Asking someone to save your place in line | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: While waiting in line, one adult asks another to keep their place during a quick restroom break..

EN → JA / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Asking someone to save your place in line to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

ちょっとお願いしてもいいですか？

CHOHT-toh oh-neh-GAI shee-teh moh EE-dess kah? Could you do me a quick favor?
B

何が必要ですか？

NAH-nee gah hee-TSOO-yoh dess kah? What do you need?
A

トイレに行っている間、私の場所を取っておいてくれますか？

TOH-ee-reh nee EE-teh-ee-roo AH-ee-dah, wah-TAH-shee noh BAH-shoh oh TOHT-teh OH-ee-teh koo-reh-MAHS kah? Can you keep my place while I use the restroom?
B

できますが、列が動き始めたら、すぐに戻ってきてください。

deh-kee-MAHS gah, reh-TSOO gah oo-GOH-kee hah-jee-meh-TAH-rah, soo-GOO-nee moh-DOHT-teh kee-teh koo-DAH-sigh. I can, but please come back quickly if the line starts moving.
A

すぐに戻ります。

soo-GOO-nee moh-DOH-ree-MAHS. I'll be right back.
B

列が動いたら、私は前に進んで、あなたの場所を取っておきます。

reh-TSOO gah oo-GOH-ee-TAH-rah, wah-TAH-shee wah MAH-eh nee soo-SUN-deh, ah-NAH-tah noh BAH-shoh oh TOHT-teh OH-kee-MAHS. If the line moves, I'll move forward and keep your place.
A

ありがとうございます。急いで、すぐに戻ってきます。

ah-ree-gah-TOH goh-ZAI-mahs. ee-SO-ee-deh, soo-GOO-nee moh-DOHT-teh kee-MAHS. Thanks. I'll hurry and come straight back.

