Hello! Minasan! Welcome to "Dictation for Every Day" (D4E: version 5) a.k.a. Mainichi no Kikitori
Workbook
PDF Workbook (volume 1, 2, and 3) is available from
[here]!
It includes the notes of words, phrases and grammars.
News and Story
2024.07.14: Volume 3, episode 101-150 starts.
An episode is updated every day.
A.E.A.D. (An Expression A Day)
If you want to learn Japanese expressions more,
visit the A.E.A.D. (An Expression A Day) page:
AEAD Search.
2025.09.07 Sun #516: That's it
それがそれ
sore ga sore
that's it
A「それって、東急じゃないよね...」 B「それがそれなんだよ。」
A: "That's not Tokyu, right..." B: "That's it."
'Sore ga sore' looks vague, but functions as an immediate grammar expression to confirm what the other person has just said as the key point. It is close to saying 'Exactly' or 'That's the answer,' often carrying a nuance of 'spot on.' While explanatory contexts may add background like 'That trendy shop...', in natural conversation it appears simply as in 'That's not Tokyu, right...' / 'That's it.' In formal contexts, it can be expressed as 'In other words, that is the issue.'
2025.09.06 Sat #515: Fairly / relatively
わりと
warito
fairly / relatively
A「この店、高い？」 B「ううん、わりと安いよ。」
A: "Is this place expensive?" B: "No, it's fairly cheap."
'Warito' is an immediate grammar expression used to evaluate something as less extreme than expected. It is common in casual conversation and can be either positive or negative. In formal contexts, it is replaced with 'hikakuteki' (comparatively).
2025.09.05 Fri #514: Taking the trouble to...
わざわざ
wazawaza
taking the trouble to / going out of one's way
A「わざわざ届けてくれて助かったよ。」 B「いいえ、ついでですから。」
A: "Thanks for going out of your way to deliver it." B: "No, it was on the way."
'Wazawaza' is an immediate grammar expression used to highlight that an action involves special effort or trouble. Depending on context, it can express gratitude or criticism. In formal contexts, it can be replaced with 'tokubetsu ni' (especially) or 'aete' (intentionally).
2025.09.04 Thu #513: Oh, so that’s how it was
そうだったんだ
sou datta n da
Oh, so that’s how it was
A「彼、転校してたんだよ。」 B「そうだったんだ！」
A: "He had transferred schools." B: "Oh, so that’s how it was!"
'Sou datta n da' is an immediate grammar expression used when new information brings about understanding or acceptance. Although it employs the past form 'datta,' it conveys the present realization of 'I see' or 'So that’s what happened.' It functions as a fixed expression of realization rather than a literal past tense. In formal contexts, it becomes 'sou datta no desu ne.'
2025.09.03 Wed #512: If it had..., then...
...たなら、...
ta nara, ...
If it had..., then...
勇気があったなら、言えたのに...
If I had had the courage, I could have said it...
'...ta nara, ...' is an immediate grammar expression presenting a counterfactual condition, often conveying regret or disappointment. It commonly trails off to leave the feeling implicit. In formal contexts, it is expressed as 'moshi ...ta naraba, ...shita deshou'.
Let's practice every day!
Let's learn Japanese through dictation practice!
PDF Workbook (volume 1 and 2) is available from
[here]!
It includes the notes of words, phrases and grammars.
This is the dictation practice site operated by Japanese Language Teaching Section, Tokyo Institute of Technology.
This practice involves a variety of natural expressions in daily conversation.
You can practice 10 sentences a day depending on your language ability.
It's a very simple exercise. You just follow the audio you hear and type in Roman letters.
Your comments and bug reports are very welcome. Please submit from here.
Zen and the Art of Dictation
Let's learn Japanese through drill and practice!
You will practice 10 sentences in an episode.
It's a very simple exercise.
You just follow the audio you hear and type in roman letters.
The first objective is to learn the basic Japanese sounds
and hiragana/katakana combinations.
You can practice as many times as possible.
The more you practice, the better you will get.
Please regularly contribute your time to this practice.
It is important to practice every day rather than to practice a lot at once.
The following is the psychological evidence of the importance of regular practice:
Figure 1: The forgetting curve described by Hermann Ebbinghaus.
Here, b represents 'Savings' expressed as a percentage, and t represents time in minutes, counting from one minute before end of learning. The constants c and k are 1.25 and 1.84 respectively. Savings is defined as the relative amount of time saved on the second learning trial as a result of having had the first. A savings of 100% would indicate that all items were still known from the first trial. A 75% savings would mean that relearning missed items required 25% as long as the original learning session (to learn all items). 'Savings' is thus, analogous to retention rate.
Drill for Every Day (D4E: V5)
