Borrowing a screwdriver and returning it clean | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. ちょっとした修理のために、あなたのドライバーを借りてもいいですか？

   Could I borrow your screwdriver for a small repair?

   ちょっとした

   small; minor

   修理

   repair

   のために

   for the purpose of

   あなたの

   your

   ドライバー

   screwdriver

   借りてもいいですか

   may I borrow?

   More detail

   ちょっとした modifies the following noun and means “small” or “minor” here. The expression ちょっとした + noun often presents something as slight or not extensive. This is different from ちょっと, which can mean “a little” or “for a moment” on its own. Example: ちょっとした問題 means “a minor problem.” 修理 is the noun “repair.” A useful related form is 修理する, “to repair.” In this sentence, 修理のために uses 修理 as a noun before のために; the whole phrase means “for the purpose of a repair.” のために can mark purpose after a noun or noun-like phrase. Example: 勉強のために図書館へ行きます。 means “I go to the library to study.” あなたの means “your”: あなた is “you,” and の connects it to something associated with that person. Here it identifies the screwdriver as belonging to or being associated with the addressee. In natural Japanese, this possessive phrase can often be omitted when the owner is already clear, but it is stated here. ドライバー is the noun “screwdriver” in this context. It is a loanword written in katakana; the fixed translation determines the intended tool sense here. Example: ドライバーを使います。 means “I use a screwdriver.” 借りてもいいですか is a permission-request pattern. 借りる means “to borrow,” taking the thing borrowed as its object; it is different from 貸す, “to lend.” The form 借りても is the -て form plus も, and いいですか asks whether that action is acceptable. Thus V-てもいいですか is a reusable way to ask “May I V?” or “Is it okay if I V?” Example: ここに座ってもいいですか。 means “May I sit here?” Together, ちょっとした修理のために gives the purpose, “for a small repair.” あなたのドライバーを marks the addressee’s screwdriver as the object to be borrowed, and 借りてもいいですか politely asks permission to borrow it. The complete meaning is: “Could I borrow your screwdriver for a small repair?”

2. 青い工具箱の中にあります。

   It is in the blue toolbox.

   青い

   blue

   工具箱

   toolbox

   中

   inside

   あります

   is; exists

   More detail

   青い means “blue” here and directly modifies the noun that follows it: 青い工具箱 = “the blue toolbox.” It is the attributive form of the i-adjective 青い; a useful contrast is 青くない = “not blue.” Example: 青い車です。 — “It is a blue car.” 工具箱 means “toolbox.” It is a noun compound: 工具 means “tools,” and 箱 means “box,” but 工具箱 functions as one noun for a box used to hold tools. Example: 工具箱を開けます。 — “I open the toolbox.” 中 means “inside” or “the interior.” In 工具箱の中, the particle の links the container to its interior: “inside the toolbox.” With the location particle に, 工具箱の中に marks the place where something exists or is located. Example: 箱の中に鍵があります。 — “There is a key inside the box.” あります is the polite form of ある, used for the existence or location of a nonliving thing. Here it means “is located,” not simply “exists” in the abstract. The polite form あります is suitable for a straightforward polite statement; the plain form is ある. Example: 机の上に本があります。 — “There is a book on the desk.” Together, 青い工具箱の中に means “inside the blue toolbox,” and あります says that the already understood nonliving item is located there. The complete utterance is therefore “It is in the blue toolbox.”

3. 棚の金具を締める必要があります。

   I need to tighten the shelf brackets.

   棚

   shelf

   金具

   bracket; fitting

   締める

   to tighten

   必要があります

   need to; it is necessary

   More detail

   棚 is the noun “shelf.” In 棚の金具, の links one noun to another, so 棚の identifies the brackets/fittings associated with the shelf. The pattern AのB commonly means “B of A” or “B associated with A.” 金具 is a noun for a metal fitting or bracket. Here, the fixed translation specifies shelf brackets. The plural sense comes from the intended English meaning; the Japanese noun itself does not mark singular versus plural here. 締める is the transitive verb “to tighten.” Its dictionary form is also 締める, and it is used before another expression in 締める必要があります. For example, ねじを締める means “to tighten a screw.” Do not confuse it with 閉める, which means “to close” something such as a door or window. 必要があります is a polite way to express necessity: literally, it contains the noun 必要 (“necessity”) and the polite nonpast form あります of ある (“to exist”). After a dictionary-form verb, Vる必要があります means “need to V” or “it is necessary to V.” For example, 確認する必要があります。 means “I need to check it.” The Japanese construction itself does not specify who needs to act; the fixed translation supplies “I.” Together, 棚の金具を締める means “tighten the shelf brackets”: を marks 金具 as the object of 締める. Adding 必要があります gives 棚の金具を締める必要があります。, meaning “I need to tighten the shelf brackets.”

