Catching up after missed classes | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 最近、いくつかの授業を休んで、遅れていると感じます。

   I missed some classes recently and feel behind.

   最近

   recently

   いくつかの

   some; several

   授業

   classes

   休んで

   miss; be absent from

   遅れている

   be behind

   感じます

   feel

   More detail

   最近 means “recently” and places the event in the recent past or present period. It is an adverb, so it does not inflect for tense or number. いくつかの means “some” or “several.” It modifies the following noun and indicates an unspecified amount; it does not by itself state an exact count. A reusable pattern is いくつかの + noun. 授業 means “class” or “lesson.” Here it refers to the classes that were missed. For example, 授業があります means “There is a class” or “I have a class,” depending on context. 休んで is the て-form of 休む, “to rest” or “to be absent.” In 授業を休む, it means “to miss a class” or “to be absent from a class.” The て-form connects this clause to what follows: 授業を休んで、… means “having missed classes, …” or, as here, “missed classes and …”. The form 休んで itself does not mark the speaker as the subject; the subject is understood from the sentence and its translation. 遅れている is built from 遅れる, “to be late” or “to fall behind,” plus -ている. Here it describes the continuing state of being behind, not merely one isolated late arrival. The useful contrast is 遅れる “become late/fall behind” versus 遅れている “be in the state of being late/behind.” 感じます is the polite nonpast form of 感じる, “to feel” or “to sense.” The pattern …と感じる means “feel that …” or “have the feeling that …”; と marks the content of the feeling. The polite form 感じます is suitable for a neutral, courteous statement. Together, 最近、いくつかの授業を休んで presents the recent situation: the speaker has missed some classes. 遅れていると感じます states the speaker’s assessment: “I feel that I am behind.” Thus the complete utterance means, “I missed some classes recently and feel behind.”

2. 遅れを取り戻せます。

   You can catch up.

   遅れ

   being behind

   取り戻せます

   can regain

   More detail

   遅れ means “being behind” or “a delay” here. It is a noun used as the object of を. A useful contrast is 遅れる, “to be late” or “to fall behind,” while 遅れ names the resulting delay or state of being behind. 取り戻せます is the polite potential form of 取り戻す, meaning “can regain” or “can recover.” The pattern Xを取り戻す means “regain X”; in 遅れを取り戻す, the regained thing is lost time or progress, so the natural English meaning is “catch up.” The potential form changes the meaning to “can catch up.” Together, 遅れを取り戻せます means “can catch up” or “can make up the delay.” Japanese leaves the subject unstated here; the fixed translation supplies “you.” The polite ending ます makes the statement suitable for a polite, reassuring explanation.

3. でも、一度にすべてを学ぼうとすると、もっと難しくなります。

   But trying to learn everything at once will make it harder.

