Japanese reading · beginner
The missing phone
Two blue phones, and only one of them is where it should be. A short story from the Open Lingo Japanese course, written so that a learner who has finished the first 6 modules knows every word and grammar point in it. Read each line, then check the English underneath.
Examples are written in kana. New to it? Start with the hiragana chart.
あさ、ユミと わたしは わたしの いえで あそぶ。
In the morning Yumi and I hang out at my house.
ユミの けいたいは あおい。わたしの けいたいも あおい。
Yumi's phone is blue. My phone is blue too.
それから、ユミは えきに いく。
After that, Yumi goes to the station.
わたしの けいたいが ない。
My phone is gone.
いえの なかに ない。かばんの なかにも ない。
It isn't in the house. It isn't in my bag either.
わたしも えきに いく。
I go to the station too.
えきで ユミが いう。
At the station Yumi says,
ユミ
「これ、だれの けいたい？わたしの かばんの なかに ある。」
"Whose phone is this? It's in my bag."
わたし
「わたしのだ！」
"It's mine!"
ユミ
「ごめんなさい！」
"I'm so sorry!"
わたし
「だいじょうぶ。ありがとう。」
"It's fine. Thanks."
Practice this in Open Lingo
In the app this story has a reader with tap-to-define words, full audio and comprehension questions, and it unlocks alongside the lessons it is built from.
Keep going
- ある vs いるHow to say there is or I have in Japanese with ある (things) and いる (people and animals), and their negatives ない and いない.
- に vs でThe difference between the Japanese particles に (ni) and で (de) for places, plus に for clock times, explained with course examples.
- は vs がWhen to use は (wa) and when to use が (ga) in Japanese, with example sentences from the Open Lingo course and the mistakes beginners make most.