4. 中サイズのドライバーを使ってください。

   Use the medium screwdriver.

   中サイズ

   medium size

   ドライバー

   screwdriver

   使ってください

   please use

   More detail

   中サイズ means “medium size” here. It is a noun-like size expression, and 中サイズの + noun means “a medium-sized + noun.” The の links the size description to the noun; it is not the possessive meaning “of” in this sentence. For example, 小サイズの箱 means “a small-sized box.” ドライバー means “screwdriver” here. Japanese also uses this loanword for the tool; the surrounding context identifies the intended tool rather than a person who drives. The noun is the object marked by を in this sentence. 使ってください is a polite request meaning “please use.” Its base form is 使う (“to use”). The form 使って is the te-form of 使う, followed by ください, which makes a polite request: V-てください = “please V.” For example, 確認してください means “please check.” The chunks combine as 中サイズのドライバーを (“the medium screwdriver” as the thing to be used) + 使ってください (“please use”). Thus the complete utterance is “Please use the medium screwdriver,” or naturally, “Use the medium screwdriver.” The polite request form makes this suitable for a courteous instruction.

5. その金具には、そのドライバーのほうがよく合います。

   It fits those brackets better.

   その金具

   those brackets

   そのドライバー

   that screwdriver

   のほうが

   the ... one is the better choice

   よく

   well

   合います

   fits

   More detail

   その金具 means “those brackets” here. その is a demonstrative used before a noun; its exact referent is supported by the fixed translation and sentence context. 金具 is a noun for a metal fitting or bracket. With に, the phrase identifies what the tool fits: “for those brackets” or “with those brackets.” そのドライバー means “that screwdriver.” ドライバー is the noun for a screwdriver, and その marks it as the relevant identifiable one. The preceding sentence also mentions a medium screwdriver, but this sentence itself does not state that the screwdriver is medium-sized. のほうが presents the screwdriver as the preferable option in a comparison. The pattern [A]のほうが marks A as more suitable or preferable than another option in the relevant respect; that alternative may be left unspoken. Here, そのドライバーのほうが says that this screwdriver is the better choice for the brackets. よく modifies 合います here and means “well” in the expression よく合う, “fit well.” The comparative meaning “better” comes from combining this description with のほうが, not from よく alone. On its own, よく can also mean “often,” so its meaning is determined by the construction and context. 合います is the polite nonpast form of 合う, “to fit” or “to suit.” The polite form is made by using the stem 合い- with ます: 合う → 合います. In this sentence, it describes suitability or physical fit, not an action of putting the screwdriver into the fitting. Together, その金具には sets the brackets as the item concerned, and そのドライバーのほうがよく合います says that the screwdriver fits them better than another implied option. The complete meaning is: “That screwdriver fits those brackets better.”

6. いつ返せばいいですか？

   When should I return it?

   いつ

   when

   返せばいいですか

   should I return it?

   More detail

   いつ means “when.” It is the question word used to ask about a time, and it can appear before the rest of the question as here. Example: いつ来ますか？ means “When will you come?” 返せばいいですか contains the verb 返す (“to return something”) in its ば-form, 返せば, followed by いい (“good”) and the polite question ending ですか. The pattern V-ばいいですか asks what action is appropriate: ここに返せばいいですか？ means “Should I return it here?” Here, adding いつ asks which time is appropriate. Do not confuse transitive 返す (“return something”) with 返る (“return/go back” oneself); the former is the form used in this utterance. Together, いつ + 返せばいいですか asks, politely, “When should I return it?” The object of 返す is omitted in Japanese and is understood from the situation; the fixed translation identifies it as “it.”

