About This Lesson
Use Returning to Work with Better Focus to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
今はもっとすっきりした気分です。
EE-mah wah MOHT-toh soo-KEE-ree SHEE-tah kee-BOON dess. I feel more refreshed now.
B
いちばん大事な部分から始めましょう。
ee-chee-BAHN DAH-ee-jee nah BOO-boon kah-rah hah-jee-meh-mah-SHOH. Let's start with the part that matters most.
A
グラフの部分から続けましょうか。
goo-RAH-foo noh BOO-boon kah-rah tsoo-DZOO-keh-mah-SHOH kah. Should we continue from the chart section?
B
その部分にいちばん集中する必要があります。
soh-noh BOO-boon nee ee-chee-BAHN SHOO-choo soo-roo hee-TSOO-yoh gah ah-ree-mahss. That part needs the most focus.
A
ファイルを開いて、確認します。
fah-ee-roo oh hee-rah-ee-teh kah-koo-neen shee-MAHSS. I'll open the file and check it.
B
あなたがグラフを確認している間、チームのコメントを読みます。
ah-NAH-tah gah goo-RAH-foo oh kah-koo-neen shee-teh EE-roo EYE-dah, CHEE-moo noh koh-MEN-toh oh YOH-mee-mahss. I'll read the team comments while you check the chart.
A
今は細かいところももっとよく分かります。
EE-mah wah koh-mah-KAH-ee toh-koh-roh moh MOHT-toh yoh-koo wah-kah-ree-mahss. I can follow the details better now.
B
休憩で、仕事が軽く感じられました。
KYOO-kay deh, shee-GOH-toh gah kah-ROO-koo kahn-jee-rah-reh-MAH-shee-tah. The break made the work feel lighter.Word by Word
今
「今」 means now in 「今はもっとすっきりした気分です」, referring to the present moment after the break. It can set the time frame for a current feeling, condition, or action.
は
In 「今はもっとすっきりした気分です」, 「は」 makes 今 the current topic: as for now, the speaker feels more refreshed. It commonly follows a time expression when the speaker wants to describe the situation at that time.
もっと
「もっと」 means more in 「今はもっとすっきりした気分です」, showing that the refreshed feeling is stronger than before. It is used before a description when comparing a higher degree with an earlier state or another situation.
すっきり
「すっきり」 describes feeling refreshed, clear-headed, and less weighed down in 「すっきりした気分」. Here it describes the speaker’s mental or physical feeling after the break, and it can be used with 気分 to describe how someone feels.
した
In 「すっきりした気分」, 「した」 helps present すっきり as the resulting state or quality of the feeling. Together, 「すっきりした」 means refreshed or clear-headed, rather than giving した an independent meaning here.
気分
「気分」 means feeling or mood in 「すっきりした気分です」. It refers to the speaker’s subjective state, and it can follow a description of how someone feels.
です
「です」 closes 「すっきりした気分です」 as a polite statement: the speaker says that this is their feeling. It is used at the end of a polite description or identification.
いちばん
「いちばん」 means the most in 「いちばん大事な部分」 and 「いちばん集中する」. Here it identifies the highest degree of importance or focus, and it commonly comes before the description it ranks.
大事
「大事」 means important in 「大事な部分」. It describes the part that matters most for the work, and it appears before a noun with な when modifying that noun.
な
In 「大事な部分」, 「な」 connects the description 大事 to the noun 部分. It shows that 大事 is describing the following noun, not functioning as the main statement.
部分
「部分」 means part or section in 「大事な部分」 and 「グラフの部分」. It identifies one section of a larger file or piece of work, and it can follow another noun linked by の to specify which part.
から
In 「大事な部分から始めましょう」 and 「グラフの部分から続けましょうか」, 「から」 means from and marks the point where an action begins or resumes. It follows the starting part or place in a phrase about beginning or continuing work.
始めましょう
「始めましょう」 means let’s start in 「いちばん大事な部分から始めましょう」. It proposes beginning together, here with the starting point marked by から, and is useful when suggesting a joint action.
グラフ
「グラフ」 means chart or graph in 「グラフの部分」. Here it identifies the material section the speakers will return to, and it can be followed by の when specifying something related to the chart.
の
In 「グラフの部分」 and 「チームのコメント」, 「の」 links one noun to a related noun. It shows that the following noun is the relevant part or comments associated with the preceding noun.
続けましょう
「続けましょう」 means let’s continue in 「グラフの部分から続けましょうか」. With か at the end, it becomes a proposal asking whether they should resume from that section.
か
At the end of 「続けましょうか」, 「か」 marks the sentence as a question. Here it turns the suggestion into a polite question about continuing from the chart section.
その
「その」 means that in 「その部分」 and points back to the part already under discussion. It comes directly before a noun to identify something connected with the listener’s or speaker’s shared context.
に
In 「その部分にいちばん集中する」, 「に」 marks the target toward which focus is directed. It commonly follows the person, thing, or area that receives the action of focusing.
集中
「集中」 expresses focus or concentration in 「集中する」. In this dialogue it describes directing attention to 「その部分」, and it is commonly used with する to express the action of concentrating.
