Lesson 12: いま急ぎでお客様の資料をまとめているところなんだ (Ima Isogi de Okyaku-sama no Shiryō o Matomete Iru Tokoro nan da)

Explaining What You’re Currently Doing

English Title: Asking for clarification when given instructions

🎧 Audio:
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Role-play Setup

You work at a company and have just returned to the office from an errand. Your supervisor and a coworker are rushing to prepare documents for a client meeting. They ask for your help, and after finishing, they give you instructions about updating the office whiteboard with their schedules. You need to confirm the instructions to make sure you understand correctly.

Full Script & Explanation

Scene 1: Returning to the Office

Student (Binod):
戻りました。
Modorimashita.
I’m back.

Grammar Note: After returning to your desk from being out (for instance, at a client’s place of work, at another branch, or at the factory), say 「戻りました」.

Kachō:
あ、ビノドくん！ちょうど良かった。
A, Binodo-kun! Chōdo yokatta.
Oh, Binod-kun! Perfect timing.

Grammar Note: 「ちょうど良かった」 is being said because Binod-kun came back at the perfect time to help out!

Scene 2: Asking for Help

Kachō:
いま急ぎでお客様の資料をまとめているところなんだ。
Ima isogi de okyaku-sama no shiryō o matomete iru tokoro nan da.
We’re gathering some documents for the client. We’re in a hurry.

Grammar Note: お客様の資料をまとめている(gathering some documents for the client), in this case, means お客様に渡す資料をまとめている (gathering some documents to give to the client).

「～るところ」means that one is doing something now. 「（ところ）なんだ」is a phrase used to explain to another person what one is doing now. It’s often used as a spoken phrase from superiors to subordinates. For subordinates speaking to superiors, use 「～ところなんです」

Kachō:
ちょっと手伝ってくれないかな。
Chotto tetsudatte kurenai ka na.
Could you help us out?

Grammar Note: To casually ask someone to help, you can use 「ちょっと手伝って」「ちょっと手伝ってくれない」「ちょっと手伝ってくれないか」or「ちょっと手伝ってくれないかな」. When 「かな」is added to the end, it gives a more gentle impression. It also has the nuance that it would really be appreciated if you helped out.

Student:
はい、わかりました。
Hai, wakarimashita.
Yes, of course.

Grammar Note: This indicates that the speaker will help.

Scene 3: Finishing the Task

Wada:
できた！お疲れ様です。
Dekita! Otsukaresama desu.
We finished! Thank you very much.

Grammar Note: 「できた！」is used to show that the task is finished. Because it is in casual form, we can assume that the speaker is talking to themself and their coworker. When speaking to a superior, use 「できました！」. You can also use this phrase to report to a superior once you have finished a task.

Wada:
ビノドさん、僕と課長はこの資料を届けてくるね。
Binodo-san, boku to kachō wa kono shiryō o todokete kuru ne.
Binod-san, Kachō and I are going to hand over these documents now.

Grammar Note: 「僕」is a first-person pronoun generally used by men. In the workplace, both men and women often use「私」. 「僕」is often not used when speaking to clients.「届けてくるね」and「届けてきますね」are both casual expressions. Because of the vocabulary used, we can assume that the distance between this company and the client’s company isn’t far.

Student:
わかりました。
Wakarimashita.
Understood.

Scene 4: Instructions About the Whiteboard

Kachō:
ぼくはこれで「直帰」、和田くんはあした、お客様のところへ「直行」するね。
Boku wa kore de “chokki”, Wada-kun wa ashita, okyaku-sama no tokoro e “chokkō” suru ne.
We’ll be leaving now, and I’ll head home right after. Wada-kun will go straight to the client’s office tomorrow.

Grammar Note: 直帰 means「出先から会社に戻らずそのまま帰る」(heading straight home without returning to the office). 直行 means「自宅からお客さんのところに直接行く」(heading straight to the client’s office from one’s home). These are very frequently used phrases, especially in their kanji forms.

Kachō:
ホワイトボードに貼っておいて。
Howaito bōdo ni hatte oite.
Could you put that on the whiteboard?

Grammar Note: The 「～ておいて」of「貼っておいて」means “to put or leave something in a condition.” In this case, はってください (please stick it) on its own would be okay. However, 「はっておいて」adds the nuance of “stick it, and then leave it in that condition.”

In other words, keep the magnets labeled 「直帰」and「直行」up on the whiteboard so that other employees know where Kachō and Wada-san are.

Scene 5: Confirming Instructions

Student:
すみません、確認させてください。
Sumimasen, kakunin-sasete kudasai.
Please let me confirm.

Grammar Note: When you are unclear about what has been asked of you, it’s important to clarify. However, it’s also important not to take up too much of your superior’s time. In cases like this, use 「確認させてください」to ask for permission to ask further questions.

