Preparing for Heavy Rain | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 天気予報では、もうすぐ大雨が降り始めるそうです。

   The forecast says heavy rain will start soon.

   天気予報

   weather forecast

   では

   according to; in

   もうすぐ

   soon

   大雨

   heavy rain

   降り始める

   begin to fall

   そうです

   it is said; reportedly

   More detail

   天気予報 means “weather forecast.” It is a noun made from 天気 (“weather”) and 予報 (“forecast”), and can be used as the information source in a sentence. Example: 天気予報を見ます。 — “I check the weather forecast.” では marks 天気予報 as the setting or source for the statement here: “according to the forecast.” The particle で can mark a place, means, or setting, while は adds topic or contrast. In this sentence, it frames the information that follows; it does not itself mean that a numeric quantity is involved. もうすぐ means “soon,” referring to an event expected in the near future. Example: もうすぐ春です。 — “It will soon be spring.” 大雨 means “heavy rain.” 大 means “large” or “great” and 雨 means “rain”; together, 大雨 is the established noun for substantial rain, not simply a statement that there is a large number of rain events. Example: 大雨に注意してください。 — “Please be careful of heavy rain.” 降り始める means “begin to fall” here, with rain as the thing falling. It combines the verb 降る (“fall,” including rain or snow falling) in its connective form 降り with 始める (“begin”). The form 降り始める is the plain nonpast form; in this context, the forecast makes its event future-oriented: the heavy rain will start soon. Example: 雨が降り始めました。 — “The rain began to fall.” The pattern verb connective form + 始める means “begin to verb”: 食べ始める means “begin eating,” and 話し始める means “begin speaking.” 始める is the verb carrying the beginning meaning; 降り is the form of 降る that links it to 始める. そうです follows the plain form 降り始める and marks reported information: “it is said” or “the report says.” Here it presents the forecast as the source of the claim, rather than asserting from direct observation that the rain has already started. This hearsay pattern differs from an appearance-based use of そうです, which attaches differently and means that something looks likely. Putting the parts together, 天気予報では sets the forecast as the source, もうすぐ places the event in the near future, 大雨が降り始める says that heavy rain will begin to fall, and そうです marks the whole prediction as reported information. The complete meaning is: “The forecast says heavy rain will start soon.”

2. それなら、今日は防水の靴を履いてください。

   Then wear waterproof shoes today.

   それなら

   then; in that case

   今日は

   today

   防水の

   waterproof

   靴

   shoes

   履いてください

   please wear

   More detail

   それなら means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the advice to information already given, here the forecast of heavy rain. It is a reusable conditional transition: [situation]. それなら、[response]. For example: 雨ですか。それなら、傘を持っていきます。—“Is it raining? In that case, I’ll take an umbrella.” 今日は combines 今日, “today,” with は, which marks today as the time being discussed. The topic marker does not itself mean “on” or assert a particular duration; the sentence presents today as the relevant time. For example: 今日は休みです。—“Today is a day off.” 防水の uses 防水, “waterproofing” or “water resistance,” before の to modify the following noun. This pattern links a noun-like description to another noun: [description]の + noun. Here it identifies the shoes as waterproof. The observed form is not an inflected adjective; の is the linker in this noun-modifying expression. 靴 means “shoes” or “a shoe.” In Japanese, the same noun form can refer to footwear generally or to one item when context makes that reading appropriate; it does not show English-style singular or plural marking here. A useful related footwear noun is 靴下, “socks,” but it is a different word, not a form of 靴. 履いてください contains 履いて, the te-form of 履く, “to put on or wear footwear or lower-body clothing,” plus ください, a polite request form. The base-form chain is 履く → 履いて. With ください, the construction [te-form] + ください asks someone to do the action politely: 靴を履いてください。—“Please put on your shoes.” 履く is used for footwear such as shoes and socks; other kinds of clothing can use different verbs. Together, それなら sets up the response “then/in that case,” 今日は marks today as the relevant time, 防水の describes the shoes, and 履いてください politely requests the action. The whole utterance means: “Then wear waterproof shoes today.”

3. 駅の近くにはいつも水たまりがあります。

   There are always puddles near the station.

