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September 2, 2026

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 2, 2026

がめんのなかのまご

たかはしさんはしちじゅうさいになってはじめて、スマートフォンでビデオつうわをつかいはじめた。むすめがアメリカにすんでいるとはいえ、がめんをとおしてまごのかおをみられるようになったのは、おおきなよろこびだった。さいしょはそうさほうほうがわからず、ボタンをおすだけでとまどってばかりで、なかなかつうわにつながらなかった。いまではやっとなれてきたが、それでもじぶんのぎじゅつはまだまごにおしえてもらうていどにすぎないと、たかはしさんはわらってはなす。

文法

  • 「〜とはいえ」は、前まえに述のべた事実じじつを認みとめながらも、それに反はんする内容ないようを続つづける表現ひょうげんで、「〜とはいうものの」に近ちかい意味いみを持もつ。
  • 「〜てばかりで」は、同おなじ動作どうさや状態じょうたいばかりが続つづいて、なかなか前まえに進すすまない様子ようすを表あらわす表現ひょうげん。
  • 「〜にすぎない」は、程度ていどや価値かちが低ひくく、それ以上いじょうのものではないと控ひかえめに述のべる表現ひょうげんで、「単たんに〜だけだ」という意味いみを持もつ。
English

Grandchild on the Screen

At the age of seventy, Mr. Takahashi started using video calls on his smartphone for the first time. Although his daughter lives in America, being able to see his grandchild's face through the screen was a great joy. At first he didn't know how to operate it, and he kept getting confused just pressing buttons, so the call wouldn't connect easily. Now he has finally gotten used to it, but he says with a laugh that his skills are still no more than what his grandchild has taught him.

  • "~とはいえ" means 'although ~' or 'even though ~', acknowledging a stated fact while introducing a contrasting point, similar in meaning to '~とはいうものの'.
  • "~てばかりで" describes a situation where one keeps doing (or being in) the same action or state repeatedly, with little progress being made, meaning 'doing nothing but ~'.
  • "~にすぎない" modestly states that something is of a low degree or value and nothing more, meaning 'merely ~' or 'no more than ~'.
All JLPT N3 paragraphs