Choosing the Task with the Highest Impact | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 仕事が四つありますが、どれも重要に感じます。

   I have four tasks, and they all feel important.

   仕事

   work; task

   四つ

   four items

   あります

   there is; have

   どれも

   all of them

   重要

   important

   感じます

   feel; sense

   More detail

   仕事 is a noun meaning “work” or, in this context, “task.” The reading here is a task or piece of work, not necessarily employment as a whole. A useful pattern is 仕事をする (“do work”) or 仕事があります (“there is work / I have work”), depending on context. 四つ means “four items.” つ is the general counter used for many ordinary things, and 四つ is the form for four; it is read よっつ. With a noun such as 仕事, the quantity comes after the noun: 仕事が四つ (“four tasks”). This form counts the tasks; it does not by itself identify who possesses or performs them. あります is the polite nonpast form of ある, used for the existence of inanimate things. In 仕事が四つあります, the structure presents four tasks as existing, while English can naturally express the same idea as “I have four tasks.” Japanese leaves the possessor unspoken here; the form itself does not mean “I.” The polite form is あります; the plain form is ある. どれも means “all of them” or “every one of them” when referring collectively to items. どれ asks “which one?” and も adds an inclusive meaning, producing “every one.” For example, どれも新しいです means “They are all new.” Here どれも refers collectively to the tasks established by the sentence. 重要 is a na-adjective meaning “important.” Before a noun, it uses 重要な, as in 重要な仕事 (“an important task”). In this sentence, 重要 is followed by に because 重要に感じます describes something as being felt important. The related pattern 重要だと思います means “I think it is important,” while 重要に感じます presents the speaker’s felt impression. 感じます is the polite nonpast form of 感じる, “to feel” or “to sense.” Its subject is understood from context, so it can mean “I feel” here without an explicit Japanese pronoun. In どれも重要に感じます, どれも is the thing being described as important, and 重要に modifies the way it is felt; this is not the separate object pattern XをYに感じる. The plain form is 感じる, and the polite form used here is 感じます. The sentence builds as 仕事が四つあります (“there are four tasks / I have four tasks”), followed by が (“but/and”) and どれも重要に感じます (“they all feel important”). Together, it says: “I have four tasks, and they all feel important.” The polite forms あります and 感じます make the utterance suitable for a neutral, respectful conversation.

2. 順番を決める前に、緊急性と影響を分けて考えましょう。

   Separate urgency from impact before you choose the order.

   順番

   order

   決める

   choose; decide

   前に

   before

   緊急性

   urgency

   影響

   impact; effect

   分けて

   separating; distinguishing

   考えましょう

   let’s think; let’s consider

   More detail

   順番 means “order” or “sequence”: the arrangement in which things are handled. In 順番を決める, it is the object marked by を, and the whole chunk means “decide the order.” Example: 順番を変えます。 — “I’ll change the order.” 決める is the dictionary form meaning “to decide” or “to determine.” It is a transitive verb, so the thing decided is commonly marked with を: 予定を決める means “decide the schedule.” Here, 決める appears before 前に, creating the pattern verb-dictionary form + 前に (“before doing ...”). 前に means “before.” With a noun, the pattern is commonly noun + の前に; with a verb, as here, the dictionary form comes directly before 前に: 出かける前に — “before going out.” Thus 順番を決める前に means “before deciding the order.” 緊急性 is the noun “urgency,” the degree to which something needs prompt attention. The ending -性 forms an abstract quality noun in words such as 重要性 (“importance”). In this sentence, 緊急性 is one of the two things considered separately, and the coordinated phrase 緊急性と影響を is marked by を as the object of 分ける. 影響 is the noun “impact” or “effect.” Here it is coordinated with 緊急性 by と; the whole phrase 緊急性と影響を is the object of 分ける, meaning that urgency and impact are treated as separate considerations. 影響 can also be used in 影響する (“affect”), as in 仕事に影響する — “affect the work.” 分けて comes from the verb 分ける, “to divide,” “separate,” or “distinguish.” Its て-form connects it to the next verb: 分けて考える means “consider by separating” or “distinguish and consider.” Here, と joins 緊急性 and 影響, while を marks the resulting coordinated phrase as the object of 分ける. 考えましょう comes from 考える, “to think” or “consider.” ましょう is the polite volitional form, used here as a suggestion: “let’s consider.” It follows the て-form in 分けて考えましょう, so the speaker suggests considering the matter after distinguishing the two aspects. Example: 一緒に考えましょう。 — “Let’s think about it together.” Putting the parts together, 順番を決める前に sets the time condition, and 緊急性と影響を分けて考えましょう suggests treating urgency and impact as distinct considerations. The whole utterance therefore means: “Separate urgency from impact before you choose the order.”

