Responding politely to talking in a quiet area | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 私たちの後ろにいる人たちは、静かなエリアで話しています。

   The people behind us are talking in the silent area.

   私たちの

   our

   後ろ

   behind; back

   いる

   be; exist (for an animate being)

   人たち

   people

   静かな

   quiet

   エリア

   area

   話しています

   are talking

   More detail

   私たちの means “our” here. 私たち refers to the speaker together with at least one other person, and の links that group to the following noun phrase: 私たちの後ろ means “behind us.” The exact membership of “us” is supplied by the fixed translation, not by the possessive marker alone. 後ろ means “back” or “behind.” In 私たちの後ろにいる, it is the location relative to which someone is situated. に marks the location, and いる states that an animate being is located there. The plain form いる can modify a noun directly in a relative clause. For example, 部屋にいる学生 means “the student who is in the room.” For an inanimate thing, Japanese normally uses ある instead: 机の上にある本 means “the book that is on the desk.” 人たち means “people” in this sentence. 人 is “person,” and たち marks a group associated with that person noun; it does not by itself state an exact number. The clause before it, 私たちの後ろにいる, modifies it, so 私たちの後ろにいる人たち means “the people who are behind us.” 静かな means “quiet” here, matching the fixed translation’s “silent.” 静か is a な-type adjective: before a noun, it takes な, as in 静かなエリア (“a quiet area”). In a predicate, the same adjective appears without that attributive な: エリアは静かです means “The area is quiet.” This な belongs to 静か, not to エリア. エリア means “area.” It is a noun written in Japanese katakana, and 静かな directly describes it. Thus 静かなエリア is “the quiet area” in the supplied meaning. 話しています means “are talking” here. Its base verb is 話す (“to talk”); 話しています is the polite form of 話している, formed with the て-form plus いる and polite ます. In this use, ている presents the talking as ongoing. For example, 彼らは電話で話しています。 means “They are talking on the phone.” Putting the parts together: 私たちの後ろにいる人たち identifies the people located behind us, 静かなエリアで marks the quiet area where the action takes place, and 話しています says that they are currently talking. The complete meaning is “The people behind us are talking in the silent area.”

2. 気が散りますが、丁寧に対応できます。

   It's distracting, but we can handle it politely.

   気が散ります

   be distracted

   丁寧に

   politely; carefully

   対応できます

   can handle it; can respond

   More detail

   気が散ります means that attention is distracted or that something is distracting. It is the polite non-past form of 気が散る, a set expression in which 気 refers to one’s attention or concentration and 散る means “to scatter.” The form itself does not identify a particular person as the one being distracted; here, the fixed translation presents the situation as distracting. Example: 音があると気が散ります。 — “When there is noise, I get distracted.” 丁寧に means “politely” or “carefully” here. It is the adverbial form of 丁寧な, used before an action to describe the manner in which it is done. 丁寧な can describe considerate, careful treatment as well as polite behavior, so the exact English choice depends on the action and context. Example: 丁寧に説明します。 — “I will explain it carefully.” 対応できます means “can deal with it” or “can respond.” It is the polite non-past potential form of 対応する (“to deal with,” “to respond to,” or “to handle”). The potential form expresses ability or feasibility; 対応します would instead state simply that someone handles or responds to something. The thing being handled is not stated inside this phrase, while the fixed translation supplies the intended general situation as “it.” Example: この問題に対応できます。 — “We can deal with this problem.” Together, 気が散りますが says “it is distracting, but,” with が connecting that circumstance to a contrasting statement. 丁寧に対応できます says that the situation can nevertheless be handled politely or carefully. Thus the whole utterance means: “It’s distracting, but we can handle it politely.” Both clauses use polite non-past forms, making the utterance suitable for a calm, courteous statement about what is possible in the current situation.

3. 私がその人たちに話しかけるべきですか、それとも司書に頼むべきですか。

   Should I speak to them or ask the librarian?

   私

   I

   が

   subject marker

   その

   that; those

   人たち

   people

   に

   to

   話しかける

   speak to

   べきですか

   should ...?

