Staying Safe When Air Quality Is Poor | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 今日は空気が重く感じられ、空気の質が悪いかもしれません。

   The air feels heavy today, and air quality may be poor.

   今日は

   as for today

   空気

   air

   重く

   heavy

   感じられ

   feels

   質

   quality

   悪い

   poor

   かもしれません

   may; might

   More detail

   今日は combines 今日 (today) with topic marker は, presenting today as the time being discussed. 今日 can also appear without は when it is simply a time expression. Example: 今日は暑いです。 — “It is hot today.” 空気 means “air.” It is a noun and can be used alone or in compounds and noun relationships. Here it is the subject-like element whose condition is being described. Example: 空気を入れます。 — “I let air in.” 重く is the adverbial form of the i-adjective 重い (“heavy”). The adjective changes from 重い to 重く before the following verb, expressing how something is felt: 重い → 重く感じる (“feel heavy”). The form 重く itself describes the heaviness; it does not mean “heavily” in every possible context. 感じられ comes from 感じられる, used here for an impression that the air is perceived as heavy: “feels” or “seems.” The visible form 感じられ is the connective form before the comma, linking this clause to the next one; the sentence does not end at this point. In this usage, 感じられる presents the experience as something that can be perceived, rather than directly stating that someone intentionally feels it. Example: 少し違って感じられます。 — “It feels a little different.” 質 means “quality.” In the neighboring expression 空気の質, の links the two nouns, so the expression means “air quality”: the quality belonging to or associated with air. 質 can also refer to the quality of other things, but the fixed sentence specifically concerns air. 悪い is the base form of the i-adjective meaning “bad” or, here, “poor.” It describes 空気の質, so 空気の質が悪い means “air quality is poor.” The adjective itself carries the description; 空気 does not become an adjective. Example: 音の質が悪いです。 — “The sound quality is poor.” かもしれません expresses possibility or uncertainty: “may” or “might.” It is the polite form of かもしれない. Here it follows the plain adjective 悪い, giving 悪いかもしれません — “may be poor.” This marks the speaker's assessment as uncertain, not as a definite claim. Together, 今日は空気が重く感じられ says that today the air is perceived as heavy, and the connective form carries the statement into the next clause. 空気の質が悪いかもしれません says that the air quality may be poor. The whole utterance is therefore: “The air feels heavy today, and air quality may be poor.”

2. それなら、屋外で運動するのはよくないかもしれません。

   Outdoor exercise might not be a good idea, then.

   それなら

   in that case; then

   屋外

   outdoors

   運動する

   exercise

   のは

   as for doing …

   よくない

   not good

   かもしれません

   might; may

   More detail

   それなら sets the utterance against the preceding situation: “if that is so” or “then.” Here it links the possible poor air quality with the advice that follows. It is a reusable conditional/discourse expression, not a statement about who caused the situation. 屋外 means “outdoors” or “outside.” It is a noun used here to specify where the activity takes place. A useful pattern is 屋外で + activity, meaning “do the activity outdoors”; で marks the place of an action. 運動する means “to exercise.” 運動 is the noun “exercise,” and する turns it into an action verb. The nonpast form する can describe a general activity or a planned/considered activity; the sentence does not specify an actor. のは turns the preceding action into the topic: 運動するのは means “as for exercising” or, more naturally here, “exercising.” の is the nominalizing element, and は marks that nominalized action as the topic. This pattern is useful with other actions too, such as 読むのは楽しい (“Reading is enjoyable”). よくない means “not good” in this sentence. It is the negative form of the adjective いい (“good”); いい has the related form よい, but its negative is よくない, not *いくない*. In 屋外で運動するのはよくない, the judgment applies to exercising outdoors, not to the word 屋外 by itself. かもしれません expresses possibility or uncertainty politely: “might” or “may.” It follows the plain form よくない, producing よくないかもしれません (“might not be good”). The polite ending is in ません, while the uncertain content before it remains よくない; this construction does not assert that the activity is definitely bad. Together, それなら refers back to the stated air-quality concern, 屋外で gives the location, and 運動するのはよくないかもしれません presents outdoor exercise as a possibly unsuitable choice. The whole utterance therefore means: “Outdoor exercise might not be a good idea, then.”

3. 公園で走る予定でした。

   I was planning to run in the park.

