Solving a Plant Care Problem | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: At home, two adults troubleshoot a wilting plant by checking watering, drainage, light, and repotting..

EN → JA / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Solving a Plant Care Problem to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

よく水をあげているのに、植物がしおれています。

yoh-koo MEE-zoo oh ah-geh-teh-ee-roo noh-nee, shoh-koo-buts gah shee-oh-reh-teh-ee-mass. My plant is wilting, even though I water it often.
B

水が少なすぎるのではなく、多すぎるのかもしれません。

MEE-zoo gah soo-koo-NAH-soo-gee-roo noh deh-wah nah-koo, oh-SOO-gee-roo noh kah-moh-shee-reh-MAH-sen. It may have too much water rather than too little.
A

もっと水をあげれば、元気を取り戻すと思っていました。

MOHT-toh MEE-zoo oh ah-geh-reh-bah, GEN-kee oh toh-ree moh-DOH-soo toh oh-moht-teh ee-mah-shee-tah. I thought more water would help it recover.
B

排水を確認して、土を少し乾かしてください。

HIGH-swee oh kah-koo-NIN sheh-teh, tsoo-chee oh soo-koh-shee kah-rah-kah-sseh-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee. Check the drainage and let the soil dry a little.
A

鉢の底に穴がないので、それが問題かもしれません。

hah-chee noh soh-koo nee ah-nah gah nah-ee noh-deh, soh-reh gah mohn-DYE kah-moh-shee-reh-MAH-sen. The pot has no hole at the bottom, which may be the problem.
B

水の逃げ場がないと、根が弱ることがあります。

MEE-zoo noh nee-geh-bah gah nah-ee toh, neh gah yoh-wah-roo koh-toh gah ah-ree-MAH-soo. Roots can suffer when water has nowhere to escape.
A

窓の近くにも移したほうがいいですか。

mah-doh noh chee-kah-koo nee-moh oo-tsoo-shee-tah hoh-gah EE-dess kah. Should I move it closer to the window too?
B

何が役立つか分かるように、一度に一つずつ変えてみてください。

nahn-ee gah yah-koo-dah-tsoo kah wah-kah-roo YOH-nee, ee-chee-doh nee hee-toh-tsoo zoo-tsoo kah-eh-teh mee-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee. Try changing one thing at a time so you can tell what helps.
A

それなら植え替えて、今週は水やりを減らします。

soh-reh nah-rah oo-eh-kah-eh-teh, kohn-SHOO wah MEE-zoo yah-ree oh heh-rah-shee-MAH-soo. Then I will repot it and water it less this week.
B

植物の世話は、ほとんど観察と小さな調整です。

shoh-koo-buts noh seh-wah wah, hoh-tohn-doh kahn-sah-tsoo toh chee-sah-nah choh-SAY dess. Plant care is mostly observation and small adjustments.

