Asking a Librarian for a Book Recommendation | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 言語学習者向けの本をおすすめしていただけますか。

   Could you recommend a book for language learners?

   言語学習者

   language learner

   向けの

   for; intended for

   本

   book

   おすすめして

   recommend

   いただけますか

   could you ...?

   More detail

   言語学習者 means “language learner” here. It is a compound of 言語 (“language”) and 学習者 (“learner”; the person who learns). The compound identifies the intended audience of the book, not a specific number of learners. 向けの marks something as being intended or suitable for a particular audience. The pattern N向けのN means “a N intended for N.” For example, 子ども向けの本 means “a book for children.” Here, 言語学習者向けの modifies the noun that follows. 本 means “book.” In this sentence it is the item being requested as a recommendation. The noun phrase 言語学習者向けの本 therefore means “a book for language learners.” おすすめして is the て-form of おすすめする, “to recommend.” The て-form links this action to the following request construction; it is not the final polite ending by itself. おすすめする is a useful verb pattern for recommending something: 本をおすすめする means “recommend a book.” いただけますか is a polite request pattern following a て-form: Vていただけますか asks whether the listener could do V as a favor. いただく is the humble verb “receive,” but in this construction the natural meaning is a polite request rather than a literal request to receive an object. Thus おすすめしていただけますか politely asks the listener to recommend something. Together, 言語学習者向けの本 supplies the object being recommended, and おすすめしていただけますか politely asks the listener to perform that action. The complete utterance means, “Could you recommend a book for language learners?”

2. やさしい物語と短い記事のどちらをお探しですか。

   Are you looking for easy stories or short articles?

   やさしい

   easy; simple

   物語

   story; stories

   と

   or

   短い

   short

   記事

   article; articles

   どちら

   which of the two

   お探しですか

   are you looking for?

   More detail

   やさしい describes 物語 here as easy or simple. In Japanese it is an い-adjective: the form before a noun stays やさしい, while before a verb it can become やさしく, as in やさしく説明する (“explain simply”). The same sound can have the sense “kind” or “gentle” in other contexts; the fixed translation supports the “easy” sense here. 物語 is a noun meaning “story.” It can be used with a modifier before it, for example 短い物語 (“a short story”). The sentence does not itself specify how many stories are meant; the noun is presented as one of the two choices. と links the two alternatives in the larger pattern AとBのどちら (“which of A and B”). Although と has other uses, such as joining items in an “and” list, its role here is to connect the two options that the question contrasts. 短い describes 記事 as “short.” It is another い-adjective, with base form 短い; its negative form is 短くない (“not short”). For example, 短い記事を読む means “read a short article.” 記事 is a noun meaning “article,” commonly a written article. Together, 短い記事 is the second option in the question. どちら asks which one of two options is intended. It is a polite or neutral choice-question word; the more casual form どっち is common in informal speech. In this sentence, どちら follows the two alternatives and asks the listener to choose between them. お探しですか is a polite, respectful way to ask “are you looking for?” The underlying verb is 探す (“to look for; search for”); its stem is 探し, used in the respectful pattern お + verb stem + ですか. The か marks the question, while the respectful wording is directed toward the person being addressed. This form itself does not state what the person will ultimately choose. As a whole, やさしい物語と短い記事のどちら sets up two alternatives—easy stories and short articles—and お探しですか asks whether the addressee is looking for which of those two. Thus the utterance means, “Are you looking for easy stories or short articles?”

3. 簡単な言葉の短い物語がいいです。

   I want short stories with simple words.

