Confirming delay information and where to wait | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. アナウンスでは遅延があると言っていますが、理由は伝えていません。

   The announcement says there is a delay, but it does not say why.

   アナウンス

   announcement

   遅延

   delay

   ある

   exist; be present

   と言っています

   is saying

   理由

   reason; why

   伝えていません

   does not say; is not conveying

   More detail

   アナウンス Here, アナウンス means “announcement” or “public announcement.” It is a noun, commonly used for spoken or broadcast information. In this sentence, アナウンスでは sets the announcement as the topic or source of the information; で marks the setting or source, and は adds topic/contrast. 遅延 遅延 means “delay,” especially a delay in transport or a scheduled service. In 遅延がある, が marks 遅延 as what exists or is occurring. A useful related noun is 遅れ, also meaning “delay” or “lateness,” often in more everyday wording. Example: 電車に遅れがあります。— “There is a delay to the train.” ある ある is the nonliving-existence form, meaning “to exist,” “to be present,” or, as here, “to occur/be the case.” Its plain form is ある; the polite form is あります. With an event or condition such as 遅延, it expresses that the condition exists: 遅延がある means “there is a delay.” The form いる is used for living beings rather than for this nonliving condition. と言っています This is the reporting pattern Xと言っています: “is saying that X” or “says that X.” The quoted content here is 遅延がある, and と marks that content as what is being said. 言っています consists of the verb 言う (“say”) in the ている form, with polite negative/present behavior not involved here; in this context, it presents the announcement as currently stating or reporting that information. Example: 彼は明日来ると言っています。— “He says he will come tomorrow.” 理由 理由 means “reason.” In 理由は, は makes “the reason” the topic of the second clause. The translation “why” represents the meaning of asking for or providing the reason; the Japanese noun itself is literally “reason.” Example: 理由を説明します。— “I will explain the reason.” 伝えていません 伝える means “to convey,” “to communicate,” or “to tell.” The observed form 伝えていません is its polite negative ている form: 伝えている (“is conveying/has conveyed as a current state”) becomes 伝えていません (“is not conveying/has not communicated”). Here it says that the reason is not communicated, matching “it does not say why.” This is different from 言っていません, which more directly means “is not saying”; 伝えていません emphasizes communicating information. Example: 係員は理由を伝えていません。— “The staff member has not communicated the reason.” Whole utterance アナウンスでは遅延があると言っています combines “the announcement” as the information source with the reported content 遅延がある, “there is a delay.” 理由は伝えていません then makes the reason the contrasting topic and says that it is not communicated. Together: “The announcement says there is a delay, but it does not say why.”

2. 乗客を乗せる前に、係員が列車を点検しているのだと思います。

   I think they are checking the train before letting people board.

   乗客

   passengers

   乗せる

   let aboard

   前に

   before

   係員

   staff member

   列車

   train

   点検している

   is inspecting

   と思います

   I think

   More detail

   乗客 means “passenger(s).” Japanese nouns generally do not mark plural number, so this form can refer to one passenger or multiple passengers; the translation supports “people” here. It is the object marked by を in 乗客を. 乗せる is the transitive verb “to let someone ride” or “to put someone aboard.” Its useful base-form contrast is 乗る, “to ride” or “to board,” which describes the rider’s action, while 乗せる describes someone arranging for another person or thing to ride. In 乗客を乗せる, the passengers are the people being put aboard. The form 乗せる is non-past and does not itself specify whether the action is completed. 前に means “before.” With a verb in its non-past form, the pattern V前に means “before doing V”: 乗せる前に, “before letting the passengers board.” Here 前に belongs to the preceding action phrase and sets its time relation to the inspection. 係員 means “staff member” or “attendant,” such as personnel responsible for a service or facility. Japanese does not mark number in this noun, so 係員が does not by itself establish whether one staff member or more than one is involved. The particle が marks this noun as the subject of the following action. 列車 means “train.” It is the object marked by を in 列車を点検している: the train is what is being inspected. A useful related transport word is 電車, often used for an electric train or commuter train; it is not automatically interchangeable with 列車 in every context. 点検している comes from 点検する, “to inspect” or “to check.” 点検して is the て-form of the compound verb, followed by いる. In this sentence, Vている presents the inspection as in progress, so the intended meaning is “is inspecting,” not merely a general ability or habit. The verb’s subject is 係員 and its object is 列車. と思います means “I think.” The pattern plain clause + と思います presents the preceding content as the speaker’s thought or judgment. The polite form 思います comes from 思う, “to think”; 思います is non-past polite form. In this sentence, のだと思います uses のだ before と思います to frame the preceding situation as the explanation or interpretation the speaker believes: “I think that this is what is happening.” Together, 乗客を乗せる前に gives “before letting the passengers board.” 係員が列車を点検している says that staff are inspecting the train, and のだと思います makes the whole observation the speaker’s belief. The complete meaning is: “I think they are checking the train before letting people board.”

