Japanese for the Coin Laundry: Asking About a Finished Load in an Occupied Machine
Learn polite Japanese for a coin laundry where every machine is full and one has finished but nobody has collected the laundry: 終わっていますね, 使ってもいいですか, まだ使っていますか, 少し待ちます, and 取りに来るまで待ちます.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
You walk into a coin laundry with a basket of wet clothes, and every machine is running. Then you notice one drum has stopped, the light is off, and the door is still closed with someone's laundry inside. This lesson gives you the polite Japanese you need for exactly that moment: how to observe that a cycle has finished, how to ask whether you may use the machine, how to check whether the owner is still using it, and how to say you will wait. The key is to ask rather than remove someone else's clothes.
By the end, you can…
- point out politely that a machine has finished its cycle.
- ask permission to use a machine with 〜てもいいですか.
- ask whether someone is still using a machine.
- say I will wait a little or until the owner comes to collect the laundry.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
終わっていますね。
It has finished, hasn't it?
Owatte imasu ne.
Said when the drum has stopped and the cycle is clearly over. The final ね invites agreement and sounds observant, not accusatory.
使ってもいいですか。
May I use it?
Tsukatte mo ii desu ka.
The standard polite way to ask permission. Point toward the machine or gesture slightly so the person knows which one you mean.
まだ使っていますか。
Are you still using it?
Mada tsukatte imasu ka.
Use this when you are not sure whether the owner has finished with the machine or is about to add more laundry.
少し待ちます。
I'll wait a little while.
Sukoshi machimasu.
A considerate response when the owner is nearby or might return soon. It shows you are not trying to rush them.
取りに来るまで待ちます。
I'll wait until they come to collect it.
Tori ni kuru made machimasu.
Use this when the finished machine belongs to someone who is not present. It makes clear you will not remove their laundry.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 〜てもいいですか asks for permission. Put the て-form of a verb before もいいですか: 使う becomes 使って, so 使ってもいいですか means 'May I use it?' You can also ask about a specific machine: この洗濯機を使ってもいいですか (Kono sentakuki o tsukatte mo ii desu ka), 'May I use this washing machine?' For a negative question, 使わなくてもいいですか asks whether it is all right not to use it, but in a laundry you will mostly need the positive form.
When to use it
Use 終わっていますね when you can see that the cycle has stopped but the laundry is still inside. Use まだ使っていますか when a person is nearby and might still be involved with the machine. If they say はい、まだ使っています (Hai, mada tsukatte imasu), do not open the door; answer わかりました。少し待ちます (Wakarimashita. Sukoshi machimasu), 'I understand. I'll wait a little.' If nobody is around, say 取りに来るまで待ちます to yourself or to a companion, and wait a reasonable time before asking staff for help.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、この洗濯機は終わっていますね。
Excuse me, this washing machine has finished, hasn't it?Sumimasen, kono sentakuki wa owatte imasu ne.はい、終わりました。でも、まだ洗濯物が入っています。
Yes, it has finished. But my laundry is still inside.Hai, owarimashita. Demo, mada sentakumono ga haitte imasu.そうですか。使ってもいいですか。
I see. May I use it?Sō desu ka. Tsukatte mo ii desu ka.すみません、今取りに行きます。少し待ってもらえますか。
Sorry, I'll go and get it now. Could you wait a little?Sumimasen, ima tori ni ikimasu. Sukoshi matte moraemasu ka.A little context goes a long way
In a shared laundry, the considerate default is to wait rather than remove someone else's clothes. A finished cycle does not automatically mean the machine is free, because the owner may be on the way back. Asking 使ってもいいですか or まだ使っていますか keeps the interaction polite. If you must involve staff, ask at the counter rather than assuming a policy; service rules and fees vary by place.
One thing to watch for
Opening the door and taking out someone else's laundry as soon as the cycle stops.
Try this instead: Ask first. Say 終わっていますね。使ってもいいですか。If the owner is absent, say 取りに来るまで待ちます and wait a reasonable time. Removing another person's laundry without asking can cause conflict and is not the polite default.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You see a machine has stopped but the door is closed and laundry is inside. What polite Japanese sentence can you say to observe this?
Show a sample answer
終わっていますね。
This uses 終わっています (has finished) plus ね to invite agreement. It is a soft observation, not a demand, and fits the situation exactly.
2You want to ask whether you may use a machine that appears free. Which pattern do you use?
Show a sample answer
使ってもいいですか。
This is the permission pattern 〜てもいいですか with the て-form 使って. You can make it more specific with この洗濯機を使ってもいいですか.
3The owner is not there, but their finished laundry is still in the machine. What can you say to show you will not remove it?
Show a sample answer
取りに来るまで待ちます。
This means 'I'll wait until they come to collect it.' It clearly states your intention to wait rather than touch someone else's laundry. 少し待ちます is also acceptable if you mean a short wait.
At the coin laundry, notice politely with 終わっていますね, ask permission with 使ってもいいですか, check with まだ使っていますか, and if the owner is away, say 取りに来るまで待ちます and wait rather than remove someone else's laundry.
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