Deciding whether to keep waiting | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. すみません、この列は進むのが遅いです。

   Excuse me, this line has been moving slowly.

   すみません

   Excuse me

   この

   this

   列

   line

   進む

   move forward

   遅い

   slow

   More detail

   すみません is a polite apology and can also be used to get someone’s attention; here it functions as “Excuse me.” A related, less polite form is すまない, but すみません is the useful polite form for this situation. この means “this” and comes before the noun it specifies. It does not change for number or gender. The form used before a noun is この; do not treat it as an independent noun meaning “this one” in this sentence. 列 means a line or queue here. The same word can refer to a line in other senses, such as a row or a line of text, so the intended sense comes from the situation and the translation. この列 therefore means “this line.” 進む is the dictionary form meaning “move forward” or “progress.” In this sentence, 進むの turns the action “moving forward” into something that can be evaluated, and が marks that activity as the subject of 遅い: 進むのが遅い means “moving forward is slow” or, naturally here, “is moving slowly.” The form 進む itself is not marked for past time in this sentence. 遅い is an i-adjective meaning “slow” here. Its negative form is 遅くない (“not slow”), and its past form is 遅かった (“was slow”). In 進むのが遅い, it describes the pace of the line’s movement rather than directly modifying 列. Putting the parts together, この列 identifies the line, and 進むのが遅い states that its forward movement is slow. With the polite ending です, the complete utterance is: “Excuse me, this line has been moving slowly.”

2. ここで待ち続ける価値があるか、決めようとしているのですか。

   Are you trying to decide whether it is worth staying?

   ここで

   here

   待ち続ける

   keep waiting

   価値がある

   be worthwhile

   か

   whether

   決めようとしている

   be trying to decide

   のですか

   is it that…?

   More detail

   ここで means “here” in the sense of the place where the action occurs. The particle で marks the location of an action, so ここで待つ means “wait here.” This is different from ここに, which commonly marks a place of existence or arrival. 待ち続ける means “continue waiting.” Its base verb is 待つ (“to wait”); its stem 待ち combines with 続ける (“continue”) to show that the waiting continues. The same pattern is reusable with other verbs: 読み続ける means “continue reading.” 価値がある means “be worthwhile” or “have value.” In 待ち続ける価値がある, the verb phrase before 価値 functions like a noun phrase: “the value of continuing to wait,” giving the natural meaning “be worth continuing to wait.” A useful pattern is V-dictionary form + 価値がある, as in 見る価値がある (“be worth seeing”). か marks the preceding content as an embedded yes-or-no question. Thus 価値があるか means “whether it is worthwhile,” rather than forming a separate direct question here. The particle can also mark a direct question when placed at the end of a clause, but its role here is inside the larger sentence. 決めようとしている means “be trying to decide.” The base verb is 決める (“decide”); 決めよう is its volitional form, and V-volitional + とする expresses trying or attempting to do that action. With している, the attempt is presented as ongoing: 決めようとしている = “be trying to decide.” For example, 出発しようとしている means “be trying to leave” or “be about to leave,” depending on context. のですか is a polite explanatory-question pattern. Here, の packages the preceding situation and ですか asks for confirmation, producing the conversational force “Are you …?” The sentence’s unspoken subject is understood as “you” in the fixed translation. Together, ここで待ち続ける価値があるか means “whether it is worth continuing to wait here,” and 決めようとしているのですか asks whether the listener is trying to decide that. The complete utterance is therefore: “Are you trying to decide whether it is worth continuing to wait here?”

3. そうです。窓口の対応が遅れているか、ご存じですか。

   I am. Do you know if the service desk is running behind?

   そうです

   That’s right; I am.

   窓口

   service desk

   対応

   service; handling

   遅れている

   is running behind

   ご存じですか

   do you know?

   More detail

   そうです confirms the preceding statement or question in this context, giving the intended meaning “I am” (that is right). It is a compact confirmation; its exact English wording depends on what is being confirmed. Example: はい、そうです。 — “Yes, that’s right.” 窓口 means a service desk or point of contact. It is a noun and can be used independently. Example: 窓口へ行きます。 — “I’m going to the service desk.” 対応 means handling, assistance, or service provided in response to a request. Here, 窓口の対応 is “the service desk’s handling/service”: の links the desk with the service it provides. Example: 対応が必要です。 — “Handling is necessary.” 遅れている comes from the verb 遅れる, “to be delayed” or “to fall behind.” The form 遅れている combines the て form with いる and presents the delay as an ongoing situation, so it means “is running behind” here. This is not the adjective 遅い (“slow”); 遅れる focuses on being behind schedule. Example: 電車が遅れている。 — “The train is delayed.” ご存じですか is a respectful question meaning “do you know?” ご存じ is the respectful form used for another person’s knowing, and ですか makes the question polite. It asks about the listener’s knowledge rather than directly asserting that the listener knows. Example: その住所をご存じですか。 — “Do you know that address?” The clause 窓口の対応が遅れている says that the service desk’s handling is currently behind. Adding か makes that clause the content of an embedded yes-or-no question: 窓口の対応が遅れているか、 means “whether the service desk is running behind.” The sentence then asks politely with ご存じですか: “Do you know whether the service desk is running behind?” Together with the opening confirmation, the whole utterance is: “I am. Do you know if the service desk is running behind?”

