Reserving a Quiet Study Room | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: In a library, one person reserves a quiet study room and asks about the request form and key return..

EN → JA / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Reserving a Quiet Study Room to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

勉強室を予約したいです。

ben-KYOH-shee-tsoo o yoh-YAH-koo shee-TAH-ee dehss. I would like to reserve a study room.
B

今日はどの部屋が空いているか確認します。

KYOH wa doh-noh heh-YAH gah ah-EE-teh-ee-roo kah kah-KOO-nin shee-MAHS. Let me check which rooms are open today.
A

クラスメートと勉強できる静かな場所が必要です。

koo-RAH-soo-MEH-toh toh ben-KYOH deh-KEE-roo shee-ZOO-kah-nah bah-SHOH gah hee-TSOO-yoh dehss. I need a quiet place to study with a classmate.
B

今日の午後は小さい部屋が一つ空いています。

KYOH-noh goh-GOH wa shee-SAH-ee heh-YAH gah hee-toh-tsoo ah-EE-teh ee-MAHS. A small room is free this afternoon.
A

サービスデスクで予約できますか。

SAH-bee-soo DEH-soo-koo deh yoh-YAH-koo deh-KEH-mahs-kah. Can I book it at the service desk?
B

ここで申込用紙に記入してください。

KOH-koh deh moh-shee-KOH-mee YOH-shee nee kee-NYOO shee-TEH koo-DAH-sigh. Please fill in the request form here.
A

鍵はこのサービスデスクに返しますか。

kah-GHEE wa KOH-noh SAH-bee-soo DEH-soo-koo nee kah-EH-shee-MAHS-kah. Do I return the key to this service desk?
B

閉館前に鍵を返してください。

HAY-kahn-mah-EH nee kah-GHEE o kah-EH-shee-TEH koo-DAH-sigh. Bring it back before closing.

