Talking about jogging as a hobby | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 仕事のあとにジョギングを始めたんだ。

   I started jogging after work.

   仕事

   work; job

   あとに

   after

   ジョギング

   jogging

   始めた

   started

   More detail

   仕事 means “work” or “job.” In 仕事のあとに, it is the noun used as the reference point for the time expression. の links 仕事 to あと: “the time after work.” For example, 仕事のあとに休みます。 means “I rest after work.” あとに expresses a time that comes after something. Here, に marks that time as the point when the next action begins. The phrase 仕事のあとに therefore means “after work,” not simply “work.” ジョギング is the loanword for “jogging.” It names the activity that is begun. Japanese can use an activity noun with 始める, as in 勉強を始める, “start studying.” 始めた is the past form of 始める, “to start” or “to begin.” The ending た shows that the starting happened in the past. 始める is the non-past form; 始めた is its past form. For example, 運動を始めた。 means “I started exercising.” The person who started is understood from context; this form itself does not specify the subject. In ジョギングを始めた, を marks ジョギング as the object of 始める: “start jogging.” The particle is present in the fixed utterance. The final んだ adds an explanatory, matter-of-fact tone to the completed statement; it does not change the basic past meaning. Together, 仕事のあとに identifies the time, ジョギングを始めた expresses the past event of starting jogging, and んだ gives the statement its explanatory tone: “I started jogging after work.”

2. これまでどう？

   How is it going so far?

   これまで

   so far

   どう？

   how is it?

   More detail

   これまで means “up to now” or “so far.” It sets the time range for the question: the speaker is asking about the situation from an earlier point until the present. It is a useful time expression, not a verb. For example, これまで順調です。 means “Things have gone smoothly so far.” どう asks about the state, quality, or progress of something. Its exact meaning depends on what is understood from context; here, the fixed translation shows that it asks how the situation is going. For example, 新しい仕事はどう？ means “How is the new job?” The form どう is different from なに, which asks what something is, and from どうして, which asks why. Together, これまでどう？ follows the compact pattern [time range] + どう？, literally asking “How [has it been] so far?” Japanese often leaves the topic and the verb understood when the context makes them clear. In this context, the question concerns the progress of the activity just mentioned, and the following reply describes a slow pace and improvement. A natural reusable translation is “How is it going so far?”

3. ペースは遅いけど、上達してるよ。

   My pace is slow, but I am improving.

   ペース

   pace

   遅い

   slow

   けど

   but

   上達してる

   improving

   More detail

   ペース is a noun meaning “pace” here: the speed at which the speaker is progressing. It is a loanword written in katakana. For example, 自分のペースで進みます。 means “I’ll proceed at my own pace.” 遅い is the adjective meaning “slow” here. Its base form is also 遅い; in this sentence it directly describes ペース in a predicate: “the pace is slow.” A useful opposite is 速い, “fast.” Before another predicate, the same adjective changes form: 遅く進みます。 means “I proceed slowly.” けど is a casual conjunction meaning “but” or “though.” It links the first statement, ペースは遅い, with the contrasting statement that follows. A more formal equivalent is けれども; the shorter けど is common in conversation. For example, 難しいけど、楽しいです。 means “It is difficult, but it is fun.” 上達してる is the conversational shortened form of 上達している. The underlying verb is 上達する, “to improve” or “to make progress.” している presents the improvement as an ongoing situation here, so 上達してる means “am improving” rather than simply naming a one-time improvement. The shortened form is natural in casual speech and writing; 上達しています is more polite. For example, 少しずつ日本語が上達しています。 means “My Japanese is improving little by little.” Together, ペースは遅いけど sets up a contrast: the pace is slow, while 上達してる says that improvement is nevertheless happening. は marks ペース as the topic. The final よ adds conversational emphasis, presenting the statement as an assurance or piece of information for the listener. Thus the whole utterance means: “My pace is slow, but I am improving.”

4. 決まったコースはある？

   Do you have a regular route?

   決まった

   regular; fixed

   コース

   route; course

   ある？

   is there one?; do you have one?

   More detail

   決まった describes コース: here it means “fixed” or “regular,” as in a route that has already been decided. It comes from 決まる (“to be decided”); 決まった is its past form, placed before a noun to modify it. The past form here does not make the whole question past. Example: 予定が決まった。 — “The plan has been decided.” コース is a loanword meaning “course” or “route.” In this utterance, the fixed translation supports the “regular route” reading. It can also refer to a course or planned track in other contexts, so the surrounding noun phrase determines the intended sense. ある？ asks whether an inanimate thing exists or is available. ある is the non-past form used with things, while いる is used for people and animals. In a context about someone’s running practice, 決まったコースはある？ naturally means “Do you have a regular route?” rather than merely asking whether a route exists somewhere. The short form ある？ is casual; a more polite version is ありますか？. The pattern [noun] は ある？ asks whether there is or someone has the item named by [noun]. Here, 決まったコース (“a fixed/regular route”) is marked as the topic by は, and ある？ asks about its existence or availability. Together, the utterance means: “Do you have a regular route?”

5. いつも公園の周りを走ってるよ。

   I usually run around the park.

