Meal Prep for a Busy Week | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 来週は忙しそうなので、前もっていくつか料理を作っておくと助かりそうです。

   Next week looks busy, so preparing some meals in advance would help.

   来週

   next week

   忙しそう

   looks busy

   前もって

   in advance

   いくつか

   some; several

   料理

   dishes; meals

   作っておく

   prepare in advance

   助かりそうです

   looks like it would help

   More detail

   来週 means “next week.” 週 means “week,” and 来週 is the time expression for the week after the current one. With は, it sets next week as the topic: “As for next week …” 忙しそう means “looks busy.” The observed form is the adjective 忙しい (“busy”) combined with そうだ in its appearance/inference use; the final い of the adjective is removed before そう: 忙しい → 忙しそう. This says that busyness is expected or appears likely, rather than directly asserting that next week is already busy. In this sentence, ので follows it and gives the reason: “because next week looks busy.” 前もって means “in advance” or “beforehand.” It is an adverb, so it describes when an action is done. Example: 前もって知らせます。 — “I will let you know in advance.” いくつか means “some” or “several.” It indicates an unspecified number and can directly precede a noun: いくつか質問 means “some questions.” It does not specify an exact count here. 料理 means “dishes” or “meals” here: prepared food that can be eaten. The same noun can also refer more broadly to cooking or cuisine, depending on context. In this sentence, it refers to several prepared dishes or meals. 作っておく combines the て-form 作って of 作る (“make”) with auxiliary おく. Together, Vておく describes doing something beforehand for a later purpose or leaving the result ready: “make and have it ready” or “prepare in advance.” Here, 作っておく applies to the dishes. Example: 資料を準備しておきます。 — “I will prepare the materials in advance.” 助かりそうです means “looks like it would help.” Its base verb is 助かる, literally “be helped” or “be saved”; in this context, it means that the situation would be helpful. 助かりそう uses そう to express an expected result, and です makes the statement polite. The preceding と introduces the condition or situation: doing the preparation would likely be helpful. Putting the parts together, 来週は忙しそうなので gives the reason, “because next week looks busy.” 前もっていくつか料理を作っておくと presents preparing several dishes beforehand as the condition, and 助かりそうです says that this would probably be helpful. Thus the whole utterance means: “Next week looks busy, so preparing some meals in advance would help.”

2. 作り置きは役立ちますが、毎日同じものを食べるのは避けましょう。

   Meal prep will help, but avoid eating the same thing every day.

   作り置き

   prepared food kept for later

   役立ちます

   is helpful

   毎日

   every day

   同じ

   same

   もの

   thing

   食べる

   eat

   避けましょう

   let’s avoid

   More detail

   作り置き means food prepared in advance and kept for later use. It is a useful noun for the practice or the prepared food itself. The form is related to 作り置く “to make and leave ready,” but the observed word is the noun 作り置き, not a finite verb. 役立ちます is the polite nonpast form of 役立つ “to be useful/helpful.” Japanese nonpast can describe a general fact or a future-relevant result, so the translation “will help” fits this context. The polite form is useful in advice or other respectful conversation. 毎日 means “every day.” It functions as a time expression and can come before an action: 毎日勉強します means “I study every day.” 同じ means “same.” It is a descriptive word that comes before the noun it modifies: 同じ本 means “the same book.” Unlike an inflecting Japanese adjective such as 新しい, 同じ does not take that adjective’s -い ending. もの means “thing” in this sentence. In 同じもの, it stands for the same item or food without naming it again. Japanese もの can also refer more broadly to an object or item, so its exact referent depends on context; here the translation supports “the same thing” as food. 食べる is the plain nonpast form of 食べる “to eat.” In 毎日同じものを食べる, the object is marked by を: ものを食べる means “eat a thing/food.” The plain form can also be used before another grammatical element, as it is here. 食べるの turns the preceding action clause into a noun-like expression: 毎日同じものを食べるの means “eating the same thing every day.” The の here is a nominalizer, not the possessive particle in a noun phrase. 避けましょう is the polite volitional form of 避ける “to avoid.” In this sentence it gives a recommendation directed at the speaker and listener, naturally translated as “let’s avoid” or, in the fixed translation’s advice style, “avoid.” The base form is 避ける; 避けましょう is not the plain imperative. The first clause is 作り置きは役立ちます: は marks 作り置き as the topic, and 役立ちます says that it is helpful. が then links this with a contrast. The second clause places 毎日同じものを食べるの—“eating the same thing every day”—before は, making that whole action the topic of 避けましょう. Thus the utterance means: “Meal prep will help, but avoid eating the same thing every day.”

