Adapting a Recipe When an Ingredient Is Missing | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. このレシピには生のバジルが必要ですが、乾燥ハーブしかありません。

   The recipe needs fresh basil, but we only have dried herbs.

   この

   this

   レシピ

   recipe

   生

   fresh; raw

   バジル

   basil

   必要

   needed; necessary

   ですが

   but

   乾燥ハーブ

   dried herbs

   しかありません

   there is only; we have only

   More detail

   この appears before the noun it specifies. It means “this” in an attributive position: このレシピ = “this recipe.” Japanese demonstratives have forms for different grammatical positions; この must be followed by a noun, while the standalone form is これ (“this one”). The sentence does not otherwise identify what the recipe is. レシピ is the noun “recipe.” In このレシピには, に marks the recipe as the relevant context or target, and は adds a topic-like contrast: “as for this recipe.” 生 modifies バジル through 生のバジル. Here it means fresh rather than dried. Depending on the noun and context, 生 can also mean raw or uncooked, so the intended sense here comes from its contrast with 乾燥 (“dried”). The の links the modifier to the noun: 生のX = “fresh/raw X.” バジル is the noun “basil.” In 生のバジルが必要です, the whole noun phrase is marked by が as what is necessary. 必要 expresses necessity: “necessary” or “needed.” In this sentence, 必要です says that fresh basil is needed for the recipe. 必要 commonly combines with だ or its polite form です; it is not the verb “need” with a separate subject corresponding to English “we.” A reusable pattern is XにはYが必要です = “X needs Y” or “Y is necessary for X.” Example: 旅行にはパスポートが必要です。 = “A passport is necessary for travel.” ですが follows the first statement and introduces a contrast: “but.” It is the polite form of です followed by が; in this sentence, が functions as a connective rather than marking the thing that is needed. A reusable contrast pattern is Aですが、Bです = “A, but B.” 乾燥ハーブ is “dried herbs.” 乾燥 means “drying” or “dried” in compounds, and ハーブ means “herb(s).” Unlike 生のバジル, this is a compound noun, so the modifier is placed directly before the noun: 乾燥ハーブ. しかありません means “there is only” or, in this context, “we have only.” しか marks an exclusive limit and normally requires a negative predicate. ありません is the polite negative form of ある, the existence verb used for non-living things and objects. Thus 乾燥ハーブしかありません literally presents dried herbs as the only available thing; the natural English translation uses “we have” even though Japanese does not state an explicit subject here. Compare ハーブがあります (“There are herbs / We have herbs”) with ハーブしかありません (“There are only herbs / We have only herbs”). Together, このレシピには生のバジルが必要ですが means “This recipe needs fresh basil, but,” and 乾燥ハーブしかありません adds that dried herbs are the only herbs available. The complete utterance therefore means: “The recipe needs fresh basil, but we only have dried herbs.”

2. それでも作れます。味が少し違うだけです。

   We can still make it; the flavor will just be a little different.

   それでも

   still; even so

   作れます

   can make it

   味

   flavor

   少し

   a little

   違う

   be different

   だけです

   just; only

   More detail

   それでも means “even so” or “nevertheless.” It connects this sentence to the preceding problem: only dried herbs are available, but the speaker says the recipe can still be made. It is a useful contrast marker for maintaining the main conclusion despite a difficulty. 作れます is the polite potential form of 作る (“to make”): 作る → 作れる (“can make”) → 作れます (“can make,” polite). The subject is understood from the conversation rather than stated in this sentence, and the fixed translation supports “we.” The potential form expresses ability or feasibility, not simply a future action. Example: この料理は家で作れます。 — “This dish can be made at home.” 味 means “flavor” or “taste.” In this sentence it is the subject marked by が, so the flavor is what is described as different. The same noun can refer to the taste of food or drink more generally. 少し means “a little” or “slightly.” It modifies 違う, limiting the degree of difference rather than identifying a separate flavor. Example: 今日は少し寒いです。 — “It is a little cold today.” 違う means “be different” here. Its base form is 違う; the polite form is 違います. In 味が少し違う, it is in the plain form before だけです, and it describes a small difference in flavor. Do not confuse this use with 間違う, which means “be mistaken” or “make a mistake.” だけです adds the restriction “only” or “just.” Here, だけ limits the situation to the flavor being slightly different, while です gives the ending a polite tone. The construction Xだけです can mean “it is only X” or “that is all.” Example: 少し待つだけです。 — “We only need to wait a little.” Together, それでも作れます says “Even so, we can still make it.” 味が少し違うだけです says “The flavor will just be a little different.” The whole utterance therefore reassures the listener that the dish remains feasible despite the available ingredient being different: the only stated consequence is a slight difference in flavor.

