Clarifying urgency labels for after-hours messages | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: In a remote work discussion, two adults clarify that after-hours messages need urgency labels so focused time is protected..

EN → JA / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Clarifying urgency labels for after-hours messages to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

私の勤務時間が終わった後に、いくつかメッセージが届いていることに気づきました。

wah-TAH-shee noh keen-MOO JEE-kahn gah oh-WAHT-tah AH-toh nee, ee-KOOT-soo-kah MES-say-jee gah toh-DOH-ee-teh-ee-roo KOH-toh nee kee-zoo-kee-MAH-shee-tah. I noticed several messages coming in after my working hours.
B

その時間に送りましたが、すぐに返信してほしいとは思っていませんでした。

soh-no JEE-kahn nee oh-koo-ree-MAH-shee-tah gah, soo-GOO-nee hen-SHEEN shee-teh hoh-SHEE-ee toh wah moh-teh-ee-MAH-sen deh-shee-tah. I sent them then, but I did not expect an immediate reply.
A

その意図は、メッセージの文面からは明確ではありませんでした。

soh-no EE-toh wah, MES-say-jee noh boon-MEN kah-rah wah MAY-kah-koo deh-wah ah-ree-MAH-sen deh-shee-tah. That was not clear from the wording of the messages.
B

緊急ではないと分かる印を付けるべきでした。

keen-KYOO deh-wah NAH-ee toh wah-KAH-roo SHEE-roo-shee oh tsoo-KEH-roo BEH-kee deh-shee-tah. I should have marked them as non-urgent.
A

明確な緊急度ラベルがあれば、集中して仕事をする時間を守るのに役立ちます。

MAY-kah-koo nah keen-KYOO-doh RAH-beh-roo gah ah-REH-bah, SHOO-CHOO-shee-teh SHEE-goh-toh oh soo-roo JEE-kahn oh mah-MOH-roo noh nee yah-koo-DAH-chee-MAHSS. Clear urgency labels would help me protect time for focused work.
B

対応が必要な項目、背景情報、後回しにできるものには、件名タグを付けられます。

tie-OH gah hee-tsu-YOH nah KOH-moh-koo, high-KAY joh-HOH, ah-toh-mah-WAH-shee nee deh-KEE-roo moh-noh nee wah, ken-MAY tah-goo oh tsoo-KEH-rah-reh-MAHSS. I can add subject tags for action items, background information, and anything that can wait.
A

そうすれば、協力を遅らせずにプレッシャーを減らせます。

soh-oo-SOO-reh-bah, KYOH-ryoh-koo oh oh-koo-rah-SEH-zoo-nee presh-SHAH oh heh-rah-SEH-mahss. That would lower the pressure without slowing collaboration.
B

これからは、それを基本にします。

koh-reh-kah-RAH wah, soh-reh oh kee-HOHN nee SHEE-mahss. I will make that my default from now on.