Word by Word

勉強室 「勉強室」 means a study room in 「勉強室を予約したいです」. It names the room the speaker wants to reserve. The dialogue also uses it as the object in 「勉強室を予約したいです」.
「を」 marks 「勉強室」 as the object of the reservation action in 「勉強室を予約したいです」. It shows what the speaker wants to reserve. The reusable pattern here is 「Nを予約する」.
予約 「予約」 means a reservation or booking in 「勉強室を予約したいです」. Here it refers to arranging use of the study room. It is used in the action pattern 「勉強室を予約する」.
「し」 is the part of 「予約したいです」 that connects the reservation action with the desire expression 「たい」. Together, 「予約したいです」 means that the speaker would like to reserve the room. This connection is used when expressing a desire to do an action.
たい 「たい」 expresses the speaker’s wish in 「予約したいです」: the speaker would like to make a reservation. It follows the action part 「予約し」 here. The polite expression 「予約したいです」 is useful when making a request at a service desk.
です 「です」 makes 「予約したいです」 a polite statement. Here it gives the speaker’s reservation request a courteous tone. The complete polite expression is 「勉強室を予約したいです」.
今日 「今日」 means today in 「今日はどの部屋が空いているか確認します」 and 「今日の午後」. In this lesson, it limits the availability check and the free time to today. 「今日の午後」 is a useful expression for this afternoon.
「は」 marks 「今日」 as the topic in 「今日はどの部屋が空いているか確認します」. The sentence is about what is available today. The reusable opening 「今日は」 introduces information about today.
どの 「どの」 means which in 「どの部屋が空いているか」. It comes before 「部屋」 to ask the person to select one or more rooms from the available options. The pattern 「どの + noun」 is used when asking which item.
部屋 「部屋」 means room in 「どの部屋が空いているか」 and 「小さい部屋が一つ空いています」. It refers to the library rooms being checked or offered. The dialogue uses the availability pattern 「部屋が空いている」.
「が」 marks 「部屋」 as the subject in 「部屋が空いている」. It identifies the rooms whose availability is being checked. The phrase 「部屋が空いている」 says that a room is available.
空いて 「空いて」 describes a room as available or unoccupied in 「空いているか」 and 「空いています」. It combines with 「いる」 or 「います」 to describe that state. 「部屋が一つ空いています」 says that one room is available.
いる 「いる」 is part of 「空いているか」 and indicates the continuing state of a room being available. The whole phrase is an embedded question about which rooms are open. The reusable pattern here is 「〜ているか確認します」.
「か」 marks the embedded question in 「どの部屋が空いているか確認します」. The question is included inside the larger statement about checking. The dialogue provides the reusable pattern 「〜か確認します」.
確認 「確認」 means check or confirm in 「どの部屋が空いているか確認します」. Here the speaker checks which rooms are available today. It is used with the embedded question pattern 「〜か確認します」.
ます 「ます」 makes 「確認します」 a polite action statement. The dialogue also uses it in 「返しますか」 for a polite question about returning the key. These forms are useful when speaking courteously with library staff.
クラスメート 「クラスメート」 means classmate in 「クラスメートと勉強できる静かな場所」. It identifies the person the speaker plans to study with. The dialogue uses it before 「と」 in 「クラスメートと勉強できる」.
「と」 means with in 「クラスメートと勉強できる」. It links the speaker with the classmate as study partners. The reusable pattern is 「人と勉強する」 or, as shown here, 「クラスメートと勉強できる」.
勉強 「勉強」 means study in 「クラスメートと勉強できる」. It also appears as the first part of 「勉強室」, meaning a room for study. In this dialogue, it names the activity that the quiet place must allow.
できる 「できる」 means can or be able to in 「勉強できる静かな場所」. Here it says that the place allows the speaker and the classmate to study. The reusable phrase is 「勉強できる場所」.
静か 「静か」 means quiet in 「静かな場所」. It describes the kind of place the speaker needs for studying. The dialogue uses it before 「場所」 in the expression 「静かな場所」.
「な」 connects 「静か」 to the noun 「場所」 in 「静かな場所」. It allows the description to directly modify the place. The complete reusable expression from the dialogue is 「静かな場所」.
場所 「場所」 means place in 「勉強できる静かな場所」. It refers to the location the speaker needs for studying with a classmate. The dialogue presents it in the requirement 「静かな場所が必要です」.
必要 「必要です」 means is needed or is necessary in 「静かな場所が必要です」. Here the quiet place is the speaker’s requirement. The dialogue provides the reusable pattern 「場所が必要です」.
「の」 is listed as a worklist item, but it does not appear in any supplied Japanese dialogue line. Its dialogue-specific meaning and use therefore cannot be determined from this lesson.
午後 「午後」 means afternoon in 「今日の午後」. Together with 「今日の」, it identifies the time when the small room is available. The complete time expression is 「今日の午後」.
小さい 「小さい」 means small in 「小さい部屋」. It describes the size of the room offered for the afternoon. The reusable phrase from the dialogue is 「小さい部屋」.
います 「います」 is part of 「空いています」, which politely describes the room’s available state. In 「今日の午後は小さい部屋が一つ空いています」, it tells the listener that one room is free. The complete availability expression is 「空いています」.
サービスデスク 「サービスデスク」 means service desk in 「サービスデスクで予約できますか」 and 「このサービスデスクに返しますか」. It is the library desk where the reservation is handled and where the key may be returned. The dialogue uses it with both 「で」 and 「に」 for these different actions.
「で」 marks the place where an action happens in 「サービスデスクで予約できますか」 and 「ここで記入してください」. It identifies the location of booking or filling in the form. The dialogue contrasts this action location with the return destination marked by 「に」.
ここ 「ここ」 means here in 「ここで申込用紙に記入してください」. It points to the place where the listener should fill in the form. The expression 「ここで」 is useful when directing someone to perform an action at the current location.
申込用紙 「申込用紙」 means request or application form in 「申込用紙に記入してください」. It is the form on which the reservation information must be entered. The dialogue uses it with 「に記入してください」.
「に」 marks the form that receives the information in 「申込用紙に記入してください」. It also marks the return destination in 「このサービスデスクに返しますか」. Its role depends on the action: the form is written on, while the desk is the destination for returning the key.
記入 「記入」 means fill in or enter information in 「申込用紙に記入してください」. Here it refers to completing the request form. The complete request expression is 「申込用紙に記入してください」.
して 「して」 is the request-form part of 「記入してください」. Together with 「ください」, it politely asks the listener to fill in the form. The dialogue uses the reusable request expression 「記入してください」.
ください 「ください」 means please in 「記入してください」. It turns the instruction to fill in the form into a polite request. The complete expression is 「申込用紙に記入してください」.
「鍵」 means key in 「鍵はこのサービスデスクに返しますか」 and 「鍵を返してください」. It refers to the key used for the study room. The dialogue discusses both where to return it and the time by which to return it.
この 「この」 means this in 「このサービスデスク」. It identifies the particular service desk being discussed. The reusable pattern is 「この + noun」 when pointing out a specific nearby or already identified item.
返し 「返し」 carries the meaning of returning or giving back in 「返しますか」 and 「返してください」. In this lesson, the object being returned is the key. The complete expressions are 「このサービスデスクに返しますか」 and 「鍵を返してください」.
閉館 「閉館」 means the library’s closing in 「閉館前に鍵を返してください」. It identifies the event that sets the deadline for returning the key. The dialogue uses it in the time expression 「閉館前」.
「前」 means before in 「閉館前に鍵を返してください」. It places the key return before the library closes. The complete deadline expression is 「閉館前に鍵を返してください」.

Grammar Points

~てください

申込用紙に記入してください。

moh-shee-KOH-mee YOH-shee nee kee-NYOO shee-TEH koo-DAH-sigh.

Please fill in the application form.

This polite expression is used to make a request. The verb ending ~て is followed by ください.

~前

閉館前に鍵を返しますか。

HAY-kahn-mah-EH nee kah-GHEE o kah-EH-shee-MAHS-kah.

Will you return the key before closing?

~前 means “before.” に can mark the time when an action should happen.

Japanese Vocabulary

クラスメート noun
koo-RAH-soo-MEH-toh classmate
サービスデスク noun
SAH-bee-soo DEH-soo-koo service desk
確認します verb
kah-KOO-nin shee-MAHS check; confirm
空いている verb
ah-EE-teh-ee-roo be available; be vacant
午後 noun
goh-GOH afternoon
小さい adj
shee-SAH-ee small
場所 noun
bah-SHOH place
静かな adj
shee-ZOO-kah-nah quiet
必要です adj
hee-TSOO-yoh dehss need; be necessary
部屋 noun
heh-YAH room
勉強室 noun
ben-KYOH-shee-tsoo study room
予約 noun
yoh-YAH-koo reservation; booking

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

check; confirm

Show Answer確認します

classmate

Show Answerクラスメート

be available; be vacant

Show Answer空いている

need; be necessary

Show Answer必要です