Using shared gym equipment politely | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 今、誰かこのトレッドミルを使っていますか。

   Is anyone using this treadmill now?

   今

   now

   誰か

   anyone; someone

   この

   this

   トレッドミル

   treadmill

   使っていますか

   are using?

   More detail

   今 means “now” and places the situation at the present time. It can be moved for emphasis in some sentences, but here it sets the time for the question. 誰か is the indefinite pronoun used here for “anyone” in a question. In an affirmative sentence it can often mean “someone”; the question context gives it the “anyone” reading. This word does not identify a particular person. この is the demonstrative modifier “this,” used directly before a noun: この + noun. Japanese demonstratives of this type do not change for grammatical gender or number. Here it identifies the treadmill as the relevant “this” one. トレッドミル is a noun meaning “treadmill.” It is a loanword written in Japanese phonetic script. As a noun, it can be used after a modifier such as この: このトレッドミル (“this treadmill”). 使っていますか contains the verb 使う (“to use”) in the polite question form. The ている pattern in 使っている presents the using as ongoing here, so 使っていますか asks whether someone is currently using it. ます supplies polite style, and final か marks the sentence as a question. The form 使う is the dictionary form; its ている form is 使っている, with the polite form 使っています. Together, 今 (“now”) sets the time, 誰か asks whether any person is involved, and このトレッドミル identifies the object. The polite question 使っていますか asks about an activity in progress, producing: “Is anyone using this treadmill now?”

2. 空いているようですが、時間を気にしてください。

   It looks free, but keep an eye on the time.

   空いている

   be free; be unoccupied

   ようですが

   it seems ..., but

   時間

   time

   気にしてください

   please keep an eye on

   More detail

   空いている comes from 空く, meaning “to become/be available or unoccupied.” The -ている form presents the resulting state, so here it describes something as currently free or not in use. Example: 席が空いている。 — “The seat is free.” ようですが expresses an appearance or inference and then introduces a contrast: “it seems ..., but ...”. ようだ is the appearance expression; です makes it polite, and が connects to the contrasting request that follows. Example: 雨が降るようですが、出かけます。 — “It looks like it will rain, but I’m going out.” 時間 means “time.” In this sentence it is the thing being attended to in the phrase that follows. Example: 時間を確認します。 — “I’ll check the time.” 気にしてください is a polite request based on 気にする, “to pay attention to, care about, or worry about” something. 気にして is its -て form, and ください turns that form into a request. With 時間を, the intended meaning is “please keep an eye on the time.” Example: 安全を気にしてください。 — “Please pay attention to safety.” Together, 空いているようですが means “It looks free, but,” and 時間を気にしてください asks the listener to monitor the time. The complete utterance is therefore: “It looks free, but keep an eye on the time.”

3. 他の人が待っている場合、どのくらい使えばいいですか。

   How long should I use it if others are waiting?

   他の

   other

   人

   person; people

   待っている

   be waiting

   場合

   case; if

   どのくらい

   how long; how much

   使えばいいですか

   should use

   More detail

   他の modifies a following noun and means “other.” In 他の人, it identifies people different from the relevant person or group; it does not itself specify how many. A useful pattern is 他の + noun: 他の方法 means “another method” or “other methods,” depending on context. 人 means “person” here, and 他の人 therefore means “other people” in the fixed translation. Japanese nouns usually do not mark singular versus plural by changing form, so 人 can refer to one person or more than one; the context and translation support the plural reading here. 待っている comes from 待つ (“to wait”). The ている form presents the waiting as ongoing or as a current resulting state, so this means “are waiting” here. Example: 駅で友達を待っている。 — “I am waiting for a friend at the station.” The understood subject in that example is supplied by context, as is common in Japanese. 場合 means “case” or “situation.” After a clause, 〜場合 forms a condition meaning “if” or “in the case that”: 雨の場合は中止です。 — “It is canceled in case of rain.” Thus 他の人が待っている場合 means “if other people are waiting.” The particle が marks 他の人 as the subject of 待っている. どのくらい asks about degree or amount. With an activity measured in time, as here, it means “how long.” It can also ask “how much” in a suitable context, so its exact English wording comes from what is being measured. Example: どのくらい勉強しますか。 — “How long do you study?” 使えばいいですか is built from 使う (“to use”) plus the conditional form 使えば and いい (“good”), followed by polite ですか. This pattern asks what action is advisable: 〜ばいいですか means “what should I do?” or, with a specified amount or method, “should I ...?” Here the object of 使う is not stated in Japanese and is understood from the situation; the fixed translation renders it as “use it.” The question word どのくらい supplies the duration, while 使えばいいですか asks for the recommended usage. Together, どのくらい使えばいいですか asks “How long should I use it?” The conditional phrase 他の人が待っている場合 sets the condition: “if other people are waiting.” In source order, the complete utterance therefore means: “How long should I use it if others are waiting?”