   公園

   park

   走る

   to run

   予定でした

   was the plan

   More detail

   公園 means “park.” It is a noun. In this sentence, 公園で uses で to mark the place where the action takes place: “in the park.” Example: 公園で歩きます。 means “I walk in the park.” 走る means “to run.” This is the plain, dictionary form of the verb. Before 予定, it forms 走る予定, meaning “a plan to run.” The form itself does not mark the runner’s person or number. Example: 毎朝走る予定です。 means “I plan to run every morning.” 予定でした consists of the noun 予定, “plan” or “schedule,” and the polite past form でした of the copula. Here it presents the plan as something that held in the past: “was the plan” or, in the full context, “was planning.” The reusable pattern verb in its plain form + 予定です means “plan to verb”; verb in its plain form + 予定でした refers to a past plan. Example: 映画を見る予定でした。 means “I was planning to watch a movie.” This form alone does not say whether the plan was carried out. Together, 公園で identifies the location, 走る supplies the planned action, and 予定でした places that plan in the past. The whole utterance means: “I was planning to run in the park.”

4. 汚染が気になるなら、代わりに屋内で運動してください。

   If pollution bothers you, choose an indoor workout instead.

   汚染

   pollution

   気になる

   be bothered by; be concerned about

   なら

   if; when

   代わりに

   instead

   屋内

   indoors; indoor

   運動

   exercise; workout

   してください

   please do

   More detail

   汚染 means “pollution” here. It is a noun; the が marks it as the subject of 気になる, so the sentence says that pollution is a concern rather than that the speaker is polluting something. 気になる is a useful fixed expression meaning that something concerns you, bothers you, or catches your attention. Its literal form is 気になる, with 気 (“feeling” or “attention”) plus なる (“become”), but learn the expression as a whole. Example: 音が気になります。— “The noise bothers me.” なら turns the preceding condition into “if” or “when”: 気になるなら means “if it bothers you.” This is a conditional form, not a statement that pollution actually bothers the listener. 代わりに means “instead” or “in place of that.” With an action, the pattern Xの代わりに can mean “instead of X”; here the omitted alternative is the previously mentioned outdoor exercise, so 代わりに introduces the replacement activity. 屋内 means “indoors” or “indoor.” The particle で marks the place or setting where an action occurs: 屋内で means “indoors.” A useful contrast is 屋内 “indoors” and 屋外 “outdoors.” 運動 means “exercise” or “workout.” It can function as a noun, as in 運動をする, and it also combines directly with する: 運動する, “to exercise.” In this sentence, it is the action requested. してください is the polite request form of する, “please do.” In 運動してください, it combines with 運動 to form “please exercise.” The てください pattern is a polite way to ask someone to perform an action; it is not merely a word-for-word equivalent of “please” attached to any noun. Together, 汚染が気になるなら sets the condition “if pollution bothers you,” 代わりに marks a replacement, 屋内で specifies the setting “indoors,” and 運動してください gives the polite request “please exercise.” The whole utterance means: “If pollution bothers you, choose an indoor workout instead.”

5. 公園よりリラックスできない感じがしますが、ジムを使えます。

   I could use the gym, although it feels less relaxing than the park.

   公園

   park

   より

   than; compared with

   リラックスできない

   cannot relax

   感じがします

   it feels

   ジム

   gym

   使えます

   can use

   More detail

   公園 is the noun meaning “park.” Its base form does not change for number in this sentence; Japanese nouns generally do not require a plural ending. Example: 公園に行きます。—“I go to the park.” より marks the comparison standard: “than” or “compared with.” The thing before it is the standard against which the following description is evaluated. Example: 電車よりバスが安いです。—“The bus is cheaper than the train.” リラックスできない means “cannot relax” here, producing the intended sense “less relaxing.” できる expresses ability or possibility, and its negative form is できない; the lexical verb is リラックスする, “to relax.” Thus this is not the ordinary negative リラックスしない (“do not relax”), but the potential negative, describing an inability or lack of possibility. Example: ここではリラックスできません。—“I cannot relax here.” 感じがします presents the statement as an impression: “it feels” or “it seems.” The expression is built from 感じ (“feeling, impression”) and the polite form します of する; the common pattern is 〜感じがする, “have the feeling that ~.” Example: 少し変な感じがします。—“It feels a little strange.” ジム is the noun “gym,” written in Japanese using a loanword form. Example: ジムに行きます。—“I go to the gym.” 使えます is the polite potential form of 使う, “to use”: 使う → 使える (“can use”) → 使えます (“can use,” polite). In this utterance, the fixed translation presents it as the speaker’s available option, “could use the gym.” The potential form concerns ability or availability; it is different from 使います, which simply says “use” or “will use.” Example: この部屋は使えます。—“This room can be used” or “I can use this room,” depending on context. Together, 公園より sets the park as the comparison standard, and リラックスできない感じがします says that the gym gives the speaker an impression of being less relaxing or of making relaxation less possible. The contrastive が then connects that assessment with ジムを使えます, “I could use the gym.” The complete meaning is: “I could use the gym, although it feels less relaxing than the park.”