   いつも

   usually; always

   公園

   park

   周り

   surroundings; around

   走ってる

   am running; run

   More detail

   いつも expresses a repeated pattern. Here it means “usually,” describing what happens regularly; in other contexts it can mean “always” or “every time.” 公園 means “park.” It is a noun and can combine with の to describe a relation: 公園の周り means “the area around the park.” Here の links the park to 周り; it does not mean possession in the narrow sense. 周り is a noun meaning “the surrounding area” or “vicinity.” In 公園の周りを走ってる, the particle を marks the route or area through which the running takes place, so the phrase means “run around the park.” This use of を is different from marking a direct object. 走ってる is the conversational shortened form of 走っている, from the base verb 走る “to run.” 〜ている can describe an action in progress or a repeated/current activity. With いつも here, it presents running as the speaker’s regular activity rather than necessarily something happening at this exact moment. The contracted form 走ってる is common in casual speech. Together, いつも + 公園の周りを + 走ってる gives “I usually run around the park.” The subject is omitted in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies it as “I.” The sentence-final よ adds an informing or assertive tone. The contraction and よ make the sentence conversational and casual.

6. どんな目標に向かってるの？

   What goal are you working toward?

   どんな

   what kind of

   目標

   goal

   向かってる

   working toward

   More detail

   どんな comes before a noun and asks what kind or what sort of thing it is. Here it modifies 目標, so どんな目標 asks which goal or what kind of goal. Example: どんな音楽が好き？ — “What kind of music do you like?” 目標 means “goal” or “objective.” It is a noun and can be followed by particles such as に when it is the destination of an action or effort. Example: 目標を決めた。 — “I set a goal.” 向かってる is the conversational shortened form of 向かっている, from 向かう (“head toward” or “work toward”). The 〜ている form here presents an ongoing orientation or effort toward a destination; with 目標に, that destination is a goal rather than a physical place. Example: 夢に向かって努力している。 — “I am working toward my dream.” In casual speech, 向かっている is commonly reduced to 向かってる. Together, どんな目標に向かってる means “what goal are you working toward?” The ending の？ makes the question conversational and invites an explanation. The whole utterance is therefore どんな目標に向かってるの？ — “What goal are you working toward?”

7. 止まらずにジョギングしたいんだ。

   I want to jog without stopping.

   止まらずに

   without stopping

   ジョギング

   jogging

   したい

   want to do

   んだ

   adds an explanatory tone

   More detail

   止まらずに means “without stopping” here. It is based on 止まる (“to stop”): 止まら is the negative form stem, and -ずに connects it to the following action with the meaning “without doing ….” A reusable pattern is V-ずに + action, as in 薬を飲まずに寝た (“I went to bed without taking medicine”). ジョギング is the noun “jogging.” With する, it becomes the verb expression ジョギングする (“to jog”); this is a common way for an activity noun to function as an action in Japanese. In this sentence, ジョギング is followed by the する form contained in したい. したい means “want to do.” The relevant base verb is する (“to do”): する → し + たい gives したい. The -たい form expresses the speaker’s desire to perform the action named before it, so ジョギングしたい means “want to jog.” For example, 今日は歩きたい means “I want to walk today.” んだ is the contracted conversational form of のだ. It presents the preceding statement with an explanatory or emphatic tone. Here, したいんだ is still “I want to do it,” with the added sense of explaining or stressing that desire; it does not change the desired action. Together, 止まらずに (“without stopping”) modifies ジョギングしたい (“want to jog”), and んだ gives the statement its explanatory tone. The whole utterance means “I want to jog without stopping.”

8. 少しずつ力をつけていけば、現実的だよ。

   That is realistic if you build up slowly.

   少しずつ

   little by little

   力

   strength; ability

   つけて

   build up; develop

   いけば

   if one keeps doing so

   現実的

   realistic

   More detail

   少しずつ means doing something in small increments. It is a reusable adverbial expression for gradual change, not a statement that the action happens only once. Example: 少しずつ慣れていく。— “I’ll get used to it little by little.” 力 means strength or ability. In this sentence, with the following をつける, it refers to building up a useful capacity rather than merely possessing physical force. The context of wanting to jog supports an ability or stamina-related reading, while the word itself can be broader. Example: 力をつける。— “to build up one’s ability.” つけて is the て-form of つける. Here つける means “to develop” or “to build up” a capacity, as in 力をつける; it does not mean physically attaching an object. The て-form connects this verb to the following construction. Example: 練習して力をつける。— “I practise and build up my ability.” いけば is the conditional form of いく in the construction Vていけば: Vて + “keep progressing/continue doing so” + a conditional ending. After 力をつけて, it presents continued development as the condition: “if you keep building it up.” The subject is not stated in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies the addressee as the person doing the building. Example: 続けていけば、上達する。— “If you keep going, you will improve.” 現実的 means “realistic” or “feasible.” It is a な-type adjective: before a noun, use 現実的な; as the predicate here, 現実的だ means “is realistic.” The final よ adds an informing or assertive nuance, presenting this assessment to the listener. Together, 少しずつ modifies 力をつけていけば: if the listener continues building up their ability gradually, the result or plan is 現実的だよ, “that is realistic.” The sentence therefore means, “That is realistic if you build up slowly.”