Following up while protecting confidential client information | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 選考プロセスの次のステップを明確にしていただけますか。

   Could you clarify the next steps in the process?

   選考

   selection

   プロセス

   process

   次の

   next

   ステップ

   step

   明確に

   clearly

   していただけますか

   could you kindly ...?

   More detail

   選考 is a noun meaning selection or screening, especially the process of evaluating candidates. In this sentence it combines with プロセス as 選考プロセス, “the selection process.” プロセス is a noun meaning process. It is a loanword and can be used for an organized series of stages or actions. 次の means “next” or “following” and modifies the noun after it. Here, 次のステップ means “the next step”; the fixed translation renders this naturally as “the next steps.” 次 can also mean “next” in other structures, but 次の + noun is a useful attributive pattern. ステップ is a noun meaning step or stage. In 次のステップ, it refers to the next stage of the selection process, as supported by the fixed translation. 明確に means “clearly” here and is the adverbial form of 明確だ / 明確な. The pattern 明確にする means “to make something clear,” whereas 明確だ means that something is clear. For example, 予定を明確にする means “to clarify the schedule.” していただけますか contains the te-form して of する followed by the polite request construction いただけますか. The reusable pattern V-ていただけますか politely asks someone to do V; it is more deferential than a plain request. Here, して connects 明確に to the request, producing 明確にしていただけますか, “could you clarify ...?” The か marks the utterance as a question. Together, 選考プロセスの次のステップ means “the next step or steps in the selection process.” The particle を marks that phrase as what is being clarified, and 明確にしていただけますか politely asks the listener to make it clear. The whole utterance therefore means, “Could you clarify the next steps in the process?”

2. 面接委員会は提出資料を確認し、もう一度お話しする必要があるかどうかを判断します。

   The panel will review your materials and decide whether another conversation is needed.

   面接委員会

   interview panel

   提出資料

   submitted materials

   確認し

   reviewing; checking

   もう一度

   once more

   お話しする

   have a conversation

   必要がある

   be necessary; be needed

   かどうか

   whether or not

   判断します

   will decide

   More detail

   面接委員会 means “interview panel.” 委員会 is a committee or panel, and 面接 specifies that it is connected with interviews. In this sentence, は marks the panel as the topic; the panel is the actor of the later decision. 提出資料 means “submitted materials.” 提出 means submission, and 資料 means materials or documents. The compound has no separate plural marking, so the context determines whether it refers to one or more items. Here, the fixed translation identifies them as the listener’s materials. 確認し comes from 確認する, “to check” or “to review.” The form 確認し is the continuative form that links this action to the following action: “review … and …”. It is not the polite form; the polite form appears later in 判断します. もう一度 means “once more” or “again.” もう here contributes the sense of another time, while 一度 means one time. It modifies the later conversation action, so the sentence concerns having another conversation, not reviewing the materials again. お話しする means “to have a conversation” in this context. 話す means “to speak” or “to talk”; 話し is its linking stem, and お話しする is a respectful expression for talking or having a conversation. The お belongs to this respectful expression and does not mean “your.” 必要がある expresses that something is necessary or needed. In the sentence, the thing that may be necessary is the action もう一度お話しする: “another conversation is needed.” The pattern [verb in plain form] 必要がある is reusable, for example: 確認する必要がある。 — “It is necessary to check.” かどうか turns the preceding clause into an embedded yes-or-no question: “whether or not …”. Thus もう一度お話しする必要があるかどうか means “whether another conversation is needed.” It is different from a direct question ending simply in か; it lets the question function as the object of a verb such as 判断する. 判断します comes from 判断する, “to decide” or “to judge.” します is the polite nonpast form of する; in this context, the surrounding future-oriented meaning supports “will decide.” The subject remains 面接委員会, established by は. Together, 面接委員会は sets up the interview panel as the topic. It will 提出資料を確認し, “review the submitted materials,” and then もう一度お話しする必要があるかどうかを判断します, “decide whether another conversation is needed.” The complete meaning is: “The panel will review your materials and decide whether another conversation is needed.”

