Choosing an Online Language Course | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. オンライン語学コースを選びたいです。

   I want to choose an online language course.

   オンライン

   online

   語学

   language learning

   コース

   course

   選びたいです

   want to choose

   More detail

   オンライン means “online” here and can modify a noun to describe something provided or used through the internet. Example: オンライン授業 — “an online class.” 語学 refers to language study or language learning. In 語学コース, it specifies the kind of course; it is not the name of one particular language. Example: 語学を勉強します。 — “I study languages.” コース means “course.” Together, 語学コース is “language course.” Japanese commonly uses this loanword for an organized course of study. 選びたいです is the polite form of “want to choose.” Its base verb is 選ぶ (“to choose”); 選びたい is formed with the verb stem 選び- plus -たい, expressing the speaker’s desire to do the action. です adds a polite sentence ending. For example, 本を選びたいです。 means “I want to choose a book.” The object marker を after コース shows that the course is what the speaker wants to choose. Putting the parts together, オンライン describes 語学コース, を marks that course as the object, and 選びたいです says that the speaker wants to choose it: “I want to choose an online language course.”

2. スケジュールと口コミと教え方を比べてください。

   Compare the schedule, reviews, and teaching style.

   スケジュール

   schedule

   口コミ

   reviews; word-of-mouth opinions

   教え方

   teaching style

   比べてください

   please compare

   More detail

   スケジュール means “schedule.” It is a loanword used for a planned timetable or sequence of events. Example: スケジュールを確認します。 — “I will check the schedule.” 口コミ means reviews or word-of-mouth opinions. It commonly refers to people’s comments about a product or service, especially comments shared by users. Example: 口コミを読みます。 — “I read the reviews.” 教え方 means “teaching style” or “way of teaching.” It is formed from 教える (“to teach”) and 方 (“way” or “method”): the verb stem 教え plus 方 gives 教え方. This pattern is reusable with other verbs, such as 話し方 (“way of speaking”) from 話す (“to speak”). Example: 先生の教え方が分かりやすいです。 — “The teacher’s way of teaching is easy to understand.” 比べてください means “please compare.” The base verb is 比べる (“to compare”). Its て-form, 比べて, combines with ください to make a polite request: “please do …” This is a request for an action, not a statement that the comparison has already happened. Example: 二つのコースを比べてください。 — “Please compare the two courses.” In the full sentence, と links the three objects: スケジュールと口コミと教え方 (“the schedule, reviews, and teaching style”). を marks this linked group as the object of 比べる. Thus スケジュールと口コミと教え方を比べてください。 means “Please compare the schedule, reviews, and teaching style.”

3. このコースは短いですが、レッスンが少ないです。

   This course is shorter but has fewer lessons.

   この

   this

   コース

   course

   短い

   short

   ですが

   but

   レッスン

   lesson

   少ない

   few; not many

   です

   is; are

   More detail

   この means “this” when it directly modifies a noun: この + noun, as in このコース. It is a demonstrative determiner, so it does not independently identify a person or thing here; the noun it modifies is コース. Japanese demonstratives do not change for grammatical gender or number. コース is a noun meaning “course.” It is a loanword written in katakana. Japanese nouns generally do not require a separate plural form, so コース can mean “course” or “courses” when context requires; here the translation identifies one course. 短い is an adjective meaning “short” here. Its base form is 短い; useful forms include 短くない “not short” and 短かった “was short.” Japanese 短い itself does not mark a comparative with a special “-er” ending. In this context, the fixed translation presents the course as shorter in the comparison, while the observed adjective form itself means “short.” ですが is a polite connective meaning “but” or “although.” It links the first description to the contrasting statement that follows. The ending です contributes politeness to the clause; が is the connective element here, not the subject marker found later in レッスンが. レッスン is a noun meaning “lesson.” As with コース, its form does not show singular versus plural; the translation’s “lessons” comes from the intended context. 少ない means “few” or “not many” here. Its base form is 少ない; 少なくない means “not few,” while the useful opposite 多い means “many.” The form 少ない describes a small quantity of the relevant noun. In レッスンが少ないです, レッスンが marks lessons as the thing whose quantity is small. です is a polite predicate ending. With the i-adjective 少ない, 少ないです is the polite way to state “are few” or “are not many”; です is not itself the word for “are” in the same way as an English verb. Together, このコースは sets “this course” as the topic, and 短いですが says that it is short while connecting to a contrast. レッスンが少ないです says that the course has few lessons. Thus the whole utterance means: “This course is shorter but has fewer lessons.”

