Expired Food in a Shared Fridge | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 共有の冷蔵庫にまた期限切れの食品があります。

   There's expired food in the shared fridge again.

   共有の

   shared

   冷蔵庫

   refrigerator; fridge

   また

   again

   期限切れの

   expired; past its expiration date

   食品

   food

   あります

   there is; there are

   More detail

   共有の means “shared” here. 共有 is the noun “sharing” or “being shared,” and の links it to the following noun: 共有のN = “a shared N.” Example: 共有の部屋 = “a shared room.” 冷蔵庫 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” The compound is commonly used for a household or workplace refrigerator. With に, 冷蔵庫に marks the place where something exists: 冷蔵庫に水があります。 = “There is water in the refrigerator.” また means “again.” It indicates that the situation is recurring, without by itself specifying how many previous times it happened. Example: また雨です。 = “It is raining again.” 期限切れの means “expired” or “past its expiration date.” 期限切れ is a noun meaning that a deadline or validity period has ended, and の makes it modify the following noun: 期限切れの食品 = “expired food.” This form describes the food's status; it does not itself say when the food expired. 食品 means “food” or “food product.” It is a somewhat formal or label-like word; everyday speech may also use 食べ物 for “food.” In this sentence, 食品 is the thing that exists in the refrigerator. あります is the polite form used here to say that a nonliving thing exists. Its base form is ある; the polite present form is あります. In the pattern 場所に物があります, 場所に marks the location and 物が marks what exists. Example: 机の上に本があります。 = “There is a book on the desk.” Together, 共有の冷蔵庫に sets “in the shared refrigerator” as the location, また adds the recurring sense “again,” and 期限切れの食品があります says that expired food exists there. The complete meaning is: “There’s expired food in the shared fridge again.”

2. そこにもっと長く置かれていると、衛生上の問題になるかもしれません。

   It could become a hygiene problem if it sits there much longer.

   そこに

   there

   もっと

   more

   長く

   for longer

   置かれている

   is sitting / has been left

   衛生上

   from a hygiene standpoint

   問題

   problem

   なる

   become

   かもしれません

   may / could

   More detail

   そこに means “there,” with に marking the place where something is located or left. The exact place is not identified in the supplied sentence. The same pattern is reusable with another location: ここにあります。 means “It is here.” もっと adds “more” or “to a greater extent.” Here it modifies 長く, so the meaning is “for longer” rather than “more” as a standalone quantity. For example, もっとゆっくり話してください。 means “Please speak more slowly.” 長く is the adverbial form of the i-adjective 長い (“long”). In this sentence it expresses a longer duration: “for longer.” The useful chain is 長い → 長く; the latter form lets the adjective describe an action or situation. 短い is a contrasting adjective meaning “short,” and its adverbial form is 短く. 置かれている describes something as being left or placed somewhere. It is built from 置く (“to put/place”) in the passive form 置かれる, followed by いる, which presents the resulting state as continuing. Thus, そこに置かれている is naturally “is sitting there” or “has been left there.” This form does not itself identify who placed the item. Example: 机の上に本が置かれています。 means “A book has been placed on the desk / There is a book sitting on the desk.” The particle と immediately after this condition links the situation to its consequence: 置かれていると means “if it remains placed there” or “if it sits there.” In this use, と presents the following result as something that may follow when the condition holds. 衛生上 combines 衛生 (“hygiene” or “sanitation”) with 上, which here means “from the standpoint of” or “in terms of.” It frames the following noun as an issue related to hygiene, not as a physical position above hygiene. A similar pattern is 安全上の理由, “for safety reasons.” 問題 means “problem” or “issue.” With 衛生上の, it is modified by the preceding phrase: 衛生上の問題 means “a hygiene problem” or “a problem from a hygiene standpoint.” The particle の connects that description to the noun 問題. なる means “become” or “turn into.” Its dictionary form is なる; the polite non-past form is なります. In 問題になる, it means “become a problem,” rather than simply “be a problem.” Example: それは大きな問題になります。 means “That will become a major problem.” かもしれません expresses possibility politely: “may” or “could.” It follows the plain non-past form なる, producing なるかもしれません, “could become.” It indicates that the result is possible, not certain. A negative possibility uses ならないかもしれません, “may not become.” Together, そこにもっと長く置かれていると gives the condition “if it sits there much longer.” 衛生上の問題になる gives the possible result “become a hygiene problem,” and かもしれません makes that result tentative and polite. The whole utterance therefore means: “It could become a hygiene problem if it sits there much longer.”

