Clarifying Dependencies in a Priority Debate | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. みんなの優先順位を順位づけし始めると、議論が緊張した雰囲気になりました。

   The discussion got tense once people started ranking everyone's priorities.

   みんなの

   everyone’s

   優先順位

   priority ranking

   順位づけし

   ranking or ordering

   始める

   begin

   議論

   discussion

   緊張した

   tense

   雰囲気

   atmosphere

   なりました

   became

   More detail

   みんなの means “everyone’s” here. の links the owner or associated group to the following noun; the phrase does not itself state how many people are involved. A reusable pattern is AのB = “B of A” or “A’s B.” 優先順位 means “priority ranking” or “order of priority.” It is a noun referring to how important things are relative to one another, not simply to one isolated priority. In this sentence it is the object marked by を of the ranking action. For example, 仕事の優先順位を決める means “decide the order of priority for the work.” 順位づけし is the stem form of 順位づけする, “to rank” or “to put in order.” The observed し is the する stem used before another verb, here 始める; it is not a separate verb meaning “do” in isolation. The pattern Nを順位づけする means “rank N.” 始める means “begin” in this construction. After a verb stem, V-始める means “begin to V”: 読み始める means “begin reading.” Thus 順位づけし始める means “begin ranking.” The following と gives the time or condition “when” or “once”: V-始めると means “when/once someone begins to V.” 議論 means “discussion” or “debate.” With が, it is the subject of the change described later. The sentence identifies the discussion as the thing that became tense; it does not specify who was speaking. 緊張した means “tense” here and directly modifies 雰囲気, “atmosphere.” It comes from the verb 緊張する, “become tense” or “feel tense”; した is its past form, used attributively before a noun. The adjective-like phrase 緊張した雰囲気 therefore means “a tense atmosphere.” 雰囲気 means “atmosphere” or “overall mood.” In 緊張した雰囲気, it is the noun being described by 緊張した, so the phrase refers to the character of the discussion’s atmosphere rather than to a separate physical object. なりました is the polite past form of なる, “become.” The pattern NがAdj/Nになる describes a change into a state or description; here 緊張した雰囲気になりました literally presents the discussion as becoming a tense atmosphere, naturally translated as “the discussion got tense.” なりました marks the change as completed in the past and uses polite style. Putting the parts together: みんなの優先順位を順位づけし始めると means “once [people] started ranking everyone’s priorities,” and 議論が緊張した雰囲気になりました means “the discussion became tense.” Together, the utterance says: “The discussion got tense once people started ranking everyone’s priorities.”

2. いくつかのチームは、自分たちの仕事が後回しにされていると感じていたようです。

   It sounded like some teams felt their work was being pushed aside.

   いくつかの

   some; several

   チーム

   team

   自分たちの

   one’s own; their own

   仕事

   work; job

   後回しにされている

   is being put off

   感じていた

   felt

   ようです

   it seems; apparently

   More detail

   いくつかの means “some” or “several.” It indicates an unspecified number greater than one here; it does not give an exact count. The pattern いくつかの + noun is reusable, as in いくつかの案 (“some proposals”). チーム is the noun “team.” With は, the phrase いくつかのチームは sets “some teams” as the topic of the sentence. は marks what the sentence is about; it is not itself part of the number expression. 自分たちの means “their own” here. 自分たち refers to the people in the relevant group, and の marks possession, so 自分たちの仕事 is “their own work.” The form たち makes the group reading explicit; 自分 by itself does not express this plural group in the same way. The fixed translation identifies the work as belonging to the teams being discussed. 仕事 is the noun “work” or “job.” In this sentence it means the teams’ work or tasks, not a specific grammatical form of the preceding word. For example, 仕事を始める means “to start work.” 後回しにされている means “is being pushed aside” or “is being treated as something to deal with later.” The underlying expression 後回しにする means “to put something off” or “to put something later in priority.” Here されている is the passive form with an ongoing or resulting-state meaning: the work is the thing being put aside. The agent who is doing this is not stated. A useful contrast is 仕事を後回しにする (“put work off,” active) versus 仕事が後回しにされる (“work is put off,” passive). 感じていた is the past form of 感じる, “to feel.” 感じている can describe an ongoing state of feeling, while 感じていた places that feeling in the past. In this sentence, the teams had the feeling that their work was being pushed aside. Example: 彼は不安を感じていた。 — “He felt anxious.” ようです expresses an appearance or inference: “it seems” or “it sounds like.” Following the past expression 感じていた, 感じていたようです means “it seems they felt” or, naturally in this context, “it sounded like they felt.” It presents the conclusion as an impression rather than a direct statement that the speaker personally witnessed the teams’ feelings. Putting the parts together: いくつかのチームは sets “some teams” as the topic; 自分たちの仕事が後回しにされている describes their own work as being pushed aside; と感じていた makes that description the content of what they felt; and ようです marks the whole report as an apparent or inferred account. The complete meaning is: “It sounded like some teams felt their work was being pushed aside.”

