Sharing gym equipment politely | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 誰かが長い間、トレッドミルを使っています。

   Someone has been using the treadmill for a long time.

   誰かが

   someone

   長い間

   for a long time

   トレッドミル

   treadmill

   使っています

   is using

   More detail

   誰かが means “someone” as the subject. 誰か is an indefinite pronoun meaning an unspecified person, and が marks it as the subject of this clause. It does not identify who that person is. Compare 誰が (“who?”), which asks for the identity of the person. 長い間 expresses a long duration: “for a long time.” 長い is the basic form of the adjective meaning “long”; its form does not change here for number or gender. The pattern duration + 間 can mark how long something continues. Example: 三日間、休みます。 — “I will take three days off.” トレッドミル is the loanword “treadmill.” In the full sentence, the particle を marks it as the direct object of 使っています; that particle is not included in this selected phrase. 使っています is the polite form of 使っている, from the verb 使う (“to use”). The 〜ている pattern presents an activity as ongoing here, so 使っています means “is using” in this sentence. Combined with the duration phrase, the fixed translation naturally expresses this as “has been using.” The ending ます makes the statement polite. Example: 今、辞書を使っています。 — “I am using a dictionary now.” Together, in the source order, 誰かが identifies an unspecified person as the subject, 長い間 gives the duration, トレッドミル is the object, and 使っています says that the person is using it in an ongoing situation. The complete meaning is: “Someone has been using the treadmill for a long time.”

2. 標識には、ほかの人が待っているときはみんなで使うべきだと書いてあります。

   The sign says people should share it when others are waiting.

   標識

   sign

   ほかの人

   other people

   待っている

   are waiting

   とき

   time; when

   みんなで

   together; as a group

   使うべきだ

   should use it

   書いてあります

   is written; says

   More detail

   標識 means “sign.” It is the noun naming the posted source of the information here. In 標識には, に marks the place where the writing appears, while は presents that place as the topic. Example: 入口の標識には名前が書いてあります。 — “A name is written on the entrance sign.” ほかの人 means “other people.” ほか expresses “other” or “else,” and 人 is the noun “person/people.” The plural sense comes from context; Japanese does not require a plural ending here. Example: ほかの人も来ます。 — “Other people are coming too.” 待っている means “are waiting” here. Its base form is 待つ (“to wait”); 待っている uses the -ている pattern to present the waiting as ongoing. Example: 友だちが外で待っています。 — “My friend is waiting outside.” とき means “when” or “at the time.” A clause before とき specifies the situation in which the main statement applies: ほかの人が待っているとき means “when other people are waiting.” Example: 忙しいときは、後で電話します。 — “When I am busy, I will call later.” みんなで means “together, as a group.” みんな means “everyone,” and で marks the group acting together. This is different from simply saying that everyone acts separately. Example: みんなで食べましょう。 — “Let’s eat together.” 使うべきだ means “should use it” in this sentence. The lexical verb is 使う, “to use”; べきだ adds a recommendation or expected course of action, so 使うべきだ is “should use.” The object is omitted in Japanese; here, the fixed translation and the surrounding treadmill context support understanding it as the item being used, namely the treadmill. Example: この道具はみんなで使うべきです。 — “Everyone should use this tool together.” 書いてあります means “is written” or, for a sign, “says.” Its base verb is 書く, “to write.” The pattern -てある describes something written intentionally and now remaining in that state; あります is its polite form. This differs from 書いています, which ordinarily presents someone as writing or describes an ongoing writing activity. Example: 壁に規則が書いてあります。 — “The rules are written on the wall.” Together, 標識には sets the sign as the place or topic, ほかの人が待っているとき gives the condition “when other people are waiting,” and みんなで使うべきだ states that everyone should use the item together. 書いてあります identifies this as the message written on the sign. The whole utterance therefore means: “The sign says people should share it when others are waiting.”

3. その人に聞いてもいいですか。それとも、失礼に思われますか。

   Should I ask them, or would that seem rude?

   その人に

   to that person

   聞いてもいいですか

   May I ask?