   でも

   but

   一度に

   at once

   すべて

   everything

   学ぼうとすると

   when trying to learn

   もっと

   more

   難しく

   difficult; hard

   なります

   becomes

   More detail

   でも means “but” and connects this sentence to a contrasting point. It is a conjunction placed at the beginning here; for example, でも、今日は忙しい。 means “But I’m busy today.” 一度に means “at one time” or “all at once.” The particle に marks the time or manner in which the action is carried out. 一度 means “one time,” but 一度に describes doing something in a single batch, not necessarily doing it for exactly one second. Example: 一度にたくさん食べないでください。 means “Please don’t eat a lot at once.” すべて means “everything” or “all of it.” In this sentence it is the thing being learned. It can also modify a noun, as in すべての課題, “all the assignments.” 学ぼうとすると is a conditional construction meaning “when trying to learn” here. 学ぶ is the dictionary form “to learn.” Its volitional form is 学ぼう, expressing “let’s learn” or “I’ll learn”; with とする, it means “try to learn” or “attempt to learn.” The conditional とすると presents the result that follows from that attempt: 学ぼうとすると、… means “when/if [someone] tries to learn ….” The subject is not stated in the Japanese sentence, so this form does not itself specify who is trying. もっと means “more” or “to a greater degree.” Here it modifies 難しくなります, showing that the difficulty increases relative to an understood baseline. Example: もう少し練習すると、もっと上手になります。 means “If you practice a little more, you will become better.” 難しく is the adverbial form of the adjective 難しい, “difficult” or “hard.” The form chain is 難しい → 難しく. Before なる, this く-form connects the adjective to the change-of-state verb: 難しくなる means “become difficult” or “become harder.” In this sentence, もっと makes it “become harder.” なります is the polite nonpast form of なる, “to become.” The base form is なる; なります is used in polite statements and can describe a future result, so もっと難しくなります means “will become harder.” In the pattern adjective-く + なる, the adjective describes the new state: 易しくなる means “become easier,” while 難しくなる means “become harder.” Together, でも、すべてを一度に学ぼうとすると、もっと難しくなります means “But when you try to learn everything at once, it will become harder.” The object すべてを is understood with 学ぶ, and 学ぼうとすると sets up the condition; the result is もっと難しくなります. The polite ending makes the sentence suitable for a respectful or neutral explanatory context.

4. どの課題から始めればよいか教えていただけますか。

   Could you tell me which assignment I should handle first?

   どの

   which

   課題

   assignment; task

   始めれば

   if one starts

   よいか

   whether it is appropriate

   教えて

   tell; inform

   いただけますか

   could you please

   More detail

   どの asks “which” and selects one item from a relevant set. It comes before the noun it modifies: どの課題 means “which assignment,” not simply “an assignment.” 課題 means an assignment or task. In this sentence, it is the item chosen as the starting point. A useful pattern is どの + noun for asking which member of a relevant set is meant. から marks the starting point: 課題から means “from the assignment” or, more naturally here, “with the assignment.” Together, どの課題から asks which assignment should be taken first. 始めれば is the conditional form of 始める, “to start” or “to begin.” The form is 始めれ-ば: the conditional ending -ば is attached to the relevant form of this verb. In the pattern 〜ばよい, it contributes to the meaning “should” or “it is best to …”: 始めればよい means “it would be best to start” or “should start.” The subject is not stated in Japanese; here, the fixed translation identifies the intended reading as the speaker’s starting or handling the assignment first. よいか contains よい, “good” or “appropriate,” followed by か, which marks a question. In 〜ばよいか, the question is embedded inside the larger sentence and asks which choice would be appropriate. This is different from a direct question ending simply in か; here, か closes the embedded question before 教えて. 教えて is the te-form of 教える, “to tell” or “to teach.” Here it means “tell me” and connects to the following polite request expression. The reusable pattern 〜を教えてください means “please tell me …”; the form here is more deferential because it uses いただけますか. いただけますか is a polite request using いただく, a humble form associated with receiving someone’s favor. Its form is the potential いただける plus polite ます and question か; いただけますか literally asks whether the listener can do the favor. After 教えて, 教えていただけますか means “could you please tell me?” Putting the parts together, どの課題から identifies the assignment to use as the starting point, 始めればよいか asks which choice would be appropriate, and 教えていただけますか politely asks the listener to provide that information. The complete meaning is: “Could you tell me which assignment I should handle first?”

5. スピーキングの要約課題は提出期限が近く、ワークシートは後回しでも大丈夫です。

   The speaking summary is due soon, and the worksheet can wait until later.

