作品Free Graded Reading
カイダイKaidai
Kaidai
by 平山 千代子 · Hirayama Chiyoko
A student is called on to 'kaidai' but has no idea what it means. Chaos ensues!
About this story
About this storyA student is suddenly called upon by a student teacher to interpret a passage from Heike Monogatari, leading to confusion.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseWhat you'll learn
What you'll learnThe narrator recalls an incident in her fourth year when a student teacher called 'Kitsune-san' came to teach a passage from The Tale of the Heike. She was called on unexpectedly and asked to give a 'kaidai', which she didn't understand, leading her to fake it with a friend's help, which she later regretted.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 教生 (きょうせい) | student teacher |
|---|---|
| 面喰らう (めんくらう) | to be taken aback, flustered |
| 突差に (とっさに) | instantly, on the spur of the moment |
| カイダイ | book report, commentary explaining a text's background |
| 胡魔化す (ごまかす) | to deceive, cheat, fake |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てゐた (older spelling of ～ていた) N3Past progressive form (was doing); in classical/literary style often written as 'てゐた' instead of 'ていた'.キツネさんと呼ばれてゐた市村先生であつた。
- ～といふ (＝という, but classical spelling) N4Quotation marker; 'called', 'that is'. Used to define or describe.カイダイといふのは本について、何時、何があつて、どういふことがかいてあるかをしらべることです。
- ～ばかり (emphasis, 'just', 'only') N3Used to emphasize the extent or degree; here '鳩の豆鉄砲より尚甚だしかつたに違ひない' uses 'ばかり' in the set phrase '鳩が豆鉄砲を食ったよう' meaning 'like a bird shot at' (utterly shocked).鳩の豆鉄砲より尚甚だしかつたに違ひない。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- The Tale of the HeikeA classic Japanese epic from the 13th century about the Genpei War. The passage '重盛諫言' refers to the scene where Taira no Shigemori admonishes his father Kiyomori for his arrogance.
- Kaidai (解題)A Japanese academic term meaning a book report or commentary explaining the author, historical context, and content of a text. It was a common assignment in pre-war education.
- Student Teacher System (教生)In pre-war Japan, university students with top grades would practice teaching at girls' schools as part of their training. These '教生' were often feared or admired.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat was the narrator asked to do by the student teacher?
- Read a passage aloud
- Explain the background of the text (kaidai)
- Write a summary of the story
- Translate the passage into modern Japanese
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipNote the classical spelling variations (e.g., 'ゐ' for 'い', 'を' for 'お', 'へ' for 'え') to get used to older Japanese orthography.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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