3. 野菜カレーをたくさん作ろうと思っていました。

   I was thinking of making a big batch of vegetable curry.

   野菜カレー

   vegetable curry

   たくさん

   a lot; in a large amount

   作ろうと思っていました

   was thinking of making

   More detail

   野菜カレー means “vegetable curry.” It is a noun compound: 野菜 means “vegetables,” and カレー means “curry.” In this sentence, を marks 野菜カレー as the thing being made. Example: 野菜カレーを食べます。—“I eat vegetable curry.” たくさん means “a lot” or “in a large amount.” Here it modifies 作ろう, so the intended amount of curry is large; this supports the translation “a big batch.” It is not a fixed numerical count. Example: ご飯をたくさん食べました。—“I ate a lot of rice.” 作ろうと思っていました combines the volitional form 作ろう of 作る, “to make,” with と思っていました, “was thinking/intending.” 作ろう can express “let’s make” when used on its own, but in 作ろうと思っていました it expresses a past thought or intention to make something. 思っていました is the polite past form of 思っている, presenting that thought or intention as continuing over an earlier period. This form does not by itself state that the curry was actually made. Example: 来月旅行しようと思っています。—“I’m thinking of traveling next month.” Together, 野菜カレーを identifies vegetable curry as the object, たくさん indicates a large amount, and 作ろうと思っていました presents the speaker’s earlier intention or thought of making it. The whole utterance therefore means: “I was thinking of making a big batch of vegetable curry.”

4. きちんと一人分ずつ分けて、安全に保存すれば大丈夫です。

   That works if you portion it properly and store it safely.

   きちんと

   properly

   一人分ずつ

   in one-person portions

   分けて

   divide and

   安全に

   safely

   保存すれば

   if you store it

   大丈夫です

   it is fine

   More detail

   きちんと means “properly” or “neatly” here. It is an adverb, so it describes how the portioning is done. For example, きちんと並べる means “arrange [things] neatly.” 一人分ずつ combines 一人分, “one person’s portion,” with ずつ, “each” or “in equal units.” Together, it means dividing something into one-person portions; it does not by itself say that the portions are made one at a time. The pattern Nずつ distributes something in units of N; for example, 一枚ずつ means “one sheet each.” 分けて is the て-form of 分ける, “to divide” or “to portion.” The て-form connects this action to the following action: 分けて、保存する means “portion it and store it.” 安全に means “safely.” It is the adverbial form of 安全, “safe” or “safety,” and describes the manner of 保存する. Compare 安全な場所, “a safe place,” where 安全な modifies a noun. 保存すれば is the ば-conditional form of 保存する, “to store” or “to preserve.” The pattern V-ば presents a condition: 保存すれば means “if [you] store it.” The subject and object are understood from the situation rather than stated in this form. 大丈夫です means “it is fine” or “that is all right.” 大丈夫です is a polite form; 大丈夫だ is the corresponding plain-style form. In this sentence, it gives the result that the stated condition is acceptable. Together, きちんと一人分ずつ分けて says to portion the food properly into one-person portions. 安全に保存すれば adds the condition “if you store it safely,” and 大丈夫です gives the result: “That works if you portion it properly and store it safely.”

5. いくつか冷凍して、残りは冷蔵庫に入れておきましょうか。

   Should I freeze some and keep the rest in the fridge?

   いくつか

   some; several

   冷凍して

   freeze

   残り

   the rest

   冷蔵庫

   refrigerator

   入れて

   put in

   おきましょうか

   shall I leave it that way?