   スピーキング

   speaking

   要約課題

   summary assignment

   提出期限

   submission deadline

   近く

   near; approaching

   ワークシート

   worksheet

   後回し

   putting off until later

   でも大丈夫です

   it is okay even if

   More detail

   スピーキング means “speaking.” It is a loanword used here to specify the type of assignment. Example: スピーキングの練習 = “speaking practice.” 要約課題 means “summary assignment.” 要約 means “summary,” and 課題 means “assignment” or “task.” Together, they identify an assignment involving a summary. The pattern XのY links X with Y: スピーキングの要約課題 = “the speaking summary assignment.” 提出期限 means “submission deadline.” 提出 means “submission,” and 期限 means “deadline” or “limit.” Example: 提出期限を確認する = “check the submission deadline.” 近く means “near” or, in this context, “approaching.” It is the く-form of the i-adjective 近い (“near”). Here, 近く connects the clause about the approaching deadline to the following clause; it is not simply an independent noun. Compare 近くに, which commonly expresses being near a place or thing. The form chain is 近い → 近く. ワークシート means “worksheet.” It is a loanword functioning as a noun. With the topic marker は, ワークシートは introduces the worksheet as the item being discussed in the second clause. 後回し means “putting something off until later.” It is a noun-like expression commonly used in 後回しにする (“put something off”). In 後回しでも大丈夫です, it describes leaving the worksheet until later; it does not specify exactly how much later. Example: この仕事は後回しにする = “I will put this work off until later.” でも大丈夫です means “it is okay even if …” in this construction. After 後回し, でも presents postponement as an acceptable condition, while 大丈夫です says that it causes no problem. です gives the statement a polite style. Example: 明日でも大丈夫です。= “Tomorrow is fine.” Together, スピーキングの要約課題は提出期限が近く says that the speaking summary assignment has an approaching submission deadline. ワークシートは後回しでも大丈夫です says that leaving the worksheet until later is acceptable. The whole utterance means: “The speaking summary is due soon, and the worksheet can wait until later.”

6. それなら、スピーキングの課題から始めるべきですね。

   Then I should start with the speaking task.

   それなら

   then; in that case

   スピーキング

   speaking

   課題

   task; assignment

   から始める

   start with

   べきですね

   should, right?

   More detail

   それなら means “then” or “in that case.” Here it connects the decision to the preceding information: given that the speaking assignment is due soon, the speaker moves to the next decision. The pattern それなら、〜 can introduce a conclusion based on something just said. Example: それなら、明日にしましょう。 — “In that case, let’s do it tomorrow.” スピーキング is a noun borrowed from English “speaking.” In this sentence it identifies the type of 課題, or assignment. Japanese loanwords ending in ング often name an activity or skill, but the word itself does not express the assignment’s grammatical role; 課題 does that here. 課題 means “task” or “assignment.” In this context, the fixed translation specifies a speaking assignment. The same noun can also refer more generally to a task or issue to be dealt with, so its exact sense comes from its context. Example: 課題を提出します。 — “I will submit the assignment.” から始める means “start with” or, more literally, “begin from.” から marks the starting point, and 始める is the transitive verb “to begin/start,” whose base form is 始める. The pattern Nから始める means “start with N.” Example: この問題から始めます。 — “I’ll start with this problem.” べきですね follows the plain form 始める and expresses that doing so is the proper or advisable choice, with ですね inviting agreement or presenting the conclusion in a confirming tone. The useful pattern is V-るべきだ／です: “should V” or “ought to V.” Here 始めるべきですね means “I should start,” not simply “I am starting.” べき does not itself mark the person; the speaker and intended actor are supplied by the sentence’s context and the fixed translation. Example: 今、連絡するべきです。 — “I should contact them now.” Together, スピーキングの課題 forms “the speaking assignment,” with の linking the type to the noun. スピーキングの課題から始める says “start with the speaking assignment,” and べきですね presents that as the appropriate choice. Thus the whole utterance means: “Then I should start with the speaking task.”

7. そこから始めて、休んだ授業のノートを先生に頼んでください。

   Start there, and ask the teacher for notes from the classes you missed.

