Borrowing a Laptop Charger at Work | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: At work, one person borrows a laptop charger, checks the connector, and agrees where to return it..

EN → JA / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Laptop Charger at Work to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

ノートパソコンのバッテリーがもうほとんどありません。

noh-toh pah-soh-KOHN noh bah-teh-REE gah moh hoh-tohn-doh ah-ree-mah-SEN My laptop battery is almost empty.
B

会議まで、私の充電器を借りていいですよ。

KAI-gee mah-deh, wah-TAH-shee noh joo-DEN-kee oh kah-REE-teh ee deh-MASS-yoh You can borrow my charger until the meeting.
A

この充電器は私のノートパソコンで使えますか。

koh-noh joo-DEN-kee wah wah-TAH-shee noh noh-toh pah-soh-KOHN deh oo-seh-MASS kah Is it compatible with my laptop?
B

たぶん大丈夫ですが、先にコネクターを確認してください。

tah-boon dai-JOH-boo dess gah, sah-kee-nee koh-neh-koo-TAH oh kah-koo-NIN she-teh koo-dah-SAI It should be, but check the connector first.
A

合います。いまバッテリーを充電しています。

ah-ee-MASS, ee-mah bah-teh-REE oh joo-DEN she-teh ee-MASS It fits, and the battery is charging now.
B

使い終わったら、私の机に戻してください。

tsoo-KAI oh-WAHT-tah-rah, wah-TAH-shee noh tsoo-koo-EH nee moh-doh-SHE-teh koo-dah-SAI Put it back on my desk when you finish.
A

あなたが帰る前に、私が戻します。

ah-NAH-tah gah kah-eh-ROO mah-eh nee, wah-TAH-shee gah moh-doh-SHEE-mass I'll put it back before you leave.
B

それなら、私がまた充電器を必要とする前に、十分時間があります。

soh-reh nah-rah, wah-TAH-shee gah mah-tah joo-DEN-kee oh hee-tsoo-YOH toh soo-ROO mah-eh nee, joo-BOON JEE-kahn gah ah-ree-MASS That gives me enough time before I need it again.