4. いくつかの依頼に追加の対応が必要なので、列の進みが遅くなっています。

   Several requests need extra attention, so the line is moving slowly.

   いくつかの

   several

   依頼

   request

   追加

   additional

   対応

   handling; response

   必要なので

   because it is necessary

   列

   line; queue

   進み

   progress; movement

   遅くなっています

   has become slow; is moving slowly

   More detail

   いくつかの means “several” and modifies the noun 依頼. It gives an unspecified plural quantity rather than an exact count. The particle の links this modifier to the following noun: いくつかの依頼 = “several requests.” 依頼 means “request.” It is a noun and can appear in patterns such as 依頼を受ける (“receive a request”). Here it refers to the requests that require additional handling. 追加 means “additional” or “extra.” As a noun, it commonly modifies another noun with の, as in 追加の情報 (“additional information”). Here 追加の対応 means “additional handling” or “extra response.” 対応 means handling or a response to a matter. The related verb 対応する means “to handle” or “to respond.” In this sentence, the relevant meaning is handling the requests. 必要なので expresses “because it is necessary.” 必要 is a noun or na-adjective meaning “necessity” or “necessary”; before ので, this type of word uses な: 必要なので. Thus 追加の対応が必要なので means “because additional handling is necessary.” ので connects a reason to the result that follows and is a relatively neutral way to state the reason. 列 means “line” or “queue.” The fixed translation supports the meaning “the line”; it does not specify what kind of line it is. The noun itself does not identify the line’s participants without further context. 進み is a noun meaning progress or movement, related to the verb 進む (“advance; move forward”). Compare 進む, which describes advancing, with 進み, which treats that progress as a noun. In 列の進み, の connects the line with its movement or progress. 遅くなっています means “has become slow” and, in this context, naturally “is moving slowly.” It consists of 遅く, the adverbial form of the adjective 遅い (“slow”), followed by なっています, from なる (“become”) plus ています. The pattern 遅くなる means “become slow,” while 遅くなっています presents that change or resulting condition as currently in effect. This differs from simply saying 遅い, “is slow,” which does not itself express the becoming pattern. Together, いくつかの依頼に追加の対応が必要なので means “because several requests need additional handling.” The particle に marks the requests as the matter for which the handling is needed. 列の進みが遅くなっています means “the line’s progress has become slow,” naturally “the line is moving slowly.” The whole utterance means: “Several requests need extra attention, so the line is moving slowly.”

5. 私はここにこれ以上長くいられません。

   I cannot stay here much longer.

   私は

   as for me; I

   ここに

   here

   これ以上

   any more; beyond this

   長く

   for a long time

   いられません

   cannot stay

   More detail

   私は presents the speaker as the topic: “as for me, I…”. 私 is a common first-person pronoun, and は marks the topic. The form does not itself indicate the speaker’s gender or the number of people meant; here the fixed translation identifies the speaker as “I.” ここに means “here,” with に marking the place where someone remains or exists. ここ refers to the relevant place in the situation; the sentence does not specify a more exact location. With a verb of remaining or existence, this pattern is reusable: 場所にいる means “be/stay in a place.” これ以上 means “any more than this” or “beyond this point.” これ means “this,” while 以上 adds the idea of exceeding a limit. Together, this expression sets the limit for the following duration. It is not simply a noun phrase meaning “more things”; here it modifies how much longer the speaker can remain. 長く is the adverbial form of the adjective 長い, “long.” In this sentence it describes duration: “for a long time.” A useful form chain is 長い “long” → 長く “long, in an adverbial use.” For example, 長く待ちました。 means “I waited for a long time.” いられません is the polite negative potential form of いる, “to be/stay” for an animate subject. いる → いられる “can stay/be” → いられません “cannot stay/be.” The negative potential expresses inability or lack of possibility, not merely the neutral statement that the person is absent; compare いません, “is not here / is not staying,” when the meaning is simple non-presence. Here いられません specifically says that the speaker cannot continue staying. Combined from left to right, 私は sets the speaker as the topic, ここに identifies the place, これ以上長く sets a limit on the duration, and いられません says staying is not possible. The whole utterance therefore means, “I cannot stay here much longer.”