3. ラベルのない容器もあるので、誰のものか誰にも分かりません。

   Some containers aren't labeled, so nobody knows who owns them.

   ラベルのない

   unlabeled

   容器

   container

   もある

   also exist

   ので

   because; so

   誰のものか

   whose it is

   誰にも

   to nobody

   分かりません

   do not know

   More detail

   ラベルのない describes a noun as having no label. It is formed from ラベル (“label”) plus ない (“not exist”), with の linking that description to the noun after it. The whole phrase is attributive: “that has no label” or “unlabeled.” Example: 名前のない箱 — “a box with no name.” 容器 means “container.” It is a useful general noun for something that holds or stores something. In this sentence it is the thing being described as unlabeled; the word itself does not specify the container’s material or shape. もある says that such containers also exist. ある is the existence verb used for inanimate things, and its polite form is あります; here it appears in the plain form before ので. も adds the sense of “also” or “there are even.” Example: 冷蔵庫に飲み物もある。 — “There are drinks in the refrigerator too.” ので connects the preceding fact to its result or reason: “because” or “so.” The preceding clause gives the reason for what follows. Compared with a simple statement joined by そして, this form explicitly presents a cause-and-effect connection. 誰のものか means “whose it is.” 誰 asks “who,” のもの means “someone’s possession” or “someone’s thing,” and か turns the question into an embedded question. The pattern [person]のもの means “that person’s possession,” while [question word]のものか means “whose it is.” Example: これは誰のものか分かりますか。 — “Do you know whose this is?” 誰にも means “to nobody” in this sentence. 誰 is “who,” and に marks the person for whom something is known or understandable; も broadens it to “anyone,” which becomes “nobody” when combined with the negative predicate. This negative pairing is important: 誰にも分かりません means that no person can determine it, not that a specific person is merely unavailable. 分かりません is the polite negative form of 分かる, meaning “understand,” “know,” or “be clear.” The observed form is present/non-past and negative: 分かる → 分かりません. Japanese commonly expresses knowledge with 分かる, literally presenting something as understandable, so 誰にも分かりません naturally translates as “nobody knows” or “no one can tell.” Example: 答えが分かりません。 — “I don’t know the answer.” Together, ラベルのない容器もある means “there are also some containers without labels.” ので makes this the reason, and 誰のものか誰にも分かりません means “nobody knows whose they are.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Some containers aren’t labeled, so nobody knows who owns them.” The polite ending 分かりません makes the statement suitable for a neutral, respectful explanation.

4. 名前と日付を書いてもらうようにお願いする案内を掲示すべきです。

   We should post a notice asking people to add their names and dates.

