Checking the Apartment Before Leaving | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 出かける前に、アパートの中を確認しましょう。

   Before we leave, we should check the apartment.

   出かける

   leave; go out

   前に

   before

   アパート

   apartment

   中

   inside; interior

   確認しましょう

   let’s check; should check

   More detail

   出かける means “to go out” or “to leave.” This is the dictionary form of 出かける, and it can appear before another noun-like element in a time expression. Here it does not mean that someone has already left. 前に means “before.” The pattern verb-dictionary form + 前に expresses that one action happens before another: 寝る前に means “before going to bed.” In this sentence, 出かける前に is “before leaving.” アパート means “apartment.” It is a loanword used as a noun. In アパートの中, の links the apartment with its interior, giving “the inside of the apartment.” 中 means “inside” or “interior.” With の, the pattern Xの中 means “inside X.” The following particle を marks アパートの中 as what is checked; it is not part of the meaning “inside.” 確認しましょう means “let’s check” or, in this context, “we should check.” It is the polite volitional form of 確認する (“to check”): 確認する → 確認しましょう. The volitional form can present a joint proposal, while the fixed translation uses the natural English suggestion “we should check.” Together, 出かける前に sets the time—“before leaving”—and アパートの中を確認しましょう proposes checking the apartment’s interior. The whole utterance means: “Before we leave, we should check the apartment.”

2. コンロはもう消しました。

   I already turned off the stove.

   コンロ

   stove

   もう

   already

   消しました

   turned off

   More detail

   コンロ means “stove” or “cooktop.” It is a noun, and は marks it as the topic: “as for the stove.” The topic marker does not itself show who performed the action. もう means “already” here. It indicates that the action was completed before the relevant moment. For example, もう食べました。 means “I already ate.” 消しました is the polite past form of the verb 消す, “to turn off” or “to extinguish.” The form chain is 消す (plain nonpast) → 消しました (polite past). With an appliance such as a stove, 消す means “turn it off.” The performer is omitted from the Japanese sentence; the fixed translation identifies that performer as “I.” Together, コンロは sets the stove as the topic, もう says the action is already complete, and 消しました says it was turned off in polite past form. The whole utterance means: “I already turned off the stove.”

3. 窓は全部閉まっていますか。

   Are all the windows closed?

   窓

   window

   全部

   all; the whole set

   閉まっていますか

   are closed?

   More detail

   窓 means “window” here. It is a noun; Japanese does not require a plural ending, so the number of windows is understood from 全部 and the situation rather than from a change in 窓 itself. Example: 窓を開けます。 — “I will open the window.” 全部 means “all” or “the whole set.” Here it applies to the windows, giving the meaning “all the windows,” rather than just one window. It can also modify an action: 全部食べました。 — “I ate it all.” 閉まっていますか asks whether something is in a closed state. The underlying verb is the intransitive 閉まる (“close; become shut”). Its ている form, 閉まっている, describes the resulting state “be closed,” and か marks the utterance as a question. This differs from 閉める, the transitive verb “close something”: 窓を閉めます。 — “I close the window.” Together, 窓は sets the windows as the topic, 全部 specifies the whole set, and 閉まっていますか asks whether that set is in the closed state. The complete meaning is “Are all the windows closed?”

4. 寝室の窓がまだ開いています。

   The bedroom window is still open.

   寝室

   bedroom

   窓

   window

   まだ

   still

   開いています

   is open

   More detail

   寝室 means “bedroom.” It is a noun that can modify another noun directly: 寝室の窓 means “the bedroom’s window” or, naturally, “bedroom window.” 窓 means “window.” In 寝室の窓, の links the modifying noun 寝室 to the noun 窓; it does not mean that the bedroom possesses the window in any special sense. まだ means “still” here. It shows that the window remains in the open state at the relevant time. A useful contrast is もう (“already” or “no longer,” depending on the sentence): まだ開いています = “it is still open,” while もう閉まっています = “it is already closed.” 開いています is the polite form of the state “is open.” The underlying verb is the intransitive 開く (“open,” as in a door or window opening), and 開いている describes the resulting state. The -ています ending here does not mean that someone is actively opening it now; it presents the window as remaining open. The transitive verb 開ける means “open something,” as in 窓を開ける (“open the window”). Together, 寝室の窓 identifies the window, and まだ開いています says that its open state continues. The whole utterance therefore means: “The bedroom window is still open.”

5. 私が閉めて、ベランダのドアに鍵をかけます。

   I'll close it and lock the balcony door.

   私が

   I (subject)

   閉めて

   close and…

   ベランダ

   balcony

   ドア

   door

   鍵をかけます

   lock

   More detail

   私が identifies 私 as the subject: “I.” The particle が marks the subject and can give it focus, as in “I will do it.” The form 私 does not change for number or gender. 閉めて is the te-form of 閉める, “to close” something. The te-form links this action to what follows; here, the intended sequence is “close it and then lock the balcony door.” The object is omitted because the fixed translation and context support it as the thing being closed. Example: 窓を閉めてください。 — “Please close the window.” ベランダ means “balcony.” It is a noun and does not inflect for number. Example: ベランダに出ます。 — “I go out onto the balcony.” ドア means “door.” It is a noun; the phrase ベランダのドア means “the balcony door,” with の connecting the related nouns. Example: ドアを開けます。 — “I open the door.” 鍵をかけます is the usual Japanese construction for “lock [something].” 鍵 means “key” or, in this construction, the lock/locking mechanism; を marks it as the object of かけます. かけます is the polite nonpast form of かける. In this sentence, the polite nonpast form refers to the speaker’s intended action, so it is naturally translated “I’ll lock.” Example: 窓に鍵をかけます。 — “I’ll lock the window.” Together, 私が閉めて gives “I will close it, and then” or “I will close it and”; ベランダのドアに鍵をかけます gives “lock the balcony door.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I’ll close it and lock the balcony door.”