Word by Word

私 私 means I or me, referring here to the speaker. In 私の勤務時間, it identifies whose working hours are being discussed. It is commonly used before の when referring to something belonging or relating to the speaker.
の の links 私 to 勤務時間 and shows the relationship between them: the working hours belonging to or associated with the speaker. It commonly connects a person or noun to another noun.
勤務時間 勤務時間 means working hours, the period during which the speaker normally works. Here it is the period that ended before the messages arrived. It is useful when discussing schedules, availability, or work boundaries.
が が marks 勤務時間 as the subject of 終わった, showing that the working hours are what ended. It commonly follows the noun that performs an action or enters a state.
終わった 終わった means ended or finished; it is the past form of 終わる. In 勤務時間が終わった後, it shows that the working hours had finished before the later event. The pattern verb-past form plus 後 means after an action ended.
後 後 means after or afterward. In 終わった後, it refers to the time following the end of the working hours. It commonly follows a past action when identifying what happens afterward.
に に marks the time period in 終わった後に, locating the arrival of the messages after the working hours ended. It commonly follows a time expression when stating when something happens.
いくつか いくつか means several or some, indicating an unspecified number of messages. Here it modifies メッセージ and shows that more than one message arrived. It commonly comes before a noun when the exact number is not important.
メッセージ メッセージ means message. Here it refers to the work-related messages that arrived after the speaker’s working hours. It can be used for written or electronic communication.
届いて 届いて means arriving or being delivered and is the connective form of 届く. In 届いている, it describes messages that have arrived and are in that resulting state. It is commonly used with mail, notifications, or messages that reach someone.
いる いる in 届いている indicates that the arrival has resulted in a continuing state: the messages are now there. It is attached to a て-form here rather than referring to a person or animal. The pattern verb-て form plus いる often describes an ongoing or resulting state.
こと こと turns 届いている into the fact or circumstance that messages are arriving or have arrived. In ことに気づきました, the whole event becomes what the speaker noticed. A clause plus こと is commonly used to refer to an action or situation as a fact.
気づきました 気づきました means noticed or realized and is the polite past form of 気づく. Here the speaker noticed the fact that messages had arrived after working hours. It is commonly used with こと when the object of noticing is a situation or event.
その その means that or those and points back to a time already understood from the conversation. In その時間, it identifies the time when the messages were sent. It commonly comes directly before a noun.
時間 時間 means time. In その時間, it refers to the time when the sender sent the messages. It is commonly combined with に when specifying when an action happened.
送りました 送りました means sent and is the polite past form of 送る. Here it refers to sending the messages at that time. It commonly follows the item being sent, marked with を.
すぐに すぐに means immediately or right away. Here it modifies 返信してほしい and describes the expected speed of the reply. It commonly comes before the action that should happen without delay.
返信 返信 means a reply or response. In 返信してほしい, it names the reply that the speaker was not expecting immediately. It is commonly combined with する to express replying.
して して is the connective form of する in 返信してほしい. It links the action of replying to ほしい, expressing a wish about another person’s action. The pattern verb-て form plus ほしい is used when wanting someone to do something.
ほしい ほしい marks the desired action in 返信してほしい: the speaker would want the other person to reply. Here that desired reply is placed inside the expectation being denied. The pattern verb-て form plus ほしい is useful when stating what you want someone else to do.
と と marks 返信してほしい as the content of 思っていませんでした. It shows what expectation or thought the speaker did not have. It commonly follows quoted thoughts, beliefs, or statements.
は は highlights 返信してほしい as the topic or point of contrast in 返信してほしいとは思っていませんでした. It emphasizes that expecting an immediate reply was not the speaker’s intention. It commonly follows quoted content when that content is being contrasted or specially focused.
思って 思って means thinking or holding an expectation and is the connective form of 思う. In 思っていませんでした, it forms the expression for not having held that expectation. It commonly connects to いる when describing a continuing thought or belief.
いません いません is the polite negative form of いる in 思っていませんでした. Together with 思って, it says that the speaker did not have the expectation of an immediate reply. The pattern verb-て form plus いない is used to deny an ongoing thought, state, or action.
でした でした is the polite past form of です. Here it places the absence of that expectation in the past, referring to what the sender thought when sending the messages. It commonly follows a polite past description or a negative expression ending in ない.
意図 意図 means intention or intended meaning. In その意図は, it refers to the sender’s intention behind the messages. It is useful when clarifying what a communication was meant to convey.
文面 文面 means the wording or written text of a message. In 文面から, it is the source from which the intention was judged. It is commonly used when discussing how written communication conveys meaning.
から から means from or based on in 文面から. It identifies the wording as the basis for deciding whether the intention was clear. It commonly follows a source or evidence used for a judgment.
明確 明確 means clear or explicit. Here 明確ではありませんでした says that the intention was not clear from the wording. It is commonly used for information, instructions, or intentions whose meaning can be understood clearly.
で で is the connective part of the formal negative expression 明確ではありませんでした. It links 明確 to the negative form ありません. In this pattern, it helps state politely that something is not a certain quality.
ありません ありません is the polite negative form in 明確ではありませんでした, meaning that the intention was not clear. It forms a formal negative statement with では. This expression is commonly used in polite explanations or clarifications.
緊急 緊急 means urgent or related to an emergency. In 緊急ではない, it identifies the messages as not urgent. It is commonly used to classify the priority of a request or message.
ない ない makes 緊急ではない negative, giving the meaning not urgent. Here it says that the messages do not require immediate attention. It commonly follows a noun in the pattern ではない.
分かる 分かる means be understandable or be possible to tell. In 緊急ではないと分かる印, it describes a mark from which one can tell that the message is not urgent. It commonly modifies a noun when describing what can be understood or recognized.
印 印 means a mark or sign. Here it is an indicator showing that a message is not urgent. It can refer to a visible or written sign used to communicate a classification.
を を marks 印 as the object of 付ける in 印を付ける. It shows what is attached or added. The pattern noun plus を plus verb commonly identifies the direct object of an action.
付ける 付ける means attach, add, or put on. Here it means attaching an 印 to the messages to show their urgency status. It commonly takes the thing being attached as an object marked by を.
べき べき expresses what should or ought to be done. In 付けるべきでした, it says that adding the mark was the proper action, viewed afterward. The pattern dictionary-form verb plus べき is used to express duty or an appropriate action.
な な is the opening part of ない in 緊急ではない, contributing to the expression not urgent. It does not carry the complete negative meaning by itself here. It appears inside ない after では in this expression.
緊急度 緊急度 means urgency level. In 緊急度ラベル, it identifies the level of priority assigned to a message. It is useful when organizing messages according to how quickly they require attention.
ラベル ラベル means label. Here it refers to a visible classification showing the urgency level of a message. It commonly combines with a noun such as 緊急度 to specify what the label represents.
あれば あれば means if there is or if it is available and is the conditional form of ある. In 明確な緊急度ラベルがあれば, it introduces the condition that clear urgency labels are available. It commonly follows が when stating that the existence of something is a condition.
集中 集中 means focus or concentration. In 集中して仕事をする, it describes working with attention directed to the task. It is commonly combined with する or して to describe focusing.
仕事 仕事 means work. In 集中して仕事をする, it is the activity that the speaker wants to do with focus. It commonly combines with する when referring to doing or carrying out work.
する する means do or carry out. In 仕事をする, it forms the expression to do work. It commonly follows a noun to create an action, especially with activities such as work.
守る 守る means protect or preserve. In 時間を守る, it expresses protecting the speaker’s time for focused work from being taken by unexpected demands. It commonly takes the thing being protected as an object marked by を.
役立ちます 役立ちます means is useful or helps and is the polite nonpast form of 役立つ. Here it says that clear urgency labels help protect time for focused work. The pattern noun plus に役立つ is commonly used for something that helps with a purpose.
対応 対応 means action, handling, or response. In 対応が必要な項目, it refers to the action that must be taken for an item. It is commonly used when discussing requests, tasks, or issues that need handling.
必要 必要 means necessary or needed. In 対応が必要な項目, it says that a response or action is needed for the item. It commonly comes before な plus a noun when describing something required.
項目 項目 means item or listed point. Here it refers to a work item that may require a response. It is commonly used for organized tasks, categories, or points in a document.
背景 背景 means background or context. In 背景情報, it specifies information that provides context rather than requiring immediate action. It commonly combines with 情報 to describe contextual information.
情報 情報 means information. In 背景情報, it refers to information explaining the context of a matter. It is commonly combined with another noun to specify the type of information.
後回し 後回し means putting something off or postponing it. In 後回しにできるもの, it describes items that can be dealt with later. It commonly combines with にできる when something can be deferred.
できる できる means can or be able to. In 後回しにできる, it says that an item can be postponed. It commonly follows a noun plus に when describing a possible change in treatment or status.
もの もの means thing or item. In 後回しにできるもの, it refers broadly to anything that can be postponed. It commonly follows a description to mean a thing or item with that quality.
件名 件名 means subject line or subject field. In 件名タグ, it identifies tags placed in or associated with the subject of a message. It is commonly used when organizing email or other written messages.
タグ タグ means tag or label. Here it refers to a short classification added to the subject line. It commonly combines with a noun that identifies what the tag describes.
付けられます 付けられます means can attach or can add and is the polite potential form of 付ける in this context. Here the speaker says that subject tags can be added to messages. It commonly takes the item being added as an object marked by を.
そうすれば そうすれば means if that is done or in that way, referring to the proposed use of subject tags. Within そうすれば, そう points to the preceding proposal and すれば presents carrying it out as the condition. It is commonly used to introduce an expected result of an earlier action.
協力 協力 means collaboration or cooperation. In 協力を遅らせずに, it refers to the coworkers’ ability to work together. It is commonly used when discussing cooperative work or shared efforts.
遅らせずに 遅らせずに means without delaying. In 協力を遅らせずに, 遅らせ supplies the action of delaying and ずに means without doing that action. This form commonly comes before the action that can happen without the preceding delay.
プレッシャー プレッシャー means pressure. Here it refers to the pressure caused by uncertainty about whether an after-hours message requires an immediate reply. It is the object of 減らせます in the sentence.
減らせます 減らせます means can reduce or can lessen and is the polite potential form of 減らす. Here it says that clear labeling can lessen pressure. It commonly follows the thing being reduced, marked by を.
これから これから means from now on or going forward. In これからは, it sets the future period during which the new practice will be followed. It is commonly used when announcing a change in future behavior.
それ それ means that or it and refers here to the proposed practice of using the subject tags. In それを基本にします, it identifies that practice as the thing being adopted. It commonly refers back to something just mentioned.
基本 基本 means basis or default approach. In それを基本にします, it means making the proposed practice the standard approach. The pattern somethingを基本にする is useful for stating what will serve as the default.
します します means do or make it so and is the polite nonpast form of する. In 基本にします, it expresses the decision to make the proposed practice the default going forward. It commonly follows a noun or expression describing the new status or approach.

