Lesson 10: それなら、これを見るといいですよ (Sore nara, kore o miru to ii desu yo)

Giving Advice and Offering Support

English Title: In that case, look at this.

Role-play Setup

Scene: A new employee needs to deliver documents to a colleague (Saito-san) but doesn’t know where to find them. A helpful coworker provides advice on how to locate the person using the office seating chart and suggests who to ask for additional information.

Characters:

New Employee: Person who needs to deliver documents and find contact information
Helpful Colleague: Experienced employee who provides guidance and advice

Full Script & Explanation

1. すみません。

Sumimasen.
Excuse me.

「すみません」has many meanings. In this case, it’s being used to get the listener’s attention. You can use this phrase to get the attention of people you know, as well as strangers.

2. どうしましたか。

Doo shimashita ka.
Can I help with something?

「どうしましたか」is a response to 「すみません」, and is a way for the speaker to ask what the listener needs. This phrase is useful both in the workplace and in daily life!

3. 部長から、この書類を斎藤さんに渡すように言われました。

Buchoo kara, kono shorui o Saito-san ni watasu yoo ni iwaremashita.
Buchoo asked me to give these documents to Saito-san.

「～（人、会社）から～（する）ように言われました」(I was asked to do [task] by [person].) is an expression used to explain that you have been asked to do something by a third party.
The meaning is the same as「部長がこの書類を斎藤さんに渡すように言いました」, but has been rearranged to be in passive voice.
「言いました」is used to relay a fact; the focus is that “someone told me something.” When you are explaining that you have been asked to do something at work, use the passive voice like the example above.
「渡す」(to give) usually means 手渡し (to pass something by hand), and can’t be used to say you mailed or emailed something. Instead, use verbs like these: 郵送する、メールする、郵送で送る、メールで送る.
「渡す」(to give) usually means 手渡し (to pass something by hand), and can’t be used to say you mailed or emailed something. Instead, use verbs like these: 郵送する、メールする、郵送で送る、メールで送る.

4. どのフロアにいる人か分かりますか。

Dono furoa ni iru hito ka wakarimasu ka.
Do you know what floor he is on?

This question combines「（その人は）どのフロアにいますか」(What floor is he on?) and「わかりますか」(Do you know?).
You can also use「どの階にいる人か、わかりますか」, because「フロア」and「階」share the same meaning.
Example: 「駅はどの方向にあるか、わかりますか」Do you know which direction the station is in?

5. ああ。それなら、これを見るといいですよ。

Aa. Sore nara, kore o miru to ii desu yo.
In that case, look at this.

「ああ。」is a casual expression that shows that you are reacting to what the speaker just said.
「それなら、これを見るといいですよ」is a useful phrase for giving helpful advice.
「それなら」refers to what you have just been asked.
「～といいですよ」is used to give clear advice.
Examples:
- A:「買い物をしたいんですが」(I want to go shopping.)
- B. 「それなら（買い物なら）、原宿がいいですよ。」(In that case, you should go to Harajuku.)
- 「それなら、あの店がいいですよ」(In that case, I recommend this shop.)

6. これは全社員の配席表です。

Kore wa zen shain no haisekihyoo desu.
This is a seating chart for the whole office.

配席表 is a seating chart that shows the locations of everyone in the office. Nowadays, many workplaces have seating charts that you can see from a computer or tablet.
全社員 means 社員全員 (all of the company’s employees).

7. これで確認できますよ。

Kore de kakunin dekimasu yo.
You can check with this.

「これで確認できますよ」means「これを使って確認できます」. In this case, it means, “You can check where that person sits by using this seating chart.”

8. あ、斎藤さんは３階のこの席ですね。

A, Saito-san wa san-gai no kono seki desu ne.
Oh, Saito-san is on the third floor, in this seat.

「あ、」is an expression of mild surprise.
By adding「ね」to make 「～ですね」it adds the nuance that you would like to confirm that what you have just said is correct.

9. わかりました。ありがとうございます。

Wakarimashita. Arigatoo gozaimasu.
Got it. Thank you.

「わかりました」indicates that you understood what was just explained to you.
Add「ありがとうございます」to show gratitude to the person who explained to you. It’s important to say thank you to build workplace relationships!

10. あともう一つだけいいですか。

Ato moo hitotsu dake ii desu ka.
Can I ask you one more thing?

You can use「もう一つ質問があります」to let the listener know you have one more question.
However,「あともう一つだけいいですか」asks the listener if it is okay to ask them another question.
Saying「あと」is optional.
To be more polite, use「すみません、もう一つだけ質問をしてもよろしいでしょうか」.

11. 取引先の遠藤さんにメールを送りたいのですが、連絡先がわからなくて。

Torihikisaki no Endoo-san ni meeru o okuritai no desu ga, renrakusaki ga wakaranakute.
I want to send an email to our client Endo-san, but I don’t know his contact information.

