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.
2026.01.15 Thu #645: That's a different thing.
それ、別物。
sore, betsu-mono.
That's a different thing.
A「これが、以前、話してたものなの？」 B「ううん、それ、別物」
A: Is this what you were talking about before? B: No, that's a different thing.
'Sore, betsu-mono.' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker wants to emphasize that a certain matter or object is different from others and to correct a misunderstanding. To explain the structure of this phrase in more detail, 'sore' means 'that', referring to a specific object. 'Betsu-mono' means 'different thing' or 'another item'. The speaker is conveying to the listener that the object in question should be distinguished from others.
2026.01.14 Wed #644: It doesn't budge at all.
ビクともしない。
biku to mo shinai.
It doesn't budge at all.
A「このドア、開けてみて」 B「うーん、ビクともしない」
A: Try opening this door. B: Hmm, it doesn't budge at all.
'Biku to mo shinai.' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker wants to emphasize