Labeling Food in a Shared Fridge | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. このスープを共有の冷蔵庫に入れてもいいですか？

   Can I put this soup in the shared fridge?

   この

   this

   スープ

   soup

   共有の

   shared; common

   冷蔵庫

   refrigerator; fridge

   入れて

   put in; place inside

   てもいいですか

   is it okay if ...?

   More detail

   この means “this” before a noun. It is an attributive demonstrative: この + noun identifies a nearby or contextually selected item, while the form itself does not state who owns it or exactly where it is. スープ is the noun “soup.” It is a loanword written in katakana. A reusable noun phrase is このスープ (“this soup”); Japanese places the demonstrative before the noun it modifies. 共有の describes the following noun as shared or communal. 共有 is a noun meaning “sharing” or “common use,” and の links it attributively to another noun: 共有の冷蔵庫 means “a shared refrigerator.” This の is a noun-linking particle, not the possessive meaning “of” in every possible context. 冷蔵庫 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” It is the destination container in the sentence. Together, 共有の冷蔵庫 is “the shared fridge.” 入れて is the te-form of the verb 入れる, “to put something in” or “to place something inside.” The te-form connects this action to the following construction. Compare 入れる (dictionary form, “put in”) and 入れて (connecting form, “put in and…” or used in patterns such as 〜てもいい). The verb 入れる is transitive: the soup is the thing being put somewhere, and the refrigerator is the destination. てもいいですか is a polite permission pattern. With a te-form, 〜てもいいですか asks whether it is acceptable for the speaker to perform the action: 入れてもいいですか means “May I put it in?” or “Is it okay if I put it in?” Here, ですか makes the question polite; the pattern asks for permission rather than simply asking what action is possible. The chunks combine in source order as このスープ (“this soup”) + を (marks it as the object) + 共有の冷蔵庫 (“the shared fridge”) + に (marks the destination) + 入れてもいいですか (“may I put it in?”). The complete meaning is “Can I put this soup in the shared fridge?”

2. そこに置く前に、容器にラベルを貼ってください。

   Label the container before you leave it there.

   そこに

   there

   置く

   put; place

   前に

   before

   容器

   container

   ラベル

   label

   貼ってください

   please attach; please put on

   More detail

   そこに means “there.” そこ is a demonstrative for a place, and に marks the location toward which something is placed. In the supplied context, the previously mentioned shared refrigerator supports understanding “there” as that location. The demonstrative itself does not identify the object being placed. 置く means “to put” or “to place.” This is the dictionary form of the verb; its form is used before 前に in the pattern verb-dictionary form + 前に, meaning “before doing something.” For example, 寝る前に歯を磨きます。 means “I brush my teeth before going to bed.” 前に means “before.” Here it follows 置く, so 置く前に means “before placing [it].” The subject of 置く is omitted because it is understood from the situation; the sentence does not add a different actor. 容器 means “container.” It is followed by に in 容器に, which marks the surface or target to which the label is attached. This に has a different role from the location-marking に in そこに, even though the same particle is used. ラベル means “label.” It is the thing being attached, and the following を marks it as the object of 貼る: ラベルを貼る means “attach or put a label on something.” 貼ってください means “please attach it” or “please put it on.” 貼る is the base form; its te-form is 貼って, followed by ください to make a polite request. The request is for attaching the label, not for placing the container. For example, ここに名前を書いてください。 means “Please write your name here.” Together, 容器にラベルを貼ってください means “Please label the container.” The earlier chunk そこに置く前に means “before placing it there.” In source order, the sentence therefore asks the listener to label the container first and then place it at the understood location: “Label the container before you leave it there.”

3. それに日付も書いたほうがいいですか？

   Should I write the date on it too?

   それに

   on it

   日付

   date

   も

   also; too

   書いた

   write

   ほうがいいですか？

   would it be better to…?

   More detail

   それに means “on it” here: それ refers to the item already being discussed, and に marks the surface or place where something is written. In this context, the fixed translation supports understanding it as the labeled item/container. The demonstrative それ is not itself a noun meaning “container”; its referent comes from context. 日付 means “date.” It is a noun and can be used in compounds such as 日付を書く (“write the date”) and 日付を確認する (“check the date”). も adds “also” or “too.” Here it adds the date to the writing task: the speaker asks about writing the date in addition to the information already under discussion. Its scope is the noun phrase 日付. 書いた is the past form of the verb 書く (“to write”). In V-たほうがいい, the past-shaped form does not necessarily describe a completed past action. The construction gives advice or asks whether an action would be preferable: 書いたほうがいい means “it is better to write it” or “should write it.” For example, 名前を書いたほうがいいです。 means “It is better to write your name.” ほうがいいですか？ asks whether the described option is preferable. With 書いた, the reusable pattern is V-たほうがいいですか？ (“Should I/we do V?”). The polite ending ですか makes the whole question polite; the Japanese sentence leaves the subject unspoken, while the fixed translation identifies the intended subject as the speaker. Together, それに identifies where the writing would go, 日付も adds the date as another item, and 書いたほうがいいですか？ asks whether writing it would be better. The whole utterance means: “Should I write the date on it too?”

