Returning a Device with an Intermittent Screen Fault | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 最近この機器を買ったのですが、画面がときどきちらつきます。

   I bought this device recently, but the screen flickers sometimes.

   最近

   recently

   この

   this

   機器

   device

   買った

   bought

   のですが

   but

   画面

   screen

   ときどき

   sometimes

   ちらつきます

   flickers

   More detail

   最近 means “recently” here and is a time adverb. It commonly appears near the beginning of a sentence to set the time: 最近、忙しいです。—“I have been busy recently.” この means “this” before a noun. It identifies a nearby or contextually indicated item, but Japanese この does not by itself mark the noun as singular or plural. Compare この機器 (“this device”) with その機器 (“that device / the device associated with you or already mentioned”). 機器 means “device” or “piece of equipment.” It is a noun often used for technical equipment. The phrase この機器 puts the demonstrative この directly before the noun. 買った is the past form of 買う, “to buy.” The change 買う → 買った expresses a completed past action in this sentence. For example, 新しい電話を買った。means “I bought a new phone.” The form 買いました is the polite past counterpart. のですが is a connective construction. In this sentence, のです presents or frames the preceding fact, and が connects it to the following point with “but.” Together, 買ったのですが means “I bought it, but…” or “The situation is that I bought it, but…”. The ending can also leave room for the listener to respond, but here its main function is to connect the purchase with the problem that follows. It is not the noun 機器 being modified. 画面 means “screen” or “display.” It is a noun; in this sentence it is the subject of the following description. For example, 画面が明るい。means “The screen is bright.” ときどき means “sometimes” or “from time to time.” It describes an event that happens intermittently rather than continuously. Compare いつも (“always”) and たまに (“occasionally,” generally less often than ときどき). ちらつきます is the polite non-past form of ちらつく, “to flicker” or “to flutter intermittently.” Here it describes the screen’s behavior; the non-past form presents this as a current or recurring issue, not as one single completed flicker. The plain form is ちらつく, and the polite past form is ちらつきました, “flickered.” The first part, 最近この機器を買ったのですが, means “I bought this device recently, but…”. The object marker を identifies この機器 as what was bought. The second part, 画面がときどきちらつきます, means “the screen sometimes flickers”: が marks 画面 as the subject, ときどき gives the intermittent frequency, and ちらつきます gives the polite description of the problem. Together, the utterance means “I bought this device recently, but the screen flickers sometimes.”

2. 断続的に起こる不具合は再現しにくいことがあるので、こちらで検査します。

   Intermittent faults can be hard to reproduce, so we will test it here.

   断続的に

   intermittently

   起こる

   occur; happen

   不具合

   fault; problem

   再現しにくい

   difficult to reproduce

   ことがある

   can; sometimes happens

   こちらで

   here; at this place

   検査します

   will test; will examine

   More detail

   断続的に describes an event that occurs with interruptions rather than continuously. It is the adverbial form of 断続的 and modifies 起こる here, giving “occur intermittently.” 起こる means “to occur” or “to happen.” Its dictionary form is 起こる; in this sentence, 断続的に起こる modifies the noun that follows: “that occur intermittently.” This is different from transitive 起こす, “to cause” or “to make happen.” 不具合 means a malfunction or fault, especially a problem in a device or system. Here it is the thing that occurs intermittently. Example: 不具合を確認します。 — “I will check the malfunction.” 再現しにくい means “difficult to reproduce.” 再現する means to reproduce a condition or result, and 再現しにくい uses the verb stem 再現し plus 〜にくい, a pattern meaning that doing something is difficult. 〜にくい indicates practical difficulty or a tendency to be hard, not impossibility. Example: この現象は再現しにくいです。 — “This phenomenon is difficult to reproduce.” ことがある follows the preceding description and means “there are cases when” or “can be.” In 再現しにくいことがある, it applies to the whole description: “there are cases in which it is difficult to reproduce” or “it can be hard to reproduce.” It does not mean that reproduction itself sometimes happens. The particle ので then gives the reason: because this can happen, the speaker will test it. こちらで means “here” or “on our side” in this context. こちら is a polite proximal expression for this side or place, and で marks the place or setting where an action is carried out. The fixed translation supports the local reading “here”; it does not identify a more specific physical location. 検査します means “will test” or “will examine” here. The base form is 検査する, “to inspect or test,” and します is its polite nonpast form. Japanese nonpast forms can describe a planned or forthcoming action, so the context gives it the prospective meaning “will test.” Example: こちらで検査します。 — “We will test it here.” Together, the intermittent occurrence of the malfunction is presented as the reason that reproducing it may be difficult, and ので connects that reason to the plan to test it on the speaker’s side: “Intermittent faults can be hard to reproduce, so we will test it here.”

