Planning and rehearsing a short presentation | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 来週、短い発表をしなければなりません。

   I have to give a short presentation next week.

   来週

   next week

   短い

   short

   発表

   presentation

   しなければなりません

   have to do

   More detail

   来週 means “next week” and functions as a time expression. It is a noun meaning the week after this one. Example: 来週、試験があります。— “There is an exam next week.” 短い means “short” here. Its base form is 短い（みじかい）, an い-adjective. It directly describes 発表: 短い発表 means “a short presentation.” As an adjective predicate, it can be polite as 短いです. Its opposite is 長い（ながい）, “long.” 発表 means “presentation” here, specifically the act or event of presenting something. It is a noun and can combine with する to form 発表する, “to present” or “to give a presentation.” Example: 来週、研究を発表します。— “I will present my research next week.” しなければなりません expresses obligation: “must do” or “have to do.” The lexical verb is する, “to do.” Its negative form is しない; the form しなければ comes from that negative form in a conditional pattern. The reusable pattern 〜なければなりません means “must 〜” or “have to 〜.” Here, 発表をしなければなりません means “have to give a presentation.” The polite form なりません makes the obligation statement polite. Example: 明日、宿題をしなければなりません。— “I have to do my homework tomorrow.” Putting the parts together, 来週 sets the time, 短い発表 identifies what must be done, and 発表をしなければなりません expresses the obligation: “I have to give a short presentation next week.”

2. 文を全部書く前に、わかりやすい構成から始めてください。

   Start with a clear outline before writing full sentences.

   文

   sentence

   全部

   all; completely

   書く

   write

   前に

   before

   わかりやすい

   clear; easy to understand

   構成

   outline; structure

   始めてください

   please start

   More detail

   文 means “sentence.” In this utterance it refers to a sentence as the thing to be written. The plural or generic meaning “sentences” can be understood from context, but the Japanese noun itself has no required singular/plural marking. 全部 means “all” or “the whole amount.” Here it sets the scope of 書く: the instruction concerns writing the complete sentence rather than only part of it. 全部 can also be used with other nouns, as in 本を全部読む (“read the whole book”). 書く is the dictionary form “to write.” In 文を全部書く, 文を marks what is written, and 全部 indicates that it is written in its entirety. The dictionary form is also used before 前に in the next phrase. 前に means “before.” A verb in dictionary form before 前に expresses that one action happens before another: 食べる前に手を洗う means “Wash your hands before eating.” Thus 文を全部書く前に means “before writing the full sentence.” わかりやすい means “easy to understand” or “clear.” It is an adjective ending in -やすい; this pattern can describe an action as easy to do, as in 読みやすい (“easy to read”). Here it describes 構成, not the act of writing. 構成 means “structure” or “outline.” In this sentence, it is the organized plan used as a starting point before the complete sentence is written. For example, 発表の構成を考える means “think about the structure of a presentation.” 始めてください is a polite request meaning “please start.” 始めて is the て-form of 始める (“to start”), followed by ください. The request is directed to the listener, but Japanese commonly leaves the subject unstated. 読んでください similarly means “please read.” Together, わかりやすい構成から始めてください means “please start with a clear outline.” から marks the starting point, so the instruction is to begin with the clear structure, and 文を全部書く前に places that step before writing the complete sentence. The whole utterance is therefore: “Start with a clear outline before writing full sentences.”

3. 私のテーマは、勉強の習慣をどのように変えたかです。

   My topic is how I changed my study habits.