4. ジムが混んでいるときは、10分くらいまでにしてください。

   Limit your time to around ten minutes when the gym is busy.

   ジム

   gym

   混んでいる

   be crowded; be busy

   ときは

   when…

   10分くらい

   around ten minutes

   までに

   by a time

   してください

   please do so

   More detail

   ジム means “gym.” It is a noun and can be used with location particles, for example: ジムに行きます。 — “I go to the gym.” 混んでいる means “be crowded” or “be busy” here. Its base verb is 混む, meaning “become crowded” or “be crowded.” The form 混んでいる uses ている to describe the resulting state. Example: 電車が混んでいます。 — “The train is crowded.” ときは means “when…,” with は presenting the situation as the topic or condition. Here, 混んでいるときは means “when the gym is busy.” Example: 忙しいときは、休みます。 — “When I am busy, I rest.” 10分くらい expresses an approximate duration: “around ten minutes.” くらい (also ぐらい) makes the amount non-exact. Example: 10分くらい待ってください。 — “Please wait for around ten minutes.” までに commonly marks a deadline, meaning “by a specified time.” In this utterance, the fixed translation shows that the requested gym-use time is to be limited to around ten minutes. It differs from まで, which can mark an endpoint without に: 5時までに来てください。 — “Please come by five o’clock.” してください is a polite request built from して and ください; して is the て-form of する, “do.” Here, the action understood from the context is keeping the gym use to the stated time. Example: 静かにしてください。 — “Please be quiet.” Together, ジムが混んでいるときは means “when the gym is busy,” and 10分くらいまでにしてください expresses the request to limit the gym-use time to around ten minutes. The complete utterance is: “Limit your time to around ten minutes when the gym is busy.”

5. 使い終わったら、これを拭いたほうがいいですか。

   Should I wipe it down after I finish?

   使い終わったら

   after finishing using it

   これ

   this; it

   拭いたほうがいいですか

   would it be better to wipe?

   More detail

   使い終わったら combines 使う “use” and 終わる “finish.” Together, 使い終わる means “finish using,” and 使い終わった is its past form. Adding ら gives a temporal condition: “after finishing using it.” The object is omitted in this expression; the fixed translation presents the subject as “I.” Example: 食べ終わったら、片づけます。 — “After I finish eating, I’ll tidy up.” これ is a demonstrative meaning “this” or, in this sentence, “it.” It can identify an item associated with the speaker or a contextually indicated item; the supplied texts do not identify that item more specifically. Compare それ, commonly referring to something associated with the listener or already mentioned, and あれ, referring to something away from both sides. 拭いたほうがいいですか uses the verb 拭く “wipe.” Its form here is 拭いた, the past form, before ほうがいい. This pattern presents the action as the preferable option, so the question asks whether the speaker should wipe. Example: テーブルを拭いた。 — “I wiped the table.” ほうがいい is a reusable pattern for saying that one option is preferable or for asking whether an action is advisable. With ですか, as here, it becomes a polite question. In this phrase, ですか makes the question polite; it does not add another action. Together, 使い終わったら sets the time, これ identifies the object as “this/it,” and 拭いたほうがいいですか asks whether wiping it is preferable. The complete meaning is: “Should I wipe it down after I finish?”

6. ラックにあるスプレーとペーパータオルを使ってください。

   Use the spray and a paper towel from the rack.

