Yomibunko

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

ひかるShining

Hikaru

by 新美 南吉 · Niimi Nankichi

JLPT N5Short Story

A vibrant poem celebrating everyday things that shine.

About this story

A simple poem about everything shining brightly during the daytime.

Read a sample in Japanese

ひるはどこもがひかるんだ。みてるとどこもがひかるんだ。ぼうしのひさしがひかるんだ。だれのひさしもひかるんだ。フットボールがひかるんだ。たかいおそらがひかるんだ。せんせいのかおひかるんだ。にこにことしてひかるんだ。せんだんのえだひかるんだ。めをもつえだがひかるんだ。こうていのこえひかるんだ。みんなのこえがひかるんだ。がっこうのそらひかるんだ。みてるとひるがひかるんだ。
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What you'll learn

The poem states that various things shine in the daytime: hats, footballs, teachers, branches, voices, and the school sky.

Language difficultyBeginner · 15/100

Key vocabulary

ひさしbrim (of a hat)
フツトボールfootball (likely soccer)
せんだんchinaberry (a type of tree)
こうていschool ground/playground

Grammar points you'll meet

  • ~んだ( explanatory のだ) N5Explanatory or emphatic sentence ending, adding nuance of explanation or reason. Used in casual speech.
    ひるはどこもがひかるんだ。

Cultural notes

  • Repetition in Japanese PoetryThis poem uses extensive repetition of the phrase '~がひかるんだ' (shines). Repetition is a common technique in Japanese children's poetry (dōyō) and haiku-like verse to create rhythm and emphasize imagery. The poem likely appears in a beginner reading exercise.

Try a comprehension question

What is the main theme of the poem?

  1. The darkness of night
  2. Things that shine in the daytime
  3. A football game
  4. The school rules
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Sensei's reading tip

Focus on the repeated pattern '~がひかるんだ' to understand the core meaning: everything shines.

Topics & grammar

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