   私の

   my

   テーマ

   topic

   勉強

   study

   習慣

   habits

   どのように

   how

   変えた

   changed

   です

   is

   More detail

   私の means “my”: 私 is the first-person pronoun “I,” and の links it to the following noun, marking possession or association. The form does not by itself identify the number or gender of the possessor. For example, 私の本 means “my book.” テーマ is a loanword meaning “topic” or “theme.” Here it identifies the subject being presented. It is a noun and can be used in patterns such as テーマは…です (“The topic is …”). 勉強 means “study” or “studying.” It can function as a noun and can modify another noun with の. In 勉強の習慣, it describes the kind of habits involved: study habits. For example, 勉強を始めます means “I start studying.” 習慣 means “habit” or “habits,” referring to a repeated way of doing something. In 勉強の習慣, 勉強の modifies it; the phrase does not assert a particular number of habits. A reusable example is 毎日の習慣 (“a daily habit”). どのように asks “how” or “in what way.” It introduces the manner of an action. It is more explicit and somewhat more formal than the shorter どう in many contexts. For example, どのように使いますか means “How do you use it?” 変えた is the past form of the transitive verb 変える, “to change something.” The た ending presents the change as completed in the past; the changed object is 勉強の習慣. This is distinct from 変わった, the past form of 変わる, which means that something changed or became different without presenting it as the actor’s transitive action. For example, 方法を変えた means “I changed the method.” Japanese does not mark the subject directly in this verb form, so the English subject “I” comes from the fixed meaning and context, not from an explicit Japanese subject in this sentence. です is the polite copula, used here to present the preceding noun phrase as the topic’s description or content: “is ….” It is not the past form; the polite past copula is でした. In this sentence, は after テーマ marks テーマ as the topic, although it is not a separate selected phrase entry. Together, 私のテーマは sets “my topic” as the topic. The clause 勉強の習慣をどのように変えたか nominalizes the question of how the study habits were changed: を marks 勉強の習慣 as the object of 変えた, and か closes the embedded question. Adding です presents that embedded question as the topic’s content. Thus the whole utterance means: “My topic is how I changed my study habits.”

4. 共感を得やすい話なので、聞き手が何を学ぶか考えてください。

   That is relatable, so think about what the audience will learn.

   共感

   empathy; sympathy

   得やすい

   easy to gain

   話

   story; topic

   なので

   so; because of that

   聞き手

   listener; audience

   何を学ぶか

   what to learn

   考えてください

   please think

   More detail

   共感 means empathy or a feeling of identifying with someone or something. Here it is followed by を, marking it as the object of 得る: 共感を得る means “to gain or elicit empathy.” 得やすい means “easy to gain” in this sentence. It combines the verb 得る (“to gain, obtain”) with やすい, which attaches to a verb stem to express that an action is easy or likely to happen. Thus 共感を得やすい means “likely to elicit empathy” or, naturally here, “relatable.” The form is not the adjective やさしい (“kind; easy”); やすい is the suffix used in this pattern. For example, 読みやすい本 means “a book that is easy to read.” 話 is a noun meaning “story,” “topic,” or “subject matter.” Its intended sense here is the content being discussed or presented. In 共感を得やすい話, it is modified by the preceding description: “a story/topic that is likely to elicit empathy.” なので connects that description to what follows with a reason: “so” or “because it is.” It consists of the copular form な plus ので, a connective meaning “because” or “since.” Here, 共感を得やすい話なので means “because it is a relatable story/topic” and gives the reason for the request that follows. 聞き手 means “listener” or “audience member.” It refers to someone who listens to the talk or presentation, without requiring a particular number of people. The compound combines 聞く (“to listen; hear”) with 手, which can identify a person involved in an activity. For example, 話し手 means “speaker,” in contrast to 聞き手. 何を学ぶか is an embedded question meaning “what [someone] will learn.” 何 means “what,” and を marks what is learned as the object of 学ぶ (“to learn; study”). The final か turns the question into a noun-like embedded question. It does not make the utterance a direct question to the audience; 聞き手が何を学ぶか means “what the audience will learn.” 考えてください is a polite request: “please think.” It is formed from 考える (“to think; consider”) in the て-form, 考えて, plus ください (“please do ...”). The request is directed to the addressee. For example, 答えを考えてください means “Please think about the answer.” Putting the parts together, 共感を得やすい話なので gives the reason, “because it is a relatable story/topic.” 聞き手が何を学ぶか identifies the point to consider, “what the audience will learn,” and 考えてください makes the polite request “please think about it.” The whole utterance therefore means: “That is relatable, so think about what the audience will learn.”

