kono kikai no sousa ga wakaranakereba, tenin ni kiite kudasai.

この means this and directly modifies 機械 (machine), so この機械 means this machine.

In Japanese, この must be followed by a noun. So:

• この機械 = this machine
• この by itself is not enough

If you wanted this one, you would use これ instead.

The の links the two nouns together.

• 機械 = machine
• 操作 = operation / use / handling

So 機械の操作 means something like:

• the operation of the machine
• how to use the machine
• the machine’s operation

This noun + の + noun pattern is extremely common in Japanese.

Because 分かる does not usually take を for the thing understood. It commonly uses が.

So:

• 操作が分かる = understand the operation / know how to use it
• 操作が分からない = do not understand the operation / do not know how to use it

This feels unusual to English speakers because English uses a direct object: understand something. But Japanese treats the thing understood as the thing that is understandable / becomes clear, so が is natural.

分からなければ comes from 分かる and means if you don’t understand.

Breakdown:

• 分かる = to understand
• 分からない = do not understand
• 分からなければ = if you do not understand

So the sentence means:

• If you do not understand how to use this machine, ...

This is the negative conditional form.

No. By itself, なければ means if not.

In this sentence:

• 分からなければ = if you don’t understand

Learners often confuse this with patterns like:

• 行かなければならない = must go
• 勉強しなければいけない = must study

Those mean must because of the full pattern ～なければならない / いけない, not because なければ alone means must.

Because 聞く often uses に to mark the person you ask.

• 店員に聞く = ask the store clerk
• 先生に聞く = ask the teacher

So:

• 店員に聞いてください = please ask the store clerk

The thing being asked about is omitted here because it is obvious from context: you are asking about the operation of this machine.

聞いてください is a polite request: please ask.

Breakdown:

• 聞いて = te-form of 聞く
• ください = please do ...

So together:

• 聞いてください = please ask

It is a request, not a harsh command. This is a very common polite instruction style.

Because 分かる means to understand, while 知る means to know / find out.

Here the sentence is about whether the person understands how to operate the machine, so 分かる is the natural choice.

Compare:

• 使い方が分かる = understand how to use it
• 名前を知っている = know the name

So 操作が分からない is about lack of understanding, not just lack of information.

店員 means store clerk, shop employee, or sales staff.

In this sentence, it means the staff member in the store who can help you with the machine.

It does not specifically mean the store manager or owner; it just means a store employee.

In this sentence, 操作 is best understood as how to operate/use it.

So この機械の操作が分からない means:

• you do not understand the operation of this machine
• you do not know how to use this machine

In real English, how to use this machine is often the most natural translation.

No. Japanese is normally written without spaces:

この機械の操作が分からなければ、店員に聞いてください。

Spaces are often added in beginner materials to make the structure easier to see. They are not part of standard Japanese writing.

Yes. Depending on context, natural English translations include:

• If you don’t know how to use this machine, please ask a store clerk.
• If you don’t understand how to operate this machine, please ask a clerk.
• If you’re not sure how this machine works, please ask a member of staff.

They all match the Japanese reasonably well. The exact English wording can vary, but the grammar and meaning of the Japanese stay the same.