   それとも

   or instead

   失礼

   rude

   思われますか

   would it be considered

   More detail

   その人に identifies the intended target of the action: “that person” or, in the fixed translation, “them.” その is an attributive demonstrative meaning “that,” and 人 means “person”; Japanese does not mark a person noun here as singular or plural. に marks the person whom the question is directed to. A reusable pattern is 人に聞く (“ask a person”). 聞いてもいいですか is the polite permission question “May I ask?” The lexical verb is 聞く, whose meaning here is “ask”; in other contexts it can also mean “hear” or “listen,” so the surrounding target and context select the asking sense. 聞いて is its te-form, and 〜てもいいですか asks whether an action is permitted: ここに座ってもいいですか。 — “May I sit here?” The polite question ending is ですか. それとも introduces the alternative in this two-choice question: “or instead.” It is useful when the speaker contrasts the first question with another possibility, rather than simply adding an item to a list. 失礼 means “rude” or “impolite” here. In 失礼に, the に makes this descriptive word modify the following expression: the action may be perceived as rude. A related pattern is 失礼な人 (“a rude person”), where 失礼な directly modifies a noun; 失礼に is the form used before a verb-like expression such as 思われる. 思われます comes from 思う (“think”) and is the polite nonpast form of 思われる. In this sentence, 思われる means “be considered” or “seem” from another person’s perspective, so 失礼に思われますか asks whether the action would be perceived as rude. The sentence does not contain an explicit conditional form; the possible future situation comes from asking about the contemplated action. For example, それは失礼に思われますか。 means “Would that seem rude?” Together, その人に聞いてもいいですか asks whether the speaker may ask that person, and それとも sets up the alternative question. 失礼に思われますか asks whether doing so would be regarded as rude. The whole utterance therefore means: “Should I ask them, or would that seem rude?”

4. 丁寧に声をかけて、自分の順番を待っていると伝えてください。

   Ask politely and say you're waiting for a turn.

   丁寧に

   politely

   声をかけて

   speak to someone

   自分の

   one’s own

   順番

   turn

   待っている

   be waiting

   伝えてください

   please tell

   More detail

   丁寧に modifies the following action and means doing it politely or courteously. Its base form is 丁寧だ; before a noun, use 丁寧な, and before a verb, use 丁寧に. Example: 丁寧に話してください。 — “Please speak politely.” 声をかけて is the て-form of the set expression 声をかける, meaning to address or speak to someone. Here it introduces the first action in a sequence. The て-form can connect this action to the following request: “address someone, and then convey...” Example: 店員に声をかけました。 — “I spoke to a shop assistant.” 自分の means “one’s own” or, in this instruction, “your own.” 自分 refers to the relevant person’s self, and の links it to the following noun: 自分の順番 is “your own turn.” The exact person referred to by 自分 is supported here by the fixed translation and the instruction’s implied addressee; 自分の is not itself a personal pronoun with a fixed English equivalent in every context. 順番 is a noun meaning a turn in an ordered sequence; it can also mean order or sequence in other contexts. In 自分の順番, the intended meaning is “one’s turn.” Example: 順番を待っています。 — “I’m waiting for my turn.” 待っている comes from 待つ, “to wait.” The form 待って is its て-form, followed by いる. Together, 待っている presents the waiting as ongoing: “be waiting.” Example: 電車を待っています。 — “I’m waiting for the train.” 伝えてください is a polite request built from 伝える, “to convey or tell,” plus ください. The てください pattern asks someone to do the action politely, so this means “please tell” or “please convey.” The content being conveyed follows in the sentence as 自分の順番を待っている, “that you are waiting for your turn.” Example: 彼に伝えてください。 — “Please tell him.” Together, 丁寧に声をかけて asks the listener to address the person courteously. 自分の順番を待っていると gives the message to convey, with と marking the content of what is said or communicated. 伝えてください then makes the overall request: “Please speak to them politely and tell them that you’re waiting for your turn.”

5. 「すみません、トレッドミルのご利用はもうすぐ終わりますか」と言えます。

   I can say, "Excuse me, are you almost finished with the treadmill?"

   すみません

   Excuse me

   トレッドミル

   treadmill

   ご利用

   use

   もうすぐ

   almost; soon

   終わりますか

   are you finishing?