5. 問題と変化と結果を説明したいです。

   I want to explain the problem, the change, and the result.

   問題

   problem

   変化

   change

   結果

   result

   説明したいです

   want to explain

   More detail

   問題 means “problem” here. It is a noun and can be reused before を when it is the thing being explained: 問題を説明する means “explain the problem.” 変化 means “change.” It is also a noun, and 変化を説明する means “explain the change.” The word can refer to a change or transformation without specifying its size or direction. 結果 means “result” or “outcome.” In this sentence it is another noun marked as the thing being explained: 結果を説明する means “explain the result.” The repeated と joins the nouns in a list: 問題と変化と結果 means “the problem, the change, and the result.” The final と connects the last item to the preceding list; this is a straightforward way to coordinate several nouns. を marks the object of 説明する, so the whole coordinated noun phrase is what the speaker wants to explain. 説明する is the basic form meaning “to explain.” Its polite present form is 説明します, while 説明したいです expresses a present desire to explain. In 説明したいです, 説明し is the stem used before たい. The pattern verb stem + たい means “want to do [the verb].” Thus 説明したい means “want to explain.” です gives the statement a polite style; it does not add a separate participant or object. Putting the parts together, 問題と変化と結果を説明したいです。 means “I want to explain the problem, the change, and the result.” The subject “I” is understood from the first-person meaning supplied by the fixed translation, even though Japanese does not state a separate subject here.

6. その構成でうまくいきます。そうした部分の間に簡単なつなぎの言葉を加えてください。

   That structure works. Add simple transitions between those parts.

   その

   that

   構成

   structure

   うまくいきます

   works

   そうした

   such

   部分

   part

   間に

   between

   簡単な

   simple

   つなぎ

   transition

   言葉

   word

   加えてください

   please add

   More detail

   その means “that” as a demonstrative modifier. It comes before the noun it specifies; the form itself does not identify a particular referent without context. Here, the fixed translation identifies the referent as the structure under discussion. 構成 is a noun meaning “structure” or “composition.” In その構成で, で marks the basis or arrangement under which something is judged: literally, “with/in that structure.” For example, この構成で大丈夫です means “This structure is fine.” うまくいきます is the polite nonpast form of うまくいく, an expression meaning “go well” or “work.” いきます is the polite form of 行く (“go”), but in this expression the whole combination—not physical movement—describes a plan or situation proceeding successfully. うまく modifies the expression by saying that it proceeds well. うまくいきました means “it went well,” while うまくいきません means “it does not work/go well.” そうした means “such” or “of that kind” here. In そうした部分, it modifies the following noun and points to the relevant parts already under discussion. Although した can also be the past form of する, this phrase is functioning as a fixed attributive expression meaning “such.” 部分 is a noun meaning “part” or “section.” そうした部分 therefore means “such parts” or “those sections.” A useful contrast is 全体 (“the whole”) versus 部分 (“a part”); these are nouns, not forms of the same word. 間に expresses the interval or space between things when 間 is followed by the location particle に. In this sentence, 部分の間に means “between the parts.” The の links 部分 to 間: “the interval between the parts.” For example, 二つの文の間に空白を入れます means “I put a space between the two sentences.” 簡単な means “simple” here. 簡単 is a な-adjective, so it takes な before the noun it modifies: 簡単な説明 means “a simple explanation.” The adjective is 簡単; な is the attributive form used before a noun. A related contrast is 複雑な (“complex”), which follows the same な-adjective pattern. つなぎ is a noun meaning a link or transition. In つなぎの言葉, it modifies 言葉 with の, producing “words for linking” or “transition words.” This is a noun-based expression, so つなぎ should not be treated as an inflected form of the neighboring noun. 言葉 is a noun meaning “word” or “expression.” Here, つなぎの言葉 refers to words or short expressions that connect sections of speech or writing. For example, 次に、結果を説明します means “Next, I will explain the result”; 次に can function as a transition in a presentation. 加えてください is a polite request built from 加える (“add”) and てください. The てください pattern asks someone to perform the preceding action, so 加えてください means “please add.” It is not the same as the plain nonpast 加えます (“add/will add”) or the negative request 加えないでください (“please do not add”). Together, その構成でうまくいきます says that the structure currently being discussed will work or proceed successfully. Then そうした部分の間に locates the requested addition between those sections, and 簡単なつなぎの言葉を加えてください politely asks the listener to add simple transition words. The complete meaning is: “That structure works. Add simple transitions between those parts.”