4. もう一つのほうが初心者にやさしそうです。

   The other one looks more beginner-friendly.

   もう一つ

   another one

   のほうが

   the one that is more …

   初心者

   beginner

   やさしそう

   seems beginner-friendly

   More detail

   もう一つ means “another one” or, when alternatives are already understood, “the other one.” 一つ is the counter expression for one item, and もう adds the sense of “another” or “one more.” Here the fixed translation selects the alternative-item meaning, not an additional item being requested. のほうが marks one side of a comparison as the more applicable or more suitable one. The pattern AのほうがB means “A is more B” or “A is the more B one.” In this sentence, もう一つのほうが identifies the other option as the one that has the stronger quality described next. ほう is written in hiragana here; it is often written as 方, but in this comparison pattern it functions as part of the construction rather than expressing a direction. 初心者 means “beginner,” a person who is new to the relevant activity. The following に marks the people for whom the quality is evaluated: 初心者にやさしい means “easy or friendly for beginners.” The particle に does not mean that the beginners are the grammatical subject. やさしそう is based on the adjective やさしい, which here means easy or friendly rather than kind toward a person. With an adjective stem, 〜そう expresses an appearance or impression: やさしい → やさしそう, “looks easy/friendly.” This is the visual or inferential “seems” use of そう, not the hearsay pattern in which そうだ reports that someone said something. Together, もう一つのほうが初心者にやさしそうです says that the other option appears to be the more beginner-friendly one. です gives the sentence a polite ending, while the comparison and apparent evaluation remain in the preceding words.

5. 週末にしか勉強できません。

   I can only study on weekends.

   週末

   weekends

   にしか

   only on

   勉強

   study

   できません

   cannot

   More detail

   週末 means “weekend” here. The form can refer to the weekend as a time period; in this sentence, the fixed translation supports the recurring reading “weekends.” Example: 週末は休みです。 — “I am off on weekends.” にしか combines the time particle に with しか. に marks the time when an activity is possible, while しか restricts the statement to that time and normally requires a negative predicate. Thus, 週末にしか means “only on weekends,” not simply “on weekends.” 勉強 means “study.” It is also used in the compound verb 勉強する, “to study.” In this sentence it is the study component before できません, which expresses the possibility of studying. Example: 毎日勉強します。 — “I study every day.” できません is the polite negative form of できる, “can do” or “be able to do.” With 勉強, 勉強できません means “cannot study” or “am unable to study.” The negative form is required by しか; together, 週末にしか勉強できません means that studying is possible only on weekends, rather than asserting that studying on weekends is impossible. As a whole, 週末にしか sets the sole available time, and 勉強できません supplies the negative ability expression required by しか. The utterance therefore means: “I can only study on weekends.”

6. それなら、週末に授業があるコースを選んでください。

   Then choose the course with weekend classes.