4. それで、冷蔵庫に入れてからどのくらいたったか、みんなに分かります。

   That helps people know how long it has been inside.

   それで

   so; that way

   冷蔵庫

   refrigerator

   入れてから

   after putting in

   どのくらい

   how long

   たった

   elapsed; passed

   みんな

   everyone

   分かります

   know; understand

   More detail

   それで links this sentence to what came before and means “so” or “that way.” It presents the following information as a result or useful consequence. 冷蔵庫 means “refrigerator.” It is a noun. A useful pattern is 冷蔵庫に入れる, “put something in the refrigerator”; に marks the destination. 入れてから combines the verb 入れる, “put something in,” with てから, “after doing.” The form 入れて is the て-form of 入れる, and 入れてから means “after putting it in.” The object is not stated in this sentence; the fixed translation supports understanding it as the item that is inside. Example: ドアを閉めてから出ます。 — “I will leave after closing the door.” どのくらい asks about degree or amount. With an elapsed-time expression, as here, it means “how long.” It can also ask “how much” in other contexts, so the surrounding time expression determines the relevant meaning. たった is the past form of たつ in the time-expression use meaning “pass” or “elapse.” Thus どのくらいたったか means “how long has passed.” This is distinct from another verb pronounced たつ that can mean “stand”; the surrounding time expression gives the elapsed-time meaning here. The pattern 時間がたつ means “time passes.” みんな means “everyone” or “everybody.” In this sentence, みんなに identifies the people for whom the information becomes understandable. The particle に is outside the quoted word and helps mark that role. 分かります is the polite nonpast form of 分かる, “understand” or “be able to tell/know.” Japanese commonly uses 分かる for something becoming clear to a person, rather than treating that person as the direct object of an English-style “know.” Here みんなに分かります means that everyone can tell or understand it. The nonpast polite form can describe a present result or a generally available possibility in this context. Together, 冷蔵庫に入れてから sets the starting point, どのくらいたったか asks for the amount of elapsed time, and みんなに分かります says that this information is clear to everyone. With それで, the whole utterance means: “That way, everyone can know how long it has been inside the refrigerator.”

5. 個人の食べ物はどの棚ですか？

   Which shelf is for personal food?

   個人の

   personal; for an individual

   食べ物

   food

   どの

   which

   棚

   shelf

   ですか

   is it?; question ending

   More detail

   個人の means “personal” or “for an individual” here. の links this description to the following noun: 個人の食べ物 means “personal food.” The form 個人 itself does not show a plural distinction here. 食べ物 is the noun “food.” It is formed from 食べる (“to eat”) plus 物 (“thing”), but it is used as an established noun meaning food, not as a freely inflected verb form. Example: 食べ物を冷蔵庫に入れます。 — “I put the food in the refrigerator.” どの means “which” and normally comes directly before the noun being selected, as in どの棚 (“which shelf”). It asks the listener to identify one option from relevant alternatives; it does not itself express a quantity. 棚 means “shelf.” In どの棚, it is the noun whose particular location or identity is being asked about. Example: どの棚を使いますか？ — “Which shelf will you use?” ですか is a polite question ending. です is the polite copular form, and か marks the sentence as a question. This ending does not mark the person or number of the subject. Here it turns the identification of the shelf into the polite question “which shelf is it?” The topic marker は follows 個人の食べ物: 個人の食べ物は means “as for personal food.” Japanese places the questioned noun phrase どの棚 before the polite predicate ですか, so the complete pattern is XはどのYですか — “Which Y is for X?” Together, 個人の食べ物はどの棚ですか？ asks which shelf is designated for personal food. It does not ask which food is personal; どの modifies 棚, and the fixed translation confirms that the requested item is the shelf.

6. 共有の物から離れた一番上の棚を使ってください。

   Use the top shelf, away from the shared items.