3. ソースの中で柔らかくなるように、乾燥ハーブを早めに加えたほうがよいですか。

   Should we add the dried herbs earlier so they soften in the sauce?

   ソースの中で

   in the sauce

   柔らかくなる

   become soft

   ように

   so that

   乾燥ハーブ

   dried herbs

   早めに

   earlier

   加えたほうがよいですか

   should it be added?

   More detail

   ソースの中で means “in the sauce.” 中 is “inside” or “within,” and の links ソース to it: ソースの中 is “the inside of the sauce.” The particle で marks the place or setting where an action or change occurs. Here, the softening is understood to happen in the sauce. 柔らかくなる means “become soft.” The base adjective is 柔らかい (“soft”); before なる (“become”), its form is 柔らかく: 柔らかい → 柔らかくなる. なる describes a change into a state, so this is different from 柔らかい, which simply describes something as soft. The form なる does not itself mark who or what becomes soft; the context supplies the thing being softened. ように connects the intended result to the action: XようにY can mean “Y so that X” when X is the desired result. Thus 柔らかくなるように is “so that [they] become soft.” In this sentence, the intended subject of 柔らかくなる is the dried herbs identified by the fixed translation and surrounding context. 乾燥ハーブ means “dried herbs.” 乾燥 means “drying” or “dried” in compounds, and ハーブ means “herb(s).” Japanese nouns generally do not change form to show singular versus plural, so 乾燥ハーブ can refer to one or more dried herbs; the translation makes the plural reading intended here. 早めに means “early” or “earlier than usual or planned.” It is related to 早い (“early; fast”) and uses 早め to express an intentionally somewhat early timing, followed by に to make an adverbial expression. It is not the same as 遅めに (“somewhat late”). In this sentence, it modifies adding: the herbs should be added earlier, not that the herbs themselves are early. 加えたほうがよいですか asks whether adding is the better or advisable choice. The verb is 加える (“add”), and 加えた is its た form. In the pattern Vたほうがよい, the た form is part of a recommendation pattern; it does not make this recommendation past tense. ほう literally means “direction/option,” so the pattern presents doing V as the preferable option. ですか makes the recommendation into a polite question. The subject is omitted in Japanese; with the fixed translation, the question is understood as asking whether the speakers should add the herbs. Putting the parts together, ソースの中で柔らかくなるように gives the purpose “so that they become soft in the sauce.” 乾燥ハーブを marks the dried herbs as what is added, and 早めに加えたほうがよいですか asks whether adding them earlier is advisable. The whole utterance means: “Should we add the dried herbs earlier so they soften in the sauce?”

4. 早めに加えて、量を減らしましょう。乾燥ハーブは味が強く出ることがあるからです。

   Add them earlier and use less, because dried herbs can taste stronger.

