About This Lesson
Use Responding politely when someone cuts in line to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
すみません、列の最後尾は私たちの後ろだと思います。
soo-mee-mah-SEN, RET-soo noh SIGH-goh-BEE wa wah-tah-SHEE-tah-chee noh oo-shee-roh dah toh oh-MOH-ee-MAHS. Excuse me, I think the end of the line is behind us.
B
すみません、最後尾がどこか分かりませんでした。
soo-mee-mah-SEN, SIGH-goh-BEE gah doh-koh-kah wah-kah-ree-mah-SEN-deh-shee-tah. Sorry, I did not notice where it ended.
A
ここからは案内が見えにくいです。
koh-koh-KAH-rah wa ahn-nah-ee gah mee-eh-nee-KOO-ee dess. The signs are hard to see from here.
B
灰色のコートの人の後ろに移ればいいですか。
high-ee-ROH noh KOH-toh noh HEE-toh noh oo-shee-roh nee oo-TSOO-reh-bah EE dess-kah. Should I move behind the person in the gray coat?
A
そうしてください。みなさん、しばらく待っています。
soh-shi-TEH-koo-dah-SAI. mee-nah-SAHN, shee-bah-rah-koo MAH-teh-ee-MAHS. Please do; everyone has been waiting a while.
B
横入りするつもりはありませんでした。
yoh-koh-ee-ree soo-roo tsoo-MOH-ree wa ah-ree-mah-SEN-deh-shee-tah. I did not mean to cut in.
A
こんなに混んでいると、そういうこともあります。
kohn-nah-nee kohn-deh-ee-roo toh, soh-ee-oo KOH-toh moh ah-ree-MAHS. It happens when the area gets this crowded.
B
では、今から列の後ろに行きます。
deh-wah, ee-mah-kah-rah RET-soo noh oo-shee-roh nee ee-kee-MAHS. I'll head to the back now.Word by Word
すみません
「すみません」 politely opens an interaction and here is used to get attention before correcting the line position. It is also a standard apology when acknowledging a possible inconvenience, as in the other speaker’s reply.
列
「列」 means the queue or line in 「列の最後尾」. It identifies the organized row of people and can link with another noun to specify a part or position of the queue.
の
「の」 links 「列」 and 「最後尾」, making 「列の最後尾」 mean the end of the line. A reliable reuse is noun + の + noun to show a relationship between two nouns.
最後尾
「最後尾」 identifies the very back or end of the queue in 「列の最後尾」 and 「最後尾がどこか」. It is useful when pointing out where someone should join a line or asking where the line ends.
は
「は」 marks 「列の最後尾」 as the topic in 「列の最後尾は私たちの後ろ」. It frames the following information as what is being located or described.
私たち
「私たち」 means we or us and refers to the two speakers together in 「私たちの後ろ」. With の, it identifies the group used as the reference point for the location.
後ろ
「後ろ」 means the back or behind, and here 「私たちの後ろ」 locates the end of the line relative to the two speakers. It is reusable for describing a position behind a person or group.
だ
「だ」 states the identification 「列の最後尾は私たちの後ろだ」: the end of the line is behind us. Here it is followed by 「と」 to present that statement as what the speaker thinks.
と
「と」 marks the statement 「列の最後尾は私たちの後ろだ」 as the content of 「思います」. This quotation pattern lets a speaker present a thought or judgment.
思います
「思います」 means “I think” here and politely softens the statement about where the line ends. It is useful when giving an opinion or tentative judgment rather than presenting something as an absolute fact.
が
「が」 marks 「最後尾」 as the subject in 「最後尾がどこか分かりませんでした」. It identifies the thing whose location was not known.
どこ
「どこ」 asks where, inside 「最後尾がどこか」. With the following uncertainty marker, it forms an embedded question about the location of the line’s end.
か
「か」 marks 「最後尾がどこか」 as an embedded question or uncertain point, not a direct question standing alone. This pattern is useful when saying that you do or do not know where something is.
分かりません
「分かりません」 means “do not know” or “cannot tell” in 「分かりませんでした」. The form expresses inability to identify the location; 「でした」 then places that lack of knowledge in the past.
でした
In 「分かりませんでした」, 「でした」 makes the polite negative statement past, so the speaker says they did not know at that time. It is not functioning here as an independent identification of a noun.
ここ
「ここ」 means here and sets the speaker’s current viewpoint in 「ここからは案内が見えにくいです」. It commonly serves as the reference point for describing what can be seen or done at the current place.
から
「から」 marks the starting point in 「ここから」, meaning “from here.” It can also mark a starting time, as in the exact dialogue phrase 「今から」.
案内
「案内」 refers to the signs or guidance that indicate where people should go in 「案内が見えにくいです」. It is the thing whose visibility is being discussed.
見えにくい
「見えにくい」 means difficult to see in 「案内が見えにくいです」. The form describes something whose visibility is poor from a particular viewpoint; here the viewpoint is expressed by 「ここから」.
です
「です」 gives the sentence 「案内が見えにくいです」 a polite tone. It presents the description of the signs’ visibility appropriately in a courteous public interaction.
灰色
「灰色」 means gray and describes the coat in 「灰色のコート」. It is placed before 「のコート」 to identify which person’s coat is being used as a landmark.
コート
「コート」 means coat in 「灰色のコート」. Together with the color description, it helps identify the person whose position is the reference point.
人
「人」 means person in 「灰色のコートの人」. It identifies the individual associated with the gray coat, and the description before 「人」 specifies which person is meant.