   共有の物

   shared items

   離れた

   away from; separated

   一番上の

   topmost

   棚

   shelf

   使ってください

   please use

   More detail

   共有の物 means “shared items” here. 共有 is used attributively with の to modify 物; 物 is a general noun meaning a thing or item. In 共有の物から, から marks the point or reference from which something is separated, so the phrase means “away from the shared items.” 離れた comes from 離れる, “to become separated” or “to be away.” Its -た form can modify a noun, as here, without necessarily placing the separation in past time. In 共有の物から離れた棚, it describes a shelf located away from the shared items. This is different from 離した, the form of 離す, “to separate something” or “to move something apart,” which has a different transitivity pattern. 一番上の means “topmost” or “at the very top.” 一番 marks the highest degree, and 上 means “upper part” or “top”; の lets this expression modify the following noun. For comparison, 上の棚 can mean “the upper shelf,” while 一番上の棚 identifies the shelf at the highest position. 棚 means “shelf.” The phrase 一番上の棚 therefore means “the top shelf.” 使ってください is a polite request meaning “please use.” It consists of the te-form 使って of 使う, “to use,” followed by ください. The pattern verb-te form + ください is a common way to request an action politely. For example, このペンを使ってください。 means “Please use this pen.” Together, 共有の物から離れた identifies the shelf’s location, 一番上の棚 selects the highest shelf, and 使ってください makes the request. The whole utterance means: “Please use the top shelf, away from the shared items.”

7. そこに置いて、近いうちに家に持って帰ります。

   I'll keep it there and take it home soon.

   そこに

   there

   置いて

   put/place, and then

   近いうちに

   soon

   家に

   home; to home

   持って帰ります

   take back

   More detail

   そこに combines そこ (“there”) with に, which marks the location where something is placed. The exact referent of “there” is not named in this sentence; it points to a place established by the situation. Example: そこに置いてください。 — “Please put it there.” 置いて is the て-form of 置く (“to put” or “to place”). Here it connects placing the item with the next action: “put it there, and then …” The Japanese subject and object are omitted, while the fixed translation identifies the object as “it.” 近いうちに means “in the near future” or “soon.” It is built from 近い (“near”) and うちに, a pattern meaning “within a period.” 近いうちに is useful when an event is expected soon but not necessarily immediately; すぐに more directly means “immediately.” Example: 近いうちに会いましょう。 — “Let’s meet sometime soon.” 家に uses the noun 家 (“house” or “home”) with the destination marker に. In this sentence, it means “to home” or “home” as the destination of the taking action. Example: 家に帰ります。 — “I’m going home.” 持って帰ります is the polite nonpast form of the compound verb 持って帰る. 持って is the て-form of 持つ (“to hold” or “carry”), and 帰る means “to return” or “go home”; together, 持って帰る means “to take something back/home.” The ending ます makes the statement polite, and the nonpast form can describe a future action here. Example: 本を持って帰ります。 — “I’ll take the book home.” Together, そこに置いて says to put the item in that place first. 近いうちに places the later action in the near future, while 家に持って帰ります says that the speaker will take the item home. Thus the whole utterance means: “I’ll put it there and take it home soon.”

8. そうすれば、冷蔵庫に古い食べ物がたまりません。

   That way the fridge does not fill up with old food.

   そうすれば

   that way; if you do that

   冷蔵庫

   fridge; refrigerator

   古い

   old

   食べ物

   food

   たまりません

   does not accumulate; does not fill up

   More detail

   そうすれば links an action or situation to its result. Here it means “if you do that” or “that way,” referring to the action described in the preceding context. そう means “that way,” and すれば is the conditional form of する (“do”): する → すれば. This pattern is reusable: そうすれば、… = “If you do that, …” or “That way, …”. 冷蔵庫 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” It is a noun; the kanji compound is used as a single lexical item. In this sentence, 冷蔵庫に marks the fridge as the place where something accumulates. The particle に can mark a destination or location associated with a state or event. 古い means “old” here, describing the food. It is an i-adjective, whose base form is also 古い; the form does not change here for gender or number. Its opposite is 新しい (“new”). For example, 古い本 means “an old book,” while 新しい本 means “a new book.” 食べ物 means “food” or “something to eat.” It is a noun formed from 食べる (“eat”) and 物 (“thing”), but it functions here as an ordinary noun meaning edible food. In 古い食べ物, 古い modifies this noun, producing “old food.” たまりません means “does not accumulate” or, with the location phrase, “does not fill up.” The base verb is たまる, “accumulate” or “build up”; たまりません is its polite negative form: たまります → たまりません. The negative is expressed by the verb form itself, not by a separate word. This verb is intransitive: the accumulating thing is marked with が, as in 水がたまる (“water accumulates”). Putting the parts together, 古い食べ物が identifies old food as what would accumulate, and 冷蔵庫にたまりません says that it does not accumulate in the fridge. With そうすれば at the beginning, the whole utterance means: “That way, the fridge does not fill up with old food.”