Japanese Texts Using しか〜ない (only / nothing but)
5 free Japanese reading texts that use the N4 grammar point しか〜ない (only / nothing but), graded beginner to advanced. Furigana on every word, tap-to-look-up, and an English vocabulary & grammar breakdown on each text.
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がちょうの たんじょうび
Goose's Birthday
新美 南吉
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どろぼう猫
The Thief Cat
夢野 久作
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五色温泉スキー日記
Ski Diary at Goshiki Hot Springs
板倉 勝宣
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子どものすきな神さま
The Little God That Children Love
新美 南吉
Read
生霊
The Living Ghost
小泉 八雲
解説Background
About the grammar point しか〜ない
しか〜ない (only / nothing but) is a N4 grammar point. This shelf collects 5 free Japanese texts that use しか〜ない in real context — graded from beginner to advanced, with furigana above every kanji — so you meet the pattern in living sentences instead of an isolated textbook example.
Every read on Yomimaru pairs the Japanese with an English study layer — key vocabulary, the grammar it uses, and a short comprehension check — plus tap-to-look-up on any word. Seeing しか〜ない across many stories is one of the fastest ways to turn a memorised rule into something you recognise on sight.
質問Questions
しか〜ない: questions & answers
What does しか〜ない mean?
しか〜ない (only / nothing but) is a N4-level Japanese grammar point. The 5 texts on this shelf show it used naturally, each with an English breakdown so you can see exactly how it works in a sentence.
What JLPT level is しか〜ない?
しか〜ない is typically introduced around JLPT N4. The reading texts here span several JLPT levels, so you can practise the pattern at, below, or slightly above your current level.
How can I practise しか〜ない by reading?
Read a text from this shelf a little above your comfort level, lean on the furigana and instant lookups to stay in the story, then review how しか〜ない was used afterwards. Free to read in full — a free account adds saved progress and AI study tools.