッグかもしれません, こちら politely refers to this item or the item here, meaning the bag being shown. It is useful at a desk or service counter when indicating an object respectfully.
は
In こちらはあなたのバッグかもしれません and それは間違いなく私のバッグです, は marks the main topic of the statement. It is useful for presenting an item and then giving information or a judgment about it.
あなた
In あなたのバッグ, あなた refers to the person being addressed, and の connects that person with the bag as the owner. This expression is useful when identifying whether an item belongs to the listener.
かもしれません
In こちらはあなたのバッグかもしれません, かもしれません expresses the possibility that the item is the listener’s bag. The expression combines かも, which introduces a possibility, with しれません, completing the polite form; it is useful when making a careful suggestion without stating certainty.
それ
In それは間違いなく私のバッグです, それ refers to the item just indicated or discussed, here the bag. It is useful when pointing back to something that is not being treated as the speaker’s or listener’s immediate item.
間違いなく
In 間違いなく私のバッグです, 間違いなく shows complete confidence that the bag belongs to the speaker. It is useful when confirming an identification firmly after checking the item’s features.
私
In 私のバッグ, 私 refers to the speaker, and の connects the speaker with the bag as the owner. This pattern is useful when identifying something as belonging to oneself.
です
In 私のバッグです, です politely states that the item is the speaker’s bag. It is commonly used at the end of a polite identification or confirmation.
持って
In 持っていく前に, 持って contributes the meaning of carrying or taking the item as part of the expression 持っていく. Here it describes taking the bag away, and the pattern is useful before a time expression such as 前に.
いく
In 持っていく前に, いく completes the expression meaning to take or carry something away. Together with 持って, it indicates movement of the bag away from the current place, which is useful when talking about taking an item somewhere.
この
In この用紙, この points to the specific form that is near the speaker or being presented. It is placed directly before a noun when identifying a particular item.
用紙
用紙 means the form or sheet of paper that the person must sign before taking the bag. It is useful in administrative situations when referring to a document or paper form.
サインして
In サインしてください, サインして means sign as part of a request to sign the form. It is useful when asking someone to provide a signature on a document, with the request completed by ください.
ください
In サインしてください, ください makes the request polite and means please do the action expressed by サインして. This pattern is useful for politely asking someone to carry out a specific action.
Grammar Points
〜ていて
赤いストラップが付いていて、ファスナーが壊れています。
ah-KAI soo-toh-RAP-poo gah tsui-teh-ee-teh, fah-soo-NAH gah koh-WAH-reh-teh-ee-mahsIt has a red strap, and the zipper is broken.
ていて connects descriptions or states. It can mean “and” while showing that the first condition continues.
〜ていただけますか
説明していただけますか。
seh-tsuh-MAY shee-teh ee-tah-dah-keh-mahs kahCould you describe it?
This is a very polite way to ask someone to do something. いただけますか makes the request respectful.
Japanese Vocabulary
ストラップ
noun
soo-toh-RAP-poo
strap
どんな
det
DOHN-nah
what kind of
バッグ
noun
BAG-goo
bag
ファスナー
noun
fah-soo-NAH
zipper
遺失物取扱所
noun
ee-SHEET-soo-boo-tsu toh-ree-aht-soo-kah-ee-joh
lost property office
何か
pron
NAH-nee-kah
something; anything
壊れています
verb
koh-WAH-reh-teh-ee-mahs
is broken
赤い
adj
ah-KAI
red
説明していただけますか
phrase
seh-tsuh-MAY shee-teh ee-tah-dah-keh-mahs kah
could you describe it
前
noun
MAH-eh
front
探しています
verb
sah-gah-SHEE-teh-ee-mahs
am looking for
付いていて
verb
tsui-teh-ee-teh
being attached; having
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
being attached; having
Show Answer
付いていてcould you describe it
Show Answer
説明していただけますかzipper
Show Answer
ファスナーlost property office