   駅

   station

   近く

   nearby area

   いつも

   always

   水たまり

   puddle

   あります

   there is/are

   More detail

   駅 means “station.” It is a noun and can be combined with a location expression: 駅の近く means “near the station,” where の links the station to the nearby area. 近く means “nearby area” or “vicinity.” In 駅の近く, it identifies the area close to the station. A reusable pattern is Xの近くに (“near X”). Example: 学校の近くに店があります。 — “There is a shop near the school.” いつも means “always” or “every time.” Here it says that the puddles are present consistently, not just at this moment. Example: 彼はいつも早いです。 — “He is always early.” 水たまり means “puddle,” a noun for a small pool of water on the ground. Example: 道に水たまりがあります。 — “There is a puddle in the road.” あります is the polite nonpast form of ある, used here for the existence or presence of an inanimate thing. The form ある is the plain form, while あります is suitable in polite speech. Japanese commonly contrasts ある for inanimate things with いる for people and animals: 猫がいます。 means “There is a cat.” The full location chunk is 駅の近くには: 駅の近く means “near the station,” に marks the place where something exists, and は makes that place the topic. いつも adds the meaning “always.” Finally, 水たまりがあります says that puddles exist there. Together, 駅の近くにはいつも水たまりがあります。 means “There are always puddles near the station.”

4. 遅れに備えて、時間に余裕も必要かもしれません。

   You may also need extra time for delays.

   遅れ

   delay

   備えて

   prepare for

   時間

   time

   余裕

   spare room; leeway

   必要

   necessary; needed

   かもしれません

   may; might

   More detail

   遅れ means “delay” here. It is the noun form related to 遅れる, “to be late” or “to be delayed.” Example: 電車の遅れ means “a train delay.” 備えて comes from 備える, “to prepare for” or “to be ready for.” The て form connects this purpose phrase to the following statement. The reusable pattern N に備えて means “in preparation for N” or “to prepare for N.” Example: 災害に備えて、水を用意します。 — “I prepare water for disasters.” 時間 means “time.” It is a noun; the meaning “extra time” comes from its combination with 余裕, not from 時間 alone. Example: 時間があります。 — “There is time.” 余裕 means room or leeway—in this sentence, time to spare. In 時間に余裕, it describes spare capacity in the available time. Example: 出発まで時間に余裕があります。 — “There is plenty of time before departure.” 必要 means “necessary” or “needed.” In 時間に余裕も必要, the spare time is presented as something needed. A reusable pattern is N が必要です, “N is necessary,” and N が必要かもしれません, “N may be necessary.” かもしれません marks possibility: “may” or “might.” かもしれません is the polite form; the plain form is かもしれない. Example: 明日は雨かもしれません。 — “It might rain tomorrow.” The chunks combine as follows: 遅れに備えて gives the purpose, “to prepare for delays.” 時間に余裕も means “spare time as well,” with も adding this need to something else already relevant. 必要かもしれません says that it may be necessary. Together, the utterance means: “You may also need extra time for delays.”

5. ノートパソコンを防水ケースに入れたほうがいいですか。

   Should I put my laptop in a waterproof sleeve?

   ノートパソコン

   laptop

   防水

   waterproof

   ケース

   case; sleeve

   入れた

   put in

   ほうがいいですか

   should ...?

   More detail

   ノートパソコン means “laptop.” It is a noun for a portable computer; ノート here is part of the established compound, not a separate notebook meaning in this sentence. In a reusable sentence, it can be the object marked by を: ノートパソコンを使います。 means “I use a laptop.” 防水 means “waterproof” or “water-resistant” in this context. It is placed before ケース to describe the type of case. 防水 is a compact noun-like modifier in compounds, as in 防水バッグ, “waterproof bag.” ケース means “case” and, with the fixed translation, refers to a protective sleeve or case. 防水ケース therefore means “waterproof case/sleeve.” The noun is marked by に in 防水ケースに, showing the container or destination into which something is put. 入れた is the plain past form of the transitive verb 入れる, “to put something in” or “to place something inside.” The base-to-past relation is 入れる → 入れた. The object is ノートパソコンを, while 防水ケースに identifies the destination. In this sentence, 入れた does not independently mean that the laptop was already put there; its past form is part of the advice pattern that follows it. ほうがいいですか is a polite question pattern meaning “should I …?” After a verb’s plain past form, V-たほうがいい gives advice that doing V is preferable; adding ですか makes it a question. Thus 入れたほうがいいですか asks whether putting it in is the better choice. This pattern is different from simply asking whether an action happened: 入れましたか means “Did you put it in?” Together, ノートパソコンを marks the laptop as the thing affected, 防水ケースに marks the waterproof case/sleeve as the destination, and 入れたほうがいいですか asks whether putting the laptop there is advisable. The complete meaning is “Should I put my laptop in a waterproof sleeve?” The subject is not stated in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies it as the speaker asking about their own action.

6. 濡れないように、バッグの中に入れておいてください。

   Keep it inside your bag where it stays dry.