3. メールは緊急ですが、その報告書は明日の顧客との会議に影響します。

   The email is urgent, but the report affects tomorrow's client meeting.

   メール

   email

   緊急

   urgent

   ですが

   but

   その

   that; the

   報告書

   report

   明日

   tomorrow

   顧客

   client

   との

   with; associated with

   会議

   meeting

   影響します

   affects

   More detail

   メール means “email.” It is a noun. In メールは, は marks email as the topic; the topic is then described by 緊急です. 緊急 means “urgent” here. It is a na-adjective (a noun-like descriptive word), so a polite predicate uses 緊急です; before a contrastive connector, it appears as 緊急ですが. Example: この仕事は緊急です。 — “This task is urgent.” ですが connects this statement to a contrasting one: “but.” In this sentence, です supplies polite predicate style and が creates the contrast. The full 緊急ですが therefore means “is urgent, but,” rather than just “but.” その is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” or, in this context, “the.” It comes before 報告書 and identifies the report as a particular report in the discourse. Japanese demonstratives such as その do not themselves state the noun’s number; the singular-looking interpretation comes from the context and translation, not from その alone. 報告書 means “report.” It is a noun, and in その報告書は it is the topic of the second clause. Example: 報告書を読みます。 — “I will read the report.” 明日 means “tomorrow.” In 明日の, the particle の links it to the following noun: 明日の会議 means “tomorrow’s meeting” or “the meeting tomorrow.” 明日 refers to the day after the day of speaking; it does not itself specify a clock time. 顧客 means “client” or “customer.” It is a noun. Here it is part of 顧客との会議, “a meeting with the client.” との is the combination と + の. In this phrase, と marks the client as the party associated with the meeting, and の links that relation to 会議; the resulting pattern NとのN commonly means “an N with N” or “an N associated with N.” Example: 先生との面談 — “a meeting with the teacher.” 会議 means “meeting.” It is a noun. The larger noun phrase 明日の顧客との会議 means “tomorrow’s meeting with the client”: 明日の specifies the time, and 顧客との specifies the associated participant. 影響します means “affects” in this sentence. Its base form is 影響する, literally the noun 影響 (“effect” or “impact”) plus する (“do”); します is the polite non-past form of する. Japanese commonly marks what is affected with に, as in 会議に影響します, “affects the meeting.” Example: 天気は予定に影響します。 — “The weather affects the plans.” Putting the parts together, メールは緊急ですが says “the email is urgent, but,” establishing a contrast. その報告書は makes the report the topic of the contrasting clause, and 明日の顧客との会議に影響します says that it affects tomorrow’s meeting with the client. The whole utterance is therefore: “The email is urgent, but the report affects tomorrow’s client meeting.”

4. 特に他の人の仕事がそれにかかっているなら、報告書のほうが影響は大きいです。

   The report has higher impact, especially if others depend on it.

