Responding politely when someone cuts in line | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. すみません、列の最後尾は私たちの後ろだと思います。

   Excuse me, I think the end of the line is behind us.

   すみません

   Excuse me; I’m sorry

   列

   line; queue

   最後尾

   end of the line

   私たち

   we; us

   後ろ

   behind; back

   と思います

   I think

   More detail

   すみません is a polite apology or attention-getter. Here it works as “Excuse me,” before addressing someone. The same form can also mean “I’m sorry” when apologizing. 列 means a line or queue. It is a noun; in this sentence, 列の links it to the following noun: “of the line.” The particle の commonly connects two nouns in this kind of relationship. 最後尾 means the rearmost part, or the end of a line. It is a noun formed from 最後 (“last”) and 尾 (“tail/end”), but it functions as one noun here. In 列の最後尾, it identifies the end of the queue rather than a person standing there. 私たち is the first-person plural pronoun “we/us.” Japanese pronouns do not change for grammatical case in the way some languages do; the surrounding particle shows the role. In 私たちの後ろ, の connects 私たち to 後ろ, giving “behind us.” 後ろ means the back or a position behind something. With の, the pattern Xの後ろ means “behind X” or “the back of X.” Example: 駅の後ろ means “behind the station.” Here, 私たちの後ろ is the location “behind us.” と思います is a polite way to say “I think” or “I believe.” The form 思います is the polite nonpast form of 思う (“to think”), while と marks the preceding statement as the content of the thought. The pattern [statement]と思います is reusable for giving an opinion without presenting it as an absolute fact. The preceding clause is 列の最後尾は私たちの後ろだ (“the end of the line is behind us”), and と思います adds “I think.” Putting the parts together, 列の最後尾は sets “the end of the line” as the topic, 私たちの後ろだ says that it is “behind us,” and と思います presents this as the speaker’s belief. The complete utterance therefore means: “Excuse me, I think the end of the line is behind us.”

2. すみません、最後尾がどこか分かりませんでした。

   Sorry, I did not notice where it ended.

   すみません

   Sorry; excuse me

   最後尾

   the end of the line

   どこか

   where

   分かりませんでした

   could not tell

   More detail

   すみません is a polite apology or attention-getter. Here it apologizes before the speaker says they could not identify something. It can also stand alone as “excuse me” in another situation. 最後尾 means “the end of the line” here: the rearmost position in a queue. It is a noun. Example: 最後尾はこちらです。 — “The end of the line is here.” どこか is an embedded question meaning “where.” It consists of the question word どこ (“where”) followed by か, which marks the question clause inside 最後尾がどこか分かりませんでした. In this construction, か does not mean that the location is merely an unspecified place; the clause asks what location the end of the line was. A direct question would be どこですか — “Where is it?” 分かりませんでした is the polite past negative form of 分かる (“to understand; to know; to be able to tell”). The useful chain is 分かる → 分かりません (“do not know / cannot tell”) → 分かりませんでした (“did not know / could not tell”). Here it describes the speaker’s inability to identify the location. Example: 説明が分かりませんでした。 — “I did not understand the explanation.” Together, 最後尾がどこか分かりませんでした says that the speaker could not tell where the end of the line was. With すみません, the whole utterance means “Sorry, I did not notice where it ended.” The wording is polite and suitable when addressing someone in a public situation.

3. ここからは案内が見えにくいです。

   The signs are hard to see from here.

   ここからは

   from here

   案内

   signs

   見えにくい

   hard to see

   More detail

   ここからは means “from here” in this sentence. ここ is “here,” and から marks the starting point, so ここから is “from here.” The topic particle は presents that phrase as the relevant viewpoint: “as for from here” or, naturally, “from here.” It does not itself add a numeric or directional meaning beyond the starting point. 案内 is a noun meaning guidance or directions. With the fixed translation, it refers here to signs—the written or posted information used for guidance. The same noun can also refer more generally to guiding someone or providing information, so the surrounding sentence determines the intended sense. 見えにくい means “hard to see.” It is built from 見える, “be visible” or “can be seen,” and にくい, which forms an adjective meaning that something is difficult to do or experience. Thus 見えにくい focuses on the signs’ visibility from the stated viewpoint. Compare 見にくい, “difficult to look at/read,” which uses 見る (“look at; see”) rather than 見える. For example, この文字は小さくて見えにくい。 means “This writing is small and hard to see.” Here 見えにくい is an i-adjective; です in the source gives the sentence a polite ending without changing that meaning. Together, ここからは sets the viewpoint, 案内 identifies the signs, and 見えにくいです says that they are difficult to see. The whole utterance therefore means: “The signs are hard to see from here.”

4. 灰色のコートの人の後ろに移ればいいですか。

   Should I move behind the person in the gray coat?

   灰色

   gray

   コート

   coat

   人

   person

   後ろに

   behind

   移ればいいですか

   Should I move…?

   More detail

   灰色 means “gray” here. It is a noun-like color word; 灰色のコート uses の to connect it to the noun it describes: “a gray coat.” Other color words can fit the same pattern, such as 青いシャツ (“a blue shirt”) when the color word itself is an adjective, so the connecting form depends on the target word’s grammar. コート is the loanword “coat.” In 灰色のコート, it is the item that is gray. Japanese commonly places a modifier before the noun it describes. 人 means “person” here. In 灰色のコートの人, it refers to the person in the gray coat, as specified by the fixed translation. The repeated の links 灰色 to コート and then links that noun phrase to 人. 後ろに means “behind” here, as the destination of the movement. 後ろ is a noun meaning “back” or “rear,” and に marks the position toward which movement is directed. Example: 椅子の後ろに立つ means “stand behind the chair.” 移ればいいですか asks whether moving is the appropriate action: “Should I move?” The base form of the verb is 移る, meaning “to move” or “to shift to another position.” Its conditional form here is 移れば; the -ば form followed by いい expresses that doing the action is suitable or acceptable. ですか makes the utterance a polite question. The subject is not stated in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies the speaker as the person who would move. Together, 灰色のコートの人 identifies the person in the gray coat, 後ろに marks the place to move to, and 移ればいいですか asks whether that move is the right thing to do. The whole utterance means: “Should I move behind the person in the gray coat?”

