Japanese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 6 of 12
Solving problems
困ったときはKomatta toki wa
Take something broken back to a shop in Japanese, compare the four ways to say “if” (ば, たら, と, なら) and ask for help politely.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Explain that something is broken or doesn't work
- Choose between ～ば, ～たら, ～と and ～なら
- Tell “it broke” from “I broke it” with verb pairs like 壊れる／壊す
- Ask for a favour with ～てもらえますか and ～ていただけますか
Listen
In Osaka, Yoshikawa Daisuke takes a rice cooker that has stopped working back to the electronics shop where he bought it. Sakai Aiko helps him at the service counter. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Yoshikawa
すみません、修理の係の人はいらっしゃいますか。
Sumimasen, shūri no kakari no hito wa irasshaimasu ka.
Excuse me, is there someone who deals with repairs?
Sakai
はい、私です。どうなさいましたか。
Hai, watashi desu. Dō nasaimashita ka.
Yes, that's me. What seems to be the problem?
Yoshikawa
先月ここで買った炊飯器なんですが、昨日から動かないんです。見てもらえますか。
Sengetsu koko de katta suihanki na n desu ga, kinō kara ugokanai n desu. Mite moraemasu ka.
It's a rice cooker I bought here last month, but it hasn't worked since yesterday. Could you have a look at it?
Sakai
申し訳ございません。スイッチを押すと、画面はつきますか。
Mōshiwake gozaimasen. Suitchi o osu to, gamen wa tsukimasu ka.
I'm very sorry. When you press the switch, does the screen come on?
Yoshikawa
画面はつきます。でも、スタートボタンを押すと、エラーが出て止まってしまうんです。壊れてしまったんでしょうか。
Gamen wa tsukimasu. Demo, sutāto botan o osu to, erā ga dete tomatte shimau n desu. Kowarete shimatta n deshō ka.
The screen comes on. But when I press the start button, an error appears and it stops. Do you think it's broken?
Sakai
そうですね、故障かもしれません。落としたことはありませんか。
Sō desu ne, koshō kamo shiremasen. Otoshita koto wa arimasen ka.
Yes, it may be faulty. You haven't ever dropped it?
Yoshikawa
いいえ、一度もありません。
Iie, ichido mo arimasen.
No, never.
Sakai
では、保証書を見せていただけますか。
De wa, hoshōsho o misete itadakemasu ka.
Then could I see the warranty card, please?
Yoshikawa
それが、家で探したんですが、見つからないんです。領収書ならあるんですが。
Sore ga, ie de sagashita n desu ga, mitsukaranai n desu. Ryōshūsho nara aru n desu ga.
The thing is, I looked for it at home, but I can't find it. I do have the receipt, though.
Sakai
領収書があれば大丈夫です。一年保証ですので、修理は無料です。もし修理できなければ、返金します。
Ryōshūsho ga areba daijōbu desu. Ichinen hoshō desu node, shūri wa muryō desu. Moshi shūri dekinakereba, henkin shimasu.
If you have the receipt, that's fine. There's a one-year guarantee, so the repair is free. If we can't repair it, we'll give you a refund.
Yoshikawa
よかった。ただ、炊飯器がないと困るんです。修理にはどのくらいかかりますか。
Yokatta. Tada, suihanki ga nai to komaru n desu. Shūri ni wa dono kurai kakarimasu ka.
That's a relief. The only thing is, I'm stuck without a rice cooker. How long will the repair take?
Sakai
二週間ぐらいです。お急ぎでしたら、新しいものとの交換もできますよ。
Nishūkan gurai desu. Oisogi deshitara, atarashii mono to no kōkan mo dekimasu yo.
About two weeks. If you're in a hurry, we can also exchange it for a new one.
Understand
Four ways to say “if”: ～と, ～ば, ～たら, ～なら
～と (to) after the dictionary form is for things that always follow: press this, and that happens. ～ば (ba) is a general condition that puts the stress on what is needed: “if”, “as long as”. ～たら (tara), from chapter 5, is the all-rounder for one particular situation, and the safest one before a request or an invitation. ～なら (nara) takes up what someone has just said: “if that's the case”, “if it's … you mean”.