する
In 「集中する」, 「する」 turns the idea of 集中 into the action of focusing or concentrating. The whole expression takes the target marked by に, as in 「その部分にいちばん集中する」.
必要
「必要」 means need or necessity in 「集中する必要があります」. The expression says that focusing is necessary, and 必要 commonly appears before があります when stating that a need exists.
が
In 「集中する必要があります」, 「が」 marks 必要 as the thing that exists: there is a need to focus. It is used here before あります in a statement about the existence of a need.
あります
「あります」 means there is or exists in the polite expression 「必要があります」. Here it states that the need to focus exists, and it can politely complete statements about an existing need or condition.
ファイル
「ファイル」 means file in 「ファイルを開いて」. It is the document or digital item the speaker will work with, and it can be marked by を when it is opened or checked.
を
In 「ファイルを開いて」, 「を」 marks ファイル as the direct object of opening. It commonly follows the thing that receives an action such as opening, reading, or checking.
開いて
「開いて」 means open and then in 「ファイルを開いて、確認します」. It connects opening the file with the next action, checking it, so the two actions form one sequence.
確認します
「確認します」 means check or confirm in 「ファイルを開いて、確認します」. The speaker plans to inspect the file after opening it, and this form is useful for describing a planned checking action in a polite way.
あなた
「あなた」 means you in 「あなたがグラフを確認している間」. It identifies the person who is checking the chart, and it can be used before が when that person is the subject of a clause.
確認している
「確認している」 means are checking in 「あなたがグラフを確認している間」. It presents the chart-checking as an ongoing action during the time when the speaker reads the comments.
間
In 「確認している間」, 「間」 means while or during the time. It follows a clause describing an ongoing situation and sets the time during which another action happens.
チーム
「チーム」 means team in 「チームのコメント」. It identifies whose comments are being read, and it can be linked to a following noun with の.
コメント
「コメント」 means comment or comments in 「チームのコメント」. Here it refers to the team’s written feedback, and it is the object of the reading action in the sentence.
読みます
「読みます」 means read in 「チームのコメントを読みます」. In this dialogue it describes what the speaker will do while the other person checks the chart, and it can take written material marked by を.
細かい
「細かい」 means detailed or fine-grained in 「細かいところ」. Here it describes small details of the work that the speaker can understand better, and it comes directly before ところ to describe those details.
ところ
In 「細かいところ」, 「ところ」 refers to points or details rather than a physical place. Together with 細かい, it identifies the smaller details the speaker can now understand.
も
In 「細かいところももっとよく分かります」, 「も」 means also or even and includes the detailed points in what the speaker understands. It can add another item or area to an ability or description already being discussed.
よく
「よく」 means well or clearly in 「もっとよく分かります」. It describes the degree of understanding, and it commonly comes before 分かります when someone understands something clearly or better.
分かります
「分かります」 means understand or can follow in 「細かいところももっとよく分かります」. Here the speaker can understand the details better after the break, and the understood content appears before it.
休憩
「休憩」 means break in 「休憩で」. It refers to the pause from work that affected how the work felt, and it can be used to name a work or activity break.
で
In 「休憩で、仕事が軽く感じられました」, 「で」 presents the break as the factor or means through which the change in feeling occurred. It can connect an event or circumstance with the resulting experience.
仕事
「仕事」 means work in 「仕事が軽く感じられました」. It is the work that felt less heavy after the break, and it is marked by が as the thing being experienced.
軽く
「軽く」 describes the work as feeling light or less burdensome in 「仕事が軽く感じられました」. It presents the quality experienced by the speaker and appears before 感じられました to describe that experience.
感じられました
「感じられました」 means felt or seemed in 「仕事が軽く感じられました」. It reports the speaker’s perception that the work felt lighter after the break, rather than claiming that the work itself objectively changed.
Grammar Points
～ましょう／～ましょうか
始めましょう。続けましょうか。
hah-jee-meh-mah-SHOH. Tsoo-DZOO-keh-mah-SHOH kah.Let's start. Shall we continue?
Use ～ましょう for a suggestion including the speaker; ～ましょうか asks whether to do it together.
～て、～
ファイルを開いて確認します。
fah-ee-roo oh hee-rah-ee-teh kah-koo-neen shee-MAHSS.I will open the file and check it.
The て-form connects actions in sequence; 開いて means “open and,” linking it to 確認します.
Japanese Vocabulary
いちばん
adv
ee-chee-BAHN
the most
グラフ
noun
goo-RAH-foo
chart
すっきりした気分
phrase
soo-KEE-ree SHEE-tah kee-BOON
a refreshed feeling
ファイル
noun
fah-ee-roo
file
もっと
adv
MOHT-toh
more
開いて
verb
hee-rah-ee-teh
open and
始めましょう
verb
hah-jee-meh-mah-SHOH
let's start
集中する
verb
SHOO-choo soo-roo
to focus
続けましょうか
phrase
tsoo-DZOO-keh-mah-SHOH kah
shall we continue?
大事な
adj
DAH-ee-jee nah
important
必要
noun
hee-TSOO-yoh
necessity; need
部分
noun
BOO-boon
part
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
let's start
Show Answer
始めましょうto focus
Show Answer
集中するshall we continue?
Show Answer
続けましょうかthe most