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Japanese Texts Using 〜そうだ (I heard that (hearsay))

27 free Japanese reading texts that use the N4 grammar point 〜そうだ (I heard that (hearsay)), 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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ねずみさんの失敗 cover Read ねずみさんの失敗 The Mouse's Mistake 村山 籌子 2 min read · Short Story 顎十郎捕物帳 cover Read 顎十郎捕物帳 Agujūrō's Casebook 久生 十蘭 28 min read · Short Story からすねこと　ペルシャねこ cover Read からすねこと　ペルシャねこ The Crow Cat and the Persian Cat 小川 未明 1 min read · Short Story ゴムフウセン cover Read ゴムフウセン The Rubber Balloon 桜間 中庸 1 min read · Short Story 殺生石 cover Read 殺生石 The Killing Stone 楠山 正雄 7 min read · Short Story 木曽の怪物 cover Read 木曽の怪物 The Monster of Kiso 岡本 綺堂 9 min read · Short Story 釘抜藤吉捕物覚書 cover Read 釘抜藤吉捕物覚書 Kuginuki Tokichi's Detective Notes 林 不忘 21 min read · Short Story 吝嗇神の宿 cover Read 吝嗇神の宿 The Miser God's Inn 坂口 安吾 16 min read · Short Story 黒襟飾組の魔手 cover Read 黒襟飾組の魔手 The Black Scarf Gang's Evil Hand 山本 周五郎 26 min read · Short Story 長い名 cover Read 長い名 The Long Name 楠山 正雄 4 min read · Short Story 影を踏まれた女 cover Read 影を踏まれた女 The Woman Whose Shadow Was Stepped On 岡本 綺堂 23 min read · Short Story 賢い秀雄さんの話 cover Read 賢い秀雄さんの話 The Story of Clever Hideo 宮原 晃一郎 6 min read · Short Story 大きな蝙蝠傘 cover Read 大きな蝙蝠傘 The Big Umbrella 竹久 夢二 3 min read · Short Story ウサギ cover Read ウサギ The Rabbit 新美 南吉 2 min read · Short Story こいぬ　の　ちびすけ cover Read こいぬ　の　ちびすけ The Little Puppy Chibisuke 村山 籌子 2 min read · Short Story 鬼火を追う武士 cover Read 鬼火を追う武士 The Samurai Who Chased the Will-o'-Wisp 田中 貢太郎 2 min read · Short Story 飛行機に乗る怪しい紳士 cover Read 飛行機に乗る怪しい紳士 The Suspicious Gentleman on the Airplane 田中 貢太郎 3 min read · Short Story 九龍虫 cover Read 九龍虫 The Kowloon Bug 上村 松園 2 min read · Article 名士訪問記 cover Read 名士訪問記 Visit to a Celebrity 海野 十三 3 min read · Short Story 火星の芝居 cover Read 火星の芝居 The Theater on Mars 石川 啄木 3 min read · Short Story 虹猫の話 cover Read 虹猫の話 The Story of the Rainbow Cat 宮原 晃一郎 8 min read · Short Story 水草 cover Read 水草 Waterweed 久生 十蘭 3 min read · Short Story （和）茗荷 cover Read （和）茗荷 The Myoga 三遊亭 円朝 2 min read · Short Story 泣き虫の小ぐまさん cover Read 泣き虫の小ぐまさん The Crybaby Little Bear 村山 籌子 2 min read · Short Story 真紅な帆の帆前船 cover Read 真紅な帆の帆前船 The Crimson-Sailed Schooner 田中 貢太郎 1 min read · Short Story ハナとタマシヒ cover Read ハナとタマシヒ Hana and the Soul 平山 千代子 5 min read · Short Story 怪人の眼 cover Read 怪人の眼 The Strange Man's Eye 田中 貢太郎 6 min read · Short Story

解説かいせつBackground

About the grammar point 〜そうだ

〜そうだ (I heard that (hearsay)) is a N4 grammar point. This shelf collects 27 free Japanese texts that use 〜そうだ 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 〜そうだ across many stories is one of the fastest ways to turn a memorised rule into something you recognise on sight.

質問しつもんQuestions

〜そうだ: questions & answers

What does 〜そうだ mean?

〜そうだ (I heard that (hearsay)) is a N4-level Japanese grammar point. The 27 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 〜そうだ?

〜そうだ 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 〜そうだ 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 〜そうだ was used afterwards. Free to read in full — a free account adds saved progress and AI study tools.