Word by Word

ノートパソコン ノートパソコン means “laptop” here and identifies the kind of battery being discussed in ノートパソコンのバッテリー. A reusable pattern is ノートパソコンの＋noun for something belonging to or associated with a laptop.
の の links ノートパソコン and バッテリー, showing that the battery is associated with the laptop. A reusable pattern is nounのnoun, such as 私の机 for “my desk.”
バッテリー バッテリー means “battery” here, specifically the laptop battery in ノートパソコンのバッテリー. It can be used with verbs describing its condition, such as バッテリーがありません or バッテリーを充電しています.
が が marks バッテリー as the subject of the statement about what is or is not present. A reusable pattern is nounが＋condition or state, as in バッテリーがあります.
もう もう means “by now” or “already” here, indicating the battery has reached this condition by the present time in もうほとんどありません. It commonly appears before a statement about a changed or completed situation.
ほとんど ほとんど means “almost” here and shows that nearly all of something is gone in もうほとんどありません. With a negative expression, it describes an amount that is nearly absent.
ありません ありません is the polite negative form of ある, stating here that there is almost no battery remaining. It is used after the thing being described, as in バッテリーがありません.
会議 会議 means “meeting” here and names the time limit in 会議まで. It can be used with まで when something continues or is allowed until a meeting.
まで まで means “until” here and sets 会議 as the endpoint for borrowing the charger. A reusable pattern is time or event＋まで, meaning “until that time or event.”
私 私 means “I” or “my” here; in 私の充電器, it identifies the speaker as the owner of the charger. With の, it forms the reusable pattern 私の＋noun for “my＋noun.”
充電器 充電器 means “charger” here, the item being lent and later returned. It can be used with 借りる, as in 充電器を借りる, or with 戻す, as in 充電器を戻す.
を を marks 充電器 as the object of 借りて in 充電器を借りていいですよ. A reusable pattern is objectを＋action verb.
借りて 借りて is the te-form of 借りる and means “borrow” here in 借りていいですよ. With いいです, the pattern Vていいです asks or gives permission to do something.
いい いい means “okay” or “acceptable” here in 借りていいです, expressing that borrowing the charger is permitted. A reusable pattern is Vていいです for politely saying that an action is allowed.
です です gives the expression 借りていいです a polite sentence form. It follows いい and helps make the permission sound polite in this workplace conversation.
よ よ adds sentence-ending emphasis to 借りていいですよ, presenting the permission as information or reassurance for the listener. It is useful when clearly telling someone that something is okay.
この この means “this” here and points to the charger in この充電器, identifying it as the item being checked. It is placed directly before the noun it describes, as in このコネクター.
は は marks この充電器 as the topic of the question in この充電器は私のノートパソコンで使えますか. A reusable pattern is topicは＋information or question about that topic.
で で marks 私のノートパソコン as the device on which the charger can be used in 私のノートパソコンで使えますか. A reusable pattern is deviceで使えます for asking whether something works with a device.
使えます 使えます means “can be used” or “can work” here, asking whether this charger works with the speaker’s laptop. It is the polite form of the potential expression 使える, and a reusable pattern is Xで使えますか.
か か marks この充電器は私のノートパソコンで使えますか as a question. It is placed at the end of a polite question to ask for confirmation.
たぶん たぶん means “probably” here and shows that the answer is not completely certain in たぶん大丈夫です. It is commonly placed before the statement it qualifies.
大丈夫 大丈夫 means “all right” or “okay” here, referring to whether the charger will work with the laptop. It can be used as a short reassurance or as the predicate of a polite statement, as in 大丈夫です.
先 先 means “first” or “ahead” here as part of 先に, telling the listener to check the connector before continuing. The exact expression 先に is commonly used to say that an action should happen first.
に に helps form the adverbial expression 先に, meaning “first” or “beforehand” in this line. It can attach to 先 when indicating the order in which an action should be done.
コネクター コネクター means “connector” here, the part that should be checked before using the charger. It can be used as the object in コネクターを確認する.
確認して 確認して is the te-form of 確認する and means “check” or “confirm” here in コネクターを確認してください. It connects to ください to form a polite request for the listener to check something.
ください ください makes コネクターを確認してください a polite request meaning “please check the connector.” A reusable pattern is Vてください, asking someone to perform the action expressed by the te-form.
合います 合います means “fits” or “matches” here, confirming that the connector fits in 合います. It is the polite form of 合う, and it can be used to report that a part fits or matches another part.
いま いま means “now” here and indicates that the battery is charging at the present moment in いまバッテリーを充電しています. It commonly appears before an ongoing action or current state.
充電して 充電して is the te-form of 充電する and contributes the action “charge” in 充電しています. Together with います, the exact expression 充電しています describes charging that is currently in progress.
います います is the polite form of いる and, after 充電して, helps express the ongoing state in 充電しています. A reusable pattern is Vています for an action or state continuing at the relevant time.
使い終わったら 使い終わったら means “when you finish using it” here and sets the condition for returning the charger. It combines the idea of finishing use with たら, and a reusable pattern is Vたら for “when or after V happens.”
机 机 means “desk” here, specifically the owner’s desk in 私の机に. It can be used with に when naming the destination where something should be placed.
戻して 戻して is the te-form of 戻す and means “put it back” or “return it” here in 私の机に戻してください. Together with ください, it makes a polite request to return the charger to a specified place.
あなた あなた means “you” here and identifies the person who will leave in あなたが帰る前に. It is used with が when the listener is the subject of the following action.
帰る 帰る means “leave” or “go home” here in あなたが帰る前に. It is the dictionary form of the verb and is used before 前に in the reusable pattern Vる前に, meaning “before doing V.”
前 前 means “before” here in 帰る前に, referring to the time before the listener leaves. A reusable pattern is Vる前に＋action, meaning that the action should happen before V.
戻します 戻します means “will put it back” or “will return it” here, expressing the speaker’s commitment in 私が戻します. It is the polite form of 戻す and can be used when promising to return an object.
それ それ means “that” here and refers to the stated plan to put the charger back before the other person leaves. It commonly points back to information just mentioned, as in それなら.
なら なら means “if that is the case” or “then” here in それなら, responding to the other person’s plan. A reusable pattern is noun or phrase＋なら when drawing a conclusion from the information just given.
また また means “again” here and indicates that the speaker will need the charger at another time in 必要とする前に. It can be placed before a verb to show repetition, as in また使う.
必要 必要 means “need” or “necessity” here as part of 必要とする, the expression for needing the charger again. In this construction, 必要 provides the idea of necessity and combines with とする to express “need” or “require.”
と と links 必要 with する in the exact construction 必要とする, which means “need” or “require” something. Here it connects the idea of necessity to the verb that expresses treating something as necessary.
する する means “do” here as the verb completing 必要とする, which expresses needing or requiring the charger. The same dictionary-form verb can complete other noun＋とする expressions, but here its meaning comes from this full construction.
十分 十分 means “enough” or “sufficient” here and describes the amount of time in 十分時間があります. It is used before the amount or resource that is sufficient, such as 十分時間.
時間 時間 means “time” here, the amount available before the charger is needed again. It combines with あります in 十分時間があります to state that enough time is available.
あります あります is the polite form of ある and states that enough time exists or is available in 十分時間があります. It is commonly used after a noun to say that something is present or available.

Grammar Points

V-たら

使い終わったら、机に戻してください。

tsoo-KAI oh-WAHT-tah-rah, tsoo-koo-EH nee moh-doh-SHE-teh koo-dah-SAI

When you finish using it, please put it back on the desk.

Attach たら to the past form to express a condition or sequence: “when/after doing something.”

V-てください

コネクターを確認してください。

koh-neh-koo-TAH oh kah-koo-NIN she-teh koo-dah-SAI

Please check the connector.

Use てください to make a polite request to someone.

Japanese Vocabulary

コネクター noun
koh-neh-koo-TAH connector

コネクターを確認してください

たぶん adv
tah-boon probably

たぶん大丈夫です

ノートパソコン noun
noh-toh pah-soh-KOHN laptop

ノートパソコンのバッテリー

バッテリー noun
bah-teh-REE battery

バッテリーがもうほとんどありません

ほとんど adv
hoh-tohn-doh almost; nearly

もうほとんどありません

もう adv
moh already; now

もうほとんどありません

会議 noun
KAI-gee meeting

会議まで

使う verb
tsoo-KAH-oo use; be able to use 使えます

ノートパソコンで使えますか

借りる verb
kah-REE-roo borrow 借りて

充電器を借りていいですよ

充電器 noun
joo-DEN-kee charger

私の充電器

先に adv
sah-kee-nee first; beforehand

先にコネクターを確認してください

大丈夫 adj
dai-JOH-boo okay; all right

たぶん大丈夫ですが

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

use; be able to use

Show Answer使えます

laptop

Show Answerノートパソコン

battery

Show Answerバッテリー

almost; nearly

Show Answerほとんど