Word by Word

よく Here よく means “often” in よく水をあげている, describing repeated watering. It commonly comes before a verb when discussing a habit or regular action, such as plant care.
水 水 means “water” here, the thing being given to the plant. The reusable pattern is 水をあげる when talking about watering a plant.
を を marks 水 as the object of あげている. Use it after the thing affected by an action, as in 水をあげる.
あげている あげている means “am giving” and here refers to repeatedly watering the plant. It is used with an object marked by を, as in 水をあげている, when describing an ongoing or repeated action.
のに のに means “even though” in よく水をあげているのに, linking frequent watering with the unexpected result that the plant is wilting. Use a clause before のに when the following situation is surprising or contrary to expectation.
植物 植物 means “plant” here, the living thing being discussed and cared for. It appears as 植物が, with が marking it as the subject of しおれています.
が が marks 植物 as the subject in 植物がしおれています. Use it after the thing that is in a state or performs the described action.
しおれています しおれています means “is wilting” and describes the plant’s current condition. It is useful when reporting that a plant or another living thing has become limp or unhealthy.
少なすぎる 少なすぎる means “is too little” in 水が少なすぎる. The form expresses that the amount is below what is suitable, and the pattern quantity + すぎる can describe an excessive degree in either direction.
のではなく The full expression 少なすぎるのではなく、多すぎる means “not that it is too little, but that it is too much.” の frames 少なすぎる as the situation being considered, では marks that situation as not the case, and なく connects it to the alternative 多すぎる. Use XのではなくY to reject X and present Y instead.
多すぎる 多すぎる means “is too much” in 水が多すぎる. It describes an amount that exceeds what is suitable, and it is useful when diagnosing excessive water or another excessive quantity.
の Here の links 多すぎる to かもしれません, forming 多すぎるのかもしれません, “it may be too much.” This pattern lets a statement or description be followed by a tentative possibility.
かもしれません かもしれません expresses polite uncertainty: the speaker says that the water may be too much. In this expression, かも indicates possibility and しれません completes the polite form. Use it after a statement when giving a cautious diagnosis or opinion.
もっと もっと means “more” in もっと水をあげれば, referring to a greater amount of water. It commonly comes before the noun or action whose amount is being increased.
あげれば あげれば presents giving water as a condition: もっと水をあげれば means “if I give more water.” Use it when connecting a possible action with an expected result, such as considering whether an action will help.
元気 元気 means health or vigor in 元気を取り戻す, referring to the plant becoming healthy again. The reusable expression 元気を取り戻す describes recovering a previous healthy or energetic state.
取り戻す 取り戻す means “recover” or “regain” in 元気を取り戻す. It takes the thing being regained with を, so 元気を取り戻す means to regain health or vigor.
と と marks the content of the speaker’s thought in 元気を取り戻すと思っていました. The pattern clause + と + 思っていました is used when explaining what someone previously thought or believed.
思っていました 思っていました means “I thought” or “I believed” here, referring to an earlier expectation about the plant recovering. It is useful when explaining a former belief that has turned out to be mistaken or uncertain.
排水 排水 means “drainage” here, especially the movement of excess water out of the pot. The pattern 排水を確認して is useful when checking whether water can leave a container or area.
確認して 確認して means “check” or “confirm” and connects the instruction to the next action in 排水を確認して、土を少し乾かしてください. Use the pattern nounを確認して、... when giving connected instructions.
土 土 means “soil” here, the material that should be allowed to dry a little. It appears as 土を, marking the soil as the thing affected by 乾かして.
少し 少し means “a little” in 土を少し乾かして, limiting the amount of drying requested. It commonly comes before an action to make the change moderate rather than extreme.
乾かして 乾かして means “dry it” or “let it dry” here, referring to the soil. It connects with ください in 乾かしてください to form a polite request to carry out the action.
ください ください makes the preceding action a polite request in 乾かしてください. The reusable pattern is verb-te + ください when asking someone to do something.
鉢 鉢 means “plant pot” here. In 鉢の底, it identifies the container whose bottom is being inspected for a drainage hole.
底 底 means “bottom” in 鉢の底, the lower part of the plant pot. The pattern nounの底 identifies the bottom of a container or object.
に に marks the location in 鉢の底に穴がない, meaning that there is no hole at the bottom of the pot. The pattern placeに Xがない reports that something is absent in a particular location.
穴 穴 means “hole” here, specifically the opening needed for drainage. It is the subject of absence in 穴がない.
ない ない means that something does not exist in 穴がない, “there is no hole.” Use the pattern placeに Xがない when reporting that an object or feature is absent in a location.
ので ので means “because” or “since” in 鉢の底に穴がないので, giving the lack of a hole as the reason for the possible problem. Use a clause before ので to explain a cause or reason in a relatively gentle way.
それ それ means “that” or “it” in それが問題かもしれません, referring to the previously mentioned lack of a hole. It is useful for pointing back to a situation that has just been discussed.
問題 問題 means “problem” in それが問題かもしれません, identifying the lack of a hole as a possible cause. The pattern Xが問題です or Xが問題かもしれません is useful when identifying a suspected problem.
逃げ場 逃げ場 means a “place or way to escape” in 水の逃げ場, referring to somewhere for the water to go. The pattern 水の逃げ場 describes an outlet or space for water to escape.
根 根 means “roots” here, the part of the plant that may become weak. It appears as 根が, with が marking the roots as the subject of 弱る.
弱る 弱る means “become weak” or “suffer” in 根が弱る. Use it with が to describe a living thing or body part becoming less healthy or strong.
こと こと turns 弱る into the noun-like phrase 弱ること, “the event or possibility of becoming weak.” Together with あります, the pattern verb + ことがあります says that something can occur.
あります あります means “there is” or “can occur” here, because it follows 弱ること in 弱ることがあります. This polite pattern is useful for stating that a situation sometimes happens or is possible.
窓 窓 means “window” here, the reference point for deciding where to move the plant. It appears in 窓の近く, meaning the area near the window.
近く 近く means “near” or “the vicinity” in 窓の近く. The pattern Xの近くに is used to describe a location close to X.
も も means “also” or “too” in 窓の近くにも, adding moving the plant near the window as another possible change. It is used after a noun or location when including an additional option or place.
移した 移した means “moved it” in 移したほうがいいですか, where moving the plant is being considered as advice. The reusable pattern objectを移したほうがいいですか asks whether moving something would be better.
ほうがいい The full expression 移したほうがいいですか means “would it be better to move it?” or “should I move it?” ほう presents a possible course of action, が marks that course, and いい evaluates it as better. Use verbた + ほうがいい when recommending or asking about a preferable action.
です です adds polite wording to the advice expression ほうがいいですか. It commonly appears before か in a polite question.
か か marks the whole sentence as a question in ほうがいいですか. It is used at the end of a polite question when asking for advice or information.
何 何 means “what” in 何が役立つか, asking which thing will be useful. In this embedded question, 何が identifies the unknown factor that may help.
役立つ 役立つ means “be useful” or “help” in 何が役立つか. The pattern Xが役立つ is used when evaluating whether an action, tool, or change will be helpful.
分かる 分かる means “know” or “be able to tell” in 分かるように, referring to recognizing what helps. It commonly appears with が to identify the thing understood or identified.
ように The full expression 分かるように means “so that you can tell” or “so that it becomes clear.” よう presents the intended state, and に marks the aim of the action. Use a clause + ように before an action when explaining its purpose.
一度に 一度に means “at one time” here and, together with 一つずつ, frames the changes as one per trial. It is useful when controlling how many changes are made in a single round of testing.
一つずつ 一つずつ means “one at a time” or “one each” in 一度に一つずつ. It distributes the changes individually, which helps identify which adjustment has an effect.
変えて 変えて means “change” in 変えてみてください, referring to changing one part of the plant-care routine. It connects with みてください to make a polite request to try the change.
みて みて adds the meaning “try doing” after the te-form 変えて in 変えてみてください; it does not mean physically looking here. The pattern verb-te + みる is useful when suggesting that someone test an action.
それなら それなら means “then” or “in that case,” responding to the preceding information about the pot and drainage. Use it before a decision or plan that follows logically from what someone has just said.
植え替えて 植え替えて means “repot it” or “transplant it” in 植え替えて、..., referring to moving the plant into a more suitable pot. It connects this action to the next planned action in the sentence.
今週 今週 means “this week” and sets the time period for reducing the watering. It can be used before は to make a time period the topic of a plan or decision.
は は marks 今週 as the time period being discussed in 今週は水やりを減らします. Here it sets the topic rather than creating a strong contrast.
水やり 水やり means “watering,” the care activity being reduced in 水やりを減らします. The pattern 水やりを減らす is useful when planning to water a plant less.
減らします 減らします means “will reduce” here, stating the speaker’s plan to lower the amount or frequency of watering. The pattern nounを減らします is useful for describing a planned reduction.
世話 世話 means “care” in 植物の世話, referring to the ongoing work of looking after a plant. The pattern Xの世話 means care for X.
ほとんど ほとんど means “mostly” here, saying that plant care consists mainly of observation and small adjustments. It commonly comes before the main part or amount being described.
観察 観察 means “observation” in 観察と小さな調整, one of the main activities involved in plant care. It is useful when watching a plant’s condition before deciding what to change.
小さな 小さな means “small” in 小さな調整, describing adjustments that are limited and gradual. It comes directly before the noun it modifies.
調整 調整 means “adjustment” in 小さな調整, referring to small changes in watering, drainage, light, or similar care. The pattern 小さな調整 is useful when describing gradual changes made while observing a problem.