   簡単な

   simple; easy

   言葉

   words

   短い

   short

   物語

   story; stories

   がいいです

   would like; is preferable

   More detail

   簡単な means “simple” here. 簡単 is a な-adjective: before a noun, it takes な, as in 簡単な言葉 (“simple words”). In another position, the related form is 簡単です (“is simple/easy”). 言葉 means “words” here. Japanese nouns generally do not mark singular versus plural, so 言葉 can refer to “word” or “words”; the translation specifies the plural meaning in this sentence. The pattern AのB links nouns or noun-like descriptions: 簡単な言葉の物語 means “a story of/with simple words.” 短い means “short.” It is an い-adjective, whose base form is already 短い; its polite predicate form is 短いです. The adjective directly modifies 物語 in 短い物語 (“short story” or “short stories”). 物語 means “story” or “stories.” As with 言葉, its form does not itself show singular or plural. Here it is the requested material, described as short and as using simple words. がいいです is a useful preference pattern. Nがいいです means “N is preferable” or “I would like N,” with the desired choice marked by が. In this sentence, がいいです applies to the whole noun phrase before it, not only to 物語. Putting the parts together, 簡単な言葉の describes the wording, 短い物語 means “short stories,” and がいいです expresses the speaker’s preference. The whole utterance therefore means: “I want short stories with simple words.”

4. この本には、わかりやすい物語と役に立つ絵があります。

   This book has easy-to-understand stories and helpful pictures.

   この

   this

   本

   book

   には

   in/on ...; as for ...

   わかりやすい

   easy to understand

   物語

   story; stories

   と

   and

   役に立つ

   useful; helpful

   絵

   picture; pictures

   あります

   there is; there are

   More detail

   この means “this” and points to a nearby noun. It comes before 本, so この本 means “this book.” Japanese demonstratives such as この do not show the noun’s number; the context and translation identify the referent here as the book being discussed. 本 means “book.” The form is unchanged whether English uses singular or plural, so the noun by itself does not mark number. には combines に and は. In this sentence, に identifies the place or setting in which something exists, while は presents that setting as the topic: “as for this book” or, more literally, “in this book.” The pattern 場所には、…があります is useful for saying that something is found in a place. わかりやすい means “easy to understand.” It is an adjective ending in -やすい, a productive pattern that describes something as easy to do: for example, 読みやすい本 means “a book that is easy to read.” Here, わかりやすい directly modifies 物語. 物語 means “story.” Japanese nouns normally do not change form for singular and plural, so 物語 can mean “story” or “stories”; the fixed translation supports the plural reading here. と joins the two listed nouns: 物語と絵 means “stories and pictures.” In this use, it is a coordinating particle, not the quotation particle found in other constructions. 役に立つ is a fixed expression meaning “to be useful” or “to help.” Its literal parts should not be treated as an ordinary adjective-noun phrase. It can modify a noun directly: 役に立つ本 means “a useful book.” Here it modifies 絵, giving “helpful pictures.” 絵 means “picture” or “pictures.” As with 物語, its form does not mark singular versus plural; the translation gives the plural interpretation in this sentence. あります is the polite form of ある, used here for the existence of nonliving things. The pattern …があります means “there is/are …” or, after a place marked by に, “the place has ….” The polite ending makes the statement suitable for ordinary courteous conversation. Together, この本には sets “this book” as the place/topic, わかりやすい物語と役に立つ絵 lists the things found in it, and あります states their existence. The whole utterance therefore means: “This book has easy-to-understand stories and helpful pictures.”

5. 今日、家に持って帰ってもいいですか。

   Can I take it home today?

   今日

   today

   家

   home; house

   持って帰って

   take it home

   もいいですか

   is it okay?

   More detail

   今日 means “today.” It is a time word and appears at the beginning, setting the time for the request. Example: 今日、行きます。— “I’m going today.” 家 means “home” or “house.” Here, 家に means “to home”: the particle に marks the destination. 家 by itself is the noun; に is what gives it the destination role in this sentence. Example: 家に帰ります。— “I return home.” 持って帰って is the て-form of 持って帰る, meaning “to take or carry something back.” In this sentence, the object is understood from the situation and is rendered as “it” in the fixed translation; the Japanese sentence does not state that object explicitly. The て-form connects this action to the following permission pattern. Example: 本を持って帰ります。— “I take a book home.” もいいですか is the permission pattern “is it okay?” or “may I?” After a verb in the て-form, Vて + もいいですか asks whether doing that action is permitted. Here, 持って帰って + もいいですか asks whether taking it home is allowed. The か marks the sentence as a question. Example: ここに座ってもいいですか。— “May I sit here?” Together, 今日、家に持って帰ってもいいですか。means “Can I take it home today?” The structure is “today + to home + take/carry back + is it okay?” The utterance asks for permission to take the understood item home, with 今日 specifying when.

