Discussing a Repair with the Landlord | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 私が昨日締めたのに、浴室の蛇口からまた水が漏れています。

   The bathroom tap is leaking again, even after I tightened it yesterday.

   私が

   I (subject)

   昨日

   yesterday

   締めた

   tightened

   のに

   even though; despite that

   浴室

   bathroom

   蛇口

   tap; faucet

   から

   from

   また

   again

   水

   water

   漏れています

   is leaking

   More detail

   私が means “I” as the subject of the first clause. 私 is the first-person pronoun “I,” and が marks the subject, especially useful when identifying who performed an action. Japanese often omits a subject when it is already clear, but this sentence explicitly states it. 昨日 means “yesterday,” a time word that normally needs no particle when placed directly with the event it dates. For example, 昨日見ました。 means “I saw it yesterday.” 締めた is the plain past form of 締める, “to tighten” or “to close securely.” The ending -た marks a completed past action. Here, the omitted object is understood from the fixed translation as the bathroom tap: “I tightened it.” A useful contrast is 締める “tighten/close” versus 開ける “open”; the latter is a different verb, not another form of 締める. のに connects the completed action with an unexpected result: “even though” or “despite.” The pattern Aのに、B presents B as contrary to what the speaker might expect from A. In this sentence, tightening the tap yesterday would normally be expected to stop the leak, but the leaking continues. 浴室 is the noun “bathroom,” specifically the room containing bathing facilities. Japanese also uses 風呂場 for “bathroom/bathing area” in less formal everyday wording; 浴室 is a compact noun often seen in descriptions and practical contexts. 蛇口 is the noun “tap” or “faucet.” It names the fixture that controls the flow of water. In 浴室の蛇口, の links two nouns, giving “the bathroom tap”: 浴室 identifies the tap’s location or type, while 蛇口 is the main noun. から marks the source or point from which something comes out. In 蛇口から, it means “from the tap.” This source use differs from から used after a time or starting point, as in 9時から “from nine o’clock.” また means “again,” indicating that the leaking is occurring another time. It modifies the event rather than the noun 水: the point is that leaking has happened again, not that there is a second kind of water. 水 is the noun “water.” In 水が漏れています, 水 is marked by が as the thing that is leaking. The first が in 私が and this later が have the same particle form but mark subjects in their own clauses. 漏れています means “is leaking.” It is the polite form of 漏れている, built from the verb 漏れる, “to leak,” plus -ている. With an ongoing event such as water escaping, -ている presents the situation as currently continuing. The ます ending makes the predicate polite. For a completed event, 漏れました would mean “leaked,” while 漏れています describes the present leaking state. Together, 私が昨日締めたのに means “even though I tightened it yesterday,” and 浴室の蛇口からまた水が漏れています means “water is leaking again from the bathroom tap.” The complete utterance is therefore: “The bathroom tap is leaking again, even after I tightened it yesterday.” Here, the translation identifies the omitted object of 締めた as the tap, while the later clause explicitly says that water is leaking from that tap. The polite ending makes the report suitable for ordinary respectful conversation.

2. 何度も起きているので、大家さんに連絡したほうがよさそうです。

   Since it keeps happening, we should probably contact the landlord.

   何度も

   repeatedly

   起きている

   is happening

   ので

   since; because

   大家さん

   landlord

   連絡したほうがよさそうです

   it seems better to contact

   More detail

   何度も means “repeatedly” here. 何度 asks “how many times?” or refers to an unspecified number of occasions, and も emphasizes that the number is substantial or noteworthy. Together, 何度も is a reusable adverb meaning “many times” or “repeatedly.” 起きている comes from 起きる, “to happen” or “to occur,” not the different verb 起きる, “to get up,” when the context is an event. The 〜ている form presents the situation as continuing or as an ongoing state; here it supports the translation “keeps happening.” A useful pattern is 問題が起きている, “a problem is occurring.” ので connects a reason to a conclusion: “because” or “since.” The reason clause comes before ので, so 何度も起きているので means “since it keeps happening.” Compared with から, ので often presents the reason in a somewhat less forceful, more explanatory way. It does not itself mean “repeatedly”; that meaning comes from 何度も. 大家さん means “landlord.” 大家 is the noun for a landlord or property owner, and さん is the ordinary polite title attached to a person’s name or role. The title does not specify the landlord’s gender or number. 連絡したほうがよさそうです is a recommendation expressed cautiously. The basic verb is 連絡する, “to contact” or “to get in touch.” In the pattern Vたほうがいい, the past-form-looking Vた is part of the recommendation pattern, not a claim that the contacting already happened: 連絡したほうがいい means “it is better to contact [someone].” Here よさそうです adds the impression “seems advisable” or “looks better,” making the advice less categorical. です gives the ending a polite style. The sentence combines the reason 何度も起きているので (“since it keeps happening”) with the cautious recommendation 大家さんに連絡したほうがよさそうです (“it seems better to contact the landlord”). に marks the person who is contacted, so the whole utterance means: “Since it keeps happening, we should probably contact the landlord.”