   特に

   especially

   他の人

   other people

   仕事

   work; job

   それにかかっている

   depend on it

   なら

   if

   報告書

   report

   のほうが

   has more; is greater

   影響

   impact; effect

   大きい

   large; great

   More detail

   特に means “especially” and highlights the condition that follows. It can be placed before the specifically emphasized part, as here. Example: 特に朝は忙しいです。 — “I am especially busy in the morning.” 他の人 means “other people.” 他の modifies 人; the phrase does not by itself specify how many people there are. In 他の人の仕事, の links the people to the noun that follows: “other people’s work.” 仕事 means “work” or “job.” Here it refers to work whose progress is connected to the report, not necessarily to a particular person’s occupation. Example: 仕事が終わりました。 — “The work is finished.” それにかかっている expresses “depend on it” in this sentence. それ is a pronoun, and the fixed translation identifies its referent here as the report. かかっている is the ている form of かかる; in this use, it describes an ongoing state of being dependent on something. The particle に marks what the dependence is directed toward. Example: 成功は準備にかかっています。 — “Success depends on preparation.” なら marks a condition: “if” or “if that is the case.” Attached to それにかかっている, it gives the condition “if other people’s work depends on it.” This is a conditional form, not a statement that the work definitely depends on the report in every situation. 報告書 means “report,” specifically a written report or report document. It is the noun being compared with another possible item in the sentence. Example: 報告書を確認します。 — “I will check the report.” のほうが marks the selected side of a comparison as the one with the stronger property. The pattern AのほうがB means that A is more B, or has more of B, than the comparison alternative. Here 報告書のほうが means “the report, rather than the other comparison option.” It does not by itself identify that option. 影響 means “impact” or “effect.” In 影響は大きい, it is the thing whose degree is being evaluated: “the impact is great.” Example: その変更は大きな影響を与えました。 — “That change had a major impact.” 大きい means “large” or “great.” Here it describes the magnitude of 影響, so 影響は大きい means that the impact is substantial. Its base form is 大きい; a useful comparative form is より大きい, “greater,” while the opposite is 小さい, “small.” The polite ending です makes the predicate polite; it does not change the adjective’s basic meaning. Together, 特に他の人の仕事がそれにかかっているなら means “especially if other people’s work depends on it.” Then 報告書のほうが影響は大きいです presents the report as having the greater impact, with 影響 as the topic being evaluated. The whole utterance therefore means: “The report has higher impact, especially if others depend on it.” The polite です gives the statement a standard polite conversational or professional tone.

5. デザインレビューも、別のチームメートの仕事を止めています。

   The design review also blocks another teammate.

   デザインレビュー

   design review

   も

   also

   別の

   another

   チームメート

   teammate

   仕事

   work

   止めています

   is blocking

   More detail

   デザインレビュー is a compound noun: デザイン (“design”) + レビュー (“review”). It names the review itself, not the people conducting it. As a loanword compound, it is useful as a model for combining a field or type with レビュー, for example, コードレビュー (“code review”). も marks the phrase before it as included in an “also/as well” relation. Here, the design review is another thing that blocks work. Its exact scope is supplied by the sentence: デザインレビューも (“the design review also”). 別の means “another” or “a different.” It modifies the following noun, チームメート, so 別のチームメート means “another teammate.” Compare 他のチームメート, which also means “another/other teammate” in many contexts; 別の can more clearly suggest a different one from the one already in consideration. Example: 別の方法を試します。— “I’ll try another method.” チームメート is the noun “teammate.” In this sentence it is part of the noun phrase 別のチームメート (“another teammate”). The phrase does not by itself specify the teammate’s name or other identity. 仕事 means “work” or “task.” With the object marker を, 仕事を is the work that receives the action. Example: 仕事を始めます。— “I’ll start work.” The appropriate English choice can be “work,” “a task,” or “someone’s work,” depending on context; here the fixed translation identifies it as the teammate’s work. 止めています is the polite form of 止める, “to stop” or “to halt.” The form can be analyzed as 止めている + ます: the ている pattern presents the stopping as ongoing or as a continuing state, while ます makes it polite. With 仕事を, 止めています means “is stopping/blocking the work.” Do not confuse it with 止まっています, from the intransitive verb 止まる (“to stop,” “to have stopped”): 止める takes an object, whereas 止まる does not. Example: 機械が止まっています。— “The machine has stopped.” Together, デザインレビューも identifies the design review as an additional subject, and 別のチームメートの仕事を identifies another teammate’s work as the object being affected. The particle の links チームメート to 仕事, giving “another teammate’s work.” The complete utterance means: “The design review also blocks another teammate.”