   と言えます

   can say

   More detail

   すみません is a polite way to get someone's attention; in this sentence, “Excuse me” is the intended use. It can also express apology in other contexts, so its exact function comes from the situation. トレッドミル is a loanword meaning “treadmill.” It names the equipment being used. ご利用 means the use of something. 利用 is the base noun, and ご is a respectful prefix often used with Sino-Japanese nouns in polite language. Here it presents the other person's use of the treadmill respectfully; it does not by itself state a numeric quantity. Example: ご利用ありがとうございます。 — “Thank you for using [our service/facility].” もうすぐ means “soon” or “almost,” depending on what is approaching. Here it indicates that the ending is expected shortly. Example: もうすぐ終わります。 — “It will end soon.” 終わりますか asks whether something ends or will end. Its base form is 終わる “to end”; 終わります is its polite nonpast form, and か turns it into a question. In this sentence, the understood subject is the current treadmill use, while the fixed translation makes the addressed person explicit in English: “Are you almost finished with the treadmill?” Japanese often leaves such context-supported participants unspoken. と言えます means “can say.” 言う is the base verb “to say”; its potential form is 言える, and the polite form is 言えます. The particle と marks the preceding quoted words as what can be said. Example: 日本語で言えます。 — “I can say it in Japanese.” Together, すみません politely gets the user's attention, トレッドミルのご利用 identifies the respectful topic as use of the treadmill, and もうすぐ終わりますか asks whether that use will end soon. The outer と言えます presents the quoted utterance as something the speaker can say: “I can say, ‘Excuse me, are you almost finished with the treadmill?’”

6. それなら、相手にあまりプレッシャーをかけずに、はっきり伝わります。

   That sounds clear without putting too much pressure on them.

   それなら

   in that case

   相手

   the other person

   あまり

   too much

   プレッシャー

   pressure

   かけずに

   without putting

   はっきり

   clearly

   伝わります

   comes across

   More detail

   それなら means “in that case” or “if that is so.” それ points back to an already mentioned situation, and なら presents a condition based on it. Here it connects the proposed way of speaking with the result that follows. 相手 means “the other person” or “the person being addressed.” It is a noun for the person on the other side of an interaction; its exact referent is supplied by the situation rather than by the word itself. Example: 相手の気持ちを考える means “consider the other person’s feelings.” あまり means “too much” in this sentence. It commonly appears with a negative expression to mean “not very” or “not too much,” as in あまり食べない (“not eat much”). Here the negative form is in かけずに, so あまり limits the amount of pressure. プレッシャー is the loanword “pressure.” The particle を marks it as what is acted on. Example: プレッシャーを感じる means “feel pressure”; this is a different pattern from プレッシャーをかける, “put pressure on someone.” かけずに comes from the verb かける, “to put/apply” in this expression. Its ずに form means “without doing,” so プレッシャーをかけずに means “without putting pressure on [the other person].” The object and recipient are understood from the construction: プレッシャーを相手にかける means “put pressure on the other person.” The form ずに is a somewhat formal or written alternative to ないで; for example, 急がずに歩く means “walk without hurrying.” はっきり means “clearly” or “distinctly.” It is an adverb here, describing how the message gets across. Example: はっきり話してください means “Please speak clearly.” 伝わります comes from the verb 伝わる, “be conveyed” or “get across.” The ます ending makes the form polite; the base form is 伝わる. Unlike transitive 伝える (“convey something”), 伝わる presents the message as reaching or being understood by someone. Example: 気持ちが伝わります means “Your feelings come across.” Together, それなら sets the situation: “in that case.” 相手に marks the other person as the recipient, あまりプレッシャーをかけずに says that this happens without putting too much pressure on them, and はっきり伝わります says that the intended message gets across clearly. The whole utterance therefore means: “That sounds clear without putting too much pressure on them.”

7. もし相手がもう少し時間が必要なら、待ってもいいですし、別のマシンを使ってもいいです。

   If they need more time, I can wait or use another machine.

