N4EmailWork1 min

土曜日(どようび)の仕事(しごと)のこと

A part-time worker writes to her manager to swap a Saturday shift.

A polite work e-mail. Nguyen explains the problem, says what she has already arranged, and only then asks. Notice how she asks for permission: 〜てもいいでしょうか.

From グエン

To きむらさん

Subject 土曜日(どようび)の仕事(しごと)のこと

木村(きむら)さん

お疲(つか)れさまです。アルバイトのグエンです。

来週(らいしゅう)の土曜日(どようび)の仕事(しごと)のことで、相談(そうだん)があります。

実(じつ)は、その日(ひ)に大学(だいがく)の試験(しけん)があることが分(わ)かりました。試験(しけん)は朝(あさ)九時(くじ)から午後(ごご)三時(さんじ)までです。ですから、土曜日(どようび)の朝(あさ)の仕事(しごと)を休(やす)んでもいいでしょうか。

同(おな)じアルバイトの山本(やまもと)さんに聞(き)いてみたら、土曜日(どようび)に入(はい)ってもいいと言(い)ってくれました。そのかわり、私(わたし)が日曜日(にちようび)の山本(やまもと)さんの仕事(しごと)をします。

すみませんが、よろしくお願(ねが)いします。

グエン

More sentences on this in “Language in use”: Japanese for work

Words: 83
Sentences: 10
Words per sentence: 8.3
in the vocabulary: 100 %
measured level: N4
Reading time: 1 min

Grammar in this text

These forms appear in the text in real use. Switch on “Show grammar” above the text to highlight them.

休(やす)んでもいいでしょうか
〜てもいいでしょうか: a very polite way to ask for permission. May and must not: てもいい, てはいけない →
聞(き)いてみたら
聞(き)いてみたら: when I tried asking — 〜てみる plus たら. てみる: trying something to see →
入(はい)ってもいいと言(い)ってくれました
と言(い)って reports what someone said: Yamamoto said that she could go in. Saying and thinking: と and って →

The words from N4 up in this text

Not the hard words in general, but those at your level: all 6 of the 49 words in this text are at N4 or above. You will know everything else by the time you get here.

お疲れさまです
thanks for your hard work (to colleagues)
N4
くれる
to give (to me or my side)
N4
そのかわり
instead; in return
N3
実は
actually; to tell the truth
N4
相談
consultation; asking for advice
N4
試験
exam; test
N4

The word lists for this text

The words in this text appear in 15 lists on this site; the number after each says how many come from that list. Having read the text, you have just needed these very words — and can practise exactly them.

Telling the time and the calendar 7 Basic verbs 6 Greetings and set phrases 3 Basic adjectives 2 Connectors and sentence openers 2 Jobs and work 2 University life 2 Adverbs of attitude 1 Counting things 1 Giving, receiving and favours 1 Everyday two-kanji compounds 1 Verbs of movement 1 Numbers, money and counting things 1 People and the family 1 This, that and question words 1

Comprehension questions

3 questions on the text. With each answer the sentence it comes from appears — a question whose answer you cannot find in the text tests nothing.

1. Why does Nguyen want Saturday off?

2. Who will work on Saturday instead of her?

3. What will Nguyen do in return?