About This Lesson
Use Letting someone with heavy bags go first to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
すみません、私の前にどうぞ。
soo-mee-mah-SEN, wah-TAH-shee noh mah-eh nee DOH-zoh. Excuse me, you can go ahead of me.
B
本当にいいですか。あなたの場所を取りたくありません。
hohn-TOH-nee EE dess kah. ah-nah-TAH noh bah-SHOH oh toh-ree-tah-koo ah-ree-mah-SEN. Are you sure? I don't want to take your place.
A
大丈夫です。あなたのバッグは重そうです。
dye-JOH-boo dess. ah-nah-TAH noh BAHG-goo wah oh-MOH-soh dess. It's all right, your bags look heavy.
B
ありがとうございます。
ah-ree-gah-TOH goh-ZAH-ee-mahss. I appreciate it.
B
カウンターでは1分しかかかりません。
KAH-oon-tah deh-wah EEP-poon shee-kah kah-kah-ree-mah-SEN. I'll only be a minute at the counter.
A
もう少し待っても大丈夫です。
moh soo-KOH-shee MAH-teh moh dye-JOH-boo dess. I can wait a little longer.
B
お待たせしないようにします。
oh-mah-tah-SEH shee-NAH-ee YOO-nee shee-MAHS. I'll make sure I don't hold you up.Word by Word
すみません
In this dialogue, すみません is a polite way to get someone’s attention before offering them a place in line. It can also express a polite apology. A common reuse pattern is すみません、 followed by a question, request, or offer.
私
私 means “I” or “me” here, in 私の前にどうぞ, referring to the speaker’s position in the line. It is linked to 前 by の to form “in front of me.” A common reuse pattern is 私の followed by a related noun.
の
In 私の前, の connects 私 with 前 and shows the relationship “my” or “in front of me.” It links a noun to another noun. A common reuse pattern is person or thing + の + noun.
前
前 means “in front” or “ahead” here, referring to the position in front of the speaker in the line. In 私の前に, it identifies the place where the other person may go. A common reuse pattern is a place or person + の前.
に
In 私の前にどうぞ, に marks the destination or position “to/in front of.” It shows where the person may move in the line. A common reuse pattern is a place + に with movement or direction.
どうぞ
どうぞ means “please” or “go ahead” here, giving the other person permission to move in front. It makes the offer polite and direct. It is commonly used before or after an offered action, such as どうぞ、こちらへ.
本当に
本当に means “really” or “truly” here, showing that B is checking whether the offer is genuinely okay. It emphasizes the question いいですか. A common reuse pattern is 本当に followed by a statement or question.
いい
いい means “okay” or “acceptable” here, in 本当にいいですか, asking whether the offer is acceptable. Together with ですか, it asks for confirmation. A common reuse pattern is いいですか when checking permission or agreement.
です
In いいですか, です gives the question a polite form while keeping the meaning “is it okay?” It is the polite ending used with this statement. A common reuse pattern is a statement + ですか to ask a polite question.
か
か marks the preceding phrase as a question in いいですか. It turns the polite statement into a request for confirmation. A common reuse pattern is a sentence ending in か when asking a question.
あなた
あなた means “you” here, referring to the person whose place B does not want to take. In あなたの場所, it is connected to 場所 by の. A common reuse pattern is あなたの followed by something belonging or relating to the listener.
場所
場所 means “place” or “spot” here, specifically the other person’s position in the line. あなたの場所を取りたくありません means “I do not want to take your place.” A common reuse pattern is 場所を followed by an action involving a place.
を
を marks 場所 as the object of the action in 場所を取りたくありません. It shows what B does not want to take. A common reuse pattern is a noun + を + an action verb.
取りたく
In 取りたくありません, 取りたく is the form used to express “want to take” before the negative ending ありません. Here it describes B’s wish not to take the other person’s place. A common reuse pattern is an action form ending in たく followed by ありません to say that someone does not want to do that action.
ありません
In 取りたくありません, ありません makes the desire negative, so the whole expression means “do not want to take.” It completes the polite negative expression with 取りたく. A common reuse pattern is 〜たくありません for politely saying that someone does not want to do something.
大丈夫
大丈夫 means “all right” or “it’s okay” here, reassuring B that letting B go first is not a problem. In 大丈夫です, it is a polite reassurance. A common reuse pattern is 大丈夫です when accepting or reassuring someone.
バッグ
バッグ means “bag” here, referring to the bags B is carrying. It is the topic of the observation バッグは重そうです. A common reuse pattern is バッグを持つ for “carry a bag.”