   More detail

   いくつか means “some” or “several” of the relevant items. It indicates an unspecified number, not a precise count. Example: いくつか選びます。— “I’ll choose some.” 冷凍して is the て-form of 冷凍する, “to freeze.” Here it links the first action to the following action: “freeze some, and …” The understood subject is the speaker, as shown by the English translation. The て-form of a verb commonly connects actions without repeating the subject. 残り means “the remainder” or “the rest.” With は, 残りは sets up a contrast: the items not included in いくつか are the topic of the second action. The form itself does not identify a separate quantity beyond “what remains.” 冷蔵庫 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” It is a noun; 冷蔵 means chilled/refrigerated storage and 庫 means a storage place, but the useful everyday word here is the complete noun 冷蔵庫. Example: 冷蔵庫にあります。— “It is in the refrigerator.” 入れて is the て-form of 入れる, “to put in” or “to place inside.” The particle に marks 冷蔵庫 as the destination: 冷蔵庫に入れる means “put [something] in the refrigerator.” The object is understood from the context rather than stated again. おきましょうか is the polite volitional question form of the construction ておく: て-form + おく. After another verb, おく means to do something in advance or leave something in a resulting state. Thus 入れておく means “put it in and leave it there,” which naturally becomes “keep it in” here. ましょうか asks whether the speaker should do this, so the whole ending means “shall I put it away/keep it that way?” Together, いくつか冷凍して means “freeze some,” while 残りは冷蔵庫に入れておきましょうか means “shall I put the rest in the refrigerator and leave it there?” The sentence therefore asks: “Should I freeze some and keep the rest in the fridge?” The polite ましょうか makes this a courteous offer or proposal by the speaker.

6. 何食分か冷凍してください。

   Freeze a few portions.

   何食分か

   a few portions

   冷凍して

   freeze

   ください

   please

   More detail

   何食分か specifies an unspecified number of meal portions. 食分 is a counter meaning “enough for one meal,” so 二食分 means “two meals’ worth.” Here, 何...か leaves the number unspecified; in this request, the fixed translation conveys “a few portions,” rather than asking the listener to state an exact number. Example: 三食分を作りました。 — “I made three meals’ worth.” 冷凍して is the te-form of 冷凍する, “to freeze.” The te-form connects this action to the request that follows; it is not itself the polite command. Example: 野菜を冷凍して保存します。 — “I freeze vegetables and store them.” ください is the polite request form used after a te-form. The pattern てください means “please do ...”: 見てください means “Please look.” Here it turns 冷凍して into a polite instruction. Together, 何食分か + 冷凍して + ください means “Please freeze a few portions,” with the number of meal portions left unspecified. The wording is a polite request to freeze that amount.

7. 選びやすいように、容器に一つずつラベルを貼ってください。

   Label each container so it is easy to choose.

   選びやすい

   easy to choose

   ように

   so that

   容器

   container

   一つずつ

   one each; one at a time

   ラベル

   label

   貼ってください

   please stick on; please attach

   More detail

   選びやすい means “easy to choose” here. It is built from 選ぶ (“to choose”) and やすい, which attaches to the verb stem: 選び + やすい. This pattern describes an action that is easy to do. For example, 読みやすい本 means “a book that is easy to read.” ように turns the preceding situation into a purpose or desired result: “so that” or “in such a way that.” Thus 選びやすいように means “so that choosing is easy.” The person who will choose is not specified in the sentence. 容器 means “container.” It is a noun and can refer to a vessel used to hold something. The particle に marks the place or surface where something is put: here, labels are put on the containers. 一つずつ means “one each” or “one at a time.” 一つ is the general counter form for one item, and ずつ distributes the relevant action by that amount. Here, because it follows 容器に and comes before ラベル, it indicates that each container receives one label. For example, 紙を一枚ずつ配ります means “I distribute the sheets one at a time.” ラベル is the noun “label.” In ラベルを貼る, ラベル is the object being attached, marked by を. 貼ってください is a polite request meaning “please stick on” or “please attach.” Its base form is 貼る (“to stick or attach”); its て-form is 貼って, followed by ください to make a polite request. The same pattern works with other verbs, such as 書いてください (“please write”) and 見てください (“please look”). Together, 容器に一つずつラベルを貼ってください means “please attach one label to each container.” Combined with the purpose phrase 選びやすいように, the whole utterance is: “Label each container so it is easy to choose.”