3. ご依頼のサンプルを応募ポータルからアップロードできます。

   I can upload the requested samples through the application portal.

   ご依頼の

   requested

   サンプル

   sample

   応募ポータル

   application portal

   から

   through; from

   アップロードできます

   can upload

   More detail

   ご依頼の modifies the noun that follows it. 依頼 means a request, and ご is an honorific prefix used here in the polite expression “your request” or “requested.” The の links this noun to the following noun: ご依頼のサンプル means “the requested samples.” This is not a passive verb form. サンプル is a noun meaning “sample.” It is written in katakana and can refer to a sample or samples; the form itself does not mark English-style singular versus plural. Example: サンプルを確認します。 — “I will check the sample(s).” 応募ポータル is a compound noun: 応募 means an application or submission, and ポータル means a portal. Together, it means “application portal.” Example: 応募ポータルを開きます。 — “I will open the application portal.” から marks the source or point from which something proceeds. With an online system in this sentence, it identifies the application portal as the route or source used for the upload, so it is naturally translated “through” here. The same particle can mean “from” in a physical source expression. アップロードできます is the polite nonpast form of アップロードできる, “can upload” or “be able to upload.” アップロードする is the verb “to upload,” while できる expresses ability or possibility; できます is its polite form. The form does not by itself say that the upload has already happened. Example: ここからアップロードできます。 — “You can upload it from here.” The object marker を connects ご依頼のサンプル to the action: the requested samples are what will be uploaded. The full structure is ご依頼のサンプルを “the requested samples” + 応募ポータルから “through the application portal” + アップロードできます “can upload.” Thus the utterance means, “I can upload the requested samples through the application portal.”

4. お話しされていたプロジェクトの概要は、特に役立ちそうです。

   The project summary you mentioned would be especially useful.

   概要は

   the summary is the topic

   More detail

   The candidate incorrectly calls は the marker of the grammatical subject. In プロジェクトの概要は, は marks プロジェクトの概要 as the topic; the sentence comments on that topic without requiring it to be called the grammatical subject. お話しされていた refers here to something the addressee had talked about or mentioned. It is a respectful form built around 話す (“to talk”): 話していた describes an ongoing or continuing past state, while お話しされていた presents that action respectfully. The form can resemble a passive construction, but here the intended meaning is honorific rather than passive. プロジェクト means “project.” It is a noun written in katakana, and it can combine directly with another noun: プロジェクトの概要 means “the project’s summary” or “a summary of the project.” 概要 means “summary,” “outline,” or “general description.” A useful contrast is 詳細 (“details”): 概要 gives the main picture, whereas 詳細 gives more specific information. Here, プロジェクトの概要 is the topic marked by は. 特に means “especially” or “particularly.” It singles out a notably strong degree or relevance. For example, 特に重要です means “It is especially important.” 役立ちそうです comes from the verb 役立つ (“to be useful” or “to help”) plus そうです, which here expresses an appearance or likelihood based on the speaker’s assessment. The godan verb 役立つ uses the stem 役立ち- before そうです; this is not the adjective 役に立つ being inflected. The polite ending です makes the expression suitable for a polite statement. Thus, 役立ちそうです means “seems likely to be useful” or, naturally in this context, “would be useful.” For comparison, 役立ちました means “was useful,” while the negative-looking form 役立たなさそうです means “does not seem likely to be useful.” Together, お話しされていたプロジェクトの概要 identifies the project summary that the addressee had mentioned. The topic marker は sets that summary as the topic, and 特に役立ちそうです evaluates it as especially likely to be useful. The whole utterance therefore means: “The project summary you mentioned would be especially useful.”

5. 機密の顧客情報を明らかにせずに、背景を含めることができます。

   I can include context without exposing confidential client information.