To make the form, u-verbs change the last sound to the e-row and add : → (areba), → (oseba). Ru-verbs: (tabereba). Irregular: (sureba), (kureba). い-adjectives: (takakereba). Negative: ～なければ (-nakereba), if not. For nouns and な-adjectives, is used instead.
| Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ～と (to) | what always happens; instructions for machines | (Kono botan o osu to, gamen ga tsukimasu.) Press this button and the screen comes on. |
| ～ば (ba) | general conditions; “as long as” | (Ryōshūsho ga areba daijōbu desu.) As long as you have the receipt, it's fine. |
| ～たら (tara) | one situation; “when, once”; before requests | (Ie ni tsuitara, denwa shite kudasai.) Call me when you get home. |
| ～なら (nara) | “if that's so”, reacting to what was said | (Oisogi nara, kōkan shimasu.) If you're in a hurry, we'll exchange it. |
It broke, or I broke it: verb pairs
Many Japanese verbs come in pairs. The intransitive verb says that something happens by itself, and the thing takes (ga): (suihanki ga kowareta), the rice cooker broke. The transitive verb says that someone does it to something, which takes (o): (suihanki o kowashita), I broke the rice cooker.
When something goes wrong, Japanese speakers usually choose the intransitive verb with ～てしまった, which sounds less like blaming anyone: (kowarete shimatta), it's gone and broken.
| Happens by itself () | Someone does it () |
|---|---|
| (kowareru), to break | (kowasu), to break (something) |
| (aku), to open | (akeru), to open (something) |
| (ochiru), to fall | (otosu), to drop; to lose |
| (tsuku), to come on | (tsukeru), to turn on |
| (tomaru), to stop | (tomeru), to stop (something) |
| (mitsukaru), to be found | (mitsukeru), to find |
Asking for a favour: ～てもらえますか, ～ていただけますか
The te-form + (moraemasu ka) literally asks “can I receive your doing …?”: (mite moraemasu ka), could you have a look at it? It is more polite than ～てください. ～ていただけますか (-te itadakemasu ka) uses the humble instead of and is more polite still: use it with staff, customers and people above you. Ending in ～ませんか (, ) makes the request even softer.
Shop staff also use set polite phrases you should recognise: (dō nasaimashita ka), what seems to be the problem?; (mōshiwake gozaimasen), I'm very sorry; (omochi desu ka), do you have …?; (oisogi deshitara), if you're in a hurry.
- 修理していただけますか。Shūri shite itadakemasu ka.Could you repair it, please?
- ちょっと手伝ってもらえませんか。Chotto tetsudatte moraemasen ka.Could you give me a hand?
More in the grammar: ～ている and ～てある · Requests and permission · Conditionals: ～ば, ～たら, ～と, ～なら · Giving and receiving: あげる, くれる, もらう · Transitive and intransitive verb pairs
New words
- 修理shūrirepair · しゅうり; (shūri suru), to repair
- 係の人kakari no hitothe person in charge · かかりのひと; staff say (kakari no mono) about themselves
- 炊飯器suihankirice cooker · すいはんき
- 動かないugokanaidoesn't work, won't run · うごかない; from (ugoku), to move, to run
- 押すosuto press, to push · おす
- 画面gamenscreen, display · がめん
- 壊れるkowareruto break, to stop working · こわれる; (kowasu), to break something
- 故障koshōfault, breakdown · こしょう; (koshō shite iru), is out of order
- 落とすotosuto drop; to lose · おとす; (saifu o otoshita), I lost my wallet
- 保証書hoshōshowarranty card · ほしょうしょ; (hoshō), guarantee
- 見つかるmitsukaruto be found · みつかる; (mitsukaranai), I can't find it; (sagasu), to look for
- 領収書ryōshūshoreceipt · りょうしゅうしょ; the till receipt is also called (reshīto)
- 無料muryōfree of charge · むりょう; (moshi), if (it happens that), often starts a sentence with or
- 返金henkinrefund · へんきん; (henkin suru), to refund
Practise
1.The screen always comes on when you press the switch. Which “if” fits? ___
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.As long as you have this receipt, it's fine.
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Which sentence is correct?
5.What is the most polite way to ask a shop assistant to look at your rice cooker?
6.A colleague says he's going to Osaka tomorrow. You recommend a shop there. Which “if” fits? ___
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
昨日から動かないんです。
Kinō kara ugokanai n desu.
It hasn't worked since yesterday.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.