6. 廊下の電気がまだついています。

   The hallway lights are still on.

   廊下

   hallway

   電気

   lights

   まだ

   still

   ついています

   are on

   More detail

   廊下 means “hallway” and is a noun. It identifies the location associated with the lights. Example: 廊下を歩きます。 means “I walk through the hallway.” 電気 means “electric light” here, naturally “the lights.” In Japanese, 電気がつく is a common pattern for a light being switched on or being on; 電気 can also refer more broadly to electricity in other contexts, but the fixed translation and the following sentence make “lights” the intended meaning here. まだ means “still” in this sentence. It shows that the state continues at the relevant time. It commonly appears with an ongoing or remaining state, as in まだ雨です。 — “It is still raining.” ついています comes from つく, “to come on” or “become lit.” The ている form, ついている, describes the resulting state: a light is on. ついています is the polite form of that state expression. It is not the same as つけています, which means that someone is turning a light on or keeping it switched on as an action. The structure is 廊下の電気がまだついています: の links 廊下 to 電気, giving “the hallway lights”; が marks those lights as the subject; まだ adds “still”; and ついています says they are in the on state. Together, the utterance means “The hallway lights are still on.”

7. では、私が消します。

   So I'll turn them off.

   では

   So / then

   私が

   I

   消します

   will turn off

   More detail

   では marks a transition from the preceding situation and means “so” or “then” here. It is a useful way to move from recognizing a situation to stating the next action. For example: では、始めます。 — “Then, I’ll begin.” 私が contains 私 (“I”) plus が, the subject marker. Here, が presents the speaker as the person who will carry out the action, giving the sense “I’ll do it.” The form 私 itself does not change for gender or number. In another example, 山田さんがします。 means “Yamada will do it,” with が marking the performer. 消します is the polite form of 消す, meaning “to turn off” in this context. 消す can also mean “to erase” or “to put out,” depending on what is affected; with the lights in the supplied context, “turn off” is the intended meaning. The ending -ます makes the statement polite. Its nonpast form can describe a future action, so 消します can mean “I will turn them off” here. Example: 電気を消します。 — “I’ll turn off the light.” Together, では、私が消します。 means “So, I’ll turn them off.” では connects the action to the situation already established, 私が identifies the speaker as the actor, and 消します states the polite future action. In this context, “them” refers to the hallway lights mentioned in the surrounding text. The sentence is a polite, direct way to volunteer to carry out that action.

8. これで全部のはずです。

   That should be everything.

   これで

   with this; by this means

   全部

   everything; all

   のはずです

   should be; is expected to be

   More detail

   これで combines これ (“this”) with で, presenting this as the means or condition relevant to what follows. これ is a demonstrative meaning “this”; で has several uses, and here it marks the basis or means. 全部 means “everything” or “all of it.” It is noun-like and can refer to the relevant whole without stating how many items there are. Example: 全部見ました。 — “I watched/read all of it.” のはずです expresses an expected conclusion: “should be” or “is expected to be.” In the reusable pattern N のはずです, a noun or noun phrase is linked to はず; はず carries the expectation, and です makes the expression polite. The の here is the linking particle in that noun-based pattern. For a plain-form clause, Japanese can instead use a pattern such as 来るはずです (“should come”). Together, これで provides the relevant means or condition, 全部 identifies the whole being referred to, and のはずです presents that conclusion as expected rather than as an unqualified assertion. The complete meaning is “That should be everything.”

9. あまり遅くなる前に行きましょう。

   Let's go before it gets too late.

   あまり

   too much; excessively

   遅くなる

   become late

   前に

   before

   行きましょう

   let’s go

   More detail

   あまり modifies the following change and gives the idea “too much” here: “too late.” In an affirmative expression like this one, it indicates an excessive degree; it is not simply the neutral intensifier “very.” Example: あまり遅くなる前に帰りましょう。 — “Let’s go home before it gets too late.” 遅くなる means “become late.” It is built from 遅い (“late”) plus なる (“become”). The adjective changes from 遅い to its adverbial form 遅く before なる: 遅い → 遅くなる. This describes a change into a state, rather than simply stating that something is late. Example: 冬は早く暗くなる。 — “It gets dark early in winter.” 前に means “before.” After a verb in its plain form, 〜前に means “before doing something or before something happens”: 食べる前に — “before eating.” Here, 遅くなる前に means “before it becomes late.” 行きましょう means “let’s go.” The base verb is 行く (“go”), and 〜ましょう is the polite volitional form used for a suggestion or proposal. It presents going as a shared action, rather than merely describing that someone goes. Example: 一緒に行きましょう。 — “Let’s go together.” Together, あまり遅くなる前に means “before it gets too late,” and 行きましょう proposes going. The complete utterance is therefore “Let’s go before it gets too late.”