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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 10, 2026

やねうらのきばこ

けんじへ ひさしぶり。じつはせんしゅう、じっかのやねうらをせいりしていたら、かぎのかかったふるいきばこをみつけたんだ。もちあげてみるといがいにおもくて、なにもはいっていないわけがないとおもう。かぎをみつけてからでないとあけられないから、いまはむりにこわさずにがまんしているけれど、しょうじき、きになってあけてみたくてしかたない。そぼにきいても「しらない」というばかりで、なぞはふかまるばかりだ。らいしゅうまつ、じっかにかえるよていなので、いっしょにかぎをさがしてくれない?

文法

  • 「〜わけがない」は、ある可能性かのうせいを強つよく否定ひていする表現ひょうげんで、「そんなことはあり得えない」という話はなし手ての強つよい確信かくしんを表あらわす。
  • 「〜てからでないと〜ない」は、ある動作どうさを先さきに済すませなければ、次つぎの動作どうさができないことを表あらわす表現ひょうげん。
  • 「〜てしかたない」は、ある気持きもちや欲求よっきゅうが強つよすぎて抑おさえられないことを表あらわす表現ひょうげんで、「〜てたまらない」に近ちかい意味いみを持もつ。
English

The Wooden Box in the Attic

To Kenji, Long time no see. Actually, last week when I was tidying up the attic at my parents' house, I found an old wooden box that was locked. When I tried lifting it, it was surprisingly heavy, so I don't think there's any way it's empty inside. Since I can't open it until I find the key, I'm holding back from forcing it open, but honestly, I'm dying to open it and see what's inside. Even when I asked my grandmother, she just kept saying 'I don't know,' and the mystery only deepens. I'm planning to go back to my parents' house next weekend, so would you come look for the key with me?

  • "~わけがない" strongly denies a possibility, meaning 'there's no way that ~' or 'it can't be that ~', expressing the speaker's firm conviction that something is impossible.
  • "~てからでないと~ない" means 'cannot ~ until first doing ~', expressing that a certain action must be completed before another action becomes possible.
  • "~てしかたない" expresses that a feeling or desire is so strong that it cannot be controlled, meaning 'unbearably ~' or 'can't help ~ing', similar to '~てたまらない'.
All High School 1 paragraphs