6. 待ち続けることもできますし、窓口に依頼を預けていくこともできます。

   You can keep waiting, or leave your request at the desk.

   待ち続ける

   keep waiting

   こともできますし

   can also …, and

   窓口

   desk; service counter

   依頼

   request

   預けていく

   leave something and go

   こともできます

   can also …

   More detail

   待ち続ける means “keep waiting” here. It combines 待つ (“to wait”) with 続ける (“to continue”), so the second verb adds the idea that the waiting goes on. This compound pattern is reusable: 読み続ける means “keep reading.” こともできますし turns the preceding action into something that can be done: 待ち続けること is “continuing to wait,” and できます expresses ability or possibility in polite form. も adds “also,” while し links this option to the next one. The subject is omitted in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies it as “you.” A reusable pattern is V-ることもできます (“you can also V”). 窓口 means a service desk or counter where requests are handled. It is a noun and can be used with a location marker, as in 窓口で (“at the service desk”). 依頼 means “request,” specifically the request being left for handling in this sentence. It is a noun; 依頼する is the related verb “to request,” but the observed form here is the noun 依頼. 預けていく combines 預ける (“to leave something in someone’s care”) with ていく. In this context, ていく presents the action as leaving the request there and going on, hence “leave the request at the desk.” This differs from merely placing something somewhere: 預ける includes entrusting it to a person or service. The て form links the action to いく. The final こともできます applies the same ability pattern to 預けていく: “you can also leave it.” Thus the utterance presents two possible actions in order: 待ち続けることもできますし (“you can keep waiting, and”) and 窓口に依頼を預けていくこともできます (“you can also leave the request at the desk”). Together, the sentence means: “You can keep waiting, or leave your request at the desk.”

7. 後で誰かが確認してくれるなら、依頼を預けていくほうが助かります。

   Leaving the request would help if someone can review it later.

   後で

   later

   誰か

   someone

   確認してくれる

   reviews it for me

   依頼

   request

   預けていく

   leave behind

   ほうが助かります

   would be more helpful

   More detail

   後で means “later” and places the review at a time after the current point. It is a time expression, not a verb form. Example: 後で電話します。 — “I’ll call later.” 誰か means “someone”: 誰 asks “who,” and か makes the expression indefinite. It does not identify which person. Example: 誰かが来ました。 — “Someone came.” 確認してくれる means “will review/check it for the speaker’s benefit.” 確認する is the base verb “to check” or “to confirm.” The -てくれる pattern presents another person’s action as something done for the speaker or someone in the speaker’s group. Here, the fixed translation supports “someone can review it,” with the request understood from the surrounding sentence. Example: 担当者が内容を確認してくれます。 — “The person in charge will check the contents for me.” 依頼 is a noun meaning “request,” especially a request entrusted to an office or person. In 依頼を, the particle を marks it as the object of the following action. Example: 依頼を受けました。 — “I received a request.” 預けていく means “leave or entrust [something] and go on.” The base verb 預ける means “to entrust” or “to leave something in someone’s care.” The -ていく pattern adds movement onward from the current situation; here it presents leaving the request as the action being chosen. Example: 荷物を受付に預けていきます。 — “I’ll leave my luggage at reception and go.” ほうが助かります presents one option as helpful or preferable. ほう is the noun in the comparison pattern Aほうが; 助かります is the polite form of 助かる, “to be helped” or “to find something helpful.” In this context, the surrounding alternative of continuing to wait makes leaving the request the more helpful option, without asserting a numerical comparison. Example: メールで知らせてもらうほうが助かります。 — “It would be more helpful if you let me know by email.” The conditional ending なら links the condition to the main preference: 後で誰かが確認してくれるなら means “if someone will review it later.” The subject 誰か performs 確認してくれる, while the request is the thing understood as being reviewed. 依頼を預けていくほうが助かります then says that leaving the request in someone’s care and going on would be the more helpful option. Together: “If someone can review the request later, leaving it would help.”

8. 窓口から、進展があったときに連絡してもらえます。

   The desk can contact you when they have an update.