   それとも

   or

   司書

   librarian

   頼む

   ask; request

   More detail

   私が identifies the speaker as the subject: “I.” が marks the subject and can give it focus, as in “I, specifically.” The form 私 does not itself encode gender or number. その人たちに means “to those people.” その is a demonstrative used before a noun; 人たち is 人 (“person”) with たち, a common plural/group marker. に marks the person or group that receives the action. Here, the fixed translation identifies that group as “them.” 話しかける means “to speak to someone” or “to address someone.” It is more specific than simply 話す (“speak/talk”): 話しかける presents the act of starting an address toward another person. Its dictionary form ends in る; in this sentence it appears before べきですか. べきですか asks whether an action is the appropriate or advisable one: “should ...?” The reusable pattern is verb-dictionary form + べきですか, so 話しかけるべきですか means “Should I speak to them?” べき expresses what is considered proper or advisable; ですか gives the question a polite form. それとも introduces the alternative in a choice question: “or.” It connects the first possibility with the second one rather than simply adding another item. 司書 means “librarian.” In 司書に頼む, the second に—visible in the full sentence after 司書—marks the person being asked. 頼む means “to ask” or “to request.” The useful pattern is person に 頼む: “ask/request [something] from a person” or “ask a person for help.” The same べきですか construction appears after 頼む as well: 司書に頼むべきですか means “Should I ask the librarian?” The two alternatives are therefore その人たちに話しかけるべきですか (“Should I speak to them?”) and 司書に頼むべきですか (“Should I ask the librarian?”). Taken together, the utterance asks the listener to choose between addressing those people directly and asking the librarian instead: “Should I speak to them or ask the librarian?”

4. まずは静かに注意してみましょう。もし気まずく感じるなら、そうしなくてもいいです。

   Try a quiet reminder first, unless that feels uncomfortable.

   まずは

   first

   静かに

   quietly

   注意してみましょう

   let’s try giving a reminder

   もし

   if

   気まずく

   uncomfortably

   感じる

   feel

   なら

   if that is the case

   そうしなくてもいいです

   you do not have to do so

   More detail

   まずは means “to begin with” or “first of all.” It sets this action as the initial option, without saying that other actions must follow. For example: まずは話を聞きましょう。 means “Let’s listen first.” 静かに is the adverbial form of 静かだ, “quiet.” It describes how the reminder is given: quietly or calmly. It is not the noun “quietness”; it modifies the following action. For example: 静かに話してください。 means “Please speak quietly.” 注意してみましょう combines 注意する, “to caution, warn, or point something out,” with 〜てみる, “to try doing.” みましょう is the polite volitional form of みる here, so the construction suggests “let’s try doing it.” 注意する is the lexical verb; みる contributes the trial aspect. The polite suggestion ending 〜ましょう can include the speaker and listener, but the English translation presents the suggestion as “Try ...” rather than forcing an explicit “we.” もし introduces a condition: “if.” It commonly appears with a later conditional expression such as なら. In this sentence, it marks the possibility that the action may feel awkward. 気まずく is the adverbial form of the adjective 気まずい, “awkward” or “embarrassing.” The -く form lets the adjective modify 感じる, so 気まずく感じる means “feel awkward.” This is the adjective’s adverbial form, not an inflection of 感じる. 感じる means “to feel” or “to experience.” Here it takes 気まずく and describes experiencing the situation as awkward. Its polite form is 感じます; its past form is 感じた. For example: 少し不安に感じます。 means “I feel a little uneasy.” なら means “if that is the case” or “if so.” After 気まずく感じるなら, it makes the condition explicit: if the relevant action feels awkward, the following option applies. Unlike もし, which introduces a possibility, なら links that condition to the consequence. そうしなくてもいいです means “you do not have to do so.” そうする means “do so” or “do that,” with そう referring to the action just discussed rather than naming it again. しなくてもいい is the pattern 〜なくてもいい, meaning that an action is not required; it does not mean that the action is prohibited. The polite ending is です. For example: 今日は来なくてもいいです。 means “You do not have to come today.” Together, まずは静かに注意してみましょう proposes trying a quiet reminder first. もし気まずく感じるなら adds the condition “if that feels awkward,” and そうしなくてもいいです says that giving the reminder is optional in that case. Thus the whole utterance is: “Try a quiet reminder first, unless that feels uncomfortable.”

5. その人たちに、会話を外でするように頼んでもいいです。

   I could ask them to take the conversation outside.