3. ここにいるべきでしょうか、それとも別のホームを探すべきでしょうか。

   Should we stay here, or should we look for another platform?

   ここに

   here

   いる

   be; stay

   べきでしょうか

   should ...?

   それとも

   or

   別の

   another; different

   ホーム

   platform

   探す

   look for; search

   More detail

   ここに means “here”: ここ is “this place,” and に marks the place where someone or something is present. The phrase can be reused with other location expressions, such as 駅にいる (“be at the station”). いる means “be present” or, in this sentence, “stay/remain.” It is the dictionary form of the verb; with a person or animal, いる is used for existence, while ある is used for inanimate things. Here it combines with べき to describe remaining here as the recommended action. べきでしょうか asks whether something is the proper or advisable action. べき follows the dictionary form of a verb: 行くべき means “should go,” and 待つべき means “should wait.” でしょうか makes the question polite and tentative. The subject is not stated in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies it as “we.” それとも introduces the alternative in a choice question: “or.” It connects the first possibility with the second one. For example, 電車で行きますか、それとも歩きますか means “Will you go by train, or will you walk?” 別の means “another” or “different,” and it modifies the noun that follows it. Unlike an expression that simply counts items, it emphasizes that the item is different from the one currently under consideration. For example, 別の方法 means “another method.” ホーム is the loanword used here for a railway platform. Its meaning in this sentence is the place where passengers wait for a train, not a building or a person’s residence. The noun is followed by を, which marks it as the object of the following verb. 探す means “look for” or “search for.” It is in the dictionary form, which appears before べき in patterns such as 探すべき (“should look for”). In this sentence it is the second action being considered, with 別のホーム as what is being sought. Together, ここにいるべきでしょうか asks whether the appropriate action for the understood subject, “we,” is to stay here. それとも introduces the alternative, and 別のホームを探すべきでしょうか asks whether looking for another platform would be preferable. The whole utterance is therefore: “Should we stay here, or should we look for another platform?”

4. 今は近くで待ちましょう。変更があれば、係員がどこへ行けばよいか案内してくれます。

   Stay close for now. If it changes, staff will say where to go.

   今は

   for now

   近くで

   nearby; close by

   待ちましょう

   let’s wait

   変更があれば

   if there is a change

   係員

   staff member

   どこへ行けばよいか

   where one should go

   案内してくれます

   will guide us; will tell us where to go

   More detail

   今は sets the time as “now” and makes it the topic with は; here, the practical meaning is “for now.” A useful contrast is 今 “now” versus 後で “later.” 近くで means in or at a nearby place. Here, 近く refers to the vicinity, and で marks the place where the waiting happens. For example, 駅の近くで待ちます。 means “I will wait near the station.” 待ちましょう is the polite volitional form of 待つ “to wait.” The ending -ましょう presents a proposal such as “let’s wait,” rather than simply stating that someone waits. The polite nonpast form 待ちます means “wait” or “will wait.” 変更があれば means “if there is a change.” 変更 is “change” in the relevant situation, and あれば is the conditional form of ある “to exist; to be present”: ある → あれば. The particle が marks the thing whose presence is at issue. This conditional clause supplies the situation under which the staff will provide directions. 係員 means a staff member or attendant responsible for helping people. It is a noun for a person in an official service role; Japanese does not mark a specific number here, so the context can support “staff” as well as “a staff member.” どこへ行けばよいか is an embedded question meaning “where one should go.” どこ means “where,” and へ marks the direction of movement. 行けば is the conditional form of 行く “to go,” while よい means “good” or “appropriate,” so 行けばよい expresses what would be appropriate to do: “should go.” The final か marks the embedded question. For example, どこへ行けばよいか分かりません。 means “I do not know where I should go.” 案内してくれます says that the staff will guide or provide directions for the speaker or the speaker’s associated group. 案内する is the verb “to guide; to provide directions,” して is its て-form, and くれます is the polite nonpast form of くれる. After another person’s action, -てくれる presents that action as a benefit provided to the speaker or the speaker’s group. The polite nonpast form can describe an expected future action under the stated condition. Together, 今は近くで待ちましょう says “Let’s wait nearby for now.” The conditional 変更があれば introduces “if there is a change,” and 係員がどこへ行けばよいか案内してくれます says that staff will provide guidance about where to go for the speaker’s group. The complete meaning is: “Stay close for now. If it changes, staff will say where to go.”

