Choosing the best place to study | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: While planning study time, two adults compare a cafe, a library, and home for different learning tasks..

EN → JA / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Choosing the best place to study to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

勉強するのに一番よい場所を選ぶ必要があります。

ben-KYOH soo-roo noh nee ee-chee-BAHN yoh-ee BAH-shoh oh eh-RAH-boo hee-tsoo-YOH gah ah-ree-MAHS. I need to choose the best place to study.
B

音、明るさ、快適さ、気が散るものについて考えてみてください。

OH-toh, ah-kah-ROO-sah, kai-TEH-kee-sah, kee gah SAHN-roo moh-noh nee tsoo-ee-teh kahn-gah-eh-teh mee-teh koo-dah-SAI. Think about noise, light, comfort, and distractions.
A

カフェは明るいですが、私のテーブルの前を人が何度も通ります。

kah-FEH wah ah-koo-ROO-ee deh-soo gah, wah-TAH-shee noh TAY-boo-roo noh MAH-eh oh hee-toh gah NAHN-doh moh toh-ree-MAHS. The cafe is bright, but people keep walking past my table.
B

その動きで集中しにくくなるかもしれません。

soh-noh oo-goh-kee deh shee-CHOO shee nee-KOO-koo nah-roo kah moh-shee-reh-MAH-sen. That movement could make it hard to focus.
A

図書館は静かですが、そこで話す練習はできません。

zoo-SHOH-kahn wah shee-ZOO-kah deh-soo gah, soh-koh-deh hah-NAH-soo ren-SHOO wah deh-kee-MAH-sen. The library is quieter, but I can't practice speaking there.
B

図書館は読書に使って、その後、家で話す練習をしましょう。

zoo-SHOH-kahn wah doh-KOO-shoh nee tsoo-KAHT-teh, soh-noh-AH-toh, ee-eh deh hah-NAH-soo ren-SHOO oh shee-mah-SHOH. Use the library for reading, then practice speaking at home.
A

そうすれば、課題ごとに合う場所を選べます。

soh-oo soo-REH-bah, KAH-die goh-toh-nee ah-OO BAH-shoh oh eh-RAH-beh-MAHS. That lets me choose a suitable place for each task.
B

はっきり選べば、勉強のストレスが少なくなるはずです。

hahk-kee-ree eh-RAH-beh-bah, ben-KYOH noh soo-toh-REH-soo gah soo-koh-NAH-koo nah-roo hah-zoo deh-soo. A clear choice should make studying feel less stressful.