Grammar Points

〜ずに

遅らせずに返信します。

oh-koo-rah-SEH-zoo-nee hen-SHEEN SHEE-mahss.

I will reply without delaying.

〜ずに means “without doing.” It connects a verb to an action that is done without the first action.

動詞・表現＋名詞

対応が必要な項目

tie-OH gah hee-tsu-YOH nah KOH-moh-koo

items requiring action

In Japanese, a clause comes before the noun it describes. 対応が必要な modifies 項目.

Japanese Vocabulary

すぐに adv
soo-GOO-nee immediately
メッセージ noun
MES-say-jee message
印 noun
SHEE-roo-shee mark; sign
気づきました verb
kee-zoo-kee-MAH-shee-tah noticed
勤務時間 noun
keen-MOO JEE-kahn working hours
緊急 adj
keen-KYOO urgent
送りました verb
oh-koo-ree-MAH-shee-tah sent
届いている verb
toh-DOH-ee-teh-ee-roo have arrived; are coming in
付ける verb
tsoo-KEH-roo to attach; to add; to mark
文面 noun
boon-MEN wording; text of a message
返信 noun
hen-SHEEN reply
明確 adj
MAY-kah-koo clear

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

have arrived; are coming in

Show Answer届いている

message

Show Answerメッセージ

sent

Show Answer送りました

working hours

Show Answer勤務時間