About This Lesson
Use Responding assertively when someone cuts in line to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
すみません、列はあの女性の後ろから始まっていると思います。
soo-mee-mah-SEN, reh-tsu wa ah-noh JOH-SAY noh oh-SHEE-roh kah-rah hah-joo-MAHT-teh-ee-roo toh oh-MOH-ee-mahs. Excuse me, I think the line starts behind that woman.
B
みんなが列に並んでいるとは気づきませんでした。
MEEN-nah gah reh-tsu nee nah-RAHN-deh-ee-roo toh-wah kee-zoo-kee-mah-SEN-deh-shee-tah. I did not realize everyone was waiting in line.
A
人々が離れて立っているので、少し分かりにくいです。
hee-TOH-bee-toh gah hah-nah-REH-teh taht-teh-ee-roo noh-deh, soo-KOH-shee wah-kah-ree-nee-KOO-ee dess. It is a bit unclear because people are standing apart.
B
では、列の最後尾に行けばいいですか。
deh-WAH, reh-tsu noh sai-KOH-bee nee EE-keh-bah EEE dess-kah. Should I go to the back, then?
A
はい、お願いします。みんな自分の順番を待っています。
high, oh-neh-gai-shee-MAHS. MEEN-nah jee-BUN noh joon-BAHN oh maht-teh-ee-MAHS. Please do. Everyone has been waiting for their turn.
B
後ろに移動します。列の始まりを見落としていました。
oh-SHEE-roh nee ee-DOH shee-MAHS. reh-tsu noh hah-jee-MAH-ree oh mee-oh-toh-SHEE-teh-ee-MAH-shee-tah. I will move back. I just missed where the line began.
A
列の最後尾は、あの人たちの少し先です。
reh-tsu noh sai-KOH-bee wa, ah-noh hee-toh-TAH-chee noh soo-KOH-shee sah-kee dess. The end of the line is just past those people.
B
今は分かりました。あそこで待ちます。
ee-MAH wah wah-kah-ree-MAH-shee-tah. ah-soh-KOH-deh ma-chee-MAHS. I see it now. I will wait there.
A
それなら、順番が分かりやすくなります。
soh-reh-NAH-rah, joon-BAHN gah wah-kah-ree-yah-SOO-koo nah-ree-MAHS. That should keep the order clear.
B
状況を勘違いしていましたが、直せます。
joh-KYOH oh kahn-chee-GAI shee-teh-ee-MAH-shee-tah gah, nah-oh-SEH-mahs. I misunderstood the situation, but I can fix it.Word by Word
すみません
Here, すみません is a polite way to get someone's attention before speaking to them. It is useful when addressing a stranger or interrupting briefly in a public place.
列
Here, 列 means the line or queue that people are waiting in. It appears in expressions such as 列に並んでいる and 列の最後尾 when talking about joining or locating a queue.
は
In 列はあの女性の後ろから始まっている, は marks 列 as the topic of the statement. It sets the line up as the thing whose starting point is being explained.
あの
Here, あの means that over there and identifies the woman being referred to. It is placed directly before 女性 in あの女性 to point out a person visible to both speakers.
女性
Here, 女性 means the woman who is being used as a reference point for the line. あの女性 identifies a woman over there in a clear, polite way.
の
In あの女性の後ろ, の links 女性 with 後ろ and means the back or area belonging to that reference point. The same linking pattern appears in 列の最後尾.
後ろ
Here, 後ろ means behind or at the back, specifically the area behind the woman. The pattern Xの後ろ identifies the position behind X.
から
In 後ろから始まっている, から marks the point from which the line starts. It is useful when naming a starting location before 始まっている.
始まっている
Here, 始まっている says that the line begins from behind that woman. It describes the line's current starting point, as in 後ろから始まっている.
と
In と思います, と marks the preceding statement as the content of the speaker's thought. Together with 思います, it lets the speaker present the line's location as a belief rather than a bare assertion.
思います
Here, 思います means think and politely presents the speaker's view about where the line starts. The reusable expression と思います is useful when giving an opinion or uncertain information politely.
みんな
Here, みんな means everyone, referring to all the people waiting in the area. In みんなが列に並んでいる, it identifies the whole group as the subject.
が
In みんなが列に並んでいる, が marks みんな as the people who are lined up. It is useful for identifying who is doing or being in the state described by the rest of the sentence.
に
In 列に並んでいる, に marks the line as the place or target associated with lining up. This shows that the people are lined up in the queue.
並んでいる
Here, 並んでいる means are lined up or waiting in line. The expression 列に並んでいる describes people who are currently in the queue.
気づきませんでした
Here, 気づきませんでした means did not notice or realize. In みんなが列に並んでいるとは気づきませんでした, the speaker admits that they had not recognized the situation.
人々
Here, 人々 means the people standing in the area. In 人々が離れて立っている, it identifies those people as the subject of the explanation.
離れて
Here, 離れて means apart or separated, describing the spacing between the people. Together with 立っている, it describes people standing with space between them.
立っている
Here, 立っている means are standing. In 人々が離れて立っている, it describes the people's physical position while explaining why the line is hard to see.
ので
Here, ので means because and introduces the reason that the situation is unclear. It connects 人々が離れて立っている to the result 少し分かりにくいです.
少し
Here, 少し means a little or slightly and softens the statement that the line is unclear. The expression 少し分かりにくいです is useful when giving a mild explanation or criticism.
分かりにくい
Here, 分かりにくい describes the line as difficult to understand or see clearly. In 少し分かりにくいです, it explains that the separated people make the queue unclear.