Grammar Points

～のに

よく水をあげているのに、植物がしおれています。

yoh-koo MEE-zoo oh ah-geh-teh-ee-roo noh-nee, shoh-koo-buts gah shee-oh-reh-teh-ee-mass.

Even though I often water the plant, it is wilting.

のに connects two contrasting facts: the first situation would normally lead to a different result.

～たほうがいいですか

窓の近くに移したほうがいいですか。

mah-doh noh chee-kah-koo nee oo-tsoo-shee-tah hoh-gah EE-dess kah.

Should I move it near the window?

たほうがいいですか asks for advice about whether an action is preferable.

Japanese Vocabulary

しおれる verb
shee-oh-REH-roo wilt しおれています
のに conj
noh-nee even though
よく adv
yoh-koo often
確認する verb
kah-koo-NIN soo-roo check; confirm 確認して
乾かす verb
kah-rah-kah-soo dry; let something dry 乾かしてください
元気を取り戻す phrase
GEN-kee oh toh-ree moh-DOH-soo recover; regain strength
少なすぎる adj
soo-koo-NAH-soo-gee-roo be too little
植物 noun
shoh-koo-buts plant
水をあげる phrase
MEE-zoo oh ah-geh-roo water a plant 水をあげている
多すぎる adj
oh-SOO-gee-roo be too much
土 noun
tsoo-chee soil
排水 noun
HIGH-swee drainage

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

be too much

Show Answer多すぎる

recover; regain strength

Show Answer元気を取り戻す

water a plant

Show Answer水をあげている

wilt

Show Answerしおれています