🔑 KEY PHRASE

すみません、確認させてください。
Sumimasen, kakunin-sasete kudasai.
Please let me confirm.

Explanation:
When you’re given instructions and aren’t 100% sure what’s being asked of you, it’s crucial to confirm rather than make mistakes. Using this phrase shows that:

  1. You’re being proactive about understanding
  2. You respect the other person’s time by asking for permission to clarify
  3. You take your responsibilities seriously

The causative form「させてください」is more polite than simply「確認します」because it asks for permission to confirm, rather than just stating you will confirm.

Conclusion

Student:
直帰はこれ、直行はこれでいいですね。
Chokki wa kore, chokkō wa kore de ii desu ne.
This is chokki, and this is chokkō, right?

Grammar Note: The speaker is checking that the first magnet is「直帰」and the second magnet is「直行」.

Kachō:
そうそう。じゃあ行ってくるね。
Sō sō. Jaa itte kuru ne.
Right. We’ll be leaving now.

Grammar Note: 「そうそう」is a casual form of 「そうです」.「じゃあ、行ってくるね」is a casual form of 「それでは行ってきます」. Both of these phrases are suitable for a superior talking to a subordinate, but not for a subordinate talking to a superior.

Kachō:
よろしくね。また明日。
Yoroshiku ne. Mata ashita.
Thanks. See you tomorrow.

Grammar Note: In this case,「よろしくね」is used with the nuance of “Since we’re leaving now, you handle the rest.” 「また明日」is being used because since Kachō is headed home, he won’t return until tomorrow.

Vocabulary

急ぎ (いそぎ) - isogi - rush, hurry

It’s said that speed is crucial in the business world. Because of this,「急ぎ」is a very useful word! Another useful word is 「至急（しきゅう）」, which means “urgent” or “ASAP.”

Usage examples:

資料 (しりょう) - shiryō - materials, documents

Some Japanese companies are quite picky about the documents that they make. Even for internal documents only, the layout and appearance is important. To this end, many companies have worked out strategies in order to make these documents more efficiently. When asked to prepare documents at work, be sure to clarify exactly what is expected of you. 「ドキュメント」may be used at some companies to refer to documents.

Types of documents:

確認 (かくにん) - kakunin - confirmation, verification

This is a crucial word in Japanese business culture, where accuracy and double-checking are highly valued.

Cultural Notes

Chokki and Chokkō System

Many Japanese companies use a whiteboard system to track where employees are:

This system helps colleagues know where everyone is and manage expectations about availability. It’s an efficient way to handle flexible work schedules while maintaining team awareness.

Asking for Help in Japanese Workplaces

The phrase 「ちょっと手伝ってくれないかな」demonstrates the indirect communication style often used in Japanese business. Instead of a direct command, it’s phrased as a gentle request, even from a superior to a subordinate. This maintains harmony (和 - wa) in the workplace.

Grammar Points

1. ～ているところだ - In the middle of doing something

Used to describe an action currently in progress.

Formation: [Verb て-form] + いるところだ

Examples:

Nuance: When combined with「なんだ/なんです」, it explains the current situation to someone else.

2. ～てくれないかな - Could you…? (casual request)

A gentle way to ask for help, more indirect than a direct request.

Formation: [Verb て-form] + くれないかな

Politeness levels:

3. ～ておく - Do something in advance/leave in a state

Indicates doing something in preparation for later or leaving something in a certain condition.

Formation: [Verb て-form] + おく

Examples:

4. Causative + ください - Asking permission to do something

「確認させてください」uses the causative form to politely ask permission.

Formation: [Verb causative form] + ください

Examples:

Tips from this Dialogue

  1. Always announce when you return to the office - Saying「戻りました」lets your team know you’re back and available.

  2. Confirm instructions when unsure - Use「確認させてください」rather than guessing. It’s better to ask and be sure than to make mistakes.

  3. Use specific confirmation questions - Don’t just say “Is this right?” Instead, specifically state what you understand: “This is A, and this is B, correct?”

  4. Acknowledge requests appropriately - Use「わかりました」or「承知しました」to show you’ve understood and will comply.

Keigo (Polite Language)

Humble Forms (謙譲語)

Respectful Forms (尊敬語)

Polite conversation structure

Kanji

確 (confirm, certain)

Readings:

Compounds:

Practice Points

  1. Direct vs. Indirect requests - Understanding levels of politeness
  2. Using ～ているところ - Explaining current actions
  3. Confirmation techniques - How to verify understanding properly
  4. Workplace vocabulary - 直帰, 直行, 資料, etc.

Source: NHK WORLD-JAPAN “Easy Japanese for Work” Lesson 12
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/easyjapaneseforwork/skit12.html