Breakdown of kouzyou wo kengakusita ato, kaigisitu de situmon wo simasu.
Questions & Answers about kouzyou wo kengakusita ato, kaigisitu de situmon wo simasu.
Why is 工場 marked with を? It’s a place, so why not で or に?
Because in this sentence 工場 is the object of 見学する.
- 見学する means to inspect / to observe / to tour
- What is being toured or observed? The factory
- So Japanese marks it with を
Compare:
- 工場を見学する = tour/inspect the factory
- 工場で働く = work at the factory
So even though 工場 is a place, here it is treated grammatically as the thing being looked at or toured, not the place where another action happens.
Why is it 見学したあと and not 見学するあと?
Because あと in this pattern usually follows the past short form of a verb when it means after doing X.
So:
- 見学したあと = after touring/inspecting
- literally: after (someone) toured/inspected
This is a very common grammar pattern:
- 食べたあと = after eating
- 帰ったあと = after going home
- 勉強したあと = after studying
So V-た + あと is the key pattern here.
What exactly does あと mean in this sentence?
Here あと means after.
The structure is:
- [verb in past short form] + あと = after doing ...
So:
- 工場を見学したあと = after touring the factory
It connects the first action to the next one:
- tour the factory
- then ask questions in the meeting room
It does not necessarily mean immediately after, unless the context suggests that.
Why is it 会議室で and not 会議室に?
Because で marks the location where an action takes place.
- 会議室で質問をします = ask questions in the meeting room
Here, 質問をする is an action, and で tells you where that action happens.
By contrast, に is often used for:
- destination: 会議室に行く = go to the meeting room
- existence: 会議室に人がいる = there is a person in the meeting room
So:
- で = where the action happens
- に = destination/existence/point in time, etc.
Why is it 質問をします? Why not just 質問します?
Both are possible.
- 質問をします
- 質問します
The version with を makes it clearer that 質問 is the noun question(s) and する is the verb do.
This is a very common pattern with nouns that can combine with する:
- 勉強をする / 勉強する
- 練習をする / 練習する
- 質問をする / 質問する
In careful or textbook-style Japanese, 質問をします is very normal. In everyday speech, 質問します is also very common.
Why is します in the non-past form if the English meaning is future?
Because Japanese uses the non-past form for both:
- present/habitual actions
- future actions
So 質問をします can mean:
- ask questions
- will ask questions
- are going to ask questions
The exact time comes from the context. In this sentence, the sequence with あと makes it clear that this is a future or planned action:
- after touring the factory, we will ask questions in the meeting room
This is completely normal in Japanese.
Is there a hidden subject here? Who is doing these actions?
Yes, the subject is omitted.
Japanese often leaves out subjects when they are obvious from context. So this sentence could mean:
- we will tour the factory and then ask questions
- you will tour the factory and then ask questions
- the group will do these things
Without context, Japanese does not force the speaker to state the subject.
That is very natural. In English, you usually need a subject, but in Japanese it is often unnecessary.
What is the basic structure of the whole sentence?
The sentence is:
- 工場を見学したあと、会議室で質問をします。
A helpful breakdown is:
工場を見学した
= toured the factoryあと
= after会議室で質問をします
= ask questions in the meeting room
So the full structure is:
- [First action] + あと, [second action]
This is a very common way to show sequence in Japanese.
Does 質問 mean one question or multiple questions?
It can mean either, depending on context.
Japanese nouns usually do not change form for singular vs. plural. So:
- 質問をします can mean ask a question
- or ask questions
The surrounding situation tells you which is more natural. In a factory visit context, ask questions is probably the most natural interpretation.
How are these words read?
Here are the readings:
- 工場 = こうじょう
- 見学した = けんがくした
- あと = あと
- 会議室 = かいぎしつ
- で = で
- 質問 = しつもん
- を = pronounced お
- します = します
So the whole sentence is read:
こうじょう を けんがくした あと、かいぎしつ で しつもん を します。
Could I say 工場を見学したあとで instead of 工場を見学したあと?
Yes. Both are natural.
- 見学したあと
- 見学したあとで
Both mean after touring/inspecting. The で after あと is often optional in this kind of sentence.
So these are both fine:
- 工場を見学したあと、会議室で質問をします。
- 工場を見学したあとで、会議室で質問をします。
The version without で is slightly simpler, but both are common.
Is 見学する the same as just 見る?
Not exactly.
- 見る = to see / to look / to watch
- 見学する = to inspect / to observe / to tour for learning purposes
見学する is used when you visit a place or watch something in an organized or educational way, such as:
- a factory tour
- observing a class
- touring a facility
So in this sentence, 見学する is much more natural than 見る, because it suggests a proper visit or tour of the factory.
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