3. 写真を送って、一時的な修理ではうまくいかなかったと説明できます。

   I can send a photo and explain that a temporary repair did not work.

   写真

   photo

   送って

   send, and…

   一時的な

   temporary

   修理

   repair

   うまくいかなかった

   did not work

   説明できます

   can explain

   More detail

   写真 means “photo.” It is a noun and can be used in many practical patterns, such as 写真を送る (“send a photo”) and 写真を撮る (“take a photo”). In this sentence, the object marker を marks the photo as what is sent. 送って is the te-form of 送る (“to send”). Here it links this action to the following action: “send a photo and …” The te-form can also connect actions in other sequences, for example, 名前を書いて、送ってください。 means “Write your name and send it.” 一時的な means “temporary.” 一時的 is a na-adjective; before a noun, it takes な, as in 一時的な修理 (“a temporary repair”). The contrasting word 恒久的 means “permanent,” and 恒久的な修理 means “a permanent repair.” 修理 means “repair” or “repairs.” It is a noun that can also be used with する: 修理する means “to repair.” In the fixed sentence, 一時的な修理 is the repair being evaluated as unsuccessful. うまくいかなかった means “did not work” here. The useful base expression is うまくいく, literally “go well,” which describes a plan, attempt, or situation succeeding. いかなかった is its past negative form: いく → いかない → いかなかった. Thus, 修理はうまくいかなかった。 means “The repair did not work.” This is not the same as simply saying that someone did not go somewhere; うまく gives いく the meaning “go successfully.” 説明できます means “can explain.” It is the polite form of 説明できる, the potential form meaning “be able to explain,” based on 説明する (“to explain”). 説明できます expresses ability or possibility in the polite style. For example, 理由を説明できます。 means “I can explain the reason.” Together, 写真を送って links “send a photo” to the next action. 一時的な修理では means “with regard to a temporary repair” or “as for the temporary repair”; で marks the means, condition, or matter being evaluated, and は sets it as the topic or contrast. うまくいかなかったと marks the content of the explanation: “that it did not work.” The final 説明できます makes the complete meaning: “I can send a photo and explain that a temporary repair did not work.”

4. 水が無駄になっていて、カウンターが濡れていることを伝えてください。

   Mention that water is being wasted and the counter is getting wet.

   水

   water

   無駄になっていて

   being wasted

   カウンター

   counter

   濡れている

   getting wet

   伝えてください

   please mention

   More detail

   水 means “water.” It is a noun; here 水が marks water as the subject of the first description. Example: 水が必要です。 — “Water is necessary.” 無駄になっていて comes from 無駄になる, “to go to waste” or “become wasted.” In なっていて, なって is the connective form of なる, followed by いて, the connective form of いる. Together, this links the description of the water to the next description without requiring that the two events be simultaneous. 無駄にする is different: it means “to waste something,” with an agent causing the waste. カウンター is a noun meaning “counter.” It is a loanword used for a counter or work surface. Example: カウンターを掃除します。 — “I clean the counter.” 濡れている comes from 濡れる, “to get wet” or “become wet.” With いる, it commonly describes the resulting wet state; in this fixed sentence, the intended English meaning is “getting wet.” Example: 床が濡れています。 — “The floor is wet.” The first description, 水が無駄になっていて, is linked to カウンターが濡れている by the connective form and the comma. The second description is followed by こと, which turns the preceding content into “the fact that …” or “that …”. Thus, 水が無駄になっていて、カウンターが濡れていること means “that water is being wasted and the counter is getting wet.” 伝えてください is a polite request based on 伝える, “to convey” or “to tell.” The てください pattern makes a request: 伝えてください means “please convey it” or “please mention it.” The reusable pattern 普通形 + ことを伝えてください means “please convey that …”. As a whole, 水が無駄になっていて、カウンターが濡れていることを伝えてください。 asks someone to mention that water is being wasted and that the counter is getting wet.

5. 私たちがこの問題を起こしたわけではないと伝えますか。

   Should we say that we did not cause the problem ourselves?