   そこから

   from there

   始めて

   start; begin

   休んだ

   missed; was absent

   授業

   class; lesson

   ノート

   notes

   先生

   teacher

   頼んでください

   please ask

   More detail

   そこから means “from there.” そこ is a demonstrative for a place or point identifiable in context, and から marks the starting point. Here it identifies where to begin; it does not by itself specify a physical location. Example: ここから始めます。 — “I’ll start from here.” 始めて is the て-form of 始める, “to start” or “to begin.” The て-form can connect this action to what follows, so 始めて、… means “start …, and then …” in this sentence. The object or starting material can be stated with を, as in 勉強を始める — “start studying.” 休んだ is the past plain form of 休む, “to be absent” or “to take a break.” Before a noun, it modifies that noun: 休んだ授業 means “the class/classes you were absent from” here. The Japanese form itself does not encode the subject; the fixed translation identifies that person as “you” in this sentence. Example: 昨日、学校を休んだ。 — “I was absent from school yesterday.” 授業 means “class” or “lesson.” In 休んだ授業, it is the noun modified by the preceding clause, referring here to classes missed. The same noun can be used for a class as an instructional session: 授業が始まります。 — “Class is starting.” ノート is a loanword meaning “notes” here. It can also refer to a notebook, depending on context, but the fixed translation supports “notes” in this sentence. ノートを取る is a useful expression meaning “take notes.” 先生 means “teacher” here. It is a respectful form of address or reference for a teacher and can also be used for certain other professionals, but that broader use is not needed for this sentence. With に, as in 先生に, it marks the person being asked. 頼んでください is the polite request form of 頼む, “to ask” or “to request.” The form is 頼んで (the て-form of 頼む) + ください, making a request to perform the action: “please ask/request.” 頼む can take the person or service being asked with に and the requested thing with を, as in 店員に水を頼む — “ask the clerk for water.” Together, そこから始めて gives “start from there,” and 休んだ授業のノート gives “notes from the classes you missed.” 先生に頼んでください means “please ask the teacher for [them].” The whole utterance is therefore: “Start there, and ask the teacher for notes from the classes you missed.”

8. ほかの人たちが一緒に練習したので、自信があまりありません。

   I feel less confident because the others practiced together.

   ほかの人たち

   the other people

   一緒に

   together

   練習した

   practiced

   ので

   because; since

   自信

   confidence

   あまりありません

   do not have much

   More detail

   ほかの人たち Here, ほかの人たち means “the other people” or “the others.” 人たち presents people as a group; it does not by itself specify an exact number. The fixed translation identifies this group as the people who practiced together. 一緒に 一緒に means “together,” showing that the people carried out the activity jointly. It can be reused with many verbs, for example: 一緒に食べます。— “We eat together.” 練習した The useful base form is 練習する, “to practice.” 練習した is its plain past form: the する part becomes した, so it means “practiced” here. The subject of this clause is ほかの人たち, and 一緒に describes how they practiced. ので ので connects a situation to its reason and commonly translates as “because” or “since.” Here, the plain past clause 練習した comes before ので: 練習したので means “because they practiced.” Compared with the also common から, ので often presents the reason in a somewhat softer or more explanatory way. 自信 自信 means “confidence” or “self-confidence.” A useful pattern is 自信がある, “to have confidence,” and its negative is 自信がない, “not to have confidence.” In this sentence, 自信 is the thing whose amount is being described. あまりありません あまり normally means “not much” when it is used with a negative predicate. ありません is the polite negative form of ある, “to exist” or, with 自信がある, “to have confidence.” Thus 自信があまりありません means “do not have much confidence.” The negative meaning comes from ありません; あまり alone does not assert a small amount. Putting the parts together, ほかの人たちが一緒に練習したので gives “because the other people practiced together.” 自信があまりありません gives “I do not have much confidence,” with the speaker understood as the subject of the final statement, as specified by the fixed translation. Together, the utterance means: “I feel less confident because the others practiced together.”

9. 授業の後で、その課題を一通り一緒に練習できます。

   We can run through the task after class.