7. 発表全体を暗記したほうがいいですか。

   Should I memorize the whole presentation?

   発表

   presentation

   全体

   whole; entirety

   暗記した

   memorized

   ほうがいいですか

   should I…?

   More detail

   発表 means a presentation or an announcement. Here it refers to the presentation being prepared. It is a noun and can combine with の to modify another noun, as in 発表の内容 (“the presentation’s content”). 全体 means the whole or entirety of something. 発表全体 is a noun combination meaning “the presentation as a whole”; 全体 follows the noun it specifies. In 発表全体を, the particle を marks this whole presentation as the object of the action. 暗記した comes from the verb 暗記する, “to memorize.” した is the past form of する, so 暗記した literally presents memorizing as completed: “memorized.” The form 暗記する is useful for a planned or general action, while 暗記した appears here before ほうがいいですか to ask whether completing that action would be the better choice. Example: 単語を暗記します。 — “I will memorize the words.” ほうがいいですか is a polite question asking whether one option is preferable or advisable. After a verb in the past form, the pattern V-たほうがいいですか asks, “Would it be better to V?” or naturally, “Should I V?” It does not itself state that the action has already happened; here, the question is about whether the speaker should memorize the presentation. The polite ending ですか marks the utterance as a question. Together, 発表全体を identifies the entire presentation as the object, and 暗記したほうがいいですか asks whether memorizing it would be advisable. The complete meaning is: “Should I memorize the whole presentation?”

8. もっと自然に話せるように、メモを見ながら練習してください。

   Rehearse with notes so you sound more natural.

   もっと

   more

   自然に

   naturally

   話せる

   can speak

   ように

   so that

   メモ

   notes

   見ながら

   while looking

   練習してください

   please practice

   More detail

   もっと adds a higher degree: “more” or “further.” Here it increases the degree of 自然に, giving “more naturally.” It is an adverb, not an inflected form of the adjective. 自然に means “naturally” here. 自然 is a な-adjective meaning “natural,” and 自然に is its adverbial form. The ending に lets it describe how an action is performed. For example, 自然に話す means “speak naturally.” 話せる means “can speak” here. It is the potential form of 話す, “to speak”: 話す → 話せる. The potential form presents speaking as an ability or possibility, rather than simply stating the action. In this sentence, もっと自然に話せる means “can speak more naturally.” ように follows the desired ability or state and expresses a goal such as “so that” or “in order that.” The pattern V-potential + ように is useful for goals involving being able to do something: 読めるように練習する means “practice so that one can read.” Here, 話せるように makes speaking more naturally the goal of the practice. メモ is a noun meaning “notes” or “a memo.” It is a loanword written in katakana. In this sentence it is the thing being looked at while practicing. 見ながら means “while looking.” 見 is the verb stem of 見る, “to look” or “to see,” and ながら attaches to a verb stem to express two simultaneous actions. The action with ながら is generally the background action: メモを見ながら means “while looking at the notes.” 練習してください is a polite request meaning “please practice.” 練習する means “to practice”; its て-form is 練習して, and ください after that form makes a polite request: V-てください = “please do V.” The request is directed to the listener. Together, もっと自然に話せるように gives the goal “so that you can speak more naturally,” メモを見ながら gives the simultaneous method “while looking at the notes,” and 練習してください gives the request “please practice.” The whole utterance therefore means: “Please practice while looking at the notes so that you can speak more naturally.”