8. 昼食には、ご飯だけでなく、バランスのよいものも必要です。

   I also need something balanced for lunch, not just rice.

   昼食

   lunch

   ご飯

   rice

   だけでなく

   not only

   バランスのよい

   balanced

   もの

   thing

   必要です

   is needed

   More detail

   昼食 means lunch. In this sentence, 昼食には sets lunch as the context or purpose: に here is not part of the noun itself, but marks what the statement concerns. Example: 朝食にはパンを食べます。 — “I eat bread for breakfast.” ご飯 means rice here. Depending on context, it can also refer to a meal, but the fixed translation identifies the intended meaning as rice. Example: ご飯を食べます。 — “I eat rice.” だけでなく is a reusable pattern meaning “not only A” or, in a negative-style translation such as this one, “not just A.” It normally introduces A and prepares for an additional item or condition. Example: 水だけでなく、お茶もあります。 — “There is not only water; there is tea as well.” バランスのよい means “balanced” or “well-balanced.” It is a descriptive expression: バランス is “balance,” and よい is the adjective “good.” The form よい has the common alternative いい, but バランスのよい is the form actually used here. Example: バランスのよい食事を選びます。 — “I choose a balanced meal.” もの means “thing” or “item.” Here it is general and refers to something balanced to eat; the translation’s “something balanced” captures that meaning without specifying a particular food. Example: 必要なものを買います。 — “I buy the things I need.” 必要です expresses that something is necessary or needed. 必要 is the word meaning “necessary,” and です gives the predicate a polite form. This is not the same as 欲しいです, which means “want.” Example: 休憩が必要です。 — “A break is necessary.” The ending ものも combines もの with も, meaning that the balanced item is included as an additional necessary item. In 昼食には、ご飯だけでなく、バランスのよいものも必要です, だけでなく contrasts rice with an additional option, while も reinforces the sense of “also.” The whole utterance means: “I also need something balanced for lunch, not just rice.”

9. 食べたいものに合わせて、卵や豆、鶏肉を加えてください。

   Add eggs, beans, or chicken, depending on what you feel like eating.

   食べたい

   want to eat

   もの

   thing; what

   に合わせて

   depending on; in accordance with

   卵

   egg

   豆

   bean

   鶏肉

   chicken

   加えてください

   please add

   More detail

   食べたい comes from 食べる (to eat) plus -たい, which expresses the speaker’s or relevant person’s desire to do something. Here it means “want to eat.” The form 食べたい is used with a plain verb stem; for example, 水を飲みたい。 means “I want to drink water.” もの means “thing,” and after a clause it can mean “what …” or “the thing that ….” Thus 食べたいもの means “what [someone] wants to eat” or “the food they feel like eating.” In this sentence, the translation identifies that intended meaning without specifying a separate person as the referent of the desire. に合わせて is a reusable pattern meaning “according to,” “in line with,” or “depending on.” The form 合わせて is the connective form of 合わせる (“to adjust; to match”), and に marks what the adjustment is based on. 好みに合わせて選ぶ。 means “Choose according to your preference.” 卵 means “egg,” 豆 means “bean,” and 鶏肉 means “chicken” as food. The particle や between the first two listed items marks them as examples in a non-exhaustive list; the list can therefore be understood as “eggs, beans, chicken, and similar options,” rather than as a strict complete list. 加えてください is a polite request meaning “please add.” It consists of the connective form 加えて of 加える (“to add”) plus ください, a polite request form. For example, 野菜を加えてください。 means “Please add vegetables.” Unlike the desire form in 食べたい, this expression asks the listener to perform the action. Together, 食べたいものに合わせて sets the basis for the choice: “depending on what you feel like eating.” 卵や豆、鶏肉を marks eggs, beans, and chicken as the items to be added, and 加えてください politely requests that addition. The whole utterance means: “Add eggs, beans, or chicken, depending on what you feel like eating.”