5. 荷物があるので、あちこち移動し続けたくありません。

   I have luggage, so I do not want to keep moving around.

   荷物

   luggage

   ある

   exist; be present

   ので

   because; so

   あちこち

   here and there; around

   移動

   movement; moving

   し続け

   keep doing

   たくありません

   do not want to

   More detail

   荷物 means luggage or baggage. It is a noun; the sentence does not specify how many pieces. In 荷物がある, が marks 荷物 as what exists, while ある is the existence verb used for nonliving things. In this context, Japanese expresses “I have luggage” as “luggage exists.” Useful forms are ある (exists), あります (polite), ない (does not exist), and あった (existed). ので connects a reason to its result. Here, 荷物があるので gives the reason for the speaker’s preference. A reusable pattern is clause + ので、result; for example, 雨なので、行きません。 means “Because it is raining, I will not go.” With a noun or a な-adjective, なので is used; with a plain verb or い-adjective, ので follows the relevant plain form. あちこち means in various places or here and there. It describes movement among multiple locations, rather than naming one specific destination. Example: 駅の中をあちこち探しました。 means “I searched around various parts of the station.” 移動 is a noun meaning movement from one place to another. It commonly forms a verb with する: 移動する means “to move.” In this sentence, 移動し続ける means “to keep moving.” し続け is the form of し続ける that connects it to the following part of the sentence; し is the continuative form of する. The reusable pattern is verb stem + 続ける: 読み続ける means “keep reading,” and 話し続ける means “keep talking.” Here, 移動し続ける is “keep moving around.” たくありません is the polite negative form of たい, which expresses a desire. The sequence is し続けたい (“want to keep moving”) → し続けたくない (“do not want to keep moving”) → し続けたくありません (“do not want to keep moving,” polite). The form たく belongs to たい, not to the noun 移動. It expresses the speaker’s unwillingness; it does not by itself say that moving is impossible. Putting the parts together, 荷物があるので gives the reason, あちこち移動し続ける describes continuing to move around from place to place, and たくありません politely negates the desire to do that. The whole utterance means: “I have luggage, so I do not want to keep moving around.”

6. 別のホームへ移る必要があれば、手伝ってもらえるか係員に聞いてみます。

   I will ask whether they can help if we need to switch platforms.

   別の

   another; different

   ホーム

   platform

   へ

   to; toward

   移る

   switch; move to

   必要があれば

   if needed

   手伝って

   help

   もらえるか

   whether someone can do it for me

   係員

   staff member

   に

   to

   聞いてみます

   will try asking

   More detail

   別の means “another” or “different” and modifies the noun that follows it. Here 別 is the lexical element meaning “separate” or “different,” and の links it to ホーム, producing “another/different platform.” ホーム is the noun for a railway platform. In this sentence it is the place involved in the move, not the English sense “house.” へ marks direction or destination. The pattern 場所へ移る means “move to a place.” へ is pronounced e here, although it is written with the kana へ. 移る is the dictionary form of the intransitive verb meaning “move” or “transfer to.” Its polite nonpast form is 移ります; the sentence uses the plain form in 移る必要, before 必要. Unlike the transitive 移す, 移る presents the subject as moving or transferring itself. 必要があれば means “if it is necessary” or, in this context, “if we need to.” 必要 means “necessity” or “need,” and ある means “exist” for this kind of situation. The conditional form あれば comes from ある, so 必要があれば describes a situation in which a need exists. Example: 必要があれば、連絡してください。 — “If necessary, please contact me.” 手伝って is the te-form of 手伝う, “to help.” The te-form connects this verb to the following auxiliary expression. For example, 手伝ってください means “Please help.” もらえるか contains the potential form もらえる of もらう, “to receive,” followed by か, which marks an embedded yes-or-no question. In 手伝ってもらえる, the speaker presents receiving someone’s help as possible: “be able to get help.” Here 手伝ってもらえるか means “whether they can help,” with the helper understood from the fixed translation rather than stated as a separate Japanese pronoun. The construction Vて＋もらう commonly expresses receiving a favor or service: 友達に見てもらう means “have a friend look at it for me.” 係員 is a noun meaning “staff member” or “attendant,” especially a person responsible for assisting at a facility or station. The following particle に marks the person being asked with 聞く. Thus 係員に聞く means “ask a staff member.” 聞いてみます consists of the te-form 聞いて of 聞く and the auxiliary みます, the polite form of みる used after a te-form. In this use, Vてみる means “try doing V,” not simply “see.” Therefore 聞いてみます means “I will try asking.” The nonpast polite form can express a future intention here. 聞く can also mean “hear” or “listen,” but the person marked by に and the embedded question show that it means “ask” in this sentence. Together, 別のホームへ移る必要があれば sets the condition: “if we need to move to another platform.” 手伝ってもらえるか supplies the question being asked: “whether they can help.” 係員に聞いてみます identifies the addressee and the speaker’s planned action: “I will try asking a staff member.” The complete meaning is: “I will ask whether they can help if we need to switch platforms.”