3. 誰もそのつもりがなかったとしても、それで信頼が損なわれることがあります。

   That can hurt trust, even if nobody meant it that way.

   誰も

   nobody

   その

   that

   つもり

   intention

   がなかった

   was not present

   としても

   even if

   それで

   because of that

   信頼

   trust

   損なわれる

   be harmed

   ことがあります

   can happen

   More detail

   誰も means “nobody” here because it appears with the negative predicate なかった. This pattern is reusable: 誰も + negative predicate = “nobody …”. By itself, 誰も does not mean “everyone”; the predicate determines the negative reading. その is the attributive form meaning “that” before a noun. Here it modifies つもり, while the exact referent of “that” is supplied by the situation rather than identified as a particular object. その + noun is a reusable pattern for referring to a previously understood matter. つもり means an intention or intended meaning. In そのつもり, it refers to the intention meant by “that.” For example, そんなつもりはない means “I do not have that intention.” がなかった says that something was absent in the past: it is the past negative form of ある (“exist / be present”), using ない and its past form なかった. With つもり, つもりがない means “have no intention,” and つもりがなかった means “had no intention.” Thus そのつもりがなかった means “did not intend it that way.” The negative form belongs to the existence expression, not to つもり itself. としても creates a concessive condition: “even if …” or “even supposing …”. It follows the plain form なかった, producing なかったとしても = “even if [someone] did not have that intention.” A useful pattern is Aとしても、B = “even if A, B.” それで links the preceding matter to its consequence. In this sentence it has the intended meaning “because of that” or “as a result of that,” referring to the situation just described, without specifying a more concrete referent. It is different from the concessive としても: としても introduces the condition, while それで introduces its consequence. 信頼 is the noun “trust.” It can be used for trust between people, teams, or other parties. For example, 信頼を築く means “build trust”; this is a new example, not a claim about the supplied conversation. 損なわれる means “be harmed” or “be damaged” here. It is the passive form of the transitive verb 損なう (“damage”), so 信頼が損なわれる presents trust as the thing that suffers the damage. Compare 信頼を損なう = “damage trust,” where an agent actively damages it. The observed form does not identify who or what causes the harm. ことがあります follows a plain verb form and says that such an event can occur or sometimes occurs. The pattern verb + ことがある is useful for “there are cases when …” or “sometimes …”. Here 損なわれることがあります means “trust can be harmed,” not that harm definitely occurs every time. Together, 誰もそのつもりがなかったとしても means “even if nobody intended it that way.” Then それで信頼が損なわれることがあります says that, because of that situation, there are cases in which trust is harmed. The complete utterance is therefore: “That can hurt trust, even if nobody meant it that way.”

4. 次の会議の前に、依存関係と重要度を分けて考えたほうがよいかもしれません。

   Maybe we should separate dependencies from importance before the next meeting.