   機密の

   confidential

   顧客情報

   client information

   明らかにせずに

   without exposing

   背景

   context

   含めることができます

   can include

   More detail

   機密の modifies the following noun with の: it means “confidential” here. The pattern AのB commonly means “B of/with A” or “A B,” so 機密の顧客情報 is “confidential client information.” 機密 means confidential or sensitive; it is not the noun carrying a number or gender distinction. 顧客情報 is a compound noun: 顧客 means client/customer and 情報 means information. Together they mean information about clients. In this sentence, を marks this compound as the object of the later action. The phrase does not assert how many clients or how much information there is. 明らかにせずに means “without exposing/revealing.” The useful base expression is 明らかにする, “to make clear” or, with information as its object, “to disclose/reveal.” Here せず is the negative -ず form of する, and に makes the expression adverbial: V-ずに means “without doing V.” Thus the sentence says that the confidential information is not disclosed while the other action is carried out. This is a somewhat formal written-style pattern; a more conversational alternative is 明らかにしないで. Example: 名前を明らかにせずに報告する。 — “Report it without revealing the name.” This example illustrates the reusable V-ずに pattern; the name and report are not facts from the supplied conversation. 背景 means “background” and, in the fixed translation, is intended as “context.” It is a noun and is marked by を as the other object. The phrase 背景を含める therefore means “include context/background.” 含めることができます expresses ability or possibility: 含める means “include,” and ことができる is the pattern “can do.” 含める is a transitive verb meaning “include” or “put into the scope,” and its object is marked by を. The polite ending ます makes the statement polite. The subject is omitted in Japanese; the fixed translation supplies “I,” so the intended meaning is “I can include,” but the Japanese verb form itself does not mark the speaker as first person. Putting the parts together: 機密の顧客情報を identifies the confidential client information as the object that must not be exposed; 明らかにせずに means “without exposing it”; 背景を identifies context as what will be included; and 含めることができます means “can include.” The whole utterance is therefore: “I can include context without exposing confidential client information.”

6. 機密情報を扱う際に、そのような判断力がここでは重要です。

   That kind of judgment when handling confidential information is important here.

   機密情報

   confidential information

   扱う

   handle; deal with

   際に

   when; on the occasion of

   そのような

   such; that kind of

   判断力

   judgment

   ここ

   here

   重要

   important

   More detail

   機密情報 means confidential or sensitive information. 機密 modifies 情報, specifying that the information must be kept secret. A useful related contrast is 公開情報 (“public information”), but the fixed utterance specifically refers to confidential information. 扱う means to handle, deal with, or work with something. Its dictionary form is 扱う; in this sentence it appears in the plain form before 際に. Example: 個人情報を扱う means “handle personal information.” 際に forms a pattern meaning “when” or “on the occasion of.” In 扱う際に, the verb phrase 扱う comes before 際に, giving the reusable pattern V-plain + 際に (“when doing V”). This expression is relatively formal and is common in careful or professional language. Example: 申請する際に、身分証が必要です。 means “When applying, identification is required.” そのような means “such” or “that kind of.” It points to a type or quality understood from the context; here it modifies 判断力. The form そのような + noun is a useful pattern for referring to a previously understood kind of thing without repeating a longer description. 判断力 means judgment or the ability to make sound decisions. It is a noun referring to decision-making ability, not merely one individual decision. Example: 冷静な判断力が必要です。 means “Calm judgment is necessary.” ここ means “here.” In this utterance it identifies the relevant place or setting as “here,” while the exact place is not specified by the fixed sentence itself. Japanese location words include ここ (“here”), そこ (“there near you”), and あそこ (“over there”). 重要 means important or significant. In 重要です, the polite copular ending です makes the statement polite; the selected quote itself is only 重要. 重要 is a な-adjective-like word: before a noun, it commonly appears as 重要な + noun, as in 重要な情報 (“important information”). Together, 機密情報を扱う際に means “when handling confidential information.” そのような判断力が marks “that kind of judgment” as the subject, and ここでは means “here” with the topic-setting particle は. Finally, 重要です states politely that it is important. The whole utterance therefore means: “That kind of judgment when handling confidential information is important here.”