   その人たちに

   to them

   会話

   conversation

   外

   outside

   する

   do; carry out

   ように

   so that; to

   頼んでもいいです

   may ask

   More detail

   その人たちに means “to them” here. その is a demonstrative determiner, and 人たち is the plural expression for people: 人 “person” + たち, a suffix that marks a group. に marks the person who is asked or the target of the request. The translation identifies this group as “them,” but the supplied text does not name the people. 会話 is the noun “conversation.” It can be used as a topic or object depending on the particles around it. Example: 会話を続ける means “continue the conversation”; を marks 会話 as what is continued. 外 is the noun “outside.” In this sentence, the following location particle combines with it as 外で, “outside” or “outdoors.” で marks the place where an action occurs. The quote contains only 外; the location meaning comes from 外で in the larger sentence. する is the plain nonpast form of the verb する, “do.” With an activity noun such as 会話, 会話をする means “have or conduct a conversation,” rather than simply “do a conversation.” Here, 外でする means “have the conversation outside.” The nonpast form can describe a requested or intended action in this pattern; it does not by itself assert that the action is happening now. ように contributes the pattern used to connect a requested action to 頼む. A plain-form verb or clause + ように頼む means “ask someone to …”: 先生は学生に、静かにするように頼んだ means “The teacher asked the students to be quiet.” In this sentence, 会話を外でするように is the requested action, “to have the conversation outside.” 頼んでもいいです is built from 頼む, “ask/request,” its て-form 頼んで, and もいいです, “it is acceptable.” The pattern V-てもいいですか commonly asks permission to do something; without a question intonation or question mark, V-てもいいです states that doing it is permitted or acceptable. Here it presents asking them as something the speaker could do, matching “I could ask them.” Together, その人たちに marks the people being asked, 会話を外でするように specifies the action they would be asked to do, and 頼んでもいいです says that making this request is acceptable. The complete meaning is: “I could ask them to take the conversation outside.”

6. それなら、失礼な言い方にならず、はっきり伝えられます。

   That keeps it clear without sounding rude.

   それなら

   then; in that case

   失礼な

   rude; impolite

   言い方

   way of saying something

   ならず

   without becoming

   はっきり

   clearly

   伝えられます

   can convey; can tell

   More detail

   それなら means “if that is the case” or “in that case.” それ is a demonstrative form, while なら presents the stated situation as the condition or basis for what follows. Here it links the proposed wording or approach to its result; it does not itself identify a new participant. 失礼な means “rude” or “impolite.” 失礼 is a noun-like な-adjective, so な connects it directly to the noun 言い方: 失礼な言い方, “a rude way of saying it.” The form 失礼な describes the manner of expression, not the person who might hear it. 言い方 means “way of saying something” or “wording.” It is built from 言う (“to say”) and the noun-forming element 方, which here means a way or manner of doing something. A reusable pattern is 動詞のます-stem + 方, such as 書き方 (“way of writing”) or 使い方 (“way of using”). In this sentence, 言い方 is the thing that could become rude. ならず is the negative continuative form of なる (“to become”), with なら as the form before ず. In 失礼な言い方にならず, it means “without becoming a rude way of saying it” and connects this negative condition to the next clause. 〜ず is a relatively formal or written-style alternative to 〜ないで; a more conversational version can use 失礼な言い方にならないで when that structure is appropriate. はっきり is an adverb meaning “clearly” or “plainly.” It modifies 伝えられます, describing how the message can be conveyed. Example: はっきり言います。 — “I’ll say it clearly.” 伝えられます is the polite non-past potential form of 伝える (“to convey,” “to communicate,” or “to tell”). The potential form expresses ability or possibility: 伝える → 伝えられる → 伝えられます. The polite ending ます makes the statement suitable for a polite explanation. Example: 要点を伝えられます。 — “I can convey the main point.” The form itself does not state who can do this; the actor is understood from context, while the fixed translation presents the approach as keeping the message clear. Together, それなら sets up the relevant case, 失礼な言い方にならず says that the wording does not become rude, and はっきり伝えられます says that the message can still be conveyed clearly. The whole utterance therefore means: “In that case, it can be conveyed clearly without sounding rude,” matching the fixed translation, “That keeps it clear without sounding rude.”

7. もし話し続けるなら、司書に間に入ってもらうよう頼めます。

   If they keep talking, we can ask the librarian to step in.

   もし … なら

   if … then

   話し続ける

   keep talking

   司書

   librarian

   間に入ってもらう

   have someone step in

   頼めます

   can ask

   More detail

   もし…なら marks a condition: “if …” or “if it is the case that …”. もし adds explicit conditional emphasis, while なら closes the conditional clause. Here, the condition is that the talking continues. Example: もし雨なら、行きません。—“If it is raining, I won’t go.” 話し続ける means “to keep talking.” Its base verb is 話す, “to talk”; 話し is its continuative form, which combines with 続ける, “to continue,” to make 話し続ける. This pattern is reusable with other verbs: 読み続ける means “keep reading.” The subject is omitted in the Japanese sentence; the fixed translation presents that actor as “they.” 司書 is the noun “librarian.” The particle に after 司書 marks the person who is asked to carry out the action in the pattern V-てもらうよう頼む. 間に入ってもらう means “have someone step in” or “have someone intervene.” 間に入る literally describes entering between people or sides; in this sentence it means stepping in to help handle the situation. 入って is the て-form of 入る, and てもらう presents the speaker as receiving that person’s action as a favor. Example: 友達に間に入ってもらいました。—“I had my friend step in.” This example introduces a new referent and is not a fact about the supplied conversation. 頼めます is the polite nonpast potential form of 頼む, “to ask” or “to request”: 頼む → 頼める → 頼めます. In this sentence, the potential meaning is “can ask.” Together with V-てもらうよう, it forms the reusable pattern person に V-てもらうよう頼む: “ask person to do V.” Example: 店員に確認してもらうよう頼めます。—“I can ask the clerk to check.” As a whole, もし話し続けるなら sets the condition “if they keep talking.” 司書に間に入ってもらうよう頼めます says “we can ask the librarian to step in.” Combined, the utterance means: “If they keep talking, we can ask the librarian to step in.”