6. カウンターで図書館カードを見せてください。

   Please show your library card at the desk.

   カウンター

   counter; service desk

   図書館カード

   library card

   見せてください

   please show

   More detail

   カウンター means “counter” or, in this setting, “service desk.” It is a noun borrowed into Japanese. A useful related contrast is 受付 (“reception desk” or “reception”), which is not interchangeable in every situation. 図書館カード is the compound noun “library card”: 図書館 means “library,” and カード means “card.” Japanese commonly places the modifying noun before the noun it specifies, as in 図書館カード. Example: 学生カード means “student card.” This example is a new illustration, not information from the supplied sentence. 見せてください is the polite request “please show.” The lexical verb is 見せる (“to show”), and 見せて is its て-form. Adding ください to a て-form makes a polite request: 見せてください = “please show.” This form addresses the listener; it does not itself identify who will show the item. Example: 名前を書いてください。 — “Please write your name.” In カウンターで, the particle で marks the place where the action takes place, so the showing is done “at the counter.” 図書館カードを uses を to mark the item being shown: “the library card.” The pattern 場所で 物を 見せてください can therefore be reused as “Please show [an item] at [a place].” Together, カウンターで図書館カードを見せてください。 means “Please show your library card at the desk.” The request is polite, and the sentence leaves the possessor of the card implicit in Japanese; the fixed translation supplies “your” for the intended meaning.

7. 今、借ります。

   I will check it out now.

   今

   now

   借ります

   will borrow; will check out

   More detail

   今 means “now” here: it places the action at the present moment or makes it the next action. It can also refer to the present period in other contexts, but in this sentence it is a time word. 借ります is the polite nonpast form of 借りる, “to borrow.” In this library context, the intended action is checking an item out. Japanese nonpast forms can refer to a future action when the context makes that reading natural, so 借ります can mean “I will borrow/check it out,” not only “I borrow.” The polite form is useful in service situations. Do not confuse 借りる “borrow” with 貸す “lend.” Example: 本を借ります。 — “I will borrow/check out a book.” Here 本を explicitly names what is being borrowed; in the fixed sentence, that object is omitted because it is understood from context. Together, 今 + 借ります gives “I will check it out now.” The time word 今 says when, and the polite verb 借ります states the intended borrowing action. Japanese can omit an object when the context makes it clear.

8. 読み終わったら、また別の本をおすすめしてもらいに来てください。

   Come back for another recommendation after you finish it.

   読み終わったら

   after finishing reading it

   また

   again

   別の

   another; different

   本

   book

   おすすめしてもらいに

   to have someone recommend one

   来てください

   please come

   More detail

   読み終わったら combines 読む “to read” with 終わる “to finish.” The compound 読み終わる means “finish reading”; 読み is the stem form of 読む used before the second verb. Here, 読み終わったら is its past conditional form: “after [someone] has finished reading.” The understood object is the item referred to as “it” in the fixed translation and supported by the preceding context. また means “again” or “once more.” It shows that the requested visit is a further visit, without specifying how many previous visits there were. 別の means “another” or “different,” and it modifies the noun that follows. It is useful for selecting a different member of the same general category: 別の方法 “another method,” for example. 本 means “book.” In this sentence, 別の本 is “another book.” The noun 本 is also used in counting books, but no counting expression is present here. おすすめしてもらいに contains おすすめする “to recommend,” whose て-form is おすすめして, followed by もらう “to receive [someone’s action as a favor]” and に marking the purpose of coming. The pattern V-てもらう presents the subject as having someone do V for them; V-てもらいに来る means “come in order to have someone do V.” Thus this part means coming to have another book recommended, rather than simply recommending a book oneself. Example: 先生に説明してもらいに行きます。 “I’m going to have the teacher explain it to me.” 来てください is a polite request meaning “please come.” 来る is an irregular verb; its て-form is 来て, followed by ください. The request is directed to the listener, while the understood subject of the earlier forms is interpreted from the sentence’s context. Together, 読み終わったら sets the time condition, また marks a further visit, and 別の本をおすすめしてもらいに来てください asks the listener to come in order to receive a recommendation for another book. The whole utterance therefore means: “Come back for another recommendation after you finish it.”