6. 空気の悪い場所で呼吸するより、屋内で運動するほうが健康的です。

   Training indoors is healthier than breathing poor air.

   空気

   air

   悪い

   bad

   場所

   place

   呼吸する

   to breathe

   より

   than

   屋内

   indoors

   運動する

   to exercise

   ほうが

   the ... option

   健康的です

   healthy

   More detail

   空気 means “air.” In this sentence it is the noun modified by 悪い, producing 空気の悪い (“poor-air” or “with poor air”). The particle の links the noun 空気 to the following description; here it is part of the noun-modifying structure, not possession. 悪い is the plain, nonpast form of the i-adjective meaning “bad” or, here, “poor in quality.” Its past form is 悪かった, so the adjective does inflect for time. Example: 悪い天気 means “bad weather.” 場所 means “place” or “location.” 空気の悪い場所 is therefore “a place where the air is poor.” The particle で after this phrase marks the place where the activity occurs: 空気の悪い場所で means “in a place with poor air.” 呼吸する means “to breathe.” This is a compound verb formed with the noun 呼吸 (“breathing”) and する (“do”). Its plain nonpast form is 呼吸する; the polite form is 呼吸します. Here, 呼吸する is modified by より, giving the comparison point “than breathing poor air.” より marks the comparison standard. In the pattern AよりBのほうが…, A is the option used as the reference and B is described as having the greater degree of the quality. Thus 空気の悪い場所で呼吸するより means “than breathing in a place with poor air.” 屋内 means “indoors” or “inside a building.” With で, 屋内で marks the place where the next activity happens: “indoors.” It is a location expression, not the name of a particular building. 運動する means “to exercise” or “to work out.” Like 呼吸する, it is a compound する-verb, with the plain nonpast form 運動する and polite form 運動します. In 屋内で運動する, it means “to exercise indoors.” ほうが presents one option as preferable or as having more of a stated quality. In the pattern AよりBのほうが…, Bのほうが means “B is more … than A.” The noun ほう literally means “side” or “option,” and が marks this preferred or higher-degree option. Here, the option is 屋内で運動するほう, “exercising indoors.” 健康的です means “is healthy” or “is health-promoting.” 健康的 is a na-adjective meaning “healthy” in the sense of promoting or reflecting good health; です gives the sentence a polite ending. The form 健康的な is used before a noun, as in 健康的な生活 (“a healthy lifestyle”), while 健康的です is used as the predicate here. Putting the parts together, the reusable pattern is AよりBのほうが健康的です—“B is healthier than A.” Here, A is 空気の悪い場所で呼吸する (“breathing in a place with poor air”), and B is 屋内で運動する (“exercising indoors”). The whole utterance therefore means: “Training indoors is healthier than breathing poor air.”

7. 外を歩く必要がある場合は、マスクを着けたほうがいいですか。

   Should I wear a mask if I need to walk outside?

   外

   outside

   歩く

   to walk

   必要がある

   need to

   場合は

   if/when

   マスク

   mask

   着けたほうがいいですか

   should I wear it?