   名前

   name

   日付

   date

   書いてもらう

   have someone write

   ように

   so that; to

   お願いする

   ask; request

   案内

   notice

   掲示

   post; display

   すべきです

   should

   More detail

   名前 means “name.” It is a noun and can be used in the reusable pattern 名前を書く (“write one’s name”). Here it is coordinated with 日付 by と, so the requested writing covers both items. 日付 means “date,” the calendar date associated with something. 日付を書く means “write the date.” In this sentence, 名前と日付 is the combined object of 書く. 書いてもらう is built from 書く (“write”) in its て-form, 書いて, plus もらう (“receive”). The pattern Vて+もらう presents the speaker or another beneficiary as receiving the favor or service of someone’s doing V; here, it means having people write the names and dates. The form 書いて is the connecting form of 書く; it is not a separate verb. ように follows the 書いてもらう clause and helps frame the requested desired action. In the pattern Vて+もらうようにお願いする, it is natural to understand the whole construction as “ask/request someone to do V for us,” rather than treating ように as an independent command. For example, 確認してもらうようにお願いする means “ask someone to check it.” お願いする is the する-verb meaning “make a request” or “ask.” The noun-like part お願い combines with する; the observed form お願いする is the plain nonpast form, not a polite form and not a form of 頼む. Together with the preceding clause, 書いてもらうようにお願いする means “ask people to write [them].” 案内 is a noun for guidance, information, or a notice intended to tell people what to do. Here it is the notice itself: 書いてもらうようにお願いする案内 means “a notice requesting that people write [their names and dates].” The relative clause before 案内 modifies the notice, rather than adding a separate action by the people posting it. 掲示 is a noun meaning a posting or displayed notice, and it also combines with する as 掲示する (“post” or “display”). In 掲示すべきです, it supplies the action “post/display”; this is the する-verb construction used with べき, with する appearing in the form す. すべきです expresses that the speaker judges the action necessary, advisable, or the proper thing to do. The relevant forms are するべきだ or the variant すべきだ, with polite するべきです or すべきです. Here, 掲示すべきです means “should post,” and it is the posting—not the writing or requesting—that receives this recommendation. Taken together, 名前と日付 identifies what should be written. 書いてもらうようにお願いする案内 is a notice asking people to write those items, and 掲示すべきです says that the speaker recommends posting that notice. Thus the whole utterance means: “We should post a notice asking people to add their names and dates.”

5. 1週間を超えたものは捨てますか。

   Should we throw away anything older than a week?

   1週間

   one week

   超えた

   exceeded

   もの

   thing; anything

   捨てますか

   throw away?

   More detail

   1週間 means “one week.” The counter 週間 measures a span in weeks; for example, 二週間 means “two weeks.” Here, 1週間を is the span used as the object of 超える, marked by を. 超えた is the past form of 超える, “to exceed” or “to go beyond.” In this sentence, the past form directly modifies the following noun: 1週間を超えたもの means “things that have gone beyond one week.” The time threshold is naturally expressed in the translation as “anything older than a week.” A useful pattern is Xを超えたN, “N that exceeds X.” もの means “thing” and can refer generally to an item or items. After a modifying clause, as in 1週間を超えたもの, it means “things that ...”; the translation’s “anything” reflects this general reference. 捨てますか is a polite question form of 捨てる, “to throw away.” 捨てます is the polite nonpast form, and final か turns it into a question. For example, これを捨てますか。 means “Will you throw this away?” or “Should we throw this away?” depending on the situation. Together, 1週間を超えたもの identifies anything that has gone beyond a one-week period, and 捨てますか asks whether it should be thrown away. The whole utterance means: “Should we throw away anything older than a week?”

6. 全員に明確な締め切りを伝えてからにしましょう。

   Only after we give everyone a clear deadline.

   全員

   everyone

   明確な

   clear

   締め切り

   deadline

   伝えて

   tell; convey

   からにしましょう

   let’s do it after…

   More detail

   全員 means “everyone” and is the noun referring to the whole group. With に, as in 全員に, it marks the people who receive the communication: “to everyone.” Example: 先生に伝えます。 means “I’ll tell the teacher.” 明確な means “clear” here. 明確 is a な-adjective: before a noun, it uses な, so 明確な締め切り means “a clear deadline.” The な belongs to 明確な, not to 締め切り. Example: 明確な説明 means “a clear explanation.” 締め切り is “deadline,” the time limit for completing something. It is a noun and can be used with other modifiers, for example 提出の締め切り means “the submission deadline.” 伝えて is the て-form of the verb 伝える, “to tell” or “to convey.” Here it describes conveying the deadline to everyone. The て-form connects this action to what follows; with から, 伝えてから means “after telling/conveying.” Example: 内容を伝えてから始めます。 means “I’ll start after explaining the details.” からにしましょう is a decision-making pattern. から means “after” when it follows a て-form, while にしましょう comes from にする plus ましょう and proposes choosing or arranging something. In this sentence, the action to be done afterward is understood from the situation, so the phrase means “let’s do it after …” rather than naming that later action itself. The fixed translation expresses this as “Only after we give everyone a clear deadline.” Together, 全員に明確な締め切りを伝えて means “give everyone a clear deadline,” and からにしましょう makes that a proposal to do the next action only after that condition is met. Thus the whole utterance is: “Let’s do it only after we give everyone a clear deadline.”