6. それなら、すぐに終わるなら、チームメートの仕事を止めているレビューを最初に済ませましょう。

   Then handle the review that is blocking your teammate first if it will be quick.

   それなら

   then; in that case

   すぐに

   quickly; soon

   終わるなら

   if it will be over

   チームメート

   teammate

   仕事

   work; task

   止めている

   is blocking

   レビュー

   review

   最初に

   first

   済ませましょう

   let’s take care of it

   More detail

   それなら links this utterance to the preceding situation and means “then” or “in that case.” それ is a demonstrative pronoun, while なら presents the stated situation as the condition for what follows. A reusable pattern is それなら、… = “If that is the case, …” すぐに is an adverb meaning “soon” or “quickly.” Here it modifies the condition about the review being finished: the relevant idea is that the review can be dealt with promptly, not that every action in the sentence is necessarily fast. すぐ can also modify an action directly, as in すぐに来てください (“Please come soon.”). 終わるなら contains the plain-form verb 終わる (“to end; to be finished”) followed by なら, giving a conditional meaning such as “if it will be finished” or “if it is going to finish.” In this sentence, the condition is understood as the review ending quickly. 終わる describes something reaching its end; it does not itself mean that someone actively finishes an object. For an active “finish the task,” Japanese can use 仕事を終える. チームメート is a noun meaning “teammate.” It is a loanword written in katakana. The following の connects it to 仕事: チームメートの仕事 means “the teammate’s work,” with の marking the relationship between the person and the work. 仕事 is a noun meaning “work” or “task.” In 仕事を止めている, it is marked by を as the object affected by 止めている. 止めている comes from the transitive verb 止める, “to stop” or “to block.” The ている form here presents an ongoing state or effect: the review is currently blocking the teammate’s work. This is different from intransitive 止まる, “to stop” or “come to a halt,” which does not take an object marked by を. For example, 車を止める means “stop the car,” while 車が止まる means “the car stops.” The sequence チームメートの仕事を止めているレビュー is a relative clause: literally, “the review that is blocking the teammate’s work.” Japanese places this description before the noun it describes, so 止めている comes before レビュー. レビュー is a noun meaning “review.” In this utterance it is the object of 済ませましょう, marked by を, and it is also the thing being described as blocking the teammate’s work. 最初に means “first” or “at the beginning.” It specifies the order in which the review should be handled. The form 最初 is a noun meaning “the beginning” or “the first,” and に lets it function here as an adverbial time/order expression. For example, 最初に名前を書きます means “I will write my name first.” 済ませましょう is the polite volitional form of 済ませる, meaning “let’s finish it” or “let’s take care of it.” 済ませる is an active verb: a person brings a task to completion. This contrasts with 終わる, which describes the task or event reaching its end. The polite ending ましょう presents a proposal involving the speaker and the addressee, rather than a bare command. Putting the parts together: それなら sets the condition from the preceding situation; すぐに終わるなら says that the review can be finished soon; チームメートの仕事を止めているレビュー identifies the review as the one blocking the teammate’s work; 最初に sets its priority; and 済ませましょう proposes taking care of it. The whole utterance means: “Then handle the review that is blocking your teammate first if it will be quick.”

7. その後なら、誰の仕事も邪魔せずに報告書に集中できます。

   After that, I can focus on the report without interrupting anyone.

