A small collection you understand and revisit is more useful than a pile of disconnected quotations.

The idea

Choose a short sentence you can mostly understand and would use or recognize again. Record its meaning, situation, source and date; check unfamiliar forms in a reliable dictionary. The first example uses そう for an appearance, while ため gives a reason in the second. Make your own variation and test recall later.

Examples

  • 雨あめが降ふりそうなので、傘かさを持もって行いきます。It looks like rain, so I’ll take an umbrella.
  • 電車でんしゃが遅おくれたため、会議かいぎに間まに合あいませんでした。Because the train was delayed, I was late for the meeting.
  • 時間じかんがあれば、帰かえりに本屋ほんやに寄よります。If I have time, I’ll stop by the bookshop on my way home.
  • 新あたらしい言葉ことばを文ぶんの中なかで覚おぼえます。I learn new words in sentences.
  • 分わからない表現ひょうげんは、辞書じしょで確たしかめます。I check expressions I don’t understand in a dictionary.
  • 明日あした、例文れいぶんを見みないで意味いみを思おもい出だします。Tomorrow I’ll recall the meaning without looking at the example.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

A sentence may depend on its speaker or situation. Do not assume every expression fits every audience; avoid saving private messages without consent, and check reuse permissions before sharing excerpts.

Try it yourself

  1. 雨あめが降ふり_なので、傘かさを持もって行いきます。(そう/ため)

    Show answer or example answer

    そう

    そう completes 降りそう: it looks as if rain is coming; the umbrella follows from that appearance.

  2. 電車でんしゃが遅おくれた_、会議かいぎに間まに合あいませんでした。(ため/そう)

    Show answer or example answer

    ため

    ため marks the train delay as the reason the speaker missed the meeting.

  3. 時間じかんがあれ_、本屋ほんやに寄よります。(ば/て)

    Show answer or example answer

    ば

    ば completes あれば, the conditional form of ある: stopping by depends on having time.

Use it today

Choose one example, note its situation and pattern, write a checked variation, and recall its meaning tomorrow.