   授業

   class

   後で

   afterward; after

   その

   that; the

   課題

   task; assignment

   一通り

   once through; generally

   一緒に

   together

   練習できます

   can practice

   More detail

   授業 means “class” here. It is a noun and can be used in compounds or time expressions, for example: 授業が始まります。—“Class starts.” 後で means “afterward” or “after [something].” 後 is “after/behind” in this time use, and で marks the time setting for the action. In the full sentence, 授業の後で means “after class”; の links 授業 (“class”) to 後 (“after”). Example: 食事の後で勉強します。—“I study after the meal.” その is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” or, in this translation, “the.” It comes before a noun and identifies it as contextually known: その課題 means “that task/the task.” The supplied translation supports the task reading, but it does not specify exactly how the task was introduced. A related contrast is この (“this”), used for something presented as closer to the speaker. 課題 is a noun meaning “task” or “assignment.” It can refer to work that has been set for someone, as in 課題をします。—“I do the assignment.” 一通り means doing or covering something once over, generally rather than focusing on only one small part. Here it describes running through the task as a whole; it does not by itself require that every detail be completed. Example: 文法を一通り復習しました。—“I reviewed the grammar once over.” 一緒に means “together,” indicating that the activity is shared by the relevant participants. It is formed from 一緒 (“together; same”) plus に, which makes the manner or state in which the action occurs. Example: 一緒に読みましょう。—“Let’s read together.” 練習できます means “can practice.” The lexical verb is 練習する (“to practice”); its potential form is 練習できる (“can practice”), and できます is its polite nonpast form. Thus, this form expresses ability or practical possibility, not a simple statement that practice is currently happening. Example: ここで練習できます。—“You can practice here.” Taken together, 授業の後で sets the time, その課題を identifies the task as the object, 一通り一緒に describes running through it as a whole together, and 練習できます says that this is possible. The whole utterance is therefore: “We can run through the task after class.”

10. そうすれば、どんなことをするのか分かります。

    So you know what to expect.

    そうすれば

    if you do that; then

    どんなこと

    what kind of thing

    する

    do

    のか

    what ...; whether ...

    分かります

    understand; know

    More detail

    そうすれば combines そうする (“do that”) with the conditional ending -ば. It points back to an action already mentioned and presents the result as following if that action is done: “if you do that” or, in this context, “then.” The -ば ending is a conditional pattern; it is not itself a past-tense marker. どんなこと means “what kind of thing” or “what sort of matter.” どんな modifies the noun こと; it is not the word meaning “do.” For example, どんな本ですか。 means “What kind of book is it?” する is the dictionary form of the verb meaning “do.” Here it appears as する before the embedded-question marker, rather than as a polite form. Japanese commonly uses the pattern どんなことをするのか for “what kind of thing [someone] does” or, depending on context, “what kind of thing [someone] will do.” The sentence does not state the subject of する explicitly. のか marks the content of an embedded question. Thus どんなことをするのか is a question-like noun clause, “what kind of thing [someone] does/will do,” rather than a direct question requiring the listener to answer separately. Compare direct 何をしますか。 (“What will you do?”) with embedded 何をするのか分かります。 (“You know what [someone] will do.”) 分かります is the polite nonpast form of 分かる, meaning “know,” “understand,” or “be clear.” The nonpast form can describe a present state of knowledge, as here; in another context it can refer to a future point, such as “you will understand.” The ます ending makes the statement polite. In this sentence, 分かります takes the embedded question as its content: knowing what is described by どんなことをするのか. Together, どんなことをするのか分かります means “you know what kind of thing [someone] does/will do,” naturally rendered here as “you know what to expect.” Adding そうすれば makes the whole utterance conditional: “If you do that, then you know what to expect.”

11. それで、次の段階がもっと取り組みやすく感じられると思います。

    That would make the next step feel more manageable.