   もし … なら

   if ... then

   相手

   the other person

   もう少し

   a little more

   時間

   time

   必要

   necessary

   待って

   wait

   もいいですし

   it is also okay to

   別の

   another

   マシン

   machine

   使って

   use

   もいいです

   it is okay to

   More detail

   もし相手がもう少し時間が必要なら sets up the condition: “if the other party needs a little more time.” もし adds explicit “if” emphasis; なら marks the following situation as the condition. Japanese does not mark whether 相手 is singular or plural, while the fixed translation presents this participant as “they.” 相手 means the other party or person in the interaction; its exact identity is not specified here. もう少し means “a little more.” もう can mean “already” in other contexts, but here, together with 少し, it indicates an additional small amount. For example, もう少し待ってください。 means “Please wait a little longer.” 時間 means “time.” In 時間が必要, it is the thing that is needed, marked by が. 必要 means “necessary” or “needed.” The pattern Xが必要です means “X is necessary” or “someone needs X”; here, the conditional form 必要なら means “if X is needed.” The source does not state the person with a separate Japanese pronoun; 相手が identifies the other party as the subject of this condition. 待って is the て-form of 待つ, “to wait.” The て-form connects this verb to もいいです, producing the reusable permission pattern Vてもいいです: “it is okay to V” or “one may V.” もいいですし combines that permission pattern with し, which links this option to another item. In this sentence, 待ってもいいですし means “it is also okay to wait,” with the next permitted option supplied afterward. The し here helps present multiple acceptable possibilities; it is not part of the verb 待つ. 別の means “another” or “a different,” and it modifies the following noun. 別 is the part expressing difference, while の links it attributively: 別のマシン means “another machine.” マシン means “machine.” It is a Japanese noun written in katakana, commonly used for a machine or device. The phrase 別のマシン specifies that the machine is different from the one already relevant in the situation. 使って is the て-form of 使う, “to use.” As with 待って, its て-form combines with もいいです to express permission: 使ってもいいです means “it is okay to use [it].” In this sentence, the object is explicitly given by the preceding phrase 別のマシンを. Together, the condition and the two options produce: “If the other party needs a little more time, I can wait or use another machine.” The two alternatives are expressed as 待ってもいいですし and 別のマシンを使ってもいいです; the repeated もいいです makes both actions acceptable options. The polite ending です gives the statement a polite register.

8. そうすれば、言い争いをせずに、器具をみんなで使えます。

   That keeps the equipment shared without starting an argument.

   そうすれば

   if you do that; then

   言い争い

   argument

   せずに

   without doing

   器具

   equipment

   みんなで

   together; everyone

   使えます

   can use

   More detail

   そうすれば refers back to doing the relevant action or arrangement already mentioned: “if you do that; then.” It is built from そうする (“do that”) and the conditional form -ば. The form links a condition to the result that follows; here, the result is that the equipment can be used without an argument. 言い争い means “an argument” or “quarrel.” It is a noun. A useful related pattern is 言い争いをする, “to have an argument,” with を marking the noun as the object of する. The sentence uses this noun in the negative construction 言い争いをせずに. せずに means “without doing.” It is the negative connective form of する: する → せずに. In 言い争いをせずに, the する part is understood with 言い争いを, so the phrase means “without having an argument.” For example, 話し合って、けんかをせずに決めます。 means “We will discuss it and decide without fighting.” 器具 means “equipment” or “apparatus,” referring to a tool or piece of equipment. It is a noun; the sentence does not specify a more particular type of equipment. For example, この器具を使います。 means “I use this piece of equipment.” みんなで means “together” or “with everyone.” みんな means “everyone” or “everybody,” and で marks the group acting together. Here it presents shared use by everyone, rather than identifying one individual user. For example, みんなで掃除します。 means “We all clean together.” 使えます means “can use.” It is the polite nonpast form of the potential form 使える, from the verb 使う (“use”): 使う → 使える → 使えます. The potential form expresses ability or possibility, and the polite ending makes the statement suitable for a neutral polite exchange. For example, この部屋は使えます。 means “This room can be used.” Together, そうすれば sets up the condition, 言い争いをせずに says that the action occurs without having an argument, 器具 is the equipment, みんなで indicates shared participation, and 使えます says that it can be used. The whole utterance means: “If you do that, everyone can use the equipment without starting an argument.”