8. そうすれば、騒ぎになりません。

   That way, it doesn't turn into a scene.

   そうすれば

   that way

   騒ぎ

   scene; commotion

   なりません

   does not become

   More detail

   そうすれば means “that way” here. It combines そう (“that way/so”) with すれば, the conditional form of する (“to do”): する → すれば (“if [someone] does it” or “if that is done”). In this context, そう points to the proposed action supported by the surrounding exchange, without needing to repeat it. The ば conditional presents that action as the condition for the result that follows. 騒ぎ is a noun meaning “a commotion” or “a scene.” It is related to 騒ぐ (“to make noise; to cause a commotion”), but 騒ぎ is the noun form used here. For example, 大きな騒ぎ means “a big commotion.” なりません is the polite negative form of なる (“to become; to turn into”): なる → なりません (“does not become / will not become” in this polite sentence). The に in 騒ぎになりません marks the result or state that something does not become. Thus, 騒ぎになる is the reusable pattern “to turn into a scene,” while 騒ぎになりません says that it does not turn into one. Together, そうすれば sets up the condition “if you do that” or “that way,” and 騒ぎになりません gives the result “it won’t turn into a scene.” The whole utterance therefore means: “That way, it doesn’t turn into a scene.”

9. 大声で文句を言うより、そうするほうがいいです。

   I'd rather do that than complain loudly.

   大声で

   loudly

   文句を言う

   complain

   より

   than

   そうする

   do that

   ほうがいいです

   it is better to

   More detail

   大声で means “loudly” here. 大声 is “a loud voice,” and で marks the manner in which an action is carried out, so 大声で言う means “say it loudly.” 文句を言う means “complain.” The useful pattern is the noun 文句 (“complaint”) plus 言う (“say”): Japanese uses this combination for making a complaint. The observed form 言う is the plain non-past form; after 文句を, it names the action being compared. Example: 店員に文句を言う means “complain to the shop clerk.” より marks the point of comparison in the pattern AよりBのほうがいい, “B is better than A” or “I would rather do B than A.” Here it follows 大声で文句を言う, so that action is the alternative being compared. そうする means “do that” or “do so.” する is the plain non-past form of “do,” while そう refers to an action understood from the context rather than naming it again. In this sentence, it is the action preferred over complaining loudly; the form itself does not identify a more specific referent. ほうがいいです expresses that one option is better or preferable. ほう literally means “side” or “way,” and the pattern Bのほうがいい presents B as the better choice. です makes the expression polite. Together with より, the reusable structure is AよりBのほうがいいです: “It is better to do B than A” or “I would rather do B than A.” Putting the parts together, 大声で文句を言うより sets up “than complain loudly,” while そうするほうがいいです says that doing that is preferable. The whole utterance therefore means, “I’d rather do that than complain loudly.”

10. 静かに声をかけて、それから勉強に戻りましょう。

    Let's ask quietly, then get back to studying.

    静かに

    quietly

    声をかけて

    speak to someone

    それから

    then

    勉強

    studying

    戻りましょう

    let’s get back

    More detail

    静かに means “quietly” here. It is the adverbial form of 静かだ, used to describe how the next action is carried out. The ending -に is a common way for a な-adjective such as 静かだ to modify an action: 静かに話す means “speak quietly.” 声をかけて uses the expression 声をかける, literally “to put one’s voice toward someone,” meaning to speak to or address someone. The observed form かけて is the て-form of かける; here it links this action to what follows. Example: 先生に声をかけてください。 — “Please speak to the teacher.” それから means “then” or “after that.” It marks the next step in sequence. Example: 手を洗って、それから食べます。 — “I wash my hands, and then I eat.” 勉強 is the noun “study” or “studying.” In 勉強に戻る, it names the activity one returns to. The particle に marks the destination or state of returning, so this pattern means “return to studying.” 戻りましょう is the polite volitional form of 戻る, “to return” or “to go back.” 戻る becomes 戻りましょう for a polite suggestion meaning “let’s return” or, in this context, “let’s get back.” The volitional form invites the speaker and listener to do the action together. Example: 仕事に戻りましょう。 — “Let’s get back to work.” Together, 静かに声をかけて gives the first action, “speak to someone quietly.” それから sequences the actions, and 勉強に戻りましょう gives the suggestion to return to studying. The complete meaning is: “Let’s ask quietly, then get back to studying.”