3. 通常使用中にその症状が起きたときの短い動画を撮りました。

   I recorded a short video of it happening during normal use.

   通常使用中に

   during normal use

   その

   that / the one in question

   症状

   symptom

   起きた

   happened

   ときの

   of the time when

   短い

   short

   動画

   video

   撮りました

   recorded

   More detail

   通常使用中に means “during normal use.” 通常 means normal/usual, and 使用 means use; 中 marks being in the middle of an activity or situation, while に marks the time or circumstance. A reusable pattern is [activity]中に: 作業中に電話が来ました。 — “A call came during the work.” その means “that” or “the one in question.” It is a demonstrative modifier placed before the noun it identifies. Here it points to the symptom being discussed, without adding a separate description of what the symptom is. 症状 means “symptom.” It is a noun commonly used for a symptom or observable sign of a problem. In this utterance, it is the thing that occurs; その症状 means “that symptom” or, in the fixed translation, “it.” 起きた means “occurred” or “happened” here. Its base form is 起きる, “to occur/happen”; 起きた is its plain past form. Japanese uses a clause before a noun to describe that noun, so 症状が起きた (“the symptom occurred”) comes before とき (“time”): 症状が起きたとき means “when the symptom occurred.” ときの means “of the time when” and links the preceding event to the noun that follows. とき is a noun meaning “time” or “occasion,” and の makes the phrase modify the following noun. Thus 症状が起きたときの短い動画 is literally “a short video of the time when the symptom occurred.” 短い means “short.” Its base form is also 短い; this is an い-adjective, so it directly modifies the following noun: 短い動画 — “a short video.” Its useful opposite is 長い, “long.” 動画 means “video.” It is the recorded item in this sentence. For example, 動画を見ました。 means “I watched the video.” 撮りました means “recorded” here. Its base form is 撮る, “to take/record,” and 撮りました is the polite past form. With 動画, 動画を撮る is the reusable pattern “record/take a video.” The object marker を is not included in the selected quote, but it links 動画 to 撮りました in the full sentence. Putting the parts together: 通常使用中に sets the situation as during normal use; その症状が起きたときの identifies the relevant occasion, when that symptom occurred; 短い動画 is the object; and 撮りました says that the speaker recorded it. The whole utterance therefore means: “I recorded a short video of it happening during normal use.”

4. 検査中に不具合が現れなければ、その動画が役立ちます。

   The video will help if the fault does not show up during the test.

   検査

   test

   不具合

   fault

   現れなければ

   if it does not show up

   その

   that

   動画

   video

   役立ちます

   is helpful

   More detail

   検査 means an inspection or test. The phrase 検査中に uses 中 in the pattern N中 to mean “during N,” with に marking the time period. Example: 作業中に電話が鳴りました。 — “The phone rang during the work.” 不具合 is a noun for a fault, defect, or malfunction. Here it is the thing that may appear, marked by が; the supplied translation identifies it as “the fault.” 不具合 is broader than a symptom in some contexts, so its exact English choice depends on what is malfunctioning. 現れなければ comes from the intransitive verb 現れる, “to appear” or “show up.” Its negative form is 現れない, and the conditional ending changes this to 現れなければ: “if it does not appear” or “unless it appears.” Because 不具合 is the subject, the sentence says that the fault itself does not show up; it does not say that someone fails to find it. Example: 問題が現れなければ、作業を続けます。 — “If no problem appears, I will continue the work.” その is a demonstrative placed before a noun. In その動画, it means “that” and modifies 動画; the fixed translation identifies the intended referent as the video. Unlike a standalone pronoun, その normally needs the following noun in this use. 動画 means “video.” As the noun marked by が in その動画が役立ちます, it is the subject of 役立ちます. The neighboring context also contains a recorded video, but the fixed translation specifically supports “the video” here. 役立ちます is the polite nonpast form of 役立つ, “to be useful” or “to help.” Japanese nonpast forms can describe a future result when they occur in a conditional sentence, so here it naturally means “will help.” The related pattern 役に立つ also means “to be useful,” but it is a separate expression rather than the base form of 役立つ. Together, 検査中に sets the time, and 不具合が現れなければ gives the condition: “if the fault does not show up during the test.” The main clause その動画が役立ちます says that the video will help. Thus the whole utterance means: “The video will help if the fault does not show up during the test.”