Word by Word

勉強 勉強 means studying in 勉強するのに一番よい場所, the activity the speaker needs a place for. It is commonly used with する to name the activity of studying. You would use it when discussing study plans or study time.
する する contributes do in 勉強する, the expression used here for study. Together with 勉強, it forms the action being done for a purpose. A useful reuse pattern is an activity noun followed by する.
のに 勉強するのに means for studying or in order to study. Here, の turns 勉強する into a purpose phrase, and に marks that purpose; together のに expresses the purpose of choosing a place. Use this construction when explaining what an action or item is needed for.
一番 一番 means the most or best in 一番よい場所. It marks よい as the highest choice among possible places. It is useful when selecting one option as the top choice.
よい よい means good or suitable in 一番よい場所. Here it describes the place that is best for the speaker's study purpose. The form can be used before a noun when describing a suitable option.
場所 場所 means place in 場所を選ぶ. It identifies the location the speaker must choose for studying. It is useful when comparing locations for a particular activity.
を を marks 場所 as the object of 選ぶ in 場所を選ぶ. It shows what is being chosen. Use it between the chosen item and an action such as selecting it.
選ぶ 選ぶ means choose in 場所を選ぶ. The speaker uses it for making a decision among study locations. It is useful when selecting an item, place, or option.
必要 必要 means need or necessity in 必要があります. It presents choosing a place as something required. The expression is useful when stating that something is necessary.
が が has two functions in this dialogue: in 必要があります it marks 必要 as what exists, while in 明るいですが it links contrasting statements and means but. Use the surrounding construction to identify which function is active.
あります あります is the polite existence form in 必要があります, where the phrase means there is a need. It is used here to state that choosing a place is necessary. A common reuse pattern is a noun followed by あります when saying that something exists or is present.
音 音 means sound or noise in the list 音、明るさ、快適さ、気が散るもの. It identifies sound as one condition to consider when choosing a study place. It is useful when evaluating the sound environment of a location.
明るさ 明るさ means brightness in 音、明るさ、快適さ、気が散るもの. It names how bright a place is as a factor in choosing where to study. It can be listed with other environmental conditions when comparing locations.
快適さ 快適さ means comfort in the list of things to consider. It refers to how comfortable a study place feels. It is useful when evaluating whether a location is suitable for spending time there.
気 気 refers to attention or mind in 気が散るもの. The full expression 気が散るもの means things that distract, so that meaning should not be assigned to 気 alone. This form is useful when talking about attention being affected by the surroundings.
散る 散る contributes the idea of becoming scattered in 気が散るもの. Together with 気, it describes attention being distracted by something. The expression is useful when explaining why concentration is difficult.
もの もの means things in 気が散るもの. Here it refers to things that cause attention to become scattered. It is useful for referring generally to objects or factors without naming each one.
について について means about or regarding in 音、明るさ、快適さ、気が散るものについて. に marks the relation to the topic, and ついて completes the expression that marks what the speaker should think about. Use it to introduce the subject of consideration or discussion.
考えて 考えて means think about or consider in 考えてみてください. It connects the act of considering the listed factors to the request that follows. This form is useful when asking someone to consider a particular issue.
みて みて in 考えてみてください adds the meaning of trying the action of considering. It does not mean looking; together with 考えて, it gently asks the listener to try considering the factors. The pattern is useful for making a polite suggestion to try an action.
ください ください in 考えてみてください makes the request polite. It follows the preceding て-form and asks the listener to do that action. Use this construction when giving a courteous request or instruction.
カフェ カフェ means cafe in カフェは明るいですが. It identifies one of the possible places for studying. It is useful when discussing a cafe as a location or study option.
は は marks カフェ as the topic in カフェは明るいですが. The sentence first describes the cafe and then contrasts it with the problem of people passing by. Use it to set the main topic of a statement.
明るい 明るい means bright in カフェは明るいですが. It describes a positive feature of the cafe before the contrasting point. It is useful when describing the lighting or visual quality of a place.
です The form です appears in 明るいですが and makes the statement polite before the contrast marker が. It contributes polite sentence style rather than a separate new idea in this context. It is useful after a description when speaking politely.
私 私 means I in 私のテーブル. It identifies the speaker as the owner or associated person. Together with の, it can identify something belonging to or connected with the speaker.
の の links 私 and テーブル in 私のテーブル, meaning my table. It shows the relationship between the speaker and the table. Use it between a person or noun and the noun connected to that person or thing.
テーブル テーブル means table in 私のテーブル. It identifies the table beside which the speaker is studying. It is useful when describing a specific location in a cafe or other room.
前 前 means front or in front of in テーブルの前. It identifies the area immediately in front of the table where people pass. A common reuse pattern is a noun followed by の前 to describe its front.
人 人 means person or people in 人が何度も通ります. Here it identifies who repeatedly passes in front of the table. It is useful when naming the person or people performing an action.
何度 何度 means the number of times in 何度も. Together with も, it emphasizes that the passing happens repeatedly. Use it when describing how many times an action occurs or that it occurs again and again.
も も in 何度も adds emphasis to the repeated occurrence of the action. It helps make the meaning many times or repeatedly rather than a single passage. This is useful when stressing repetition.
通ります 通ります means pass or walk by in テーブルの前を人が何度も通ります. It describes people moving past the front of the table. A useful pattern is a location followed by を and this action when describing passing through or past a place.
その その means that in その動き. It points back to the movement just described, namely people passing by the table. Use it before a noun when referring to something already mentioned or understood.
動き 動き means movement in その動きで. It refers to the movement of people passing by the table. It is useful when discussing how movement in a place affects concentration.
で で has two functions in this dialogue: in その動きで it marks the movement as the cause, while in 家で it marks the place where speaking practice happens. These are common uses of the same form, so the surrounding noun shows whether the meaning is cause or location.
集中 集中 means focus or concentration in 集中しにくくなる. It identifies the mental activity that becomes difficult because of the movement. It is useful when discussing attention during study or work.
しにくく しにくく in 集中しにくくなる says that focusing is difficult to do. The form links the difficulty expression to なる, showing a change into that difficult state. A useful pattern is an action stem followed by にくい to describe an action that is hard to perform.
なる なる means become in 集中しにくくなる. It shows that focusing changes into a difficult condition because of the movement. The pattern 〜くなる is useful for describing a change in a quality or state.
かもしれません かもしれません expresses possibility in 集中しにくくなるかもしれません. かも signals uncertainty and しれません completes the polite possibility expression; together they mean might or may. Use it after a statement when presenting an outcome as possible rather than certain.
図書館 図書館 means library in 図書館は静かですが. It identifies the quieter study location being compared with the cafe. It is useful when discussing a library as a place for reading or other quiet work.
静か 静か means quiet in 静かですが. It describes the library and introduces a contrast with the inability to practice speaking there. It is useful when describing a place with little noise or disturbance.
そこ そこ means there in そこで話す練習はできません. It refers to the library just mentioned as the place where speaking practice cannot be done. Use it to point to a location already identified in the conversation.
話す 話す means speak in 話す練習. It directly describes the type of practice, so the phrase means speaking practice. A useful pattern is an action in this form placed before 練習 to specify what is being practiced.
練習 練習 means practice in 話す練習. It names the activity the speaker cannot do in the library and will do at home. It is useful when describing repeated training for a skill.
できません できません means cannot or is not possible in 話す練習はできません. It politely states that speaking practice is not possible in that location. Use it to explain that an activity cannot be carried out under particular conditions.
読書 読書 means reading in 読書に使って. It names the activity for which the library should be used. It is useful when assigning a place to a reading-related task.
に に in 読書に使って marks the purpose for which the library is used. It connects the activity of reading with the use of the library. A useful construction is an activity followed by に and 使う when stating what something is used for.
使って 使って means use or using in 読書に使って. Its て-form connects using the library for reading with the next proposed action at home. It is useful when linking this action to another action in sequence.
後 後 means after or later in その後. It places the home speaking practice after the library reading activity. Use it after referring to a prior action or event when giving the next step.
家 家 means home in 家で. Together with で, it identifies the place where speaking practice should happen. It is useful when describing home as the location for an activity.
しましょう しましょう means let's do or let's use in 練習をしましょう. It makes a polite suggestion for doing the practice together or as a planned action. Use it after an activity marked as the thing to be done when proposing that action.
そうすれば そうすれば means if you do that, then in そうすれば、課題ごとに合う場所を選べます. そう refers to the proposed arrangement, すれ is the conditional form within する, and ば marks the condition. Use it to introduce a result that follows from the preceding suggestion.
課題 課題 means task in 課題ごとに合う場所. It refers to each separate study activity, such as reading or speaking practice. It is useful when organizing work into individual tasks.
ごとに ごとに means for each in 課題ごとに. ごと identifies each task as a separate unit, and に marks the distribution across those units. Use it when assigning a different choice or action to every item in a group.
合う 合う means fit or suit in 合う場所. It describes a place that is suitable for the particular task. It is useful when matching a location, method, or choice to a need.
選べます 選べます means can choose in 場所を選べます. It presents choosing a suitable place as possible for the speaker. The polite form is useful when stating that an option can be selected.
はっきり はっきり means clearly in はっきり選べば. It describes choosing with a clear decision rather than uncertainty. It is useful when discussing a decision whose criteria or result is clear.
選べば 選べば means if one chooses in はっきり選べば. The ば ending connects the choice to the expected result that follows. Use this conditional form when saying that one result follows if a certain action is taken.
ストレス ストレス means stress in ストレスが少なくなるはずです. It names the unpleasant pressure that should decrease when the study choices are clear. It is useful when discussing the emotional effect of a plan or environment.
少なく 少なく in ストレスが少なくなる means to a lesser amount or less. The く-form connects 少なく to なる, so the phrase describes stress becoming less. It is useful when describing a change in amount or degree.
はず はず in 少なくなるはずです expresses an expectation that stress should become less. It presents the result as expected based on the clear choice, not as an absolute fact. The pattern 〜はずです is useful for stating a reasoned expectation.