   ラック

   rack

   にある

   located on/in

   スプレー

   spray

   と

   and

   ペーパータオル

   paper towel

   を

   marks the item acted on

   使ってください

   please use

   More detail

   ラック means “rack.” It is a loanword written in katakana. In this sentence it is the place associated with the items, not an item being used. にある means “that is on/in” or “located on/in.” Here, に marks the location and ある is the verb used for the existence or location of a non-living thing. The form ある is the plain, non-past form; in a noun-modifying phrase, ラックにあるスプレー means “the spray that is on the rack.” スプレー means “spray.” It is another katakana loanword. Here it names one of the things to use. と connects nouns with “and.” The pattern AとB lists A and B together: スプレーとペーパータオル is “the spray and a paper towel.” Japanese does not use an article that directly corresponds to English “a” here; the translation’s “a” reflects the natural English rendering, not a separate quantity word in the Japanese sentence. ペーパータオル means “paper towel.” It names the second item in the coordinated list. を marks the noun phrase that is directly acted on by the verb. Thus, スプレーとペーパータオルを marks the spray and paper towel as what will be used. 使ってください means “please use.” The base verb is 使う (“to use”). Its て-form, 使って, followed by ください, makes a polite request: Vてください = “please V.” This is a request to perform the action, rather than a statement that the action is already happening. Putting the parts together, ラックにある modifies the two coordinated items: they are the spray and paper towel located on the rack. スプレーとペーパータオルを使ってください。 then asks the listener to use those items. The complete meaning is: “Please use the spray and a paper towel from the rack.”

7. 帰る前に、これをきれいにします。

   I'll clean it before I leave.

   帰る前に

   before leaving

   これ

   this; it

   きれいにします

   make it clean

   More detail

   帰る前に means “before leaving.” 帰る is the nonpast plain form of 帰る, “to return” or, in this context, “to leave/return home.” The pattern verb + 前に means “before doing [the verb].” The particle に marks the time point before which the action occurs. Example: 寝る前に歯をみがきます。 — “I brush my teeth before going to bed.” これ means “this” or “it,” referring to something treated as close to the speaker in the situation. It is a demonstrative pronoun, and を marks it as the object of the following action. The specific object is not identified in the fixed sentence itself. きれいにします means “make [something] clean.” きれい is a na-adjective meaning “clean” here; に changes this descriptive word into the form used before する in the pattern Xをきれいにする, “make X clean.” します is the polite nonpast form of する; in this sentence it presents the speaker’s intended action as “I will clean it” in the translation. Example: 部屋をきれいにします。 — “I will clean the room.” Together, これをきれいにします says “make this clean,” and placing 帰る前に first makes the time relation explicit: “Before I leave, I’ll clean it.”

8. そうすると、器具を次の人が使えるようにできます。

   That keeps the equipment ready for the next person.

   そうすると

   then; by doing so

   器具

   equipment; implement

   次の人

   next person

   使えるようにできます

   can make usable

   More detail

   そうすると means “then” or “by doing so.” It links this sentence to the preceding action: the result of cleaning is described next. The そう refers to that already-mentioned way of acting; it does not identify a new participant. 器具 means “equipment” or “implement.” It is a noun for a tool or piece of equipment. For example, 器具を洗います。 means “I wash the equipment.” 次の人 means “the next person.” 次の modifies 人: 次の means “next,” while 人 means “person.” This identifies the person who will use the equipment afterward; the sentence does not specify who that person is. 使えるようにできます expresses making it possible for someone to use something. 使える is the potential form of 使う (“to use”), meaning “can use” or, with an object understood, “be usable.” ようにする describes arranging or changing a situation so that a condition holds. Here, できます is the polite form of できる and says that this arrangement can be made. The complete pattern is V-えるようにする / V-えるようにできる: “make it possible to V.” For example, 誰でも使えるようにします。 means “I will make it possible for anyone to use it.” Together, そうすると links the result to the preceding cleaning action, 器具を marks the equipment affected, and 次の人が使えるようにできます says that it can be left in a condition that allows the next person to use it. Thus the utterance means, “That keeps the equipment ready for the next person.”