Japan: Typhoon No. 30 passes near Guam, expected south of Okinawa around 22–23 October

Les chiffres de cet article sont ceux de l’heure indiquée ; fiez-vous aux informations officielles les plus récentes.

Être in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.

Les chiffres viennent des entreprises ou des organismes cités ; JAPANITIES ne les a pas vérifiés.

The passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.

D’après Weathernews, le typhon n° 30 (Champi) se trouvait le 18 octobre à 9 h dans les îles Mariannes, près de Guam, se déplaçant vers l’ouest à 25 km/h.

The imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.

Weathernews prévoit qu’il atteindra la mer au sud d’Okinawa en fin de semaine.

The futur simple means “will do” or “is planned to”. Add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive (participer → il participera). Watch the irregular stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, voir → verr-. In the news it is used for fixed plans and outlooks.

Le typhon est « très fort » et pourrait devenir « violent » entre ce soir et le matin du 19.

The conditional expresses possibility, supposition, unconfirmed information and polite requests (“would”, “might”). It uses the same stem as the future and the same endings as the imparfait (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient): pouvoir → il pourrait. In the news it is used to avoid asserting, as in “is reported to…” or “there is a possibility…”.

Les effets sur Honshu ne sont pas évoqués dans cette source.

The passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).

Les prévisions varient d’une heure à l’autre : consultez la dernière.

The imperative expresses commands, requests and advice. It has no subject: the sentence starts with the verb (Consultez les informations.). The vous form ends in -ez, nous in -ons (Restons prudents.), and tu in -e for -er verbs (Consulte). It is very common in notices and warnings (Vérifiez, Consultez, Restez informé).

D’après Weathernews, le typhon n° 30 (Champi) se trouvait le 18 octobre à 9 h dans les îles Mariannes, près de Guam, se déplaçant vers l’ouest à 25 km/h.

A pronominal verb is used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb. It can mean “do to oneself”, “be done” or “do to each other”. In the news, se traduire (to result in), se tenir (to take place), s’agir de (to be a matter of) and se diffuser (to spread) are frequent. The pronoun changes with the subject (il se tient / ils se tiennent / je me souviens).

Les effets sur Honshu ne sont pas évoqués dans cette source.

Normally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.

Selon HBC (Yahoo!

Selon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.

Le typhon est « très fort » et pourrait devenir « violent » entre ce soir et le matin du 19.

Put a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.

Weathernews prévoit qu’il atteindra la mer au sud d’Okinawa en fin de semaine.

Prévoir means “to plan, to expect”. Être prévu means “to be scheduled” and être envisagé means “to be under consideration”. In the news, read them separately from expressions that describe events that have already happened. They do not say that the event has already taken place.

Japan), qui relaie l’Agence météorologique japonaise (18 octobre, 6 h 45), il atteindrait le sud d’Okinawa vers 3 h le 23, avec 935 hPa et des rafales de 70 m/s.

Qui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.

ウェザーニュースによると、台風30号（チャンパー）は18日9時の時点で、マリアナ諸島にあって、グアム島の近くを西へ時速25kmで進んでいます。

As in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.

高気圧の影響で、西寄りに進む可能性が高いとされています。

These forms say something may happen. Even when “possibility” is written, it does not mean it will certainly happen. Check whose forecast it is, plus the time and conditions.

発表の時刻によって予報に差があるため、最新の発表を確認してください。

ため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.

本州などへの影響は、参照した資料には書かれていません。

“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.

ウェザーニュースは、週の後半に沖縄の南の海上に達する見通しだと伝えています。

と takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.

強さは「非常に強い」で、今夜から19日朝にかけて一時的に「猛烈な」勢力になる予想です。

The て-form links actions in a series, in order or as a reason. In “確認して、出発する” the relation is judged from the content. In “〜ている” it can show an action in progress or a continuing state.