よい家A Good House

About this story

A man named Ivanovitch admires the features of a good house.

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Source

This text comes from Aozora Bunko (青空文庫), the volunteer-run library of Japanese writing that is out of copyright. See this work on Aozora Bunko

Base edition (底本): 「日本児童文学大系　第二八巻」ほるぷ出版
1978（昭和53）年11月30日初刷発行

Typed in by 菅野朋子. Proofread by noriko saito.

Yomimaru has edited this text for modern readers. Its Aozora Bunko card has the text as the volunteers entered it.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

The character Ivanovich opens a window, admires the terrace, descends steps, and thoroughly inspects a house, expressing delight at each feature. He concludes that it is a good house.

Key vocabulary

窓まど	window
テラス	terrace
段だん	step (stair)
鬚おやぢひげおやじ	bearded old man
バラライカ	balalaika (Russian musical instrument)

Grammar points you'll meet

• Vた (past tense) N5Past tense of verbs ending in ～た.

  窓まどあけた。

• ～だ (copula) N5Plain form of です, used to state something is something.

  こら いい窓まどだ、

• Vて (te-form for connection) N5Te-form of verbs to connect actions or request.

  あちこち歩あるいて部屋へやもみた。

• Vる+ところだ (place/point of action) N4Expresses that one is just about to do something or that something is the place for action.

  朝あさの新聞しんぶんよむとこだ。

Cultural notes

• Turkish TobaccoTurkish tobacco refers to a type of aromatic tobacco historically popular in the Ottoman Empire. Its mention adds an exotic, leisurely atmosphere.
• BalalaikaA Russian stringed musical instrument with a triangular body. Mentioning it evokes a cultural blend of Russian and Japanese elements.

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