Breakdown of wakaranaikoto ga attara, enryosinaide situmonsite kudasai.
Questions & Answers about wakaranaikoto ga attara, enryosinaide situmonsite kudasai.
Why is 分からないこと used here? What does こと mean?
In this sentence, こと turns 分からない into the things you don’t understand.
- 分からない = don’t understand / unclear
- 分からないこと = things that are unclear / anything you don’t understand
So 分からないことがあったら means something like:
- if there is anything you don’t understand
- if you have any questions
- if anything is unclear
Here, こと is a very common way to refer to an abstract matter, issue, or thing.
Why is the particle が used in 分からないことがあったら?
が marks 分からないこと as the thing that exists/comes up with ある.
The structure is:
- 分からないこと = something you don’t understand
- がある = exists / there is
So:
- 分からないことがある = there is something you don’t understand
Then あったら makes it conditional:
- 分からないことがあったら = if there is anything you don’t understand
Using は here would change the nuance and would not be the normal phrasing in this sentence.
What does あったら mean here?
Why does Japanese say there is something you don’t understand instead of directly saying if you don’t understand something?
Japanese often expresses ideas through existence rather than in the exact same way English does.
Compare:
- 分からないことがあったら
literally: if there is something you don’t understand
This sounds very natural in Japanese. English often prefers:
- if you don’t understand something
- if you have any questions
So this is a good example of how Japanese and English package the same meaning differently.
What does 遠慮しないで mean?
遠慮する means to hold back, to hesitate out of politeness, or to refrain.
So:
- 遠慮しないで = don’t hold back
- 遠慮しないで = don’t hesitate
- 遠慮しないで = please feel free to...
In this sentence, it softens the invitation and makes it sound welcoming:
- Please don’t hesitate to ask questions.
- Feel free to ask questions.
This phrase is very common in polite Japanese.
Why is it 遠慮しないで and not 遠慮しなくて?
〜ないで is commonly used to mean without doing... or don’t do..., and it often links naturally to the next action.
Here:
- 遠慮しないで 質問してください
- literally: without hesitating, please ask questions
This is the standard phrasing.
遠慮しなくて can appear in some contexts, but in this sentence 遠慮しないで is the natural choice.
Why is it 質問して ください instead of 質問を してください?
Is 質問して ください a command?
It is a polite request, not a harsh command.
- ください = please do ...
So 質問してください means:
- please ask
- please ask questions
Because the sentence also includes 遠慮しないで, the overall tone is friendly and encouraging, not forceful.
Who is the subject of this sentence? I don’t see you anywhere.
Japanese often leaves the subject unstated when it is obvious from context.
In this sentence, the listener is understood:
- (あなたが) 分からないことがあったら、(あなたは) 遠慮しないで質問してください。
But Japanese normally does not say あなた unless there is a reason to emphasize it.
So even though you is not written, it is clearly implied.
Why is 分からない written in kana here instead of わからない or some other form?
Could this sentence use 聞いてください instead of 質問してください?
Yes, depending on nuance.
- 質問してください = please ask questions
- 聞いてください = please ask / please ask me / please say it if you want to know
But 聞く is broader and can mean to ask or to listen/hear depending on context.
質問してください is more specific: it clearly means ask questions.
That makes 質問してください especially suitable in a classroom, meeting, or instruction setting.
What is the overall tone of this sentence?
It is polite, friendly, and encouraging.
The sentence does not just say ask questions. It says:
- If there’s anything you don’t understand, please don’t hesitate to ask questions.
That 遠慮しないで part is important because it reassures the listener and makes the speaker sound considerate.
This kind of sentence is very common from:
- teachers
- coworkers
- presenters
- customer support staff
Can this sentence be translated as If you have any questions, please feel free to ask even though question and understand are both in the Japanese?
Yes. That is a very natural English translation.
Japanese often says both parts:
- 分からないことがあったら = if there is anything you don’t understand
- 質問してください = ask questions
English often compresses this into:
- If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
So even if the Japanese structure is more explicit, that English version matches the natural meaning well.
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