   それなら

   then; in that case

   週末

   weekend

   授業

   class; lesson

   ある

   to exist; to be held

   コース

   course

   選んでください

   please choose

   More detail

   それなら means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the choice to the condition just established. A reusable pattern is それなら、… = “If that is the case, …” The comma marks a pause in the written sentence. 週末 means “weekend.” With に, as in 週末に, it marks the time when something happens: 週末に勉強します。 = “I study on weekends.” Here, に belongs with 週末, not with the course. 授業 means “class” or “lesson.” In 授業がある, が marks the thing that exists or is scheduled. The phrase therefore means that classes are held, rather than describing the course as an action performed by someone. Example: 明日は授業があります。 = “There is a class tomorrow.” ある is the nonpast form used here for the existence or scheduling of a nonliving thing or event. Its useful contrast is ない, “not exist / not be held”: 週末に授業がない。 = “There is no class on the weekend.” In this sentence, ある is inside the clause 週末に授業がある, which describes the course that follows. 週末に授業があるコース is a noun-modifying clause: the clause comes before コース, and no equivalent of English “that/which” is inserted. Literally, it is “a course for which classes are held on weekends.” The source and translation support the intended meaning “the course with weekend classes.” コース means “course.” The particle を after it marks it as the object selected by the verb. A reusable pattern is Nを選ぶ = “choose N.” 選んでください is a polite request meaning “please choose.” The dictionary form is 選ぶ (“to choose”); its て-form is 選んで, followed by ください. This て-form + ください pattern politely asks someone to do the action: これを読んでください。 = “Please read this.” Together, それなら sets up the choice as a response to the stated situation, 週末に授業がある identifies the relevant kind of course, and コースを選んでください asks the listener to choose it. The complete meaning is: “Then choose the course with weekend classes.”

7. 口コミには、先生の説明がわかりやすいと書いてあります。

   The reviews say the teacher explains clearly.

   口コミには

   in the reviews

   先生

   teacher

   説明

   explanation

   わかりやすい

   easy to understand; clear

   と書いてあります

   it says that…

   More detail

   口コミには means “in the reviews.” 口コミ refers to reviews or word-of-mouth comments. The particle に marks the place or source where something is written, and は makes that phrase the topic. Together, 口コミには presents the reviews as the source of the information. 先生 means “teacher.” In this sentence, it is followed by の, which links the teacher to the noun that follows: 先生の説明 means “the teacher’s explanation.” The の relationship can often be reused for possession or attribution, as in 学生の本 (“the student’s book”). 説明 means “explanation.” It is a noun and can also be used in compounds or with verbs, such as 説明する (“to explain”). Here it is the thing being described as easy to understand. わかりやすい means “easy to understand” or “clear” here. It is formed from わかる (“to understand”) plus 〜やすい, a pattern meaning that an action is easy to do. The form わかりやすい describes the explanation, not the teacher: 先生の説明がわかりやすい means “the teacher’s explanation is easy to understand.” Its opposite pattern is 〜にくい, meaning that an action is difficult to do; for example, この説明はわかりにくい。 means “This explanation is difficult to understand.” と書いてあります presents the preceding content as what is written. と marks the quoted content: 先生の説明がわかりやすいと is literally the proposition “the teacher’s explanation is easy to understand.” 書いてあります comes from 書く (“to write”) and uses 〜てあります to describe something written and remaining in that state. In this context, the natural result is “the reviews say that …” rather than a literal focus on the physical writing. Putting the parts together: 口コミには identifies the reviews as the source; 先生の説明がわかりやすい states that the teacher’s explanation is easy to understand; and と書いてあります says that this statement is written there. The whole utterance means: “The reviews say the teacher explains clearly.”

8. それは短いコースより大切です。

   That matters more than a shorter course.

   それは

   that

   短い

   short

   コース

   course

   より

   than; compared with

   大切です

   is important

   More detail

   それは is the topic phrase. それ is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that,” and は marks it as the topic. Here, the translation supports “that” as the thing being evaluated, but the supplied text does not identify a more specific referent. それ does not itself indicate a person or a particular noun. 短い means “short.” It is the attributive form of the i-adjective 短い, so it directly modifies the noun after it: 短いコース means “a shorter course” in this comparison. The form 短い can also stand as the predicate in a nonpast statement, as in このコースは短い。 (“This course is short.”) コース is a noun meaning “course.” It is a loanword written in katakana. In 短いコース, it is the noun being described by 短い. より marks the comparison standard: “than” or “compared with.” A reusable pattern is AよりBです, meaning “B is [the relevant quality] more than A.” In this sentence, 短いコースより is the standard against which the topic is evaluated. The phrase より itself does not mean “shorter”; 短い supplies that description. 大切です means “is important” or “matters.” 大切 is a na-adjective, and です gives the polite nonpast form. The construction Aは大切です says that A is important. With Aより, the same predicate expresses the comparison: AはBより大切です means “A is more important than B.” Together, それは sets “that” as the topic, 短いコースより provides the comparison standard “than a shorter course,” and 大切です says that the topic is more important. The whole utterance therefore means, “That matters more than a shorter course.”