5. そうしてください。みなさん、しばらく待っています。

   Please do; everyone has been waiting a while.

   そうしてください

   Please do so.

   みなさん

   everyone

   しばらく

   for a while

   待っています

   has been waiting

   More detail

   そうしてください is a polite way to say “please do so.” そう points to an action already understood from the situation; して is the て-form of する (“do”), and ください makes the request polite. The pattern verb-てください is reusable: 見てください means “please look.” みなさん means “everyone” or “you all.” みな means “all/everyone,” and さん is a respectful form of address. This expression refers collectively to the relevant people; it does not by itself specify an exact number. しばらく means “for a while” or “some time.” It describes a period whose exact length is not specified. For example, しばらく休みます。 means “I will rest for a while.” 待っています means “is/are waiting” here, with the translation presenting the waiting as having continued for a while. Its base verb is 待つ (“wait”). 待って is the て-form, and います is the polite form of いる; together, 待っている describes an ongoing situation, while 待っています is its polite form. The subject is supplied by みなさん, so the polite verb form itself does not show a separate plural ending. In source order, そうしてください makes the request, and みなさん、しばらく待っています says that everyone has been waiting for some time. Together: “Please do so; everyone has been waiting a while.”

6. 横入りするつもりはありませんでした。

   I did not mean to cut in.

   横入りする

   cut in

   つもりはありませんでした

   did not intend to

   More detail

   横入りする means “to cut in” or “to enter from the side,” especially by inserting oneself into a line or turn-taking order. It is a verb in the dictionary form: 横入りする → 横入りします (polite non-past) and 横入りしました (polite past). Example: 列に横入りしないでください。 — “Please don’t cut in line.” つもりはありませんでした expresses that there was no intention to do something. つもり is a noun meaning an intention or plan; with a verb, Vつもり means “intend/plan to V.” Here, 横入りするつもり is “the intention to cut in.” The particle は highlights or contrasts that intention, and ありませんでした is the polite past negative form of ある, giving “there was not.” Thus 横入りするつもりはありませんでした means “I did not intend to cut in.” The structure is reusable: Vつもりはありませんでした = “I did not intend to V.” For example, 怒らせるつもりはありませんでした。 — “I did not intend to upset you.” Together, 横入りする identifies the action and 横入りするつもりはありませんでした states that the speaker did not have that intention. The polite past form presents this lack of intention as relating to the completed or relevant earlier situation.

7. こんなに混んでいると、そういうこともあります。

   It happens when the area gets this crowded.

   こんなに

   this much; so

   混んでいると

   when it is crowded

   そういう

   that kind of; such

   こともあります

   it can happen too

   More detail

   こんなに means “this much” or “so” and points to the degree visible in the situation. It is a degree expression, not a standalone statement about what is being measured. For example, こんなに大きい means “this big.” 混んでいると means “when it is crowded.” The useful base form is 混む (“to become crowded”); 混んでいる describes the resulting crowded state. The と at the end marks a condition or situation: AとB can mean “when A, B” or “if A, B.” Here, the fixed translation gives the reading “when the area gets this crowded.” そういう means “that kind of” or “such.” It modifies the following noun-like expression and refers to a kind of situation already understood from the context. Compare こういう (“this kind of”) for something presented as closer to the speaker, and ああいう (“that kind over there”) for something more distant in discourse or space. こともあります means “it can happen too” or “there are also cases like that.” こと presents an event or circumstance as a noun-like idea. も adds the sense of “also/too,” while あります is the polite nonpast form of ある, used here to say that such cases occur or exist. The nonpast form can describe a general possibility or recurring situation, not only something happening at this moment. Together, こんなに混んでいると sets the condition “when it is crowded to this degree.” そういうこと refers to the kind of event or circumstance understood in the situation, and もあります says that it can also occur. The whole utterance therefore means: “When the area gets this crowded, that kind of thing can happen too,” matching the fixed translation.

8. では、今から列の後ろに行きます。

   I'll head to the back now.

   では

   well then

   今から

   starting now

   列

   line; queue

   後ろ

   back; rear

   行きます

   go; head

   More detail

   では opens a transition such as “well then.” Here it moves on to the speaker’s next action; it is not part of the destination phrase. 今から means “starting now” and marks the starting point for an action. 今 is “now,” while から marks a starting point in time or place; here it marks time. For example, 今から始めます。 means “I’ll start now.” 列 means “line” or “queue.” It is a noun and can be used in compounds or noun phrases, such as 列に並ぶ (“stand in line”). 後ろ means “back” or “rear.” In this sentence, it identifies the back part of the queue. The phrase 列の後ろ uses の to connect the two nouns: “the back of the line.” The first noun specifies what the second noun is associated with. 行きます is the polite non-past form of 行く (“to go”). The non-past form can describe a planned or imminent action, so here it means “I’ll head” rather than necessarily “I go” as a general habit. The plain and polite forms are 行く and 行きます. For example, 駅へ行きます。 means “I’ll go to the station.” The sentence does not state the subject with a separate pronoun; the translation identifies the actor as “I.” Together, 列の後ろに marks the destination, with に indicating where the movement is directed: “to the back of the line.” 今から sets the action’s starting time, and 行きます says that the speaker will go there. Thus the complete utterance means, “Well then, I’ll head to the back now.”