   私たち

   we; us

   この

   this

   問題

   problem; issue

   起こした

   caused

   わけではない

   it is not the case that

   伝えますか

   should we say; should we tell

   More detail

   私たち means “we” or “us” and is the first-person plural pronoun. Here 私たちが marks that group as the subject of the clause that follows. Japanese uses が for this subject role; 私たち itself does not change for subject versus object. この means “this” and normally comes directly before the noun it specifies, as in この問題 (“this problem”). It is a demonstrative determiner, not an independent noun, and it does not by itself state a quantity. 問題 means “problem” or “issue.” The noun phrase この問題 is reusable: この identifies the problem and 問題 supplies the noun. 起こした is the past form of 起こす, “to cause” in this sentence. 起こす is a transitive verb, so この問題を起こす means “cause this problem,” with を marking the thing affected. The form 起こした presents the causing as a completed event in the proposition being discussed. 起こす can have other meanings in other contexts, such as “wake someone,” but “cause” is the intended meaning here. わけではない is a pattern that negates the preceding plain-clause proposition: [plain clause] わけではない means “it is not the case that [plain clause].” Thus 私たちがこの問題を起こしたわけではない presents the intended claim that we did not cause this problem. The ではない part supplies the negation; わけ makes the construction frame the preceding statement as a proposition rather than simply placing a separate negative form on 起こした. After that clause, と marks its content as what is being conveyed. 伝えますか is the polite nonpast question form of 伝える, “to convey” or “to tell.” In the fixed translation, the question is understood as “Should we say/tell ...?” Japanese does not need a separate word corresponding to English “should” here. The polite nonpast form can ask about a proposed or intended action in this context. Putting the parts together: 私たちが identifies us as the subject of 起こした; この問題を identifies this problem as what was caused; 起こしたわけではない says that this causing is not the case; と伝えますか asks whether to convey that proposition. The complete intended meaning is: “Should we say that we did not cause the problem ourselves?”

6. その点ははっきり書きましょう。ただし、落ち着いた口調にしましょう。

   Include that clearly, but keep the tone calm.

   その

   that

   点

   point

   はっきり

   clearly

   書きましょう

   let’s write

   ただし

   but

   落ち着いた

   calm

   口調

   tone

   にしましょう

   let’s make it

   More detail

   その is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” here. It comes before the noun it modifies, as in その点 (“that point”). Demonstratives such as その identify something in relation to the discourse or participants; the sentence does not by itself specify more about the point. 点 means “point” here, in the sense of a matter or aspect. The combination その点 is a reusable way to refer to “that point” or “that matter.” は marks その点 as the topic. A useful pattern is [topic]は[comment], so その点は introduces the matter being discussed. はっきり means “clearly” and modifies 書きましょう: the writing should state the point clearly. It is an adverb, so it can also modify other actions. Example: はっきり話します。— “I speak clearly.” 書きましょう is the polite volitional form of 書く, “to write.” The form 書きましょう commonly means “let’s write” and can also be used as a polite proposal or decision. The -ましょう ending is attached to the verb stem 書き-. Example: ここに名前を書きましょう。— “Let’s write our names here.” Together, その点ははっきり書きましょう means “Let’s write that point clearly.” はっきり describes how the writing is done; it is not part of the meaning of その点. ただし introduces a qualification or limitation, commonly “but,” “however,” or “with that qualification.” It separates the first proposal from the following one. 落ち着いた means “calm” or “composed” here. It is the attributive form of the verb 落ち着く, “to become calm” or “to settle down,” and it modifies 口調. In this phrase, it describes the tone as calm; it does not mean that the tone itself performed an action. Example: 落ち着いた声で話します。— “I speak in a calm voice.” 口調 means “tone” or “manner of speaking.” It refers to how something is expressed, rather than to the literal wording alone. 落ち着いた口調 is therefore “a calm tone.” にしましょう is the polite volitional form of the construction にする, “to make something ...” or “to choose something as ...”. Here, the state expressed by 落ち着いた is followed by にする: 落ち着いた口調にする means “make or keep it a calm tone.” With しましょう, this becomes a proposal: “let’s make it ...” or, naturally here, “let’s keep the tone ...”. Example: 文章を簡潔にしましょう。— “Let’s make the writing concise.” The second clause, 落ち着いた口調にしましょう, proposes choosing a calm tone. The complete utterance first proposes stating that point clearly, then adds a qualification: the expression should nevertheless remain calm. Thus the fixed meaning is “Include that clearly, but keep the tone calm.”

7. メッセージは丁寧で具体的にして、混乱がないようにしましょう。

   The message should be polite but specific, so there is no confusion.