   早めに

   earlier

   加えて

   add

   量

   amount

   減らしましょう

   let’s use less

   乾燥ハーブ

   dried herbs

   味

   taste

   強く

   strongly

   出る

   come out

   ことがある

   can happen

   からです

   because

   More detail

   早めに means “earlier” or “relatively early.” It is based on 早い (“early; soon”) and describes timing here: the adding should happen earlier than the relevant cooking point. Example: 早めに出発します。 — “I will leave early.” 加えて is the te-form of 加える (“to add”). The te-form links this action to what follows; here it gives the first part of a coordinated suggestion. The object is omitted in Japanese, while the fixed translation identifies it as the dried herbs. Example: 砂糖を加えてください。 — “Please add sugar.” 量 means “amount” or “quantity.” It is a noun, and in the sentence it is the thing whose quantity is reduced. 量を減らす is a reusable pattern meaning “reduce the amount.” 減らしましょう is the polite volitional form of 減らす (“to reduce; decrease”): 減らし + ましょう. It presents the reduction as a suggestion such as “let’s reduce it” or, in this cooking instruction, “use less.” Example: 塩の量を減らしましょう。 — “Let’s reduce the amount of salt.” 乾燥ハーブ is a noun compound: 乾燥 (“drying; dried”) modifies ハーブ (“herbs”), giving “dried herbs.” The compound is the topic of the explanation that follows. Example: 乾燥ハーブを保存します。 — “I store dried herbs.” 味 means “taste” or “flavor.” Here it is the flavor produced by the herbs, not the herbs themselves. Example: このスープは味がよいです。 — “This soup tastes good.” 強く is the adverbial form of 強い (“strong”). It modifies 出る, so it describes how the flavor comes through: strongly. 強い味 means “a strong flavor,” while 強く出る describes that flavor becoming pronounced. 出る literally means “come out” or “appear,” but with 味 as its subject it means that a taste or flavor comes through or is pronounced. Example: にんにくの味が出ます。 — “The garlic flavor comes through.” ことがある is a construction meaning that something can happen or sometimes occurs. After the plain form 出る, 出ることがある means “can come through” or “sometimes comes through.” It expresses possibility or occasional occurrence, not a claim that the flavor is always strong. Example: この薬は眠くなることがあります。 — “This medicine can make you sleepy.” からです gives the reason in a polite explanatory form: “because ...” or “that is because ...”. The preceding clause states the reason for the suggestion. から marks the reason, and です makes the explanation polite. Together, 早めに加えて means “add them earlier,” and 量を減らしましょう means “let’s reduce the amount” or naturally “use less.” The reason is 乾燥ハーブは味が強く出ることがあるからです: “because dried herbs can have a stronger flavor.” Thus the whole utterance advises adding the dried herbs earlier while using a smaller amount, since their flavor can come through strongly.

5. このレシピには、なめらかな食感にするためにクリームを使うとも書いてあります。

   The recipe also says to use cream for a smooth texture.

   この

   this

   レシピ

   recipe

   なめらかな

   smooth

   食感

   texture

   する

   make

   ために

   for the purpose of

   クリーム

   cream

   使う

   use

   とも

   also

   書いてあります

   is written / says

   More detail

   この means “this” and is a demonstrative modifier placed before a noun. Its form does not identify a particular referent by itself; here the fixed translation identifies the referent as the recipe being discussed. A useful contrast is その “that” in relation to the discourse situation. レシピ is a noun meaning “recipe.” In このレシピ, この specifies the recipe as “this recipe.” The particle には after it combines location/topic marking: the recipe is the source in which the stated information is written, and it is the topic of the sentence. なめらかな is the attributive form of the na-adjective なめらかだ, “smooth.” Before a noun, a na-adjective uses な: なめらかな食感 means “a smooth texture.” The adjective describes 食感, not クリーム. 食感 means “texture,” especially the texture or mouthfeel of food. It is a noun here. For example, このスープは食感がなめらかです。 means “This soup has a smooth texture.” する is the basic form of the verb “make” or “cause to become.” In なめらかな食感にする, the pattern Xにする means “make something X” or “make something into X”; the result here is a smooth texture. The noun phrase before に names the intended result, not the agent performing the action. ために expresses purpose: “in order to” or “for the purpose of.” The pattern verb-dictionary form + ために can state the purpose of an action, as in 健康を保つために運動します。 — “I exercise in order to maintain my health.” Here なめらかな食感にするために means “in order to make the texture smooth.” クリーム is the noun “cream.” The particle を (present in the sentence immediately after it) marks cream as the object of 使う, so cream is what is used. This sentence does not by itself state how much cream is used. 使う is the basic form of the verb “use.” Its nonpast form can describe a present or future action, or an instruction/report about such an action; here it is inside the content that the recipe says to use. A related contrast is 使わない, “not use.” とも consists of the quotative particle と plus も, “also/even.” After 使う, 使うとも introduces the proposition “to use [it].” In this sentence, も adds that this is another piece of information the recipe says, giving the sense “also says to use cream.” It is not part of the verb 使う. 書いてあります is the polite form of 書いてある, built from the te-form 書いて of 書く “write” plus ある. This construction describes something written and existing in that written state. In a recipe context, it naturally means that the recipe states or says something in writing. The polite ending ます makes the statement polite; it does not change the reported content. Together, このレシピには sets “this recipe” as the written source, なめらかな食感にするために gives the purpose “in order to make the texture smooth,” and クリームを使うとも書いてあります says that it also states “use cream.” The whole utterance therefore means: “The recipe also says to use cream for a smooth texture.”

6. 代わりにヨーグルトを使うなら、火を弱めたほうがよいです。

   If we use yogurt instead, we should lower the heat.