9. 2回練習して、自分の声を録音します。

   I will practice twice and record myself.

   2回

   twice

   練習して

   practice and

   自分の

   one’s own

   声

   voice

   録音します

   record

   More detail

   2回 means “twice”: 回 counts occurrences or repetitions, so the phrase states how many times the practice is done. For example, 3回読みます。 means “I will read it three times.” 練習して is the te-form of 練習する (“to practice”). Here the te-form links this action to the following action: “practice, and then …” The Japanese nonpast form does not itself mark the subject as “I”; the fixed translation supplies that intended subject. 自分の means “one’s own.” 自分 can refer back to the person whose action is being described, and の links it to the following noun. In this sentence, it identifies the voice as the speaker’s own voice. The exact referent of 自分 depends on the sentence’s subject and context; it is not simply a general word for any person. 声 means “voice.” It is a noun that can refer to a person’s spoken voice, as it does here. For example, 声が大きいです。 means “The voice is loud.” 録音します is the polite form of 録音する, “to record.” 録音します is a nonpast form, which can describe a present or future action; with the fixed translation, it means “will record.” Japanese verbs do not change form for “I” versus another person, so the actor is understood from context. Together, 2回練習して gives “practice twice and then,” while 自分の声を録音します gives “record one’s own voice.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I will practice twice and record myself,” with “myself” expressed more specifically in Japanese as 自分の声 (“my own voice”).

10. そうすれば、時間配分がよくなり、もっと自信を持って話せるようになります。

    That will help you improve your timing and sound more confident.

    そうすれば

    if so; then

    時間配分

    time allocation; timing

    よくなり

    improve; become better

    もっと

    more

    自信

    confidence

    持って

    have; hold

    話せる

    can speak

    ようになります

    come to; become able to

    More detail

    そうすれば means “if you do so” or “then, if that is done.” It is the conditional form of そうする (“do so”): そうする → そうすれば. Here it connects the result to the action described earlier, such as practicing and recording yourself, without naming a new actor. 時間配分 means “time allocation” or, in this context, “timing.” It is a noun made from 時間 (“time”) and 配分 (“allocation”). It refers to how available time is divided or managed, not simply to time in general. よくなり comes from よくなる, “become better” or “improve.” よく is the form of よい used before なる; なり is the connecting form of なる. Thus 時間配分がよくなり means “the timing improves, and …” The connecting form links this result to the following result. もっと is an adverb meaning “more” or “even more.” It increases the degree of the following idea. For example, もっとゆっくり話す means “speak more slowly.” 自信 means “confidence.” In 自信を持つ, the noun is followed by を, and 持つ literally means “hold” or “have”; together, this is the ordinary expression “have confidence” or “be confident.” 持って is the connecting form of 持つ, “hold” or “have.” Here it belongs to the expression 自信を持って, meaning “with confidence” or “confidently.” The て form connects this manner to the action that follows. 話せる means “can speak” or “be able to speak.” It is the potential form of 話す (“speak”): 話す → 話せる. The form expresses ability or possibility, rather than merely the action of speaking. ようになります is a polite form of ようになる, “come to be” or “become able to.” After a potential form, it describes a change into a state of being able to do something: 話せるようになる means “come to be able to speak.” なります is the polite present form; the change may be understood as a future result in this context. Taken together, そうすれば introduces the result, 時間配分がよくなり says that time management improves, and もっと自信を持って話せるようになります says that you will become able to speak more confidently. The whole utterance therefore means: “That will help you improve your timing and sound more confident.”