7. 選考結果について、いつごろご連絡いただけるでしょうか。

   When should I expect to hear the outcome of the review?

   選考結果

   review outcome

   について

   regarding

   いつごろ

   around when

   ご連絡

   contact; notification

   いただけるでしょうか

   would it be possible to receive ...?

   More detail

   選考結果 means “the outcome of the review/selection.” 選考 is the noun for evaluating or selecting candidates, while 結果 means “result” or “outcome.” Together they form a reusable compound: 選考結果 = “selection outcome.” について marks what the question concerns: “about” or “regarding.” The pattern Nについて can introduce a topic, as in 予定について話します (“I will talk about the schedule”). いつごろ asks approximately when. いつ means “when,” and ごろ softens it to an approximate time, such as “around when” or “about what time.” It does not ask for an exact date or time. ご連絡 means “contact” or “notification” here. The base noun is 連絡, “contact/communication,” and 連絡する means “to contact.” The prefix ご makes this expression polite; it does not mean “your” by itself. In the following construction, it presents the contacting action respectfully. いただけるでしょうか is a polite, tentative way to ask whether the listener can provide an action or favor. いただく is the humble verb “to receive,” and いただける is its potential form, “be able to receive.” With a polite action expression such as ご連絡いただく, the construction asks whether the speaker may receive contact from the listener: ご連絡いただけますか is a more direct “Could you contact me?” でしょうか makes the question more tentative and formal than a plain question. The utterance therefore combines 選考結果について (“regarding the selection outcome”), いつごろ (“around when”), and the polite request for ご連絡いただけるでしょうか (“would it be possible for me to receive contact?”). As a whole, it asks approximately when the speaker should expect to hear the outcome of the review. The following context identifies the expected contact as coming after the panel’s discussion.

8. 面接委員会の話し合いが終わった後で、ご連絡します。

   We will contact you after the panel finishes its discussion.

   面接委員会

   interview panel

   話し合い

   discussion

   終わった

   finished

   後で

   after; afterward

   ご連絡します

   will contact you

   More detail

   面接委員会 means “interview panel” or “interview committee.” It is a compound noun: 面接 is an interview, and 委員会 is a committee. Here, the compound identifies the panel carrying out the discussion. 話し合い means “discussion.” It is the noun related to 話し合う, “to discuss” or “to talk something over.” The noun form lets it function as the thing that finishes: 話し合いが終わる means “the discussion ends.” 終わった is the plain past form of 終わる, “to end” or “to finish.” In this sentence, it describes a completed event before the later contact. The useful pattern is 動詞た-form + 後で, meaning “after doing ...” or “after ... has happened.” For example, 仕事が終わった後で帰ります。 means “I will go home after work finishes.” 後で means “afterward” or “after.” With the preceding clause, 終わった後で means “after it has finished.” 後 is “after/later” in this time expression, and で marks the point or situation at which the later action occurs. The form 後で can also stand alone: 後で話しましょう。 means “Let’s talk later.” ご連絡します is a polite way to say “will contact [someone].” The lexical verb is 連絡する, “to contact” or “to get in touch”; します is its polite nonpast form. Japanese nonpast forms can describe a future action, so します here refers to a planned contact. The ご in ご連絡 is a polite honorific prefix used in this business-style expression. The subject and the person being contacted are not separately stated in the Japanese; the fixed translation identifies the intended action as “we will contact you.” Together, 面接委員会の話し合い means “the interview panel’s discussion,” with の linking the panel to its discussion. 面接委員会の話し合いが終わった後で means “after the interview panel’s discussion has finished,” and ご連絡します adds the later action, “we will contact you.” Thus the whole utterance means: “We will contact you after the panel finishes its discussion.”