This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

私はいつその機械のスイッチを切ったらよいかわからなかった。

Sentence Analyzer

その 機械 スイッチ 切ったら よい わからなかった

English Translation

I didn't know when to switch the machine off.

Furigana

(わたし)はいつその機械(きかい)のスイッチを()ったらよいかわからなかった。

Romanji

Watashi wa i tsu sono kikai no suitchi o kittara yoi ka wakaranakatta.

Words

(わたし、わたくし)
I; me; private affairs; personal matter; secrecy; selfishness
()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
要る (いる)
to need; to want
()
indicates two contrasting actions; indicates possessive (often found in place names and compound words)
其の (その)
that (something or someone distant from the speaker, close to the listener; actions of the listener, or ideas expressed or understood by the listener); the; um...; er...; uh...
機械 (きかい)
machine; mechanism; instrument; appliance; apparatus
()
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
スイッチ (スイッチ、スィッチ)
switch
()
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
切る (きる)
to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery); to sever (connections, ties); to turn off (i.e. the light); to terminate (i.e. a conversation); to hang up (the phone); to disconnect; to punch (a ticket); to tear off (a stub); to open (something sealed); to start; to set (a limit); to do (something) in less or within a certain time; to issue (stamps, vouchers, etc.); to reduce; to decrease; to discount; to shake off (water, etc.); to let drip-dry; to let drain; to cross; to traverse; to criticize sharply; to act decisively; to do (something noticeable); to go first; to make (certain facial expressions, in kabuki); to turn (a vehicle); to curl (a ball); to bend; to cut; to shuffle (cards); to dismiss; to sack; to let go; to expulse; to excommunicate; to dig (a groove); to cut (a stencil, on a mimeograph); to trump; (in Go) to isolate (an opponent's stone); to start a fire (with wood-wood friction or by striking a metal against stone); to draw (a shape) in the air (with a sword, etc.); to finish; to complete
良い (よい)
good; excellent; fine; nice; pleasant; agreeable; sufficient (can be used to turn down an offer); ready; prepared; profitable (e.g. deal, business offer, etc.); beneficial; OK
()
indicates a question (sometimes rhetorical); or; whether or not; some- (e.g. something, someone); indicates doubt, uncertainty, etc.; emphatic prefix; suffix forming adjectives or adverbs; in that way
分かる (わかる)
to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to see; to get; to follow; to become clear; to be known; to be discovered; to be realized; to be realised; to be found out

Kanji

Readings: シ、 わたくし、 わたし
Meanings: private, I, me
Readings: キ、 はた
Meanings: loom, mechanism, machine, airplane, opportunity, potency, efficacy, occasion
Readings: カイ、 かせ
Meanings: contraption, fetter, machine, instrument
Readings: セツ、 サイ、 き.る、 -き.る、 き.り、 -き.り、 -ぎ.り、 き.れる、 -き.れる、 き.れ、 -き.れ、 -ぎ.れ
Meanings: cut, cutoff, be sharp