Word by Word

ちょっと In ちょっとお願いしてもいいですか？, ちょっと softens the request and makes it sound like a small favor. It is useful when beginning a polite request to another person, such as asking for brief help.
お願い お願い means a request or favor in ちょっとお願いしてもいいですか？. It commonly appears before する in お願いする, and you can use it when politely asking someone for help.
して して is the form used in お願いしてもいいですか？, contributing the action of making or giving a request. The pattern お願いしてもいいですか？ is useful when asking permission to make a request.
も In お願いしてもいいですか？, も is part of the permission pattern asking whether something is acceptable. Use it in a request such as ここに座ってもいいですか？ when asking if you may do something.
いい いい means okay or acceptable in お願いしてもいいですか？. Together with しても and ですか, it asks whether making the request is all right; use the same pattern when asking permission.
です です gives the request お願いしてもいいですか？ a polite sentence ending. It is useful after a polite description or expression when speaking respectfully to someone you do not know well.
か か marks お願いしてもいいですか？ as a question. It is used at the end of a polite question, such as 何が必要ですか？ in the same dialogue.
何 何 means what in 何が必要ですか？, asking which thing is needed. It is useful before a particle such as が when asking about an unknown thing.
が が marks 何 as the thing that is needed in 何が必要ですか？. Use it after the thing being identified with expressions such as 必要です when asking what is necessary.
必要 必要 means needed or necessary in 何が必要ですか？. With です, it describes what is required, so you can use it to ask about needed items or information.
トイレ トイレ means restroom in トイレに行っている間. With に, it identifies the destination of going; use トイレに行く when saying that you are going to the restroom.
に In トイレに行っている間, に marks トイレ as the destination of 行っている. Use the pattern destination に行く when describing where someone is going.
行って 行って is the form used in 行っている間, referring to going to the restroom as part of the time expression. The pattern 行っている間 describes the period while someone is away doing that action.
いる いる in 行っている間 helps describe the action as continuing during the relevant period. It appears after the action form in 行っている間, useful when saying while someone is doing or being in an ongoing state.
間 間 means while or during in 行っている間. It follows the situation that continues during a period, and is useful for explaining what happens while someone is away.
私 私 means I or my in 私の場所を取っておいてくれますか？. Here it identifies the speaker as the owner of the place; use 私の before a noun when referring to something belonging to the speaker.
の の links 私 to 場所 in 私の場所, showing that the place belongs to or is associated with the speaker. Use the pattern person の noun for similar possession or association.
場所 場所 means place or spot in 私の場所を取っておいてくれますか？. It refers here to the speaker’s spot in the line; use 場所を when identifying a place as the object of an action.
を を marks 場所 as the object of 取っておいて in 私の場所を取っておいてくれますか？. Use it after the thing that someone takes, holds, or otherwise acts on.
取って 取って is used in 取っておいて to describe taking or holding the speaker’s place. Together with おいて, it forms the request to keep the place reserved; use it with an object such as 場所を.
おいて おいて in 取っておいて adds the idea of leaving the place held for later. The expression 取っておいて is useful when asking someone to keep a place or item available.
くれます くれます means do something for me in 取っておいてくれますか？. It presents the other person’s action as a favor to the speaker, and is useful after an action when politely asking for that favor.
できます できます means can or be able to in できますが、列が動き始めたら、すぐに戻ってきてください。. Here it confirms that the speaker can keep the place; use it to answer whether an action is possible.
列 列 means line or queue in 列が動き始めたら and 列が動いたら. It is used with が when the line is the thing that moves, and is useful when talking about waiting in a queue.
動き始めたら 動き始めたら means if or when the line starts moving in 列が動き始めたら、すぐに戻ってきてください。. The form combines starting to move with a condition, and is useful for stating what should happen when movement begins.
すぐ すぐ means immediately or quickly in すぐに戻ってきてください and すぐに戻ります. It commonly appears before に戻る when asking or saying that someone will return without delay.
戻って 戻って is used in 戻ってきてください to describe returning. With きて, it tells the listener to come back to the relevant place; use it in a polite request with ください.
きて きて in 戻ってきてください adds movement back toward the relevant place or speaker. The expression 戻ってきてください is useful when asking someone who has left to come back.
ください ください makes 戻ってきてください a polite request meaning please come back. It commonly follows a verb in this request pattern when asking another person to do something.
戻ります 戻ります means return or go back in すぐに戻ります. The polite form is useful when telling someone that you will return, especially after a short absence.
動いたら 動いたら means if or when it moves in 列が動いたら、私は前に進んで、あなたの場所を取っておきます。. It introduces the condition that the line has moved, and is useful for explaining what will happen after that event.
は は marks the topic 私は in 私は前に進んで, setting the speaker as the person who will move forward. Use it after the person or thing you want to make the topic of the sentence.
前 前 means front or ahead in 前に進んで. With に, it identifies the direction or position toward which the person moves; use 前に進む when saying to move forward.
進んで 進んで means move forward or proceed in 前に進んで. It connects this action to the following action, so the speaker will move forward and then keep the place; use it after a direction such as 前に.
あなた あなた means you in あなたの場所を取っておきます. With の, it identifies the listener’s place; use あなたの before a noun when referring to something belonging to or associated with the listener.
おきます おきます in 取っておきます means keep or leave something held for later. It is useful after an action when saying that the result will be maintained, as in keeping someone’s place.
ありがとうございます ありがとうございます means thank you in ありがとうございます。. It is a polite expression of thanks after receiving help; it contains ありがとう and ございます as the components of the full expression.
急いで 急いで means hurry in 急いで、すぐに戻ってきます。. It connects hurrying with the following return, and is useful when saying that you will act quickly to get back.
戻ってきます 戻ってきます means come back or return to the relevant place in すぐに戻ってきます. It combines returning with movement back toward that place, and is useful when promising someone that you will return.

Grammar Points

〜ている間

行っている間

EE-teh-ee-roo AH-ee-dah

while going; while I am away

Attach ている間 to describe an action or situation that continues during another time.

〜たら

動き始めたら

oo-GOH-kee hah-jee-meh-TAH-rah

if; when it starts moving

たら expresses a condition or the time when something happens.

Japanese Vocabulary

お願い noun
oh-neh-GAI favor; request
すぐに adv
soo-GOO-nee right away; quickly
ちょっと adv
CHOHT-toh a little; just
できます verb
deh-kee-MAHS can; be able to
トイレ noun
TOH-ee-reh restroom; toilet
何 pron
NAH-nee what
行っている間 phrase
EE-teh-ee-roo AH-ee-dah while going; while I am away
私の場所 phrase
wah-TAH-shee noh BAH-shoh my place
取っておいてくれますか phrase
TOHT-teh OH-ee-teh koo-reh-MAHS kah could you keep; could you save
動き始めたら verb
oo-GOH-kee hah-jee-meh-TAH-rah if; when it starts moving
必要です adj
hee-TSOO-yoh dess need; be necessary
列 noun
reh-TSOO line; queue

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

a little; just

Show Answerちょっと

could you keep; could you save

Show Answer取っておいてくれますか

need; be necessary

Show Answer必要です

while going; while I am away

Show Answer行っている間