作品Free Graded Reading
「の」の字の世界The World of 'No'
No no ji no sekai
by 佐藤 春夫 · Sato Haruo
JLPT N3Short StoryQuiz ready
A little girl who can't learn letters discovers a world full of the character 'no'!
What you'll learn
What you'll learnUtachan is three years old and will start kindergarten soon. She calls herself 'eichan' but cannot learn letters easily. She struggles to write her name, but after learning 'の', she starts seeing it everywhere and gains confidence.
Language difficultyIntermediate · 45/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| かたこと | baby talk |
|---|---|
| 手ぬぐい (てぬぐい) | hand towel |
| つむじ | cowlick |
| しょげる | to be downcast |
| うなずく | to nod |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- 〜てしまう N4Indicates completion or regret. In this context, it shows that Utachan became completely downcast.みんながわらったので、うたちゃんは、ひどくしょげてしまった。
- 〜という N4Used to define or explain something. Here it explains that 'eichan' is baby talk for 'neechan'.「えいちゃん」とは、ねえちゃんのかたことなのです。
- 〜さえ〜ば N3Means 'if only' or 'as long as'. Here it shows that Utachan picks out 'の' as soon as she sees it.うたちゃんは「の」の字さえ見れば、きっとひろい出すようになり。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Learning to Read in JapanThe story reflects the traditional Japanese approach to literacy, where children learn hiragana characters one by one. The character 'の' is often one of the first learned due to its simple shape and frequency in text. Utachan's method of spotting 'の' everywhere is a common practice to reinforce recognition.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy does Utachan call herself 'eichan'?
- Because her real name is Ei
- Because she is imitating her older sister
- Because she cannot say 'neechan' properly
- Because she likes the sound
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipLook for repeated characters or patterns; in this story, 'の' appears many times, and noticing this can help you understand the theme.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japaneseうたちゃんは、三人兄弟の末で、来年からは幼稚園へ行こうというのですが、早くから、自分ではお姉ちゃん気どりで「えいちゃん」「えいちゃん」と、自分をよんでいます。「えいちゃん」とは、ねえちゃんのかたことなのです。うたちゃんは、「えいちゃん」だけに、二つ上のなき虫の兄がなくと、すぐ手ぬぐいを持って行って、なみだをふいてやったり、頭をさすったり、まことによく気のつく、りこうな子なのです。それだのに、どうしても字をおぼえません。なき虫の兄さんの方は、うたちゃんの年ごろには、だれも少しも教えないのに、野球かるたで、平がなはすっかり読み書きをおぼえ、それからは、すもうの名まえといっしょに、その本字までたくさんおぼえていたものです。兄弟でも、これほどちがうものか。うたちゃんも、今にはひとりでおぼえるだろう、といっていても、なかなかそのけむりもありません。
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Topics
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