   その後なら

   after that

   誰の … も

   anyone’s …

   仕事

   work; job

   邪魔せずに

   without interrupting

   報告書

   report

   集中できます

   can focus

   More detail

   その後なら combines その後 (“after that”) with なら, which presents that time or situation as the condition: “if it is after that” or, in this sentence, “after that.” その後 is built from その (“that”) and 後 (“after/later”), and なら can introduce a condition without changing the time expression itself. 誰の means “whose” or “of whom.” Here it modifies 仕事, so 誰の仕事 means “whose work.” The following も gives the phrase a broad “anyone’s” meaning in combination with the negative verb 邪魔せずに: the speaker can proceed without interfering with anyone’s work. This is a use of も with a negative expression; it should not be treated as a numeric count. 仕事 means “work” or “job.” In 誰の仕事, it refers to a person’s work or task. For example: 仕事を始めます。 — “I will start work.” 邪魔せずに comes from the verb 邪魔する, “to interfere with” or “to get in the way of.” せずに is its negative connective form, meaning “without doing” the action. Thus, 邪魔せずに means “without interfering.” It links this avoided action to the main action; it does not itself specify who is doing the interfering. 報告書 means “report,” specifically a written report. The particle に is not included in the phrase entry, but in 報告書に集中する, it marks the target of concentration: “focus on the report.” 報告書 combines 報告 (“reporting”) and 書 (“document”), but it is used as a single noun here. Example: 報告書を確認します。 — “I will check the report.” 集中できます is the polite form of 集中できる, “can concentrate” or “can focus.” 集中できる is the potential form associated with 集中する (“to concentrate”); ます makes the statement polite. Example: 静かな場所なら集中できます。 — “I can focus in a quiet place.” The Japanese subject is omitted, while the fixed translation identifies the subject here as “I.” Putting the parts together, その後なら sets the time, 誰の仕事も邪魔せずに describes doing the action without interrupting anyone’s work, and 報告書に集中できます states the possible main action: “After that, I can focus on the report without interrupting anyone.”

8. 他の仕事との依存関係によって、どの仕事を先にすべきかが変わることがあります。

   Dependencies can change which task should come first.

   他の仕事

   other tasks

   依存関係

   dependency relationship

   によって

   depending on

   どの仕事

   which task

   先に

   first; earlier

   すべきか

   should

   変わる

   change

   ことがあります

   can happen

   More detail

   他の仕事 means “other work” or “other tasks.” 仕事 is a noun for work, a job, or a task; 他の modifies it and means “other,” referring to work distinct from the task being considered. Example: 他の仕事をします。 — “I do other work.” 依存関係 means a dependency relationship: one task’s order or status is connected to another task. The compound combines 依存 (“dependence”) and 関係 (“relationship”). Example: 仕事の依存関係を確認します。 — “I check the task dependencies.” によって marks what a result depends on here: “depending on” or “according to.” In this sentence, the dependency relationship with other tasks is the condition that affects the ordering decision. This is the conditional use of によって; other contexts can use the same form for meanings such as “by” or “through,” so its meaning comes from the surrounding relation. どの仕事 means “which task.” どの is used before a noun when selecting one item from an unspecified set: どの仕事 (“which task”), compared with どのメール (“which email”). The phrase does not itself say which task is selected. 先に means “first” or “earlier,” with 先 (“ahead” or “before”) functioning adverbially through に. It describes the order in which a task is done, not a claim that the task is more important. Example: この仕事を先にします。 — “I will do this task first.” すべきか expresses “should [do]” inside an embedded question. すべき is the formal written form based on する (“to do”) and conveys what ought to be done; か marks the embedded question. Together with the surrounding words, どの仕事を先にすべきか means “which task should be done first.” The を belongs to 仕事, while 先に describes the order of doing it. Example: 何を先にすべきか分かりません。 — “I do not know what I should do first.” 変わる is an intransitive verb meaning “to change” or “to vary.” Its base form is 変わる; a polite present form is 変わります, and a past form is 変わった. Because it is intransitive, it describes the ordering or answer changing, rather than directly saying that someone changes it. The related transitive verb 変える means “to change something.” ことがあります presents an occurrence as possible or occasional: “can happen” or “there are times when.” こと turns the preceding situation into a noun-like event, and あります is the polite form of ある (“exist” or “occur”). Here it does not mean that someone possesses something; it says that the described change occurs in some cases. Putting the parts together, 他の仕事との依存関係によって sets the condition: “depending on the dependency relationship with other tasks.” The embedded question どの仕事を先にすべきか identifies what may change: “which task should be done first.” With が変わることがあります, the whole utterance means: “Dependencies can change which task should come first.”

9. 緊急のメールは、報告書の下書きが終わった後まで待てます。

   The urgent email can wait until after the report draft.

