New here? This is lesson 150 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.
The lost umbrella in Japanese
Leo walks into Kissa Hotaru without his clear umbrella. Rain still sits on his jacket. He left it on the Yamanote, and now he needs the right words.
Kenta eyes the old black umbrella by the door. Masako will not let anyone take it. That one is not Leo's.
You will say you are stuck, name what you forgot, describe it, and ask where lost and found is.
By the end of this lesson
Describe a lost item and ask for lost and found.
- 困っています。I'm having trouble.
- 傘を忘れました。I forgot my umbrella.
- ビニール傘です。It's a clear plastic umbrella.
- 落とし物はどこですか。Where is the lost-and-found desk?
- 電車に忘れました。I left it on the train.
- 電池が切れそうです。My battery is about to die.
Scene — empty hands
The rain has eased, but Leo's hands are empty. His clear umbrella is not in the stand. Kenta stands by the door and looks at the old black one with the blank tag.
Masako steps between him and the stand. Goro sits across two red seats with toast and an unfinished blend coffee.
Learn — a missing umbrella
Six lines help you report a lost umbrella and ask for lost and found.
You also name the type and say your phone is about to die.
困っています。
I'm having trouble.
When to use it: Use this when you cannot fix a problem alone.
ている here names a state you are in now, not a finished action.
Say it: Keep a tight pause on っ before て.
傘を忘れました。
I forgot my umbrella.
When to use it: Use this to say you left your umbrella behind.
を marks the thing you forgot. Say 忘れました as one piece.
ビニール傘です。
It's a clear plastic umbrella.
When to use it: Use this to describe the umbrella you lost.
Name the kind first, then です, to say what it is.
Say it: Keep the long ー in ビニール; do not cut it short.
落とし物はどこですか。
Where is the lost-and-found desk?
When to use it: Ask staff this when you need the lost-and-found desk.
は marks the topic. Staff hear this as asking for lost and found.
電車に忘れました。
I left it on the train.
When to use it: Use this to say you left it on the train.
に marks the place you left it, not the object.
電池が切れそうです。
My battery is about to die.
When to use it: Use this when your phone has almost no power left.
After the stem, そうです means it looks about to happen.
Story — not that one
Leo is wet and missing his own umbrella. Kenta looks at the tagged one, but Masako stops him.
Highlighted phrases are the new lines. Turn on Show English if you want a gloss.
- Leo comes in wet. His hands are empty.
Leo困っています。I'm having trouble.
Masakoどうしましたか。What's wrong?- Leo傘を忘れました。I forgot my umbrella.
- Kenta looks at the old black umbrella with the blank tag.
Kentaこれですか。Is it this one?- Leoビニール傘です。It's a clear plastic umbrella.
- Masakoそれはだめよ。You can't take that one.
Goroどこで忘れましたか。Where did you leave it?- Leo電車に忘れました。I left it on the train.
- Goroなるほど。I see.
- Leo落とし物はどこですか。Where is the lost-and-found desk?
- Masako駅に聞いてください。Please ask at the station.
- Leo looks down at his phone.
- Leo電池が切れそうです。My battery is about to die.
- Masako大丈夫ですか。Are you okay?
- Leoまだ大丈夫です。I'm still okay.
Practice — pick the lost-and-found line
Ten short tasks wait in this round. You will listen, fill a gap, build a line, and catch a mistake.
Each one is small, so you move on quickly.
0 of 10 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
困っています。
What do you say?
What do you say?
Masako asks what the umbrella looks like. Name the type.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
I forgot my umbrella.
傘____忘れました。
Pick the reply
Masako says:
Pick the reply
どうしましたか。
What's wrong?
And you reply with:
Build the line
Build the line
Where is the lost-and-found desk?
。
Tap the words in order.
Swap the word
Swap the word
You left it on the train, not at home. Fix the place word.
____に忘れました。
Match the pairs
Japanese
どうしましたか。Drop the English here大丈夫ですか。Drop the English here電池が切れそうです。Drop the English hereEnglish
Find the mistake
Find the mistake
True or false?
True or false?
This means the battery is already dead.
Say it — tell them what you lost
You are Leo after the Yamanote ride. 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.
- Masakoどうしましたか。What's wrong?
- Leo (you)Say you are in trouble.
Say you are in trouble.
困っています。
I'm having trouble.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Japanese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 困っています。 | I'm having trouble. | |
| 傘を忘れました。 | I forgot my umbrella. | |
| ビニール傘です。 | It's a clear plastic umbrella. | |
| 落とし物はどこですか。 | Where is the lost-and-found desk? | |
| 電車に忘れました。 | I left it on the train. | |
| 電池が切れそうです。 | My battery is about to die. |
Save your progress — it’s free
Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Keep these lost-and-found lines in your pocket. Open the Yak Cards for this lesson and run them on the train.
A short Yak Cards round keeps lost and found ready before you need it.
Open Yak Cards