5. 修理ではなく、交換を希望します。

   I would prefer a replacement instead of a repair.

   修理

   repair

   ではなく

   instead of; not ... but ...

   交換

   replacement

   希望します

   prefer; request

   More detail

   修理 means “repair.” It is a noun and can be used for the service or action of repairing something. The related verb is 修理する, “to repair.” Example: 修理が必要です。 — “A repair is necessary.” ではなく follows 修理 here and presents it as the option being rejected in favor of another one: “instead of repair” or “not repair, but …”. で is the linking form of だ, and はなく is the negative form used in this contrast pattern. A reusable pattern is Aではなく、B — “not A, but B” / “B rather than A.” 交換 means “replacement” here. It is a noun; the related verb 交換する means “to replace” or “to exchange,” depending on the situation. In this sentence, the intended meaning is replacing the item, not exchanging two items with each other. Example: 部品を交換します。 — “I will replace the part.” 希望します means “prefer” or “request” in this sentence. Its base form is the polite-use verb 希望する, “to hope for; to request; to prefer.” します is the polite nonpast form of する, so 希望します can describe a present preference or a polite request; it does not by itself specify past or future time. The object marker を shows that 交換 is what is desired. Example: 別の日を希望します。 — “I would prefer another day.” Together, 修理ではなく sets repair aside, 交換を marks replacement as the desired option, and 希望します politely states that preference. The whole utterance means: “I would prefer a replacement instead of a repair.”

6. その希望は記録できますが、次の対応は点検結果によって決まります。

   We can record that preference, but the inspection decides the next step.

   その

   that

   希望

   preference

   記録できます

   can record

   次の

   next

   対応

   response or step

   点検結果

   inspection result

   によって

   depending on

   決まります

   is decided

   More detail

   その modifies a noun and means “that” in the fixed utterance: その希望 is “that preference.” Japanese demonstratives also distinguish distance or discourse status; この means “this,” while あの means “that over there” or something previously mentioned. Example: その方法を使います。 — “I’ll use that method.” 希望 is a noun meaning “hope,” “wish,” or “preference.” Here, the translation identifies it specifically as the preference mentioned in the surrounding exchange. The related verb is 希望する, “to hope for” or “request,” but the observed form itself is the noun. Example: 交換を希望します。 — “I request a replacement.” 記録できます means “can record.” It is the polite nonpast form of 記録できる, “be able to record,” which is the potential form related to 記録する, “record.” The subject is not stated in Japanese; in this translation, it is understood as “we.” The potential form expresses ability or feasibility, not merely a future action. Example: この内容を記録できます。 — “We can record this information.” その希望は記録できますが combines the topic marker は with the contrastive connector が: “We can record that preference, but …”. The が here links the two clauses and is not the subject marker of the whole first clause. 次の means “next” and modifies the noun that follows. The form 次 can also be used as a noun meaning “the next one,” but 次の対応 uses it attributively. Example: 次の予定を確認します。 — “I’ll check the next schedule.” 対応 is a noun for a response, handling, measure, or next step taken in response to a situation. In this sentence, “the next step” is the compatible meaning. It can also appear in the verb-like expression 対応する, “respond” or “handle.” Example: 適切な対応を考えます。 — “I’ll consider an appropriate response.” 次の対応 therefore means “the next response or step.” The modifier 次の does not itself say what that step will be; the sentence leaves its content to the later determination. 点検結果 is a compound noun: 点検 means “inspection” or “checking,” and 結果 means “result.” Together they mean “inspection result.” This is a noun compound rather than a separate verb construction. Example: 点検結果を確認しました。 — “I checked the inspection results.” によって marks what determines an outcome here, so 点検結果によって means “depending on the inspection result.” The same form can have other functions, including marking an agent in some passive sentences, but that is not its role in this utterance. Example: 天候によって予定が変わります。 — “The schedule changes depending on the weather.” 決まります is the polite nonpast form of the intransitive verb 決まる, “be decided” or “become settled.” It describes the next step as becoming determined, rather than presenting an unstated person as the one who decides it. Its transitive counterpart is 決める, “decide” or “set”: 担当者が予定を決めます。 — “The person in charge decides the schedule.” Putting the parts together, その希望は記録できますが says that the stated preference can be recorded. 次の対応は introduces the next step as the topic, and 点検結果によって決まります says that this step will be determined by the inspection result. The complete meaning is: “We can record that preference, but the inspection decides the next step.”