   代わりに

   instead

   ヨーグルト

   yogurt

   使うなら

   if using

   火

   heat

   弱めたほうがよいです

   it is better to lower

   More detail

   代わりに means “instead” or “in place of something.” It marks a substitution; here it frames yogurt as the replacement. A reusable pattern is Aの代わりにBを使う (“use B instead of A”). ヨーグルト is the noun “yogurt.” It is the item being used as the replacement in this sentence. 使うなら contains the plain nonpast form 使う (“use”) and なら, which forms a conditional such as “if” or “when.” In this sentence, the understood subject is the speaker’s group, matching “we” in the fixed translation. The pattern Xを使うなら means “if we use X” or, depending on context, “when using X.” 火 means “heat” here, understood as the cooking heat or flame. The particle を marks it as the thing affected by the following action. In other contexts, 火 can refer more literally to fire or a flame, but the fixed translation supports the cooking-heat meaning here. 弱めたほうがよいです expresses a recommendation: “it is better to lower it.” The verb 弱める means “to weaken” or “to lower,” and 弱めた is its た-form. In the pattern V-たほうがよい, the た-form combines with ほうがよい to recommend an action; it does not by itself mean that the lowering already happened. です makes the recommendation polite. For example, 火を弱めたほうがよいです means “It is better to lower the heat.” Together, 代わりにヨーグルトを使うなら sets the condition “if we use yogurt instead,” and 火を弱めたほうがよいです gives the recommendation “we should lower the heat.” The complete utterance therefore means: “If we use yogurt instead, we should lower the heat.”

7. そうしないと、ソースが分離して変に見えるかもしれません。

   Otherwise the sauce might separate and look strange.

   そうしないと

   otherwise; if that is not done

   ソース

   sauce

   分離して

   separate and

   変に

   strangely

   見える

   look; appear

   かもしれません

   might; may

   More detail

   そうしないと means “if that is not done” or, naturally here, “otherwise.” そう points to an action already understood from the context, while しない is the negative form of する. The と conditional presents the result that follows when the condition is met. Pattern: そうしないと、… = “If you don’t do that, …” / “Otherwise, …”. ソース is the noun “sauce.” The katakana spelling marks it as a loanword; it does not itself indicate a special grammatical form. 分離して comes from the verb 分離する (“to separate”). The ending -て links this event to what follows: “separate and …”. Here the sauce is the thing that separates; the form does not mean that someone deliberately separates it. Example: 油と水が分離した。 — “The oil and water separated.” 変に is the adverbial form used with 見える, giving the manner or impression “strangely” or “oddly.” It is related to the adjective 変だ (“strange”), but 変に is the form used to modify a verb in this expression. Example: その色は変に見える。 — “That color looks strange.” 見える means “look” or “appear” here: it describes how something appears to an observer. It is an intransitive verb, unlike 見せる, which means “show” or “make someone see.” In 変に見える, the subject is what has the strange appearance. かもしれません expresses possibility politely: “might” or “may.” The less formal form is かもしれない. It presents the result as possible, not certain. Example: 明日は雨かもしれません。 — “It might rain tomorrow.” Together, ソースが分離して変に見える says “the sauce separates and looks strange,” with が marking the sauce as the subject of this description. The preceding そうしないと makes that a possible consequence of not doing the understood action, and かもしれません softens the prediction: “Otherwise, the sauce might separate and look strange.”

8. 仕上げにゆっくり混ぜ入れると、うまくいくはずです。

   Stirring it in slowly near the end should help.

   仕上げ

   finishing; final stage

   ゆっくり

   slowly

   混ぜ入れる

   stir in

   うまくいく

   go well

   はずです

   should; be expected to

   More detail

   仕上げ means “finishing” or “the final stage.” In 仕上げに, に marks the stage at which an action is done, so the phrase means “near the end” or “as a finishing step.” The noun can also appear in 仕上げをする, “do the finishing work.” ゆっくり means “slowly” here. It is an adverb, so it describes how the stirring-in is carried out. Example: ゆっくり話してください。 — “Please speak slowly.” 混ぜ入れる is a compound verb meaning “to stir something into” or “to mix something in.” Its base form is 混ぜ入れる; the observed form is non-past and is followed by と. The thing being mixed in is understood from the context and is represented by “it” in the fixed translation; it is not stated as a separate noun in this sentence. Example: 卵をゆっくり混ぜ入れる。 — “Stir the egg in slowly.” うまくいく is a reusable expression meaning “go well” or “work out.” うまく describes a favorable result, while いく is the verb “go”; together they describe an activity or result progressing successfully. The subject is left unstated here; the fixed translation conveys it as the relevant process or outcome rather than naming a separate participant. Example: 計画がうまくいく。 — “The plan goes well.” はずです expresses an expectation based on the speaker’s understanding: “should” or “is expected to.” はず is the noun expressing an expected outcome, and です gives the phrase a polite sentence ending. It is different from a firm guarantee. Example: 明日は晴れるはずです。 — “It should be sunny tomorrow.” The structure is 仕上げに (“near the end”) + ゆっくり混ぜ入れる (“stir it in slowly”) + と (“when/if this is done”) + うまくいくはずです (“it should go well”). Together: “Stirring it in slowly near the end should help.”