7. 夕食前に返してください。

   Please bring it back before dinner.

   夕食

   dinner

   前に

   before

   返して

   return or give back

   ください

   please

   More detail

   夕食 means “dinner” here. It is a noun and can combine with time expressions such as 夕食後 (“after dinner”) and 夕食前 (“before dinner”). Example: 夕食後に勉強します。 — “I study after dinner.” 前に expresses that something happens before a stated time or event. In 夕食前に, the noun 夕食 is followed by 前 (“before”) and に marks the time at which the action is to occur. Example: 出かける前に電話します。 — “I’ll call before going out.” 返して is the te-form of the verb 返す, “to return something” or “to give something back.” Here it means “bring it back,” with the object understood from the fixed translation rather than stated as a noun in the Japanese sentence. The te-form connects this verb to ください to make a polite request. Example: 本を返してください。 — “Please return the book.” ください forms a polite request when it follows a verb’s te-form. In 〜てください, the action is expressed by the preceding verb, while ください makes the request polite. Example: 見てください。 — “Please look.” Here, 返して carries the meaning “return,” and the two forms work together as 返してください. Together, 夕食前に sets the time—“before dinner”—and 返してください politely requests that the intended item be brought back. The whole utterance therefore means: “Please bring it back before dinner.”

8. ほこりが付いたら、先に拭きます。

   If it gets dusty, I'll wipe it off first.

   ほこり

   dust

   付いたら

   if it gets attached

   先に

   first

   拭きます

   wipe

   More detail

   ほこり means “dust.” It is a noun, and in ほこりが付く, the particle が marks dust as what comes to be attached or stuck. Example: 机にほこりがある。 — “There is dust on the desk.” 付いたら comes from 付く, “to become attached, stick, or get on.” The form 付いた is its past form, and adding ら creates a conditional meaning “if/when it gets attached.” Here, ほこりが付いたら means “if dust gets on it” or “when it gets dusty”; the thing affected is understood from the fixed meaning rather than named in this sentence. Example: 汚れが付いたら、すぐ洗います。 — “If it gets stained, I’ll wash it right away.” 先に is the adverb “first” or “beforehand.” It marks the wiping as the action to do earlier in the sequence. Example: 先に手を洗います。 — “I’ll wash my hands first.” 拭きます comes from the verb 拭く, “to wipe.” 拭きます is the polite nonpast form; in this sentence, it refers to the speaker’s intended or expected action, so it means “I’ll wipe.” Japanese often leaves the object unspoken when it is understood from context. Example: テーブルを拭きます。 — “I’ll wipe the table.” Together, ほこりが付いたら sets the condition, 先に specifies the order, and 拭きます gives the speaker’s polite action: “If it gets dusty, I’ll wipe it off first.”

9. それで、道具を良い状態に保てます。

   That helps keep the tools in good shape.

   それで

   with that; thereby

   道具

   tools

   良い

   good

   状態

   condition; state

   保てます

   can keep; can maintain

   More detail

   それで links this sentence to the preceding action and means “with that” or “thereby.” Here, it presents the earlier wiping action as the means that helps produce the result. As a broader pattern, A。それで、B。 can connect an action or situation A with its consequence B. 道具 means “tool” or “tools.” Japanese nouns generally do not mark singular versus plural by changing this form, so the context and translation determine the natural English number here. 良い is the adjective “good.” In 良い状態, it directly modifies the noun 状態 and keeps this form. A useful contrast is 悪い状態, “bad condition.” 状態 means “condition” or “state.” In 良い状態に, the particle に marks the state being maintained: “in good condition.” The pattern [状態] に保つ means “to keep something in [that] condition.” 保てます is the polite non-past potential form of 保つ, “to maintain” or “to keep.” The chain is 保つ → 保てる → 保てます: the latter expresses that maintaining it is possible or achievable in a polite style. The potential form is different from the plain non-potential 保ちます, “maintain/keep.” Together, 道具を良い状態に保てます means “can keep the tools in good condition.” 道具を marks the thing maintained, and 良い状態に marks the condition it is kept in. With それで, the complete utterance means “That helps keep the tools in good shape.”