7. 初期設定の直後に問題が始まったことを記録してください。

   Please note that the problem started right after setup.

   初期設定

   setup

   直後

   immediately after

   問題

   problem

   始まった

   started

   記録してください

   please record

   More detail

   初期設定 means “setup” here, specifically the initial configuration or setup process. 設定 is “setting/configuration,” while 初期 adds the meaning “initial.” Together, this noun can be reused in patterns such as 初期設定を確認する (“check the initial setup”). 直後 means “immediately after.” It is a noun meaning the time directly following something; 初期設定の直後 uses の to connect “setup” to “immediately after,” producing “immediately after setup.” The particle に marks this time point: 会議の直後に連絡する means “contact someone immediately after the meeting.” 問題 means “problem” here. It is a noun and can be used with particles such as が to mark what undergoes or has the described event: 問題がある means “there is a problem.” 始まった means “started” in this sentence. Its base form is 始まる (“to start/begin”); 始まった is its past form. The form 始まった modifies こと, so 問題が始まったこと means “the fact that the problem started.” This is different from transitive 始める, “to start something”: 問題が始まる has the problem as the thing that begins, while 誰かが作業を始める means “someone starts the work.” 記録してください means “please record.” 記録する is the verb “to record,” and 記録してください is the polite request pattern verb in て-form + ください. Here, 記録して combines with ください to request that the listener record something. For example, 名前を記録してください means “Please record the name.” The structure is 初期設定の直後に (“immediately after setup”) + 問題が始まったこと (“the fact that the problem started”) + を記録してください (“please record”). Together, the utterance politely asks the listener to record that the problem started immediately after setup.

8. その点をサービス記録に追加します。

   I will add that to the service record.

   その

   that

   点

   point; aspect

   サービス

   service

   記録

   record

   追加します

   will add

   More detail

   その is a demonstrative used before a noun: その + noun means “that noun.” Here it modifies 点, so その点 means “that point” or “that aspect.” Its exact referent is supplied by the situation; the preceding context makes it natural to connect it with the matter just mentioned. 点 is a noun meaning a point, aspect, or particular matter. In その点, it helps turn a previously identified matter into the object being discussed. Example: その点を確認します。 — “I will check that point.” サービス is a noun used here as the first part of the compound サービス記録, meaning “service.” Japanese commonly places a noun before another noun to specify its type or domain; this does not make サービス the object of 追加します by itself. 記録 is a noun meaning “record.” In サービス記録, it means a service record. The particle に after this noun marks the destination or place where something is added. Example: 記録に名前を追加します。 — “I will add a name to the record.” 追加します comes from the verb 追加する, “to add.” します is the polite nonpast form of する; with an intended future action, as in the translation here, it means “will add.” The subject is omitted because Japanese can leave it unspoken when the situation identifies it. The particle を after その点 marks what is being added. Together, その点を marks “that point” as the object, サービス記録に marks the service record as the destination, and 追加します states the polite action “will add.” The whole utterance therefore means “I will add that to the service record.”