Learning Japanese Through Reading: JLPT N5 – A Short Text About a Family

This article focuses on practicing reading comprehension specifically for the JLPT N5 level. We’ll look at a short, realistic text about a family and break down how to understand it, focusing on practical vocabulary and phrases you can use.

The Reading Passage: A Typical Day

Here’s the passage:

田中さんは、今日一日をどう過ごしましたか？
今日は、雨の日でした。
田中さんは朝7時に起きて、トーストとコーヒーを食べました。
そのあと、テレビを見ました。
彼の妻、佐藤さんは、8時に家を出て、会社に行きました。
彼は19時頃に帰宅しました。
「お腹空いた！」と言いました。
佐藤さんは、「もうすぐ夕食だよ。」と答えました。
彼らは一緒にパスタを食べました。
その後、散歩をしました。

Understanding the Japanese

Let’s break down this passage, line by line. Don’t worry about translating every single word perfectly at first – focus on getting the general meaning.

• 田中さんは、今日一日をどう過ごしましたか？ (Tanaka-san wa, kyou ichinichi o dou sugoshimashita ka?)

Translation: “How did Mr. Tanaka spend his day today?” This is a common question to start conversations with.

• 今日は、雨の日でした。 (Kyou wa, ame no hi deshita.)

Translation: “Today was a rainy day.” Kyou (today), ame (rain), no hi (a day) – very useful phrases!

• 田中さんは朝7時に起きて、トーストとコーヒーを食べました。 (Tanaka-san wa asu 7 ji ni okite, toosuto to koohii o tabemashita.)

Translation: “Mr. Tanaka woke up at 7 am and ate toast and coffee.” Asu (morning), ji (hour/time marker), okite (to wake up), tabemasu (to eat).

• そのあと、テレビを見ました。 (Sono ato, terebi o mimashita.)

Translation: “After that, he watched TV.” Sono ato (after that), terebi (TV).

• 彼の妻、佐藤さんは、8時に家を出て、会社に行きました。 (Kare no tsuma, Satou-san wa, hachi ji ni ie o dete, kaisha ni ikimashita.)

Translation: “His wife, Ms. Sato, left home at 8 am and went to work.” Kare (husband), tsuma (wife), Satou-san (Ms. Sato), ie (house), dete (to leave).

• 彼は19時頃に帰宅しました。 (Kare wa 19 ji goro ni kaitaku shimashita.)

Translation: “He returned home around 7 pm.” goro (approximately/around), kaitaku suru (to return home).

• 「お腹空いた！」と言いました。 (“Onaka suita!” to iimashita.)

Translation: “He said, ‘I’m hungry!’” Onaka (stomach), suita (hungry), to iimasu (to say). Notice the exclamation mark! It adds a lot of feeling.

• 佐藤さんは、「もうすぐ夕食だよ。」と答えました。 (Satou-san wa, “Mou sugu yushoku da yo.” to kotaemashita.)

Translation: “Ms. Sato replied, ‘Dinner is almost ready.’” Mou sugu (soon/almost), yushoku (dinner), da yo (adds emphasis – ‘you know’).

• 彼らは一緒にパスタを食べました。 (Karera wa issho ni pasuta o tabemashita.)

Translation: “They ate pasta together.” Karera (they), issho ni (together), pasuta (pasta).

• その後、散歩をしました。 (Sono ato, sanpo o shimashita.)

Translation: “After that, they went for a walk.” Sanpo (walk/hiking).

Useful Phrases & Vocabulary

• おはようございます (Ohayou gozaimasu) – Good morning.
• こんにちは (Konnichiwa) – Hello / Good afternoon.
• こんばんは (Konbanwa) – Good evening.
• お腹が空いた (Onaka ga suita) – I’m hungry.
• 食べています (Tabete imasu) – I am eating.

Common Mistakes & Corrections

A common mistake beginners make is trying to translate every word perfectly. Japanese sentence structure differs from English. Don’t be afraid of slightly less literal translations that convey the meaning accurately.

For example, “田中さんは今日一日をどう過ごしましたか？” can also mean “How was Tanaka’s day?” The key is to understand the question itself and how it’s being asked.

Next Steps

Practice reading similar short texts regularly. Focus on identifying common vocabulary and sentence structures. Using flashcards for new words is a great way to build your vocabulary. Good luck!