に
「に」 marks the destination or position in 「人の後ろに移ればいいですか」. It shows where the speaker proposes moving, so it commonly follows a place or position with a movement verb.
移れば
「移れば」 means “if I move” in 「移ればいいですか」. Together with 「いいですか」, it asks whether moving to that position is the appropriate action.
いい
「いい」 means “okay” in the question 「移ればいいですか」, not simply “good.” It is part of a useful pattern for asking what action is appropriate.
そう
「そう」 means “so” or “that way” in 「そうしてください」, referring back to the suggested action of moving behind the gray-coated person. It lets the speaker refer to an action without repeating it.
して
「して」 is the action-linking form in 「そうしてください」. It connects 「そう」 with 「ください」, so the whole expression politely asks the listener to do that.
ください
「ください」 makes 「そうしてください」 a polite request: “Please do so.” It is commonly used after an action form when asking the listener to carry it out.
みなさん
「みなさん」 addresses or refers to everyone in the line in 「みなさん、しばらく待っています」. It is a polite, inclusive way to refer to a group of people.
しばらく
「しばらく」 means for a while in 「しばらく待っています」. It gives the waiting duration a general, non-exact length rather than a precise number of minutes.
待って
「待って」 is the action-linking form in 「待っています」. With 「います」, it describes everyone as continuing to wait.
います
「います」 follows 「待って」 in 「待っています」 and shows the ongoing state or action of waiting. Here it supports the meaning that the people have been waiting for a while.
横入り
「横入り」 means cutting into a line in 「横入りするつもり」. It names the specific line-related action that the speaker says was not intended.
する
「する」 turns 「横入り」 into the action “cut in” in 「横入りするつもり」. It is used after this noun to describe carrying out that action.
つもり
「つもり」 means intention in 「横入りするつもりはありませんでした」. It lets the speaker explain what they did or did not intend to do; the action being considered appears before it.
ありません
「ありません」 expresses that the intention is not present in 「横入りするつもりはありませんでした」. Together with 「は」 and 「つもり」, it forms the negative part of the statement; 「でした」 makes it past.
こんなに
「こんなに」 means “this much” or “so” and emphasizes the degree of crowding in 「こんなに混んでいる」. It is useful when the amount or degree is noticeable in the current situation.
混んで
「混んで」 describes being crowded in 「混んでいる」. It links with 「いる」 to describe the area as remaining crowded, and the full phrase is followed by 「と」.
いる
「いる」 follows 「混んで」 in 「混んでいる」 and shows the continuing state of being crowded. It is used here with the conditional 「混んでいると」 to connect that condition with what can happen.
そういう
「そういう」 means “such” or “that kind of” in 「そういうこと」. It points back to the kind of incident just discussed instead of naming it again.
こと
「こと」 means a thing or matter in 「そういうこと」. Here it refers to the kind of incident that can happen in a crowded area.
も
「も」 adds “also” or “even” in 「そういうこともあります」. It presents this incident as something that can happen too, broadening the statement to include this kind of event.
あります
「あります」 means “happens” in 「そういうこともあります」. The polite form presents the occurrence as something that can happen in crowded conditions.
では
「では」 means “well then” or “in that case” in 「では、今から列の後ろに行きます」 and marks a transition to the speaker’s next action. It combines 「で」, which frames the situation or transition, with 「は」, which gives that transition topic-like focus; together they move the conversation forward.
今
「今」 means now in 「今から」. With 「から」, it marks the point from which the speaker will act: from now.
行きます
「行きます」 means “go” or “head to” in 「列の後ろに行きます」. In this context it states the speaker’s immediate decision to move to the back of the line, and it follows the destination marked by 「に」.
Grammar Points
〜ば
ここから移れば、いいと思います。
koh-koh-KAH-rah oo-TSOO-reh-bah, EE toh oh-MOH-ee-MAHS.I think it would be good if we move from here.
The conditional form 〜ば means “if/when.” 移る changes to 移れば before expressing a condition.
〜ている
みなさん、しばらく待っています。
mee-nah-SAHN, shee-bah-rah-koo MAH-teh-ee-MAHS.Everyone is waiting for a while.
〜ている describes an action in progress. 待つ becomes 待っています in polite speech.
Japanese Vocabulary
ここから
phrase
koh-koh-KAH-rah
from here
ここからは
すみません
intj
soo-mee-mah-SEN
excuse me; sorry
すみません、列の最後尾は私たちの後ろだと思います。
どこか
pron
doh-koh-kah
where
最後尾がどこか
案内
noun
ahn-nah-EE
sign; guidance; information
案内が見えにくいです。
灰色
noun
high-ee-ROH
gray
灰色のコート
見えにくい
adj
mee-eh-nee-KOO-ee
hard to see; not easily visible
ここからは案内が見えにくいです。
後ろ
noun
oo-shee-roh
behind; back
私たちの後ろ
最後尾
noun
SIGH-goh-BEE
end of the line; very back
列の最後尾
思う
verb
oh-MOH-oo
to think
思います
だと思います
私たち
pron
wah-tah-SHEE-tah-chee
we; us
私たちの後ろ
分かる
verb
wah-KAH-roo
to understand; to know
分かりませんでした
最後尾がどこか分かりませんでした。
列
noun
RET-soo
line; queue
列の最後尾
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to think
Show Answer
思いますexcuse me; sorry
Show Answer
すみませんto understand; to know
Show Answer
分かりませんでしたfrom here