   More detail

   外 means “outside.” In 外を歩く, 外 is followed by を, which marks the route or space through which the walking takes place; it does not make “outside” a thing being consumed or used. A useful contrast is 外 “outside” versus 中 “inside.” 歩く means “to walk.” This is the plain, non-past form of the verb; it can describe an action generally or appear in larger patterns such as 歩く必要がある “need to walk.” Example: 毎朝歩く。 — “I walk every morning.” 必要がある expresses that there is a need or necessity. 必要 is “necessity” or “necessary,” and ある is the verb “to exist” for this construction. With a verb before it, 歩く必要がある means “there is a need to walk,” naturally “need to walk.” The negative counterpart is 必要がない, “there is no need.” 場合は introduces the condition or situation “if/when ….” 場合 means “case” or “situation,” and は sets that situation as the topic. Here, 歩く必要がある場合は means “if I need to walk” or, more literally, “in the case where there is a need to walk.” Example: 雨の場合は中止です。 — “If it rains, it is canceled.” マスク means “mask.” It is a noun written in katakana. In this sentence, it is the item that the speaker asks about wearing; the fixed translation identifies the intended item as a mask. 着けたほうがいいですか asks whether it would be better or advisable to wear the item. The relevant verb is 着ける, “to put on” or “to wear” an item such as a mask. The observed 着けた is its plain past form, but in 〜たほうがいい this form is part of a recommendation pattern rather than a simple past-time statement. 〜たほうがいい means “it is better to …” or “should …”; adding ですか makes the recommendation a polite question. Example: 早く寝たほうがいいです。 — “You should go to bed early.” Together, 外を歩く必要がある場合は sets the condition “if I need to walk outside.” Then マスクを着けたほうがいいですか asks whether it is advisable for the speaker to wear a mask. The whole utterance therefore means: “Should I wear a mask if I need to walk outside?”

8. マスクが役立つことがありますし、地域の健康に関する助言で追加の予防策が勧められるかもしれません。

   A mask can help, and local health advice may suggest extra precautions.

   マスク

   mask

   役立つ

   help; be useful

   ことがあります

   can; sometimes happens

   し

   and; also

   地域

   local area; region

   健康

   health

   関する

   concern; relate to

   助言

   advice

   追加

   extra; additional

   予防策

   precautions

   勧められる

   be recommended

   かもしれません

   may; might

   More detail

   マスク is the noun “mask.” In this sentence it is the topic-like subject marked by が: the mask is what may be useful. Example: マスクを着けます。 — “I wear a mask.” 役立つ means “to be useful” or “to help.” Its base form is 役立つ; the form itself does not mark past time or politeness. Here it describes the mask’s usefulness. Example: この情報は役立ちます。 — “This information is useful.” ことがあります literally uses こと (“matter/occurrence”) with ある (“exist”), but after a verb it presents an occasional or possible situation: “there are times when …” or, naturally here, “can …”. 役立つことがあります therefore means “can help,” rather than asserting that it always helps. The polite form is あります; the plain form is ある. し connects this statement with another related statement. It can mean “and” or “also,” and often leaves the list open for another point. Here it links the possible usefulness of a mask to the later possibility that precautions are recommended. Example: この道は近いし、安全です。 — “This road is close and safe.” 地域 means “region” or “local area.” In 地域の健康, の links the two nouns, giving “local health” or “the health of the region.” Example: 地域の学校 — “local schools.” 健康 means “health.” It is a noun here, inside the larger modifier 地域の健康に関する, rather than the main subject of the sentence. 関する means “to concern” or “to relate to.” Its base form is 関する, and the plain form directly modifies a following noun: 健康に関する助言 means “advice concerning health.” The particle に belongs with 関する in this pattern. Example: 仕事に関する質問 — “a question concerning work.” 助言 means “advice” or “guidance.” 地域の健康に関する助言 is a noun phrase meaning “advice concerning local health.” The surrounding sentence does not identify a particular adviser; it presents the advice as the source of the recommendation. 追加 means “additional” or “extra.” With の, 追加の予防策 means “extra precautions”: 追加 modifies the noun 予防策 rather than describing an action. 予防策 means “preventive measure” or “precaution.” It is the noun affected by the passive form 勧められる: the precautions are what may be recommended. Example: 追加の予防策を取ります。 — “I take additional precautions.” 勧められる is the passive form of 勧める, “to recommend” or “to advise.” In this sentence it means “be recommended”; the person or organization making the recommendation is not stated. Do not confuse this use with the possible form “can recommend”; the following context and the fixed translation support the passive reading here. Example: この方法が勧められています。 — “This method is being recommended.” かもしれません expresses a possibility politely: “may” or “might.” It follows the plain form 勧められる, so 勧められるかもしれません means “may be recommended.” It does not assert that the recommendation definitely occurs. Putting the pieces together: マスクが役立つことがありますし says that a mask can help, while 地域の健康に関する助言で追加の予防策が勧められるかもしれません says that extra precautions may be recommended in local-health advice. Together, the utterance means: “A mask can help, and local health advice may suggest extra precautions.”