7. グループチャットで、毎週冷蔵庫を片付けることを提案してもよいかもしれません。

   Maybe we can suggest a weekly cleanout in the group chat.

   グループチャット

   group chat

   毎週

   every week

   冷蔵庫

   refrigerator

   片付ける

   clean out; tidy up

   こと

   act of; fact of

   提案して

   suggest

   もよいかもしれません

   might be okay

   More detail

   グループチャットで identifies the group chat as the medium or setting: で can mark where an activity takes place or what means is used. Example: メールで知らせます。 — “I’ll let [someone] know by email.” 毎週 means “every week” and sets the frequency of the following activity. It is an adverb, so it does not take a particle here. Example: 毎週運動します。 — “I exercise every week.” 冷蔵庫 is the noun “refrigerator.” In this sentence it is the thing being dealt with by 片付ける, marked by the object particle を. Example: 冷蔵庫を掃除します。 — “I clean the refrigerator.” 片付ける is the dictionary form “to tidy up” or “to put in order.” Here, with 冷蔵庫を, it means cleaning out or organizing the refrigerator. Its て-form is 片付けて, useful before another expression or verb. Example: 部屋を片付けます。 — “I tidy the room.” こと turns the preceding verb phrase into a noun-like idea: 冷蔵庫を片付けること means “the act of cleaning out the refrigerator” or simply “cleaning out the refrigerator” as an activity. This nominalized phrase can be the content of a suggestion. Example: 毎日歩くことは大切です。 — “Walking every day is important.” 提案して is the て-form of 提案する, “to propose” or “to suggest.” The て-form connects this verb to the following expression; it is not the final past or nonpast form here. In this sentence, 冷蔵庫を片付けることを提案して means “propose cleaning out the refrigerator.” Example: 新しい方法を提案します。 — “I suggest a new method.” もよいかもしれません combines てもよい with かもしれません. After the て-form, てもよい says that doing something is acceptable or permitted; かもしれません softens this to “might be” or “perhaps.” Thus, it presents the suggestion tentatively rather than as a firm instruction. The omitted subject is understood from the fixed translation as “we” in this utterance. Example: 明日始めてもよいかもしれません。 — “Maybe it would be okay for us to start tomorrow.” Putting the parts together, グループチャットで gives the setting, 毎週 gives the frequency, and 冷蔵庫を片付けること names the proposed activity. 提案してもよいかもしれません says that making this proposal may be appropriate: “Maybe we can suggest a weekly cleanout in the group chat.”

8. そうすれば、毎週の片付けが突然ではなく、予測できるものになります。

   That would make the weekly cleanout predictable instead of sudden.

   そうすれば

   if that is done; then

   毎週の

   weekly

   片付け

   cleanout

   突然

   sudden

   ではなく

   rather than; not being

   予測できる

   predictable

   ものになります

   becomes

   More detail

   そうすれば means “if that is done” or “if so.” そう points back to an action or situation already under discussion, and すれば is the conditional form of する (“do”): する → すれば. Here it introduces the result of taking the discussed weekly-cleanout approach, rather than naming a new action by itself. 毎週の means “weekly” and modifies the noun that follows. 毎週 means “every week”; adding の makes it a noun-based modifier: 毎週の + noun. For example, 毎週の会議 means “the weekly meeting.” 片付け means “cleanout” or “tidying.” It is the noun form of 片付ける (“to tidy up; to put away”): 片付ける → 片付け. In this sentence it refers to the recurring cleanout, not to a particular person’s act of putting away one specified item. 突然 means “sudden” here. In 突然ではなく, it is followed by ではなく, the negative connective used with a noun-like description: AではなくB means “not A but B” or “B rather than A.” Thus 突然ではなく means “rather than being sudden.” ではなく comes from the negative form of the copula and connects this contrast to what follows. 予測できる means “predictable” here, literally “can be predicted.” 予測する means “to predict,” and できる expresses ability or possibility; together, 予測できる describes something whose timing or occurrence can be predicted. For comparison, 予測できない means “cannot be predicted” or “unpredictable.” ものになります means “becomes something.” もの is a noun meaning “thing” or “something,” and なります is the polite form of なる (“become”). The pattern adjective or description + ものになる presents the result as becoming something with that quality. Here, 予測できるものになります means “becomes something predictable,” with なります adding the polite style. Together, そうすれば sets up a condition, 毎週の片付け identifies the weekly cleanout, and 突然ではなく、予測できるものになります contrasts its resulting character: it will become predictable rather than sudden. The whole utterance therefore means, “That would make the weekly cleanout predictable instead of sudden.”