です
In 分かりにくいです, です gives the statement a polite tone. It is useful at the end of a polite explanation or description.
では
Here, では means then or in that case in the question では、列の最後尾に行けばいいですか. で frames the situation and は marks it as the topic, linking the information just given to the next action being considered.
最後尾
Here, 最後尾 means the very end of the line. 列の最後尾 identifies the place where someone should go to join the queue properly.
行けば
In 列の最後尾に行けばいいですか, 行けば presents going to the back as the action under consideration. The whole expression asks whether going there is the right thing to do, a useful pattern when asking what action one should take.
いい
In 行けばいいですか, いい means acceptable or the right thing to do rather than simply good. It evaluates the proposed action and helps form a question about what one should do.
か
In 行けばいいですか, か marks the sentence as a question. It comes at the end of the polite question asking whether the proposed action is appropriate.
はい
Here, はい means yes and acknowledges the other person's explanation or instruction. In はい、お願いします, it accepts the suggestion before the speaker asks the other person to proceed.
お願いします
Here, お願いします means yes, please do so in response to the suggestion to go to the back. お願い conveys the request or favor, while します makes the request a polite expression; it is useful when asking someone to carry out an agreed action.
自分
Here, 自分 means one's own, referring to each person's own turn. In 自分の順番, it comes before の to link a person with something associated with that person.
順番
Here, 順番 means a person's turn in the queue. In 自分の順番を待っています, it identifies what each person is waiting for.
を
In 順番を待っています, を marks 順番 as what is being waited for. It identifies the object of the action expressed by 待っています.
待っています
Here, 待っています means are waiting, referring to everyone waiting for their turn. The pattern Xを待っています is useful when stating what someone is waiting for.
移動します
Here, 移動します means will move, specifically move back to the proper place in the line. A destination or direction can appear before it with に, as in 後ろに移動します.
始まり
Here, 始まり means the beginning or starting point of the line. In 列の始まり, it names the point where the queue begins, using the pattern Xの始まり.
見落としていました
Here, 見落としていました means had overlooked or missed something visible. In 列の始まりを見落としていました, the beginning of the line is the detail the speaker failed to notice.
人たち
Here, 人たち means the group of people being pointed out. あの人たち refers to those people over there and is useful when identifying a group as a reference point.
先
Here, 先 means farther ahead or past a reference point. In あの人たちの少し先, it locates the end of the line a little beyond those people.
今
Here, 今 means now and marks the speaker's present understanding. In 今は分かりました, it contrasts the current understanding with the earlier confusion.
分かりました
Here, 分かりました means understood or realized, showing that the speaker now knows where to wait. 今は分かりました is useful for confirming that an explanation has become clear.
あそこ
Here, あそこ means over there and points to a location away from the speakers. In あそこで待ちます, it identifies the place where the speaker will wait.
で
In あそこで待ちます, で marks あそこ as the location where the waiting action takes place. It is useful for identifying where an action happens.
それ
Here, それ refers back to the arrangement just discussed, namely moving to the end and waiting there. In それなら, it points to that situation as the basis for the next conclusion.
なら
Here, なら means if that is the case or then and uses the preceding situation as the basis for a conclusion. Together, それなら means if that is the case, then.
分かりやすく
Here, 分かりやすく describes the order as clear or easy to understand. In 順番が分かりやすくなります, its く form connects this quality to なります and describes the resulting state.
なります
Here, なります means becomes and marks a change into the state described by 分かりやすく. It is useful after a description when explaining what something will become or how it will change.
状況
Here, 状況 means the situation that the speaker misunderstood. In 状況を勘違いしていました, it is the situation being identified as misunderstood.
勘違いしていました
Here, 勘違いしていました means had misunderstood or had the wrong idea about something. In 状況を勘違いしていました, the speaker acknowledges a mistaken understanding and takes responsibility for it.
直せます
Here, 直せます means can fix or correct the mistake. The speaker says the situation can be corrected, and the thing being corrected can be placed before を when it is stated.
Grammar Points
〜ている
みんな並んでいる。
MEEN-nah nah-RAHN-deh-ee-roo.Everyone is standing in line.
The 〜ている form describes an ongoing action or a current state, such as people currently standing in line.
〜ば
最後尾に行けば、順番が分かります。
sai-KOH-bee nee EE-keh-bah, joon-BAHN gah wah-kah-ree-MAHS.If you go to the end of the line, you will understand the order.
The 〜ば form expresses a condition: if one action happens, the result in the second clause follows.
Japanese Vocabulary
あの
det
ah-noh
that
あの女性の後ろ
すみません
intj
soo-mee-mah-SEN
excuse me; sorry
すみません、列はあの女性の後ろから始まっていると思います。
みんな
pron
MEEN-nah
everyone
みんなが列に並んでいるとは気づきませんでした。
気づく
verb
kee-ZOO-koo
to realize; to notice
気づきませんでした
後ろ
noun
oh-SHEE-roh
behind; back
あの女性の後ろから
始まる
verb
hah-jee-MAH-roo
to start; to begin
始まっている
思う
verb
oh-MOH-oo
to think
思います
女性
noun
JOH-SAY
woman
あの女性の後ろ
人々
noun
hee-TOH-bee-toh
people
人々が離れて立っているので
並ぶ
verb
nah-RAHN-boo
to line up; to stand in line
並んでいる
離れる
verb
hah-nah-REH-roo
to be apart; to separate
離れて
列
noun
reh-tsu
line; queue
列はあの女性の後ろから始まっていると思います。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
excuse me; sorry
Show Answer
すみませんto start; to begin
Show Answer
始まっているto line up; to stand in line
Show Answer
並んでいるto think