9. 空気がよくなるまで走るのを延期するほうが安全そうです。

   Postponing the run until the air improves seems safer.

   空気

   air

   よくなる

   improve; get better

   まで

   until

   走る

   run

   延期する

   postpone

   ほうが

   the preferable option

   安全

   safe

   そうです

   seems

   More detail

   空気 means “air.” In this sentence it is the subject of the change described by よくなる, giving the meaning “the air improves.” Example: 空気がきれいです。—“The air is clean.” よくなる means “become better” or “improve.” よく is the adverbial form related to いい／よい “good,” and なる means “become”; together they describe a change into a better condition. Example: 天気がよくなる。—“The weather will improve.” まで marks the endpoint of a period: “until.” Here, 空気がよくなるまで means “until the air improves.” It follows the clause that describes the event marking that endpoint. 走る means “run.” In 走るの, the following の turns the action of running into a noun-like expression, “running” or “the run.” This expression is marked by を as what is postponed. Example: 毎朝走るのが好きです。—“I like running every morning.” 延期する means “postpone” or “put off.” Its base form ends in する, so it can be used as a polite present-form predicate with 延期します. In the sentence, 走るのを延期する means “postpone the run.” ほうが presents one option as preferable in a comparison. The larger pattern here is AほうがB: “A is more B” or “A seems the preferable B option.” The alternative is understood from the comparison rather than stated as a separate phrase. Example: 電車で行くほうが便利です。—“Going by train is more convenient.” 安全 means “safe.” It is a な-adjective: for example, 安全な道 means “a safe road,” while 安全です means “is safe.” Here it is part of 安全そうです, so the sentence presents the postponement as apparently safer, not as an unqualified fact of safety. そうです here expresses appearance or the speaker’s assessment: “seems” or “looks.” After an adjective, it combines with the adjective to describe how something appears; 安全そうです means “seems safe.” This is distinct from a hearsay use of そうです after a plain statement, which can mean “I hear that ...”. The polite ending です makes the expression courteous. Taken together, 空気がよくなるまで sets the endpoint “until the air improves.” 走るのを延期する makes postponing the run the option being evaluated, and ほうが安全そうです says that this option seems safer than the unstated alternative. The whole utterance is therefore: “Postponing the run until the air improves seems safer.”

10. そうすれば、運動が別の健康問題になるのを防げます。

    That keeps exercise from turning into another health problem.

    そうすれば

    if you do that; then

    運動

    exercise

    別の

    another; different

    健康問題

    health problem

    なる

    become; turn into

    防げます

    can prevent

    More detail

    そうすれば means “if you do that” or “then, by doing so.” It refers back to an action or situation already understood from context and links it to the result that follows. The pattern そうすれば、… is a reusable way to state a consequence. 運動 means “exercise” here. It is a noun and can also be used in compounds, such as 運動不足 (“lack of exercise”). In this sentence, it is the subject of the following clause. 別の means “another” or “different.” 別 is a noun-like form meaning separation or difference, and の links it to the noun it modifies. In 別の健康問題, it presents the health problem as one different from an already relevant problem; it does not by itself state how many problems there are. 健康問題 is a compound noun: 健康 means “health” and 問題 means “problem.” Together, they mean “health problem.” Japanese commonly forms nouns this way, with the first element specifying the type of the second. なる means “become” or “turn into.” It is the plain, dictionary form. The pattern AがBになる describes A becoming B or turning into B. For example, 水が氷になる。 means “Water turns into ice.” Here, 運動が別の健康問題になる means “exercise turns into another health problem.” 防げます means “can prevent.” Its base form is 防ぐ (“prevent; avert”), and 防げます is its polite potential form: 防ぐ → 防げる (“can prevent”) → 防げます (“can prevent,” polite). The potential form expresses ability or possibility, not merely an ordinary present-tense prevention. Putting the parts together, そうすれば introduces the consequence, 運動が別の健康問題になる describes exercise turning into another health problem, and のを防げます expresses being able to prevent that event. The whole utterance means: “That keeps exercise from turning into another health problem.”