   緊急

   urgent

   メール

   email

   報告書

   report

   下書き

   draft

   終わった

   finished

   後まで

   until after

   待てます

   can wait

   More detail

   緊急 means “urgent” here. In 緊急のメール, の links this describing word to the noun: “an urgent email.” The pattern AのB commonly means “B characterized by or related to A.” Example: 重要な会議 means “an important meeting”; here, 重要な uses a different adjective-linking pattern, so do not assume every describing word uses の. メール is the noun “email.” Together with the preceding modifier, 緊急のメール is the topic marked by は: “as for the urgent email.” は marks the topic; it does not itself mean “urgent” or “email.” 報告書 means “report.” It is followed by の in 報告書の下書き, where の links “report” to “draft”: “the draft of the report.” The same reusable pattern appears in 会議の予定, “the meeting schedule.” 下書き means “draft,” a preliminary version of a document. In this sentence it is the thing described as becoming finished. 報告書の下書き therefore means “the report draft,” without asserting who prepared it. 終わった is the past form of the intransitive verb 終わる, “to end” or “to be finished.” Here it describes the draft as finished: 下書きが終わった means “the draft was finished.” The た form also commonly places an event before another event in a time expression, as in 仕事が終わった後, “after work is finished.” 後まで means “until after.” 後 means “after” or “later,” and まで marks the endpoint of a time span. In 終わった後まで, the endpoint is after the finishing of the report draft. This is different from 後で, which usually means “afterward” or “later” rather than marking how long something can continue. 待てます is the polite potential form of 待つ, “to wait”: 待つ → 待てる → 待てます. It expresses ability or feasibility, so here it means that the email can remain waiting until the stated time. The polite ending ます makes the statement suitable for neutral, courteous conversation. The structure is 緊急のメールは “as for the urgent email,” followed by 報告書の下書きが終わった後まで “until after the report draft is finished,” and 待てます “can wait.” As a whole, the utterance means: “The urgent email can wait until after the report draft.” The Japanese explicitly presents the report draft’s completion as the time boundary; it does not state who will finish it.

10. 優先順位をつけるとは、プレッシャーだけでなく、その結果を考えることです。

    Prioritizing is about consequences, not just pressure.

    優先順位をつける

    prioritize

    プレッシャー

    pressure

    だけでなく

    not only

    その結果

    the consequences

    考える

    consider

    ことです

    is about the act of

    More detail

    優先順位をつける means “to prioritize” or, more literally, “to assign an order of priority.” 優先順位 is “priority order,” and つける is the verb “attach, assign, or give”; together they form a common expression. The dictionary form つける appears here because the whole verb phrase is being treated as a topic with とは. Example: 仕事に優先順位をつける。 — “I prioritize my tasks.” プレッシャー is a noun meaning “pressure.” It is a loanword written in katakana and does not itself show tense or number. Here it names pressure as one factor considered when prioritizing. だけでなく is a reusable pattern meaning “not only … but also …” or “not just … .” だけ limits the preceding element, while でなく continues the pattern by denying that it is the only element. In this sentence, the phrase says that the consideration is not limited to pressure. Example: 価格だけでなく、品質も考える。 — “I consider not only the price but also the quality.” その結果 means “the resulting consequences” in this sentence. その is a demonstrative modifier meaning “that,” and 結果 is the noun “result” or “consequence.” The fixed translation identifies the intended sense here as consequences, rather than merely an unspecified result. Example: その結果を受け入れる。 — “I accept the consequences.” 考える is the dictionary form of the verb meaning “to think about” or “to consider.” In その結果を考える, その結果を marks “the consequences” as what is considered. The dictionary form can be used before a noun or nominalizing expression, as it is before こと here. Example: 将来を考える。 — “I consider the future.” ことです contains こと, which turns the preceding verb phrase into a noun-like expression meaning “the act or matter of …,” followed by the polite copula です. After 考える, 考えることです presents considering as the defining activity. The earlier とは marks 優先順位をつける as the topic being explained. Taken together, 優先順位をつけるとは sets up the explanation “as for prioritizing,” and プレッシャーだけでなく、その結果を考えることです states that it is the act of considering not only pressure but also the consequences. The complete meaning is: “Prioritizing is about consequences, not just pressure.”