9. うまくできたら、代用した材料を書き留めます。

   If the result turns out well, I will write down the substitution.

   うまく

   well; successfully

   できたら

   if it works out

   代用した

   used as a substitute

   材料

   材料; ingredient or material

   書き留めます

   write down

   More detail

   うまく means “well” or “successfully” here. It is the adverbial form used to describe how something happens. It is related to うまい, whose other common meanings include “skillful” and, in some contexts, “tasty”; the intended meaning here is successful functioning, not taste. Example: うまく説明できた。 — “I was able to explain it well.” できたら means “if it works out.” The form is できる (“can do; be possible”) → できた (past form) + ら (a conditional ending). In うまくできたら, the combination means “if it turns out well” or “if it can be done successfully.” The past-looking form before ら does not by itself place this condition in the past. Example: 時間ができたら、連絡します。 — “If I get time, I’ll contact you.” 代用した means “used as a substitute.” It is the past form of 代用する (“to substitute; to use as a replacement”), and it modifies the noun that follows: 代用した材料 is literally “material that [someone] used as a substitute.” Japanese places this modifying clause before its noun. Example: 牛乳の代わりに豆乳を代用した。 — “I used soy milk as a substitute for cow’s milk.” 材料 means “material” or, in a cooking context, “ingredient.” The fixed translation supports the cooking-related sense “substitution” in the larger sentence, while the word itself can also refer more broadly to material used for making something. Example: 材料を準備します。 — “I will prepare the ingredients/materials.” 書き留めます means “write down” or “make a note of.” It is the polite nonpast form of 書き留める: 書き留める → 書き留めます. The nonpast form can describe a future action or intention, so here it means that the speaker will record the information. It is transitive and takes the thing recorded with を. Example: 新しい方法を書き留めます。 — “I will write down the new method.” The sentence first sets the condition with うまくできたら, “if it turns out well.” The noun phrase 代用した材料 identifies the materials used as substitutes, and を marks that noun phrase as the object of 書き留めます. Together, 代用した材料を書き留めます means “I will write down the substitution” in the supplied translation, specifically recording which substitute material was used. The whole utterance therefore means: “If the result turns out well, I will write down the substitution.”

10. そうすれば、次回は推測する必要がなくなります。

    Then next time we will not need to guess.

    そうすれば

    then; if that happens

    次回

    next time

    推測する

    to guess; to infer

    必要がなくなります

    will no longer be necessary

    More detail

    そうすれば combines そうする (“do so”) with the conditional form -ば. It means “if that is done” or, in a consequence sequence like this one, “then.” Here it links the preceding condition or action to the result that follows. A reusable pattern is Aすれば、B = “if A happens/is done, B.” 次回 is a noun meaning “the next occasion” or “next time.” It is a compact, somewhat formal time expression and can be used directly as a time-setting phrase: 次回は… means “next time…” The particle は is outside the quoted word and sets “next time” as the topic or contrast. 推測する means “to guess” or “to infer.” 推測 is the noun “inference/guess,” and する makes it a verb; the quoted form is the nonpast dictionary form. In 推測する必要, the verb modifies 必要, giving the reusable pattern V dictionary form + 必要 = “the need to V.” For example, 確認する必要があります。 means “There is a need to check,” or more naturally, “We need to check.” 必要がなくなります says that the necessity disappears: 必要 means “necessity,” が marks it as what becomes absent, and なくなります is the polite nonpast form of なくなる, “become absent/no longer exist.” The form なくなる is built from ない (“not present/not necessary”) plus なる (“become”); ない changes to its connective form なく before なる. In this sentence, the nonpast form describes the expected result, so the translation naturally uses “will no longer be necessary.” Together, 推測する必要がなくなります means “the need to guess will disappear,” or “we will no longer need to guess.” With そうすれば and 次回は, the whole utterance is: “Then, next time, we will no longer need to guess.”