   次の

   next; following

   会議

   meeting

   前

   before

   依存関係

   dependencies

   重要度

   importance

   分けて

   separating; dividing

   考えたほうがよい

   it would be better to consider

   かもしれません

   may; might

   More detail

   次の modifies the noun that follows it: 次の会議 means “the next meeting.” It is a form used before a noun to express “next” or “following.” Example: 次の週 means “next week.” 会議 means “meeting.” It is a noun, and 次の会議 is a reusable noun phrase: “the next meeting.” 前 means “before” here. In 会議の前, the particle の links 会議 to 前, giving “before the meeting.” The following に marks this time point. Example: 授業の前に準備します。 — “I prepare before class.” 依存関係 means “dependencies,” or relationships in which one thing relies on another. It is a noun. The particle と connects it with the second item in the pair: 依存関係と重要度 means “dependencies and importance.” 重要度 means “importance” in the sense of degree or level of importance. It is a noun, not the adjective 重要 (“important”). Example: 重要度を確認します。 — “I check the level of importance.” 分けて is the te-form of the verb 分ける, “to separate” or “divide.” Here it connects the separating action to 考える: the two things are treated separately when thinking about them. The pattern AとBを分けて考える means “to consider A and B separately.” 考えたほうがよい uses the verb 考える, “to think” or “consider.” Its form 考えた is the past form, followed by ほうがよい, a pattern meaning that doing the action is better or advisable. In this sentence, 考えたほうがよい means “it would be better to consider [them].” Example: 少し休んだほうがよいです。 — “It would be better to rest a little.” かもしれません expresses possibility: “may” or “might.” It softens the recommendation, so 考えたほうがよいかもしれません means “it might be better to consider [them].” The polite form ません is part of かもしれません; it does not make the preceding verb negative. As a whole, 依存関係と重要度を分けて考えたほうがよいかもしれません says that it might be better to consider dependencies and importance separately. The complete sentence places 次の会議の前に first, so the meaning is: “Maybe we should separate dependencies from importance before the next meeting.” The Japanese subject is omitted; the fixed translation supplies “we” as the intended subject.

5. 先に行う必要がある作業もあります。

   Some tasks need to happen first.

   先に

   first; beforehand

   行う

   carry out; do

   必要がある

   need to; be necessary

   作業

   task; work

   もあります

   there are also

   More detail

   先に means “first” or “beforehand,” referring to an action that occurs earlier than another relevant action or stage. It is a time adverb, so it modifies 行う: 先に行う = “do first.” Example: 先に確認します。 — “I’ll check first.” 行う means “to carry out” or “to perform.” Its dictionary form appears here inside the clause that modifies the following noun. In 先に行う作業, the basic pattern is 先に行う + noun = “the task that is carried out first.” 行う is a somewhat formal alternative to する when talking about carrying out an action or task. 必要がある expresses necessity: literally, “there is a need.” In this sentence, 行う必要がある means “need to carry out” or “must carry out.” The verb before 必要がある is in its plain form; the noun phrase 先に行う therefore gives the content of the necessity. Example: 確認する必要があります。 — “We need to check.” 作業 means “task” or “work,” especially a piece of work or an operation to be performed. Here it is the noun modified by the preceding relative clause: 先に行う必要がある作業 = “tasks that need to be done first.” Japanese places this describing clause before the noun, without a relative pronoun. もあります adds the meaning “there are also” or “there is also.” も marks the noun phrase 先に行う必要がある作業 as an additional item, while あります is the polite form of ある, used here to say that such tasks exist. The sentence does not specify how many tasks there are. Together, 先に行う必要がある作業 means “tasks that need to be done first,” and もあります says that such tasks also exist. The whole utterance is therefore: “There are also some tasks that need to be done first,” matching the fixed translation. The polite ending makes the statement suitable for a neutral, professional conversation.

6. しかし、それでその作業の価値が高くなるわけではありません。

   But that does not make them more valuable.

   しかし

   but

   それで

   with that; as a result

   その作業

   that task; that work

   価値

   value

   高くなる

   become higher

   わけではありません

   it is not the case that...