   濡れないように

   so it does not get wet

   バッグ

   bag

   中

   inside

   入れておいてください

   please put it in and keep it there

   More detail

   濡れないように expresses the purpose of preventing something from getting wet. 濡れる means “to get wet”; its negative form is 濡れない. The pattern 〜ないように commonly means “so that … does not happen” or “in order to avoid ….” Example: 忘れないようにメモします。 — “I’ll make a note so I don’t forget.” バッグ means “bag.” It is a noun commonly used for a bag or similar carrying case. In this sentence, バッグの中に means “inside the bag”: の links the bag with its interior, and 中 means “inside” or “the inside.” The particle に marks the destination or location where the item is put. Example: 鍵をバッグの中に入れます。 — “I put the key inside my bag.” 入れておいてください is a polite request built from 入れる, “to put something in,” 入れておく, “to put something in and leave it there,” and ください, “please.” 入れて is the connecting form of 入れる; おく adds the idea that the resulting placement should be maintained or prepared in advance. Here, the requested object is to be put inside the bag and kept there so it will not get wet. Example: この書類を机の上に置いておいてください。 — “Please put these documents on the desk and leave them there.” Together, 濡れないように gives the purpose, バッグの中に gives the destination, and 入れておいてください makes the polite request: “Please put it inside the bag and keep it there so it does not get wet.”

7. それなら、いつもより早く出たほうがいいですね。

   Then I should leave earlier than usual.

   それなら

   then; in that case

   いつもより

   than usual

   早く

   early; earlier

   出た

   left; went out

   ほうがいい

   it is better to; should

   ですね

   right; isn’t it

   More detail

   それなら means “then” or “in that case.” It refers to the situation just mentioned and introduces the speaker’s conclusion or suggestion. A reusable pattern is それなら、… (“In that case, …”). いつもより sets the comparison standard: “than usual.” より marks what something is compared with, so Xより can mean “than X” in a comparison. Here, いつもより does not itself say how much earlier. 早く is the adverbial form of 早い, meaning “early” or, in this comparison, “earlier.” It modifies the act of leaving. The useful form chain is 早い (“early”) → 早く (“early/earlier” when modifying an action). Example: 今日は早く寝ます。 means “I will go to bed early today.” 出た is the plain past form of 出る, “to leave” or “to go out.” In 出たほうがいい, this form is part of a recommendation pattern; it does not mean that the leaving has already happened. The pattern Vたほうがいい means “it is better to V” or “should V.” Example: 早く出たほうがいいです。 means “You should leave early.” ほうがいい expresses that one option is preferable. Combined with 出た, 出たほうがいい means “it is better to leave” or “should leave.” The fixed translation identifies the understood subject here as the speaker, so the sentence means that the speaker should leave. ですね is a polite sentence-final expression that can seek agreement or present a conclusion in a softer, confirmatory way. Here it adds a feeling like “right” or “I suppose” without changing the recommendation. Together, それなら (“then”), いつもより早く (“earlier than usual”), and 出たほうがいい (“should leave”) produce “Then I should leave earlier than usual.” The final ですね presents this as a gently confirmed conclusion.

8. そうすれば、移動のストレスが減るはずです。

   That should make the trip less stressful.

   そうすれば

   if so; in that case

   移動

   travel; movement

   ストレス

   stress

   減る

   decrease; lessen

   はずです

   should; is expected to

   More detail

   そうすれば means “if that is done” or “in that case.” そう points back to the relevant preceding situation; with the supplied context, it refers to leaving earlier than usual. すれば is the conditional form of する, so the reusable pattern is Xすれば = “if one does X” or “if X happens.” 移動 is a noun for moving from one place to another, and in this sentence it refers broadly to the travel or journey. In 移動のストレス, の links the two nouns: the stress associated with traveling. For example, 移動の時間 means “travel time.” ストレス is the loanword “stress.” Here it is the thing whose amount or intensity changes. The pattern Nのストレス is useful for naming stress connected with an activity or situation. 減る is an intransitive verb meaning “to decrease” or “become less.” Its dictionary form is 減る; the form itself is also suitable for a non-past statement. Because ストレス is the thing that decreases, Japanese uses 減る. Compare the transitive verb 減らす, “reduce”: ストレスを減らす means “reduce stress,” while ストレスが減る means “stress decreases.” はずです presents an expected result: “should” or “is expected to.” はず expresses an expectation or conclusion, and です gives the expression a polite form. It is not an absolute guarantee. For example, 明日は晴れるはずです。 means “It should be sunny tomorrow.” Together, そうすれば sets up the condition, 移動のストレス identifies the stress connected with traveling, 減る says that this stress will decrease, and はずです marks that decrease as an expected result. The whole utterance therefore means: “If you do that, the stress of traveling should decrease,” naturally rendered by the fixed translation as “That should make the trip less stressful.”