N5StoryAnime and manga1 min

土曜日(どようび)のアニメ

A younger brother, a Saturday-morning anime and a drawing of a cat.

A short story in the polite past. Watch how verbs change from 〜ます to 〜ました, and how an adjective says what something was: 上手(じょうず)ではありませんでした.

私(わたし)の弟(おとうと)は八歳(はっさい)です。弟(おとうと)はアニメが好(す)きです。

毎週(まいしゅう)土曜日(どようび)の朝(あさ)、弟(おとうと)は早(はや)く起(お)きます。そして、テレビの前(まえ)に座(すわ)ります。九時(くじ)から好(す)きなアニメがあります。

今日(きょう)のアニメは白(しろ)い猫(ねこ)のアニメでした。その猫(ねこ)は日本語(にほんご)を話(はな)します。弟(おとうと)もその猫(ねこ)が好(す)きになりました。

アニメの後(あと)で、弟(おとうと)は紙(かみ)と鉛筆(えんぴつ)を出(だ)しました。そして、白(しろ)い猫(ねこ)の絵(え)をかきました。

絵(え)はあまり上手(じょうず)ではありませんでした。でも、母(はは)は「かわいい猫(ねこ)ですね」と言(い)いました。弟(おとうと)はその絵(え)を自分(じぶん)の机(つくえ)の上(うえ)に置(お)きました。

More sentences on this in “Language in use”: Japanese in anime and manga

Words: 98
Sentences: 13
Words per sentence: 7.5
in the vocabulary: 100 %
measured level: N5
Reading time: 1 min

Grammar in this text

These forms appear in the text in real use. Switch on “Show grammar” above the text to highlight them.

出(だ)しました · かきました · 言(い)いました · 置(お)きました
The polite past: 〜ます becomes 〜ました. The story moves from a habit (every Saturday) to what happened today. Polite past and invitations →
上手(じょうず)ではありませんでした
The past negative of a na-adjective: 上手(じょうず)ではありませんでした — it was not good. Past and negative of adjectives →
アニメがあります
あります also says that an event takes place: “there is an anime from nine”. There is: ある and いる →

The words from N5 up in this text

Not the hard words in general, but those at your level: 30 of the 39 of the 53 words in this text are at N5 or above. You will know everything else by the time you get here.

〜歳
years old
N5
あまり
not very; not much (with a negative)
N5
ある
there is (things); to have
N5
かわいい
cute; sweet
N5
そして
and; and then
N5
その
that (before a noun, near you)
N5
なる
to become
N5
アニメ
animation; anime
N5
テレビ
television
N5
上
on; above; top
N5
上手
good at; skilful
N5
九時
nine o'clock
N5
今日
today
N5
八
eight
N5
出す
to take out; to send; to hand in
N5
前
front; before
N5
土曜日
Saturday
N5
好き
liked; to like
N5
座る
to sit; to sit down
N5
弟
younger brother
N5
後で
later
N5
描く
to draw; to paint
N4
日本語
Japanese (the language)
N5
早い
early
N5
朝
morning
N5
机
desk
N5
母
mother (my own)
N5
毎週
every week
N5
猫
cat
N5
白い
white
N5

The word lists for this text

The words in this text appear in 16 lists on this site; the number after each says how many come from that list. Having read the text, you have just needed these very words — and can practise exactly them.

Basic verbs 8 Basic adjectives 4 Telling the time and the calendar 4 Free time 3 People and the family 3 School and study 3 Adverbs, time words and linking words 2 Getting around 2 At home 2 Numbers, money and counting things 2 Colours, shapes and sizes 1 Counting things 1 Daily routine 1 Time and frequency 1 Nature and animals 1 This, that and question words 1

Comprehension questions

3 questions on the text. With each answer the sentence it comes from appears — a question whose answer you cannot find in the text tests nothing.

1. What time does the anime start?

2. What can the cat in today’s anime do?

3. What does the boy do with his drawing?