   More detail

   しかし introduces a contrast: “but” or “however.” It is a conjunction, so it connects this statement with an earlier point rather than describing the task itself. Example: しかし、今日は行きません。 — “However, I am not going today.” それで means “with that” or “as a result” here. それ is a demonstrative referring to something already established, and で marks the means, circumstance, or basis through which a result is considered. The form is not itself a guarantee that the result actually occurred; the negative construction later rejects the proposed result. Example: それで問題が解決します。 — “That will solve the problem.” その作業 means “that work” or “that task.” その modifies 作業; it is an attributive demonstrative, while 作業 is the noun meaning “work” or “task.” Japanese demonstratives such as その do not by themselves specify a grammatical gender or a numeric count. Example: その作業を続けます。 — “I will continue that task.” 価値 means “value” or “worth.” In その作業の価値, の links the work to its value: “the value of that work.” This is a productive pattern: Xの価値 means “the value of X.” Example: この情報の価値は高いです。 — “The value of this information is high.” 高くなる says “become higher.” With 価値, it means that the value increases. The adjective 高い is the base form; before なる, its form changes to the adverbial 高く, giving 高くなる (“become high/higher”). This is different from simply describing a current state with 高い: 価値が高い means “the value is high,” whereas 価値が高くなる means “the value becomes higher.” Example: 価格が高くなりました。 — “The price became higher.” わけではありません is the polite negative pattern “it is not the case that ...” or “that does not mean ...”. わけ is a noun meaning a reason, circumstance, or conclusion in such constructions, and ではありません politely negates the stated conclusion. Here it takes the proposition 価値が高くなる: the sentence denies that the value becomes higher, rather than merely making 高い into a simple negative adjective. Example: 簡単なわけではありません。 — “It is not the case that it is easy.” Putting the parts together, それで sets up a proposed result, and その作業の価値が高くなる says “the value of that work becomes higher.” The final わけではありません rejects that proposition, while しかし marks the contrast with what came before: “But it is not the case that, as a result of that, the value of that work becomes higher.” This is the meaning expressed naturally by the fixed translation, “But that does not make them more valuable.”

7. 次に会う前に、依存関係の図を作成できます。

   I can put together a dependency map before we meet again.

   次に

   next; next time

   会う

   meet

   前に

   before

   依存関係

   dependency relationship

   図

   map; diagram

   作成できます

   can create

   More detail

   次に means “next” here and modifies the meeting: 次に会う is “meet next time” or, with the fixed translation, “meet again.” 次 is the noun “next time/next,” and 次に is its adverbial form. Example: 次に話しましょう。 — “Let’s talk next time.” 会う means “to meet.” This is the dictionary form of the verb; in 次に会う前に, it appears before 前に to identify the event that happens first in the time relationship. Japanese commonly uses a plain-form verb before a noun such as 前. 前に means “before.” In the pattern verb + 前に, the verb names the event that has not yet happened: 帰る前に連絡してください。 — “Please contact me before you leave.” Here, 会う前に means “before meeting,” and the fixed translation specifies that the meeting is “before we meet again.” 依存関係 means “dependency relationship” or “dependency.” It is a compound noun: 依存 means dependence and 関係 means relationship, but the whole compound is the useful term here. Example: 依存関係を確認します。 — “I’ll check the dependencies.” 図 means “diagram” or “map.” In this sentence it refers to a visual representation of the dependencies, which is why “dependency map” is a natural translation. 図 can also refer more generally to a figure or chart, depending on context. 作成できます means “can create” or “can put together.” The underlying verb is 作成する “to create/prepare,” while 作成できる expresses ability or feasibility; できます is its polite form in this construction. The polite ending makes the statement suitable for a professional exchange. Example: 資料を作成できます。 — “I can prepare the materials.” Together, 次に会う前に sets the deadline as “before we meet again,” and 依存関係の図 means “a diagram/map of the dependencies.” 作成できます states that the speaker is able to prepare it. The whole utterance therefore means: “I can put together a dependency map before we meet again.”

8. そうすれば、議論を個人的なものにせず、具体的なものにできるはずです。

   That should keep the discussion concrete instead of personal.