は
は marks バッグ as the topic in バッグは重そうです. The sentence then gives an observation about the bags. A common reuse pattern is a noun + は followed by information about that topic.
重そう
重そう means “looks heavy” here, describing how the bags appear to the speaker. The form expresses an impression based on what the speaker sees, not a confirmed measurement. A common reuse pattern is an adjective stem + そうです to describe how something appears.
ありがとうございます
ありがとうございます is the polite expression “thank you” here, showing appreciation for being allowed to go ahead. It contains ありがとう, the expression of thanks, and ございます, which makes the expression more polite. Use ありがとうございます when thanking someone politely for help, permission, or a kindness.
カウンター
カウンター means “counter” here, the place where B will complete a brief task. It is followed by で to mark where the action occurs. A common reuse pattern is カウンターで followed by an action.
で
In カウンターでは, で marks the counter as the place where the task happens. The は after it adds the counter as the topic or focus of the statement. A common reuse pattern is a place + で + an action.
分
分 means “minute” here, in 1分しかかかりません, describing the amount of time needed. It is used with a number to express a duration. A common reuse pattern is a number + 分 for a number of minutes.
しか
In 1分しかかかりません, しか means “only” and limits the time to one minute. It is used together with the negative かかりません to express “will take only one minute.” A common reuse pattern is a limited amount + しか + a negative expression.
かかりません
かかりません means “will not take” or “will not require” here, referring to the time needed at the counter. Together with 1分しか, it reassures A that the task will be brief. A common reuse pattern is a duration + かかりません when saying that something will not take that amount of time.
もう
In もう少し待っても, もう means “a little more” and adds to 少し to mean “a little longer.” It does not mean “already” in this sentence. A common reuse pattern is もう少し followed by an amount or action when asking for or describing a little more.
少し
少し means “a little” here, referring to a small additional amount of waiting time. Together with もう, it forms もう少し, “a little longer” or “a little more.” A common reuse pattern is 少し followed by an action or amount.
待って
待って means “wait” here, in 待っても大丈夫です, referring to waiting longer in the line. It connects the action of waiting to the following expression. A common reuse pattern is 待って followed by ください for a polite request to wait.
も
In 待っても大丈夫です, も gives the meaning “even if” or “even when” the waiting happens, so the sentence says that waiting a little longer is okay. It is part of the construction 待っても大丈夫です. A common reuse pattern is an action form + ても大丈夫です to say that doing something is okay.
お待たせ
In お待たせしないようにします, お待たせ refers to keeping another person waiting. The whole expression says that B will make sure not to keep A waiting. A common reuse pattern is お待たせしました when apologizing for having kept someone waiting.
しない
In お待たせしないようにします, しない means “not do” and makes the action of keeping someone waiting negative. It shows what B will avoid doing. A common reuse pattern is an action form + しないようにする for making sure not to do something.
よう
In お待たせしないようにします, よう introduces the purpose or intended result “so that” B does not keep A waiting. It links the avoided action to します. A common reuse pattern is a negative action + ようにする for making an effort to avoid that action.
します
In お待たせしないようにします, します means “will do” or “will make sure,” referring to B’s intention to avoid keeping A waiting. It completes the expression 〜ようにします, “make sure to…” or “make an effort to…”. A common reuse pattern is an action or negative action + ようにします.
Grammar Points
～そうです
バッグは重そうです。
BAHG-goo wah oh-MOH-soh dess.The bag looks heavy.
Attach そうです to an adjective stem to say that something appears or seems a certain way.
～たくありません
私は場所を取りたくありません。
wah-TAH-shee wah bah-SHOH oh toh-ree-tah-koo ah-ree-mah-SEN.I do not want to take a spot.
Use the negative form ～たくありません to politely say that you do not want to do something.
Japanese Vocabulary
あなた
pron
ah-nah-TAH
you
いい
adj
EE
good; okay
すみません
intj
soo-mee-mah-SEN
excuse me; sorry
どうぞ
intj
DOH-zoh
please; go ahead
バッグ
noun
BAHG-goo
bag
私
pron
wah-TAH-shee
I; me
取る
verb
toh-ROO
to take
取りたくありません
重い
adj
oh-MOH-ee
heavy
重そうです
場所
noun
bah-SHOH
place; spot
前
noun
mah-eh
front; ahead
大丈夫
adj
dye-JOH-boo
all right; okay
本当に
adv
hohn-TOH-nee
really; truly
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
excuse me; sorry
Show Answer
すみませんto take
Show Answer
取りたくありませんheavy
Show Answer
重そうですbag