New here? This is lesson 76 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.
Asking your teacher in Japanese
Saturday morning class at the community centre. Leo wants help from the teacher, but he starts with さん.
A classmate leans in and whispers 先生. Leo bows too deep, then the questions come.
You will ask to speak, ask for another explanation, and ask how something is used or said.
Keep it polite. The teacher is 先生, never さん.
By the end of this lesson
Ask the teacher to repeat, explain, or answer a question.
- 先生、質問があります。Teacher, I have a question.
- 質問してもいいですか。May I ask a question?
- もう一度、説明してください。Please explain that again.
- これはどう使いますか。How do you use this?
- ___はどう発音しますか。How do you pronounce ___?
- トイレに行ってもいいですか。May I go to the bathroom?
Scene — Saturday class
The community centre classroom is quiet. Low tables, a worksheet on Leo's desk, and Saturday light on the floor.
Leo sits too straight. The teacher waits with a marker. A classmate on his left already has a pencil ready.
Leo looks at the teacher and reaches for さん.
Learn — ask the teacher
Six classroom lines: call the teacher 先生, ask to speak, and ask for another explanation.
Two permission lines use てもいいですか, one for a question and one for the bathroom.
先生、質問があります。
Teacher, I have a question.
When to use it: Use 先生, not さん, when you tell them you have a question.
が marks the thing you have before あります.
Say it: Give ん in 質問 its own beat.
質問してもいいですか。
May I ask a question?
When to use it: Ask permission before you put the question to the teacher.
てもいいですか asks if that action is allowed.
もう一度、説明してください。
Please explain that again.
When to use it: Use this when the explanation went too fast.
てください makes a polite request for another explanation.
Say it: もう has a long o; short も is another word.
これはどう使いますか。
How do you use this?
When to use it: Ask how to use a word or form in front of you.
どう asks the way; は marks the thing you mean.
___はどう発音しますか。
How do you pronounce ___?
When to use it: Put the word in the blank when you need its sound.
Fill the blank with the word you cannot say yet.
Say it: Give ん in 発音 its own beat.
トイレに行ってもいいですか。
May I go to the bathroom?
When to use it: Ask permission to leave class for the bathroom.
Same てもいいですか pattern, now with a place to go.
Story — さん, then 先生
Leo tries さん first. A classmate whispers the right title, then the questions start.
Highlighted phrases are the new lines. Turn on Show English if you want a gloss.
- Class has just begun. A worksheet sits open on Leo's desk.
- the teacherおはようございます。Good morning.
Leoおはようございます。Good morning.- Leo looks at the teacher and tries さん.
- Leoすみません、先生さん。Excuse me, teacher-san.
- a classmate先生ですよ。It's sensei.
- Leo bows too deep. The teacher starts the word anyway.
- the teacherこれは質問です。こう使います。This is the word for question. You use it like this.
- Leo質問してもいいですか。May I ask a question?
- the teacherはい、いいですよ。Yes, you can.
- Leo先生、質問があります。Teacher, I have a question.
- He missed the first pass with his head down.
- Leoもう一度、説明してください。Please explain that again.
- the teacherはい。質問は、こう使います。Right. You use question like this.
- Leo points at the word on his sheet.
- Leoこれはどう使いますか。How do you use this?
- the teacherそうですね、質問があります。Right, like I have a question.
- Leo質問はどう発音しますか。How do you pronounce question?
- the teacher質問は、しつもんです。This is how you say question.
- Leo glances at the door, then bows again.
- Leoトイレに行ってもいいですか。May I go to the bathroom?
- the teacherはい、どうぞ。Sure, go ahead.
Practice — classroom requests
Eleven short tasks. You will listen, fill a gap, build a line, and catch a mistake.
Each one stays in the classroom, so the next line is close.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
What do you say?
What do you say?
Class has started. You only want the teacher's attention, not yet the question.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
May I ask a question?
質問して____いいですか。
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
___はどう発音しますか。
Pick the reply
the teacher says:
Pick the reply
わかりましたか。
Did you understand?
And you reply with:
Build the line
Build the line
May I go to the bathroom?
。
Tap the words in order.
Match the pairs
Japanese
もう一度、説明してください。Drop the English hereこれはどう使いますか。Drop the English here___はどう発音しますか。Drop the English hereトイレに行ってもいいですか。Drop the English hereEnglish
Swap the word
Swap the word
The word is on your own worksheet, right in front of you.
____はどう使いますか。
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want permission before you ask, not to say you already have a question.
Find the mistake
Find the mistake
True or false?
True or false?
The teacher says this to allow your request.
Say it — your turn to speak
You are Leo in Saturday class. When the cue is yours, tap the microphone and say the line.
Tap play first if you want to hear it. The recording stays on this device.
- the teacherこれは質問です。こう使います。This is the word for question. You use it like this.
- Leo (you)Ask if you may put a question.
Ask if you may put a question.
質問してもいいですか。
May I ask a question?
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Japanese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 先生、質問があります。 | Teacher, I have a question. | |
| 質問してもいいですか。 | May I ask a question? | |
| もう一度、説明してください。 | Please explain that again. | |
| これはどう使いますか。 | How do you use this? | |
| ___はどう発音しますか。 | How do you pronounce ___? | |
| トイレに行ってもいいですか。 | May I go to the bathroom? |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Keep these classroom lines in your pocket. Open the Yak Cards for this lesson and run them on the train.
A short Yak Cards round before class keeps 先生 ready.
Open Yak Cards