   メッセージ

   message

   丁寧で

   polite and

   具体的に

   specifically

   して

   make or do

   混乱

   confusion

   がないようにしましょう

   let’s make sure there is no…

   More detail

   メッセージ means “message.” It is a noun and can be used with は to make the message the topic: メッセージは… means “as for the message…”. 丁寧で means “polite and…”. 丁寧だ is a な-adjective meaning “polite” or “courteous”; 丁寧で is its connective form, linking this description to what follows. For example, 説明が丁寧です means “The explanation is polite/careful.” 具体的に means “specifically” here, or “in a concrete/specific way.” 具体的だ is a な-adjective, and 具体的に is its adverbial form. In this sentence it modifies して, expressing the result or manner of making the message specific. A useful contrast is 具体的な説明 (“a specific explanation”), where 具体的な directly modifies a noun. して is the て-form of する, “to do” or “to make.” Here it combines with the preceding descriptions: the message is to be made polite and specific. The て-form links this action to the following purpose construction rather than marking a completed past action. 混乱 means “confusion.” It is a noun. In 混乱がない, it is the thing whose absence is described; が marks it within the existence/absence expression. ない is the negative form of ある in this use, so 混乱がない means “there is no confusion.” がないようにしましょう means “let’s make sure there is no…” or, more literally, “let’s do [things] so that there is no…”. ように marks the intended state or outcome, and しましょう is the volitional form of する, used here as a polite suggestion or proposal: “let’s do it.” This pattern is reusable with another desired condition, such as 忘れないようにしましょう — “Let’s make sure we do not forget.” Together, メッセージは丁寧で具体的にして sets the message as the topic and asks that it be made polite and specific. 混乱がないようにしましょう gives the intended outcome: let’s arrange it so that there is no confusion. The whole utterance therefore means, “The message should be polite but specific, so there is no confusion.”

8. 私たちは平日の朝が難しいので、水道業者がいつ来られるか聞いてください。

   Ask when a plumber could visit, because weekday mornings are difficult for us.

   私たち

   us; we

   平日

   weekday

   朝

   morning

   難しい

   difficult

   ので

   because; since

   水道業者

   plumber

   いつ

   when

   来られる

   can come; can visit

   聞いてください

   please ask

   More detail

   私たち means “we/us” and identifies the speaker together with others as the topic here. 私たちは uses は to mark that topic; it does not by itself specify how many people are included. 平日 means “weekday” or “weekdays.” In 平日の朝, の links it to 朝, giving “weekday morning(s).” 朝 is “morning”; together, the phrase refers to mornings on weekdays rather than to a particular morning unless the context makes one particular morning clear. 難しい means “difficult” here. It is the plain form of the adjective and describes 平日の朝 through が: “weekday mornings are difficult.” For an affirmative polite version, Japanese commonly uses 難しいです. Example: この問題は難しいです。 — “This problem is difficult.” ので connects the preceding situation to its reason or basis: “because” or “since.” The clause 平日の朝が難しいので therefore means “because weekday mornings are difficult.” It presents that reason before the request that follows. ので is often somewhat softer or more explanatory than a bare direct causal connection. 水道業者 is a compound noun referring here to a plumber or water-service contractor. 水道 relates to water-supply or plumbing, and 業者 refers to a service provider or contractor. Example: 水道業者に電話します。 — “I will call a plumber.” いつ asks “when.” In this sentence it introduces the time being asked about, not the identity of a person. Example: いつ来ますか。 — “When will you come?” 来られる is the potential form of 来る (“to come”), meaning “can come” in this context. The potential form expresses ability or feasibility; here the fixed translation supports the sense “could visit.” Japanese 来られる can have other grammatical uses in other contexts, but this sentence uses it for the possible timing of the plumber’s visit. Example: 明日来られます。 — “I can come tomorrow.” 聞いてください is a polite request built from 聞く (“to ask” or “to hear”), its connective て form 聞いて, and ください (“please”). Here 聞く has the sense “ask,” so the phrase means “please ask.” It requests that the listener obtain information; it does not itself mean “please listen.” The embedded question is 水道業者がいつ来られるか: 水道業者が marks the plumber as the subject, いつ asks for the time, and 来られる expresses possible arrival. The particle か closes this embedded question, which functions as the thing to ask. The outer request is 聞いてください, so the structure is roughly “please ask [when the plumber can come].” Putting the utterance together: 私たちは sets “for us” as the topic; 平日の朝が難しいので gives the reason; and 水道業者がいつ来られるか聞いてください asks someone to find out when the plumber could visit. The whole meaning is: “Ask when a plumber could visit, because weekday mornings are difficult for us.”