Grammar Points

動詞ます形の語幹＋にくくなる

音や動きで、集中しにくくなる。

OH-toh yah oo-goh-kee deh, shee-CHOO shee nee-KOO-koo nah-roo.

Noise and movement make it difficult to focus.

〜にくくなる means that an action becomes difficult to do.

Nに合う

家は読書に合う場所です。

ee-eh wah doh-KOO-shoh nee ah-OO BAH-shoh deh-soo.

Home is a place suitable for reading.

に合う shows that something is suitable for a purpose or situation.

Japanese Vocabulary

カフェ noun
kah-FEH cafe
一番よい adj
ee-chee-BAHN yoh-ee the best
音 noun
OH-toh noise; sound
何度も adv
NAHN-doh moh repeatedly
快適さ noun
kai-TEH-kee-sah comfort
気が散るもの noun
kee gah SAHN-roo moh-noh distractions
場所 noun
BAH-shoh place
選ぶ verb
eh-RAH-boo to choose
必要 noun
hee-tsoo-YOH need
勉強する verb
ben-KYOH soo-roo to study
明るい adj
ah-koo-ROO-ee bright
明るさ noun
ah-kah-ROO-sah brightness

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to study

Show Answer勉強する

distractions

Show Answer気が散るもの

the best

Show Answer一番よい

bright

Show Answer明るい