This question combines several ideas:「取引先の遠藤さんにメールを送りたいです。でも、連絡先がわかりません。教えてください」(I want to send an email to our client Endo-san. But I don’t know his contact information. Do you know?).
「送りたいのですが」or「送りたいんですが」are both acceptable.「の」is slightly more polite, but「ん」is used more frequently.
Even though「連絡先がわからなくて」doesn’t make a full sentence, through context the listener still understands that the speaker would like to learn the contact information.

12. それなら、部長に聞くといいですよ。

Sore nara, buchoo ni kiku to ii desu yo.
In that case, you should ask Buchoo.

13. 遠藤さんと以前、仕事をしていましたから。

Endoo-san to izen, shigoto o shite imashita kara.
He used to work with Endo-san.

The subject of the sentence, Buchoo, is omitted. The full sentence could look like this:「（部長は）遠藤さんと」.
The order could also be rearranged like this:「以前、遠藤さんと仕事をしていましたから」.
By bringing Endo-san to the front of the sentence, the emphasis is placed on Endo-san.
In Japanese, the word order in a sentence can be flexible, so the order of sentences can often be changed in this way.

14. わかりました。ありがとうございます。

Wakarimashita. Arigatoo gozaimasu.
Understood. Thank you.

KEY PHRASE

それなら、これを見るといいですよ。
Sore nara, kore o miru to ii desu yo.
In that case, look at this.

This phrase is used to give helpful advice. The structure is:

それなら (sore nara) = “in that case” / “if so”
～といいですよ (to ii desu yo) = “it would be good if…” / “you should…”

Pattern: それなら + Action + といいですよ

Vocabulary

Japanese	Romanization	Meaning
書類	shorui	documents
渡す	watasu	to hand over, pass
言われる	iwareru	to be told (passive)
フロア	furoa	floor
階	kai	floor (counter)
配席表	haisekihyoo	seating chart
全社員	zen shain	all employees
確認する	kakunin suru	to confirm, check
取引先	torihikisaki	client, business partner
連絡先	renrakusaki	contact information
以前	izen	before, previously

Key Term: 取引先 (とりひきさき / torihikisaki) - Client

取引先 means client. The character「～先」indicates a direction or place.

先方 (senpoo) is another word for client.
客先 (きゃくさき / kyakusaki) can mean client as well, but it isn’t used when speaking directly to a client; only use this word within the office.

Examples:

新しい取引先のリストを作りました。
I made a new client list.

客先から何か連絡あった？
Have you heard from the client?

Key Term: 全社員 (ぜんしゃいん / zen shain) - All Employees

The 「全」of 全社員 means「すべて」, or all. 全員 (all members) is also acceptable, but when referring to all employees at a workplace, 「全社員」is better.

Related Terms:

全店（ぜんてん）：すべての店 - all stores
全職員（ぜんしょくいん）：すべての職員 - all employees / all staff
全営業部員（ぜんえいぎょうぶいん）：営業部のメンバー全員 - all sales department employees

Cultural Notes

Giving and Receiving Advice in Japanese Workplaces

Japanese workplace culture values cooperation and helping newcomers. Key points:

Asking for help is expected: New employees are expected to ask questions rather than struggle alone
Specific advice over vague directions: The colleague doesn’t just say “check the chart”—they show it and explain how to use it
Building relationships through gratitude: Repeatedly thanking helpful colleagues strengthens workplace bonds
Chain of knowledge: The colleague doesn’t have all the information but directs the employee to someone who does (Buchoo)
Using tools and resources: Modern workplaces have digital seating charts and employee databases—knowing how to use them is important

The Pattern of Asking Multiple Questions

Notice how the new employee:

Asks permission before asking another question (「あともう一つだけいいですか」)
Thanks the person after each piece of help
Doesn’t assume they should know everything on their first day

Grammar Points

1. Passive Voice with ～から～ように言われました

Pattern: Person + から + Verb (dictionary form) + ように言われました
Meaning: “I was told/asked by [person] to…”
Example: 部長から渡すように言われました (I was asked by Buchoo to hand over)
Used to explain you’re acting on someone else’s instructions
More natural in Japanese than active voice in this context

2. Embedded Question + わかりますか

Pattern: Question + か + わかりますか
Meaning: “Do you know…?”
Examples:
- どのフロアにいる人かわかりますか (Do you know which floor he’s on?)
- 駅はどの方向にあるかわかりますか (Do you know which direction the station is?)