   そうすれば

   if so; then

   議論

   discussion

   個人的な

   personal

   もの

   thing; one

   せず

   without doing so

   具体的な

   concrete; specific

   できる

   can make; can do

   はずです

   should; be expected to

   More detail

   そうすれば means “if that is done” or, in this sequence, “then.” そう points back to the preceding action or situation, while すれば is the conditional form of する (“do”). Example: そうすれば、分かります。 — “If you do that, you will understand.” 議論 means “discussion” or “argument” as an exchange of views. It is a noun and can combine with する: 議論する means “to discuss” or “to argue.” Here 議論を marks the discussion as the object affected by the following pattern. 個人的な means “personal.” 個人的 is a な-adjective, so it takes な before a noun: 個人的な意見 means “a personal opinion.” Here it modifies もの, and 個人的なもの means “something personal” or “a personal one.” もの literally means “thing,” but it can also mean “one” when it stands for something described by an adjective. In 個人的なもの and 具体的なもの, it lets the speaker describe the discussion as having a particular quality. The pattern AをBにする means “make A into B” or “make A B”; thus 議論を個人的なものにする means “make the discussion personal.” せず is the negative connective form of する: する → せず. It means “without doing” or “without making” and connects this clause to what follows. Here 議論を個人的なものにせず means “without making the discussion personal.” A more conversational alternative is 議論を個人的なものにしないで. 具体的な means “concrete” or “specific.” Like 個人的, 具体的 is a な-adjective, so it takes な before a noun: 具体的な例 means “a concrete example.” 具体的なもの means “something concrete” or “a concrete one.” できる is the non-past form of the verb meaning “can do” or “can make.” In AをBにできる, the result marked by に is B, so the pattern means “can make A into B.” Example: 計画を具体的なものにできる。 — “We can make the plan concrete.” はずです expresses an expectation based on the situation or reasoning: “should” or “is expected to.” はず is a noun referring to an expected result or state, and です makes the statement polite. It does not by itself express absolute certainty. Example: 明日は雨のはずです。 — “It should rain tomorrow.” Together, そうすれば sets up the result of the preceding action. 議論を個人的なものにせず says that the discussion is not made personal, while 具体的なものにできる says that it can be made concrete. はずです presents this as the expected result. The whole utterance means: “Then the discussion should be able to stay concrete instead of becoming personal.”

9. そうすれば、みんなが自分の不満だけでなく、同じ情報をもとに議論できます。

   Then people can base the discussion on the same information, not just their frustrations.

   そうすれば

   then; if so

   みんな

   everyone; people

   自分の

   one’s own

   不満

   frustration; dissatisfaction

   だけでなく

   not only

   同じ

   same

   情報

   information

   もとに

   based on

   議論できます

   can discuss

   More detail

   そうすれば links this sentence to the preceding condition or proposal: “if that happens” or “then, in that case.” そう refers to the situation just mentioned, and すれば is the conditional form of する (“do”). Example: そうすれば、問題は解決します。—“Then the problem will be solved.” みんな means “everyone” or, as here, “people as a group.” It is a noun-like word and does not itself show a grammatical plural ending. Example: みんなで考えます。—“Everyone will think about it together.” 自分の means “one’s own.” 自分 is followed by の to mark possession. Here, it presents the frustrations as belonging to the relevant people rather than as someone else’s. The exact referent of 自分 is supplied by context; it is not simply determined by the nearest noun. 不満 is a noun meaning “dissatisfaction” or “frustration.” 自分の不満 therefore means “one’s own frustrations/dissatisfaction.” Example: 彼は仕事への不満を話しました。—“He talked about his dissatisfaction with his job.” だけでなく is a pattern meaning “not only A, but also B.” Here, A is 自分の不満; B is the following idea that people can discuss on the basis of the same information. Thus the sentence contrasts using only personal dissatisfaction with using shared information as the basis for discussion. Example: 価格だけでなく、品質も重要です。—“Not only the price but also the quality is important.” 同じ is a descriptive word meaning “same.” It comes before the noun it describes: 同じ情報 means “the same information.” It is not the comparative form of another adjective. Example: 私たちは同じ問題を見ています。—“We are looking at the same problem.” 情報 is a noun meaning “information.” In 同じ情報, it is the thing identified as being the same. Example: 新しい情報を共有します。—“We will share new information.” もとに in Nをもとに means “on the basis of N” or “using N as a basis.” The noun もと is followed by に, and the preceding を marks what is used as that basis. Thus 同じ情報をもとに means “on the basis of the same information.” Example: この資料をもとに計画を作ります。—“We will make a plan based on these materials.” 議論できます means “can discuss” or “can debate.” It is the polite form of 議論する with the potential form 議論できる: 議論する → 議論できる → 議論できます. The potential form expresses ability or feasibility; ます makes it polite. Example: その問題について議論できます。—“We can discuss that issue.” Together, そうすれば sets the condition or consequence, and みんなが marks people as the subject. 自分の不満だけでなく contrasts relying only on their own frustrations with the following possibility. 同じ情報をもとに gives the shared basis, and 議論できます says that they can discuss or debate in that way. The complete meaning is: “Then people can base the discussion on the same information, not just their frustrations.”