N5StoryEveryday life1 min

Sunday in the Park

A Sunday in the park with a dog, rice balls and a sudden shower.

Most of this text is in the past tense, -mashita. Notice how short the sentences are. Where two ideas are joined, Japanese uses the te-form: shirokute chiisai, white and small; hashitte kaerimashita, they ran home.

日曜日(にちようび)、健(けん)さんは犬(いぬ)と公園(こうえん)へ行(い)きました。犬(いぬ)の名前(なまえ)はポチです。ポチは白(しろ)くて小(ちい)さい犬(いぬ)です。

公園(こうえん)には子供(こども)がたくさんいました。健(けん)さんとポチは公園(こうえん)の中(なか)を走(はし)りました。ポチはとても速(はや)いです。

昼(ひる)に健(けん)さんは公園(こうえん)の木(き)の下(した)でおにぎりを食(た)べました。ポチは水(みず)を飲(の)みました。とても暖(あたた)かい日(ひ)でした。

でも、三時(さんじ)ごろ空(そら)に黒(くろ)い雲(くも)が出(で)ました。そして、雨(あめ)が降(ふ)りました。健(けん)さんは傘(かさ)を持(も)っていませんでした。

二人(ふたり)は走(はし)って家(いえ)に帰(かえ)りました。少(すこ)し寒(さむ)かったです。でも、楽(たの)しい日曜日(にちようび)でした。

Words: 91
Sentences: 15
Words per sentence: 6.1
in the vocabulary: 100 %
measured level: N5
Reading time: 1 min

The words from N5 up in this text

Not the hard words in general, but those at your level: 30 of the 41 of the 53 words in this text are at N5 or above. You will know everything else by the time you get here.

〜ごろ
around, about (a point in time)
N5
〜時(じ)
o'clock
N5
いる
there is (people, animals)
N5
おにぎり
rice ball
N5
そして
and; and then
N5
たくさん
a lot; many
N5
とても
very
N5
三(さん)
three
N5
下(した)
under; below
N5
中(なか)
inside; in
N5
二人(ふたり)
two people
N5
傘(かさ)
umbrella
N5
公園(こうえん)
park
N5
出(で)る
to go out; to leave
N5
名前(なまえ)
name
N5
子供(こども)
child; children
N5
家(いえ)
house; home
N5
寒(さむ)い
cold (weather)
N5
小(ちい)さい
small; little
N5
少(すこ)し
a little; a few
N5
帰(かえ)る
to go home; to return
N5
持(も)つ
to hold; to carry; to have
N5
日(ひ)
day; the sun
N5
日曜日(にちようび)
Sunday
N5
昼(ひる)
noon; daytime; lunch
N5
暖(あたた)かい
warm (weather)
N5
木(き)
tree; wood
N5
楽(たの)しい
fun; enjoyable
N5
水(みず)
water (not hot)
N5
犬(いぬ)
dog
N5

The word lists for this text

The words in this text appear in 17 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.

Weather and seasons 6 Adverbs, time words and linking words 4 Telling the time and the calendar 4 Basic adjectives 3 Basic verbs 3 Food and drink 3 Clothes and belongings 2 Colours, shapes and sizes 2 Getting around 2 Verbs of movement 2 Nature and animals 2 Numbers, money and counting things 2 People and the family 2 Time and frequency 1 At home 1 Kitchen and tableware 1 Places in town 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. What does Ken’s dog look like?

2. Where did Ken eat lunch?

3. Why did they run home?