    それで

    so; as a result

    次の

    next; following

    段階

    stage; step

    もっと

    more

    取り組みやすく

    easy to work on

    感じられる

    feel; be perceived as

    と思います

    I think; I expect

    More detail

    それで means “so” or “as a result” here. It links this sentence to a consequence of what was just mentioned. A reusable pattern is それで、… for introducing a resulting situation. 次の means “next” or “following.” 次 is the word for what comes next, and の connects it to the noun it describes. For example, 次のページ means “the next page.” 段階 means “stage” or “step” in a process. Here, 次の段階 is “the next step.” The noun 段階 can also describe a stage of development or a process, not only a physical location. もっと means “more.” It increases the degree of the description that follows: the next step is felt to be more manageable than before or than another reference point. It does not itself specify what the comparison point is. 取り組みやすく is the connective form of 取り組みやすい, “easy to work on” or “manageable to tackle.” 取り組む means “work on” or “tackle,” while やすい attached to a verb stem expresses ease: 読みやすい means “easy to read.” The -く ending allows this adjective to connect to the following expression: 取り組みやすく感じられる means “feel easy to work on.” 感じられる means “can feel” or “be perceived as” here. It is based on 感じる, “feel,” and the form 感じられる presents the quality as something that can be felt or comes across that way. With Xが…感じられる, Japanese can describe X as seeming or feeling a certain way; the sentence does not need to state who experiences the feeling. と思います means “I think” or “I expect.” と marks the content of the thought, and 思います is the polite present form of 思う, “think.” The content before it is 次の段階がもっと取り組みやすく感じられる. Putting the parts together, それで introduces the result, 次の段階 identifies what is being evaluated, and もっと取り組みやすく感じられる says that it will feel more manageable to tackle. The whole utterance means: “So, I think the next step will feel more manageable,” matching the fixed translation “That would make the next step feel more manageable.”

12. 一度集中して練習するほうが、課題を避けるよりよいです。

    One focused practice session is better than avoiding the work.

    一度

    once; one time

    集中して

    with focus

    練習する

    practice

    ほうが

    the preferable option

    課題

    work; assignment

    避ける

    avoid

    より

    than

    よい

    better

    です

    is

    More detail

    一度 means “once” or “one time” here, giving 練習する a single-session framing. The native translation presents this as one focused practice session, not as a general claim about practicing repeatedly. Example: 一度試す means “try it once.” 集中して comes from the verb 集中する (“to concentrate”) in the て-form. Here the て-form links it to the following action and describes how that action is carried out: “practice while concentrating” or “practice with focus.” Example: 静かにして勉強します。 means “I study quietly.” 練習する is the dictionary form of the verb meaning “to practice.” In this sentence, it is the action being compared with 避ける. The pattern verb-dictionary form + ほうが can present one action as the preferable option. ほうが literally contains ほう, “side” or “option,” and in this pattern marks the preferable alternative. 練習するほうが means “practicing is the better option.” This is not the standalone meaning of ほうが; its comparison becomes clear from the later よりよい. 課題 means “task,” “assignment,” or “work to be dealt with.” The translation selects “the work” in this utterance. The word can refer to an assigned task or, more broadly, an issue that needs attention, depending on context. 避ける is the dictionary form of the verb “to avoid.” It is the alternative action in the comparison: 課題を避ける means “avoid the work.” The particle を marks 課題 as what is avoided, although it is not included in the selected phrase quote. より marks the comparison standard, roughly “than.” In 課題を避けるより, it introduces the action used as the point of comparison: “than avoiding the work.” A common reusable pattern is AほうがBよりよい, “A is better than B.” よい is an adjective meaning “good”; in this comparison it means “better” because it evaluates one option against another. Its common alternative form is いい, but the observed sentence uses よい, so it should not be silently replaced when quoting the source. です is the polite sentence-ending form that presents the preceding evaluation politely. It does not itself mean “better”; よい carries that evaluation, while です gives the sentence a polite ending. Together, 一度集中して練習するほうが presents one focused practice session as the preferable option, and 課題を避けるよりよいです compares it with avoiding the work. The whole utterance therefore means: “One focused practice session is better than avoiding the work.” The reusable structure is AほうがBよりよいです: “A is better than B.”