10. 残り物に飽きたら、副菜を変えることができます。

    If the leftovers feel boring, I can change the side dish.

    残り物

    leftovers

    飽きたら

    if/when it feels boring

    副菜

    side dish

    変える

    change

    ことができます

    can do so

    More detail

    残り物 means “leftovers” here: food remaining from an earlier meal. It is a noun, so it can be followed by particles such as を or に depending on the verb. Example: 残り物を食べます。 — “I eat the leftovers.” 飽きたら expresses the condition “if/when it feels boring.” The base form is 飽きる, an intransitive verb used in the pattern ～に飽きる, meaning to become tired of or bored with something; here, 残り物に marks what the experience concerns. 飽きたら consists of the past form 飽きた plus ら, which forms a conditional meaning “if” or “when.” In the fixed translation, this condition is rendered as “if the leftovers feel boring”; the omitted Japanese subject is not separately identified in the conditional clause. Example: 同じ味に飽きたら、別の料理を作ります。 — “If I get tired of the same flavor, I make a different dish.” 副菜 is the noun “side dish,” referring to a dish served alongside the main food. Example: 副菜を一品作ります。 — “I make one side dish.” 変える means “to change” or “to replace” something and is a transitive verb, so the thing changed can be marked with を: 副菜を変える means “change the side dish.” A useful contrast is 変わる, “to change” or “to become different,” which describes something changing rather than someone changing it. Example: 副菜を変えます。 — “I change the side dish.” ことができます is a polite construction meaning “can do.” Here, こと turns the preceding verb phrase 副菜を変える into an action, and できます is the polite form of できる, “can” or “be able to.” Thus 副菜を変えることができます means “can change the side dish.” Example: 別の副菜を選ぶことができます。 — “I can choose another side dish.” Together, 残り物に飽きたら sets the condition rendered in the fixed translation as “if the leftovers feel boring.” 副菜を変えることができます states the available action: “I can change the side dish.” The whole utterance therefore means: “If the leftovers feel boring, I can change the side dish.” The fixed translation identifies “I” as the actor of the ability statement; Japanese leaves that subject unexpressed.

11. 小さな変化で、作り置きの料理をもっと楽しめます。

    Small changes make prepared meals more enjoyable.

    小さな

    small

    変化

    change

    作り置き

    prepared in advance

    料理

    dish; prepared food

    もっと

    more

    楽しめます

    can enjoy

    More detail

    小さな means “small” here and comes before the noun 変化. It is a prenominal form used with nouns; 小さい is the ordinary い-adjective form meaning “small,” while 小さな is used attributively in expressions such as 小さな町, “a small town.” 変化 means “change” here. In 小さな変化で, で marks the means or way: “through small changes” or “with small changes.” Example: 生活に変化を加えます。 means “I add a change to my daily life.” 作り置き means food prepared in advance for later use. In 作り置きの料理, it modifies 料理 through の, giving “food or dishes prepared in advance.” The related expression 作り置きをする means “to prepare food in advance.” Example: 週末に作り置きをします。 means “I prepare food in advance on the weekend.” 料理 can mean “cooking,” “cuisine,” or “a dish,” depending on context. Here, in 作り置きの料理, it means prepared food or dishes. Example: この料理は簡単です。 means “This dish is easy.” もっと means “more” or “to a greater degree.” It increases the degree of 楽しめます: the food can be enjoyed more. Example: もっとゆっくり食べます。 means “I eat more slowly.” 楽しめます means “can enjoy.” Its base verb is 楽しむ, “to enjoy.” The potential form 楽しめる expresses ability or possibility, and 楽しめます is its polite non-past form. Example: この音楽は家でも楽しめます。 means “This music can also be enjoyed at home.” The utterance can be reused as Aで Bをもっと楽しめます: “Through A, [someone] can enjoy B more.” Here, 小さな変化で expresses the means, 作り置きの料理 is what is enjoyed, and もっと楽しめます expresses increased enjoyment. Japanese does not state the subject explicitly. Together, the sentence means “Small changes make prepared meals more enjoyable.”