   窓口

   service desk; point of contact

   進展

   progress; update

   あった

   occurred; was present

   ときに

   when

   連絡してもらえます

   can have someone contact you

   More detail

   窓口 means the service desk or point of contact here. It is a noun for the office, counter, or contact channel handling the request; it does not by itself identify a particular individual. In this sentence, 窓口から means “from the service desk,” with から marking the source. 進展 means progress or a development in the matter. In this context, the fixed translation supports the practical sense “an update.” 進展がある means “there is progress,” while 進展があった says that progress occurred or that there was progress. A useful example is 進展があった。 — “There was progress.” あった is the past form of ある, used here for the occurrence or existence of the progress; it is not the past form of a verb meaning “to progress.” For example, 変化があった means “There was a change.” ときに means “when” or “at the time when.” The pattern X ときに Y means “when X, Y.” Here, 進展があったときに means “when there is an update.” The past-looking あった presents the progress as having occurred by the relevant time; it does not necessarily place the whole message in the past. 連絡してもらえます combines 連絡する (“to contact”) with てもらう, which presents the speaker as receiving or arranging someone else’s action. もらえます is the polite potential form of もらう, so the expression can mean “can have someone contact [the speaker/listener].” The fixed translation identifies the service desk as the party making the contact and “you” as the recipient. In the reusable pattern A に連絡してもらえますか, A に marks the person or organization whose contacting is arranged: “Could you have A contact me?” It does not normally mean “Could you contact A for me?” Together, 窓口から identifies the source, 進展があったときに sets the condition “when there is an update,” and 連絡してもらえます expresses that contact from that source can be received or arranged. The whole utterance therefore means: “The desk can contact you when they have an update.”

9. それなら、選択肢がはっきりしました。

   That gives me a clear choice.

   それなら

   in that case; then

   選択肢

   choice; option

   はっきりしました

   became clear

   More detail

   それなら links the statement to something already established and means “if that is the case” or “then.” それ is a demonstrative referring to a situation or information, and なら presents that situation as the condition for what follows. The exact situation being referred to is not specified within this sentence. 選択肢 means a choice or option. It is a noun: 選択肢がある means “there are options,” while 選択肢を選ぶ means “choose an option.” The particle が marks 選択肢 as the subject of the following description here. はっきりしました says that something became clear. The useful base expression is はっきりする, “become clear” or “become distinct”; しました is its polite past form, so the change is presented as having occurred. This is different from はっきりさせる, “make something clear,” which describes an agent causing the clarification. Example: 予定がはっきりしました。 — “The schedule became clear.” Together, それなら sets the condition or conclusion from the preceding situation, 選択肢が identifies the choice that has become clear, and はっきりしました states that this clarification has now occurred. The whole utterance means, “That gives me a clear choice,” or more literally, “Then the choice has become clear.”

10. では、次の予定が待ってくれないなら、依頼を預けていくほうがよいかもしれません。

    Then leaving it may be better if your next commitment cannot wait.

    では

    then

    次の

    next

    予定

    commitment

    待ってくれないなら

    if it cannot wait

    依頼

    request

    預けていく

    leave it behind

    ほうがよい

    it is better to

    かもしれません

    may be

    More detail

    では marks a transition such as “then” or “in that case.” It connects this conclusion to what has just been established. It is a discourse marker here, not part of the request itself. 次の means “next” or “following.” In Japanese, 次 is followed by の when it modifies a noun: 次の予定 = “the next commitment.” This is a modifying construction, not an inflected form of the noun 予定. 予定 means a plan, schedule, appointment, or commitment. The fixed translation selects “commitment” here. Example: 明日の予定があります。 — “I have plans for tomorrow.” 待ってくれないなら means “if it cannot wait.” 待って is the て-form of 待つ, “to wait.” くれない is the negative form of くれる, used when someone or something does not do an action for the speaker; with 待つ, the natural result is “will not wait for me/us.” Japanese can personify a schedule or commitment in this way. The final なら makes the preceding situation the condition: “if that is the case.” 依頼 is a request or task that someone asks another person to handle. Example: その依頼を受けました。 — “I accepted that request.” 預けていく combines 預ける, “to entrust” or “leave something in someone’s care,” with いく, “to go.” The て-form connection presents the action as something done before going away, so here it means “leave the request” or “entrust it and go.” The Japanese does not specify the recipient in this sentence. Example: 荷物を受付に預けていきます。 — “I’ll leave my luggage at the reception desk and go.” ほうがよい is a reusable pattern meaning “it is better to do ...” or “one should preferably ...” Here ほう presents one option or course of action, and よい is the adjective meaning “good.” A common less formal variant is ほうがいい; よい is the form used in the fixed sentence. The phrase does not mean that the action is compulsory. かもしれません means “may” or “might.” It is the polite form of かもしれない and marks possibility rather than certainty. After ほうがよい, it softens the recommendation: 行ったほうがよいかもしれません。 — “It might be better to go.” Together, 次の予定が待ってくれないなら sets the condition “if the next commitment cannot wait.” 依頼を預けていくほうがよい proposes “leaving the request” as the better option, and かもしれません makes that proposal tentative and polite. The whole utterance therefore means: “Then, if your next commitment cannot wait, it may be better to leave the request.”