3. それなら for “In That Case”

Pattern: それなら + advice/suggestion
Meaning: “in that case…” / “if so…”
Refers back to what was just said
Often followed by ～といいですよ for advice

4. ～といいですよ for Giving Advice

Pattern: Verb (dictionary form) + といいですよ
Meaning: “it would be good if…” / “you should…”
Examples:
- これを見るといいですよ (You should look at this)
- 部長に聞くといいですよ (You should ask Buchoo)
- 原宿に行くといいですよ (You should go to Harajuku)

5. ～のですが / ～んですが for Context

Pattern: Verb (plain) + のですが / んですが
Meaning: Provides context, “the thing is…” / “I want to… but…”
Example: 送りたいのですが (I want to send, but…)
Often implies an unspoken request or problem
「の」is slightly more formal than「ん」

6. Incomplete Sentences with ～て/～くて

Pattern: Verb/Adjective (て-form) + [implied request]
Meaning: Trailing off to imply a request
Example: 連絡先がわからなくて (I don’t know the contact info, [so can you help?])
Common in Japanese—the listener infers the implied meaning

Tips from this Dialogue

Be specific about your task: The employee clearly states what they need to do (deliver documents to Saito-san)
Ask permission for follow-up questions: Use 「あともう一つだけいいですか」before asking another question
Use workplace resources: Learn to use tools like seating charts, employee directories, and databases
Follow the chain of knowledge: If someone doesn’t know, they’ll often suggest who else to ask
Thank people repeatedly: Express gratitude each time you receive help

Keego (Polite Language)

Giving Advice - Politeness Levels

Direct → Softer:

これを見て (kore o mite) - Look at this [Direct command]
これを見てください (kore o mite kudasai) - Please look at this [Polite request]
これを見たらどうですか (kore o mitara doo desu ka) - How about looking at this? [Suggestion]
これを見るといいですよ (kore o miru to ii desu yo) - It would be good to look at this [Advice]
よろしければ、これを見られてはいかがでしょうか (yoroshikereba, kore o mirarete wa ikaga deshoo ka) - If you’d like, how about looking at this? [Very polite suggestion]

Asking if You Can Ask Another Question

Casual → Formal:

もう一つ聞いていい？(moo hitotsu kiite ii?) - Can I ask one more thing? [Casual]
もう一つ聞いてもいいですか。(moo hitotsu kiite mo ii desu ka.) - May I ask one more thing? [Polite]
あともう一つだけいいですか。(ato moo hitotsu dake ii desu ka.) - Can I ask just one more thing? [Polite, considerate]
申し訳ありませんが、もう一つお聞きしてもよろしいでしょうか。(mooshiwake arimasen ga, moo hitotsu o-kiki shite mo yoroshii deshoo ka.) - I’m sorry, but may I ask one more thing? [Very polite]

Expressing What You Were Told to Do

Pattern Variations:

部長が言いました (buchoo ga iimashita) - Buchoo said [Active, factual]
部長に言われました (buchoo ni iwaremashita) - I was told by Buchoo [Passive, focuses on speaker]
部長から言われました (buchoo kara iwaremashita) - I was told by Buchoo [Passive, from Buchoo]
部長から～するように言われました (buchoo kara ~suru yoo ni iwaremashita) - I was asked by Buchoo to do… [Standard workplace expression]

Kanji

Kanji	Reading	Meaning	Examples
見	けん (ken) / み (mi)	see, look	見解 (kenkai) - view; 意見 (iken) - opinion; 見る (miru) - to see
書	しょ (sho) / か (ka)	write, document	書類 (shorui) - documents; 辞書 (jisho) - dictionary; 書く (kaku) - to write
類	るい (rui)	kind, type	書類 (shorui) - documents; 種類 (shurui) - type/kind; 分類 (bunrui) - classification
渡	と (to) / わた (wata)	cross, hand over	渡す (watasu) - to hand over; 渡る (wataru) - to cross
言	げん (gen) / い (i) / こと (koto)	say, word	言う (iu) - to say; 言葉 (kotoba) - word; 発言 (hatsugen) - statement
配	はい (hai) / くば (kuba)	distribute, arrange	配席 (haiseki) - seating arrangement; 配る (kubaru) - to distribute; 心配 (shinpai) - worry
確	かく (kaku)	certain, sure	確認 (kakunin) - confirmation; 確実 (kakujitsu) - certain; 正確 (seikaku) - accurate
認	にん (nin)	recognize, approve	確認 (kakunin) - confirmation; 認める (mitomeru) - to recognize; 承認 (shoonin) - approval
取	しゅ (shu) / と (to)	take	取引 (torihiki) - transaction; 取る (toru) - to take
引	いん (in) / ひ (hi)	pull, draw	取引 (torihiki) - transaction; 引く (hiku) - to pull

Source

URL: https://www.nhk.or.jp/lesson/english/learn/list/

Easy Japanese for Work #10 - “それなら、これを見るといいですよ” (NHK WORLD-JAPAN)