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October 15, 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 1October 15, 2026

すいえいにいどむ々ひび

すずきさんは、ことしからかいしゃがえりにスイミングスクールにかよいはじめた。およぎはこどものころにすこしならったていどで、さいしょはプールにはいるだけでいきがきれがちだった。それでも、コーチのじょげんをききつつ、まいしゅうれんしゅうをかさねた。くろうのすえに、ようやくにじゅうごメートルをおよぎきれるようになった。しかし、らいげつのたいかいにでるかどうかは、まだきめかねているそうだ。

文法

  • 「〜がちだ」は、ある好このましくない状態じょうたいや行動こうどうが、傾向けいこうとして起おこりやすいことを表あらわす表現ひょうげん。
  • 「〜つつ」は、二ふたつの動作どうさが同時どうじに行おこなわれることを表あらわす、ややかたい書かき言葉ことば的てきな表現ひょうげんで、「〜ながら」とほぼ同おなじ意味いみを持もつ。
  • 「〜末すえに」は、長ながい時間じかんや努力どりょくを重かさねた結果けっかとして、ついにある結論けつろんや状態じょうたいに至いたったことを表あらわす表現ひょうげん。
English

Days of Taking on Swimming

This year, Suzuki-san started going to a swimming school on his way home from work. He had only learned to swim a little as a child, so at first he would often get out of breath just from getting into the pool. Even so, while listening to his coach's advice, he kept up his practice every week. After much hard work, he finally became able to swim a full 25 meters. However, it seems he still hasn't decided whether or not he'll enter next month's competition.

  • ~がちだ means 'tend to ~' or 'often ~', expressing that a certain undesirable state or action tends to occur easily or frequently.
  • ~つつ means 'while ~', a somewhat formal written expression indicating that two actions occur at the same time, close in meaning to ~ながら.
  • ~末に means 'after ~' or 'at the end of a long process of ~', expressing that something is finally reached as the result of a great deal of effort or time.
All JLPT N3 paragraphs