9. みんなが清掃日の前に自分の棚を片付けられます。

   People can clear their shelves before cleaning day.

   みんなが

   everyone

   清掃日

   cleaning day

   前に

   before

   自分の

   one’s own

   棚

   shelf

   片付けられます

   can clear up

   More detail

   みんなが means “everyone” as the subject. みんな is a useful general word for “everyone” or “everybody,” and が marks the subject in this sentence. Here it identifies the people who can do the clearing; it does not by itself specify how many people there are. 清掃日 means “cleaning day.” It is a compound noun: 清掃 means cleaning or sanitation, and 日 means day. The compound is treated as one noun phrase here. 前に means “before.” 前 means “front” or “before,” and に marks the time point or period relative to which something happens. The pattern [event or time]の前に means “before [event or time].” For example, 試験の前に勉強します。 means “I study before the exam.” 自分の means “one’s own.” 自分 refers back to the relevant person or people, and の links it to the noun that follows. In this sentence, the translation supports the reading that everyone can clear the shelf or shelves belonging to themselves. The form 自分の does not itself show a separate number or gender distinction. 棚 means “shelf.” It is the noun being modified by 自分の, giving “one’s own shelf.” A plural meaning can be understood from context even though Japanese nouns commonly have no obligatory plural ending; the fixed translation presents the intended meaning as “their shelves.” 片付けられます means “can clear up” or “can tidy.” The base verb is 片付ける, “to put in order” or “to clear away.” 片付けられる is its potential form, expressing ability or possibility, and 片付けられます is the polite nonpast form. Here it is the clearing that everyone is able to do, not a statement that someone is passively tidied. For example, 部屋を片付けられます。 means “I can tidy the room.” Together, 自分の棚を片付けられます means “can clear their own shelves”: を marks 自分の棚 as the object of 片付ける, while the potential form says that the action is possible. Placing 清掃日の前に before this clause gives “before cleaning day,” and みんなが identifies everyone as the subject. The complete utterance therefore means: “People can clear their shelves before cleaning day.”

10. そうすれば、みんなが公平かつ安全に冷蔵庫を使えるようになります。

    That should make fridge use fair and safe for everyone.

    そうすれば

    if so; then

    みんな

    everyone

    公平

    fair

    安全に

    safely

    冷蔵庫

    refrigerator; fridge

    使えるようになります

    will become able to use

    More detail

    そうすれば means “if so” or “then.” すれば is the conditional form of する, and together with そう it forms a reusable way to introduce a result: A。そうすれば、B。 means “A. If so, B.” Here it refers back to the preceding condition or action. みんな means “everyone” or “everybody.” It is a noun for the relevant people as a group; が marks that group as the subject. The fixed translation supports “everyone,” but this word by itself does not state a particular number. 公平 means “fair” or “equitable.” It can be used as a noun or as a な-adjective: 公平なルール means “fair rules.” In 公平かつ安全に, it is one of two coordinated descriptions. 安全に means “safely” here. 安全 means “safe” or “safety,” and に gives it an adverbial use. かつ is a relatively formal connector meaning “and”; 公平かつ安全に describes the use as fair and safe. 冷蔵庫 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” It is the noun referring to the refrigerator in this sentence. The source has the object marker を after it: 冷蔵庫を使う means “use the refrigerator.” 使えるようになります means “will become able to use” here. 使える is the potential form of 使う (“use”): the godan verb ending う changes to the potential ending える. ようになる presents a change into a new state, and なります is its polite nonpast form. A reusable example is 漢字が読めるようになりました。 — “I became able to read kanji.” Putting the parts together, そうすれば introduces the result, みんなが marks everyone as the subject, and 公平かつ安全に describes the fair and safe way of using the refrigerator. 冷蔵庫を使えるようになります says that being able to use it becomes possible. The whole utterance means: “That should make fridge use fair and safe for everyone.”