Classroom life & study

Handing in homework in class

In class life, 宿題(しゅくだい, homework) usually has to be 出す(だす, to hand in/submit) to the teacher before the deadline. For assignments, the pattern 宿題を出す is used. Do not confuse it with 出る(でる, to go out/to appear), which is intransitive and is not used for handing in homework. The question 「もう出しましたか」(Have you already handed it in?) is answered with 「はい、もう出しました」 if it has already been handed in, or with 「いいえ、まだです」 / 「まだ出していません」 if it has not. まだ(not yet) is usually paired with the negative form 〜ていません. The answer 「はい」 must be consistent with the content of the following sentence. If 「はい」 is followed by a future plan such as 「明日出しますよ」, the answer is contradictory because it states that the homework has not yet been handed in.

In class announcements, deadline patterns often appear. 〜までに(by, no later than) indicates the deadline for an action, for example 「金曜日までに出してください」 (please hand it in no later than Friday). 〜まで(until, up to) indicates a continuing range, for example 「金曜日まで図書館が開いています」 (the library is open until Friday). To ask how or when something should be done, 〜ばいいですか is used, for example 「いつまでに出せばいいですか」 (by when should I hand it in?). The words 今すぐ(right now) and 後で(later) are also often used to specify the order of actions. In class messages, the first instruction is usually marked with まず(first of all), and the next action with それから(then/after that).

If someone states that they will do a cleaning task on behalf of a student, the expression 大丈夫です(daijoubu desu, it is fine/it is not necessary) means that it is not necessary to do it. Example: 「やらなくても大丈夫です」 (it is fine even if you do not do it).

Understanding lesson material

To ask about the ability to understand material, 分かる(わかる, to understand) is used, for example 「この漢字の読み方が分かりますか」 (do you understand how to read this kanji?). The form 〜方(かた, way of ...) indicates how to do something, as in 読み方(よみかた, way of reading), 書き方(かきかた, way of writing), and 使い方(つかいかた, way of using). An answer showing partial understanding uses だいたい分かります(I roughly understand). Meanwhile, よく分かりません(I do not really understand) is used to express difficulty. An answer that only mentions a place, a schedule, or another activity does not answer a question about understanding.

Do not confuse 分かる(to understand) with 知る(しる, to know/to be aware of). With 分かる, the focus is on understanding the meaning, method, or content, as in 「この言葉の意味が分かりました」 (I understood the meaning of this word). The form 分かりました(understood/alright, I understand) is also used as a response to an instruction or request. When someone asks the listener to do something with the pattern 〜てください, the natural response is to accept and express understanding, namely 「はい、分かりました」 or 「はい、いいです」. A direct refusal such as 「書きません」 (I will not write) is not natural in an ordinary request situation. Conversely, an answer that mentions a place, time, or object unrelated to the request is also not appropriate.

Submitting assignments in class

In classroom life, 提出(ていしゅつ, pengumpulan) means handing in an assignment, report, or document to a teacher or staff member. 締め切り(しめきり, deadline) is the final time limit for submission. For this type of question, what you need to understand is what must be submitted, when the deadline is, and how to submit it.

Important patterns and vocabulary:

• 〜までに — by a certain time at the latest, so the action must be finished before that deadline. 例) 金曜日までに出してください。 Different from 〜まで, which means 'until' and expresses a state that continues over a range. 例) 夜まで勉強しました。
• 〜ば いいですか — 'what would be good to do?', used to ask the appropriate way or time. 例) いつまでに出せばいいですか。
• 〜ても いいです — expresses permission. 例) 明日の朝に出してもいいです。
• 〜より まえに — before something. 例) 授業の前に提出してください。
• 〜ほうがいい / 〜てから — advice to do something first, and then do the next thing. 例) 昼ごはんを食べてから出かけたほうがいいです。
• 置く(おく, to put down) and 入れる(いれる, to put in) — ways of handing over an item without meeting someone directly, for example at a desk or into a box. 例) 箱に入れてください。
• まず〜、それから〜 — order of steps. 例) まずノートを開いて、それから書いてください。
• 受付(うけつけ, reception desk) and 出す — documents are handed in at the reception desk.
• 紙で出す / メールで送る — the submission format can be paper or email, and it does not always have to be paper. 例) メールで送ってください。
• 〜ので — reason. 例) パソコンがないので、メールは送れません。
• 〜なければなりません — obligation. 例) 今日中に書かなければなりません。
• 〜のうちに — while (within a certain span of time). 例) 明るいうちに帰ります。
• 〜はいりません — not necessary. 例) 表紙はいりません。
• 字数(じすう, number of characters) — the requested length of a piece of writing.

Schedule & classroom

Questions about schedules and classrooms test location vocabulary, ways to express changes, and reasons for changes. The basic vocabulary is 教室(きょうしつ, classroom), 〜号室(〜ごうしつ, room number 〜), 〜階(〜かい, floor), 〜号館(〜ごうかん, building number 〜), 会議室(かいぎしつ, meeting room), 図書館(としょかん, library), and 体育館(たいいくかん, gymnasium). Also note the readings for floors: 一階(いっかい), 二階(にかい), and 三階(さんがい).

Important patterns:

• 変わる(かわる, to change/move) — an intransitive verb. Its transitive counterpart 変える(かえる, to change something) is transitive. Example: 教室が変わりました。
• 〜だけ — only for a specific thing, while everything else remains the same. Example: 日曜日だけ休みです。
• 同じ(おなじ, same) / 変わらない(かわらない, does not change) — express parts that do not change. Example: 時間は変わりません。
• 最初は〜予定でしたが、〜 — a pattern for changed plans: originally planned in one way, but later changed. Example: 最初は外でする予定でしたが、雨なので中にします。
• 工事(こうじ, construction) and 工事中(こうじちゅう, under construction) — common reasons for moving to another room. Example: 工事中で使えません。
• 使えない(つかえない, cannot be used) — Example: この部屋は今日は使えません。
• 一番上(いちばんうえ, top) — the highest position, for example the top floor of a building.
• 〜てくる — go and do something, then come back. Example: 先生に聞いてきます。
• 聞く(きく, to ask) — used to ask for information, for example about a room.