7. 直前に変更になった場合は、それが助かります。

   That would help if the change comes at the last minute.

   直前に

   at the last minute

   変更になった

   be changed

   場合は

   if; in the case that

   それが

   that

   助かります

   would help

   More detail

   直前に means “immediately beforehand” or “at the last minute.” 直前 is a noun meaning “just before,” and に marks the time when a change occurs. Compare 直後に (“immediately afterward”). Example: 開始直前に変更された。 — “It was changed just before the start.” 変更になった expresses that something became changed or that a change was made. Its base pattern is 変更になる; なった is its past form, and here it modifies the following noun 場合. The に in 変更になる marks the resulting state. This pattern does not identify who made the change. 変更する, by contrast, is the transitive pattern used when someone actively changes something. Example: 予定が変更になった。 — “The schedule changed.” 場合は means “if ...” or “in the case that ... .” 場合 is a noun meaning “case” or “situation,” and は marks that case as the topic. The pattern 〜場合は is a reusable way to state what applies under a condition. Example: 遅れる場合は、連絡してください。 — “If you will be late, please contact me.” それが means “that” as the subject of the next expression. それ is a demonstrative pronoun, and が marks it as the subject; the form itself does not specify a person or grammatical gender. In this sentence, the intended “that” is the relevant change or change-related event described by the conditional clause. 助かります means “is helpful” or, in this context, “would help.” It is the polite nonpast form of 助かる, whose basic meaning is to be helped, saved, or relieved. With a condition before it, the polite nonpast form can describe the helpful result that would follow: それが助かります — “That would help.” It is not the same as 手伝います, which means “I help” or “I will help.” Together, 直前に変更になった場合は sets the condition “if it changes at the last minute,” and それが助かります says that this situation would be helpful. The whole utterance means: “That would help if the change comes at the last minute.”

8. 電光掲示板が更新されれば、推測せずに移動できます。

   Once they update the board, we can move without guessing.

   電光掲示板

   electronic display board

   更新されれば

   once updated

   推測せずに

   without guessing

   移動できます

   can move

   More detail

   電光掲示板 means an electronic display board. 掲示板 is a board for displaying information, while 電光 indicates that the display uses lights or electronic characters. The particle が marks this noun as the subject of the following condition: the board is the thing that gets updated. 更新されれば comes from 更新する “to update” and uses the passive form 更新される “be updated,” followed by the conditional ending -ば. Thus 更新されれば means “if/when it is updated” or, in this sentence, “once they update it.” The updater is not stated in the Japanese wording; the fixed translation identifies the intended actor as “they.” With another verb, the same conditional pattern can be reused: 準備ができれば means “if/when the preparations are ready.” 推測せずに means “without guessing.” 推測する is the verb “to guess” or “to infer.” For a する verb, the negative connective form is せずに, not しずに; V-ずに expresses doing something without doing V. For example, 確認せずに決めないでください。 means “Please do not decide without checking.” 移動できます means “can move.” 移動する is the base する-verb “to move” or “to relocate,” and 移動できる is its potential form, “be able to move.” The ending ます makes that form polite: 移動できます. The subject is omitted in Japanese; the fixed translation supplies “we” for this sentence. A comparable example is ここから移動できます。 — “We can move from here.” Together, 電光掲示板が更新されれば sets the condition “once the electronic display board is updated.” 推測せずに says that the action is carried out without guessing, and 移動できます states the resulting ability: “Once they update the board, we can move without guessing.”