Breakdown of ue no heya kara henna oto ga suru node, sukosi ki ni narimasu.
Questions & Answers about ue no heya kara henna oto ga suru node, sukosi ki ni narimasu.
Why are there spaces between the Japanese words? Is that normal?
No. Normal Japanese is usually written without spaces:
上の部屋から変な音がするので、少し気になります。
The spaces here are just for learners, to make the parts easier to see.
What does 上の部屋 mean exactly?
上の部屋 literally means the room above.
Depending on context, it can mean:
- the upstairs room
- the room on the floor above
- the room above us / above this room
Here, it most naturally means the room upstairs or the room above.
A helpful breakdown:
So 上の部屋 is literally the above room → the room above.
Why is there a の in 上の部屋?
の connects 上 and 部屋.
In this sentence, 上 is being used like a noun meaning the upper part / above, and の turns it into a modifier for 部屋.
So:
- 上 = above / upper area
- 上の部屋 = the room above
This is very common in Japanese:
- 隣の部屋 = the next room
- 右の手 = the right hand
- 日本の文化 = Japanese culture / the culture of Japan
What is the role of から here?
から marks the starting point or source. Here it means from.
So:
- 上の部屋から = from the room above
It tells you where the strange sound is coming from.
Why does Japanese say 音がする? Why use する with sound?
音がする is a very common expression meaning:
- a sound is heard
- there is a sound
- I hear a sound
Literally, it is something like a sound does/occurs, but you should learn it as a set phrase.
Breakdown:
- 音 = sound
- が = marks the thing being perceived
- する = to do, but in this expression it means to be sensed / to occur
Other similar expressions:
- いい匂いがする = It smells good / There is a nice smell
- 声がする = I hear a voice / There is a voice
- 気がする = I feel like... / It seems to me...
So 変な音がする is the natural Japanese way to say There is a strange sound or I hear a strange sound.
Why is it 変な音 and not 変い音?
Because 変 is a na-adjective.
Na-adjectives use な when they come directly before a noun:
- 変な音 = a strange sound
- 静かな部屋 = a quiet room
- 便利な店 = a convenient shop
So:
- 変だ = it is strange
- 変な音 = a strange sound
You cannot say 変い音 because 変 is not an i-adjective.
Why is the particle が used in 変な音がする instead of を?
Because in this expression, 音 is not the direct object of an action like hear in English. Instead, Japanese treats it as the thing that exists / occurs / is perceived.
So:
- 変な音がする = a strange sound is heard / there is a strange sound
This is why が is natural here.
If you used a verb like 聞く (to listen to / to hear), then you would more often see を:
- 変な音を聞いた = I heard a strange sound
But with 音がする, the fixed pattern uses が.
What does ので do here? How is it different from から for “because”?
ので gives a reason: because / since.
So the sentence structure is:
- 上の部屋から変な音がするので = Because there is a strange sound coming from the room above
- 少し気になります = it bothers me a little / I’m a little concerned
Compared with から, ので often sounds:
- a bit softer
- a bit more explanatory
- a bit less direct
For example:
- 音がするから、気になります。
- 音がするので、気になります。
Both are correct, but ので sounds slightly more neutral and gentle.
What does 気になる mean literally, and why is it translated more naturally as I’m concerned or it bothers me?
Literally, 気になる is something like:
- to become a matter of concern to one’s mind
- to catch one’s attention
- to weigh on one’s mind
Break it down:
- 気 = mind / feeling / attention / spirit
- に = particle
- なる = to become
So 気になる does not just mean to worry in a strong sense. It often means:
- to be concerned about
- to be curious about
- to notice and keep thinking about
- to bother someone slightly
In this sentence, because of 少し, the nuance is mild:
- I’m a little concerned
- It’s bothering me a bit
- It’s on my mind a little
Why does the sentence say 少し気になります instead of 少し心配です?
They are similar, but the nuance is different.
少し気になります
- something is on your mind
- you feel uneasy or bothered
- you are mildly concerned
- often softer and less dramatic
少し心配です
- you are worried
- stronger emotional concern
- more direct
Because the sentence only mentions a strange sound upstairs, 気になります feels very natural: the speaker has noticed something odd and it is bothering them a little.
Why is it 気になります and not 気です or 気がします?
Because 気になる is a set expression.
It is built from:
- 気
- に
- なる = to become
So in polite form:
- 気になります
This means it concerns me / it bothers me / it’s on my mind.
By contrast:
- 気です is not the right expression here
- 気がします means I feel like / it seems to me, which is a completely different grammar pattern
For example:
- 変な音がするので、少し気になります。 = Because there is a strange sound, I’m a little concerned.
- 変な音がする気がします。 = I feel like I hear a strange sound.
Those are different meanings.
Does なります here mean “becomes”? Why is present tense used?
Yes, なる literally means to become, so 気になる literally looks like to become concerning.
But as a full expression, 気になる is best understood as:
- to be concerned
- to be bothered
- to be on one’s mind
The non-past form 気になります can express a present state in Japanese. So here it means:
- I’m a little concerned
- It bothers me a little
This is very common in Japanese. The non-past form often covers both:
- habitual/future meaning
- present-state meaning, depending on the verb or expression
Why is there no explicit subject like 私は?
Because Japanese often omits things that are understood from context.
Here, the natural hidden subject is probably I:
- (私は) 上の部屋から変な音がするので、少し気になります。
But Japanese does not need to say 私は if it is obvious.
This makes the sentence sound more natural. Adding 私は is not wrong, but it may sound slightly more explicit than necessary unless you are contrasting yourself with someone else.
Could this sentence also be translated as I can hear a strange sound from upstairs, so I’m a little concerned?
Yes, that is a very natural translation.
Even though the Japanese literally says a strange sound comes/is heard from the room above, English often expresses it as:
- I can hear a strange sound from upstairs
- There’s a strange sound coming from the room above
- I hear a strange noise upstairs
All of those capture the meaning well.
Is 音 the same as noise here?
音 literally means sound, but depending on context, English may translate it as:
- sound
- noise
Because the sound is described as 変な (strange / weird), English often prefers noise:
- a strange noise
- a weird sound
So both are possible, but strange noise sounds especially natural in English.
What is the overall structure of the sentence?
A good way to break it down is:
上の部屋から
= from the room above
変な音がする
= a strange sound is coming / I hear a strange sound
ので
= because / since
少し気になります
= I’m a little concerned / it bothers me a little
So the whole flow is:
Because a strange sound is coming from the room above, I’m a little concerned.
That is a very typical Japanese structure:
- state the reason
- add ので
- state the result or feeling
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