9. 誰かが家にいられる都合のよい時間帯を提案できます。

   We can suggest a flexible time window when someone can be home.

   誰か

   someone

   家に

   at home

   いられる

   can be

   都合のよい

   flexible; convenient

   時間帯

   time window

   提案できます

   can suggest

   More detail

   誰か means “someone”: 誰 is “who,” and か makes the expression indefinite. It does not identify a particular person here. Compare 誰が来ますか。 (“Who is coming?”) with 誰かが来ます。 (“Someone is coming.”) In this sentence, 誰かが marks the person who can be at home. 家に means “at home.” 家 is “home/house,” and に marks the place where someone or something exists or is present. The particle に can also mark a destination in other sentences, so its role is determined by the verb and context; here it identifies the location of being home. いられる is the potential form of いる, meaning “can be” or “can remain/be present.” いる is used for animate beings; ある is used for inanimate things. Here, 家にいられる means “can be at home,” not simply that someone is at home. The が-marked phrase 誰かが家にいられる forms a clause that describes the time window. 都合のよい means “convenient” or “suitable.” In this sentence, it describes a period that works well for the relevant scheduling needs, so “flexible” is a natural translation. The pattern Nに都合がよい means that something is convenient for a person or purpose; for example, 午後が私に都合がよいです。 means “The afternoon is convenient for me.” The adjective よい is the base form used here; いい is a common conversational variant. 時間帯 means “time period” or “time window.” It refers to a span within the day, rather than one precise point in time. For example, 午前の時間帯 means “the morning time period.” Here, the preceding clause modifies it: 誰かが家にいられる都合のよい時間帯 is “a convenient time window when someone can be home.” 提案できます means “can suggest.” 提案する is the verb “to suggest/propose,” and 提案できます uses its potential form, 提案できる, followed by polite ます. The potential form expresses ability or feasibility; it is not the same as simply saying 提案します (“will suggest” or “suggest”). For example, 別の日を提案できます。 means “We can suggest another day.” Putting the parts together, 誰かが家にいられる identifies the condition for the time window, 都合のよい says that the window is suitable, and 時間帯を提案できます says that it can be suggested. The complete utterance means: “We can suggest a flexible time window when someone can be home.”

10. そうすれば、大家さんが修理を手配しやすくなるはずです。

    That should make it easier for the landlord to arrange the repair.

    そうすれば

    if you do that; if so

    大家さん

    landlord

    修理

    repair

    手配し

    arrange

    やすくなる

    become easier

    はずです

    should; be expected to

    More detail

    そうすれば means “if that is done” or, in this context, “if you do that.” そう points back to the action just mentioned: the previous sentence proposes a suitable time window when someone can be home. すれば is the conditional form of する, so the reusable pattern is そうすれば、… = “if that is done, …” or “if you do that, …”. 大家さん means “the landlord.” 大家 is the noun for a landlord or property owner, and さん is a respectful name suffix. The suffix does not itself specify gender or number. Example: 店員さんに聞きます。 — “I’ll ask the shop assistant.” 修理 means “repair” here. It is a noun and can also combine with verbs, as in 修理する — “to repair.” In this sentence it identifies what will be arranged, rather than describing who performs the repair. 手配し comes from the verb 手配する, “to arrange” or “to make arrangements.” The し form is the connective form of する; here it joins 手配する to やすくなる. The structure Nを手配する means “arrange N,” so 修理を手配する means “arrange the repair.” Example: ホテルを手配します。 — “I’ll arrange a hotel.” やすくなる expresses becoming easier. In V-やすい, やすい means that an action is easy to do: 手配しやすい = “easy to arrange.” When an adjective ending in い is followed by なる, its い changes to く: やすい → やすくなる, “become easier.” Thus 手配しやすくなる means “become easier to arrange,” with なる showing a change in ease rather than an instruction to arrange something. はずです presents an expectation based on the situation: “should” or “is expected to.” はず is a noun meaning an expected result or state, and です is the polite copular form. Here it does not express an obligation; it marks the speaker’s expectation that the arrangement will become easier. Example: 明日は晴れるはずです。 — “It should be sunny tomorrow.” Together, そうすれば sets the condition, 大家さんが marks the landlord as the person for whom the change in ease applies, and 修理を手配しやすくなる says that arranging the repair will become easier. The final はずです presents this as an expected result: “If you do that, it should make it easier for the landlord to arrange the repair.”