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How to use

Designed to help you progress once you’re comfortable with the basics. Use it as supplementary material alongside your studies.

Pick a school grade or JLPT level and do this each day:

  1. Handwrite the passage in a notebook.
  2. Read the passage out loud.
  3. Understand the meaning of the passage (if you need help, check the English translation).
  4. Take note of the grammar points (try understanding them in Japanese first; if you need help, refer to the English translation).
N3高1 · High School 1September 7, 2026

むらをすくったカラス

むかし、あるむらのはずれに、おおきなきにいちわのカラスがすんでいた。むらびとたちはきみがわるいものだから、ちかづこうとしなかった。ところが、おおあめがつづいたあるよる、カラスがはげしくなきつづけ、ねむっていたむらびとたちをおこした。よくあさ、やまのしゃめんがくずれ、むらのすぐそばまでつちがおしよせていたことがわかった。カラスはおそろしいそんざいどころか、むらをすくったおんじんだったのだ。それいらい、むらびとたちはこのきをたいせつにまもっている。

文法

  • 「〜ものだから」は、理由りゆうを述のべて、その結果けっかとして当然とうぜんそうなったのだと説明せつめいする、話はなし言葉ことば的てきな表現ひょうげん。
  • 「〜どころか」は、前まえに述のべた内容ないようを否定ひていし、実際じっさいにはそれとは正反対せいはんたい、あるいはそれ以上いじょうのことが成なり立たつことを強つよく示しめす表現ひょうげん。
  • 「それ以来いらい」は、ある出来事できごとが起おこった時点じてんを基準きじゅんにして、それから今いままで続つづいている状態じょうたいを表あらわす表現ひょうげん。
English

The Crow That Saved the Village

Long ago, at the edge of a village, a single crow lived in a big tree. Because the villagers found it eerie, they didn't try to go near it. But one night, after heavy rain had continued for days, the crow cried out loudly again and again, waking the sleeping villagers. The next morning, it was discovered that the mountain slope had collapsed and earth had come pouring down right up to the edge of the village. Far from being a frightening creature, the crow turned out to be the one who had saved the village. Ever since then, the villagers have carefully protected that tree.

  • "~ものだから" is a colloquial expression that states a reason and explains that a certain result naturally followed from it, meaning 'since ~' or 'because ~'.
  • "~どころか" strongly indicates that, far from the preceding statement being true, the opposite or something even more extreme is actually the case, meaning 'far from ~' or 'not only not ~ but rather ~'.
  • "それ以来" means 'ever since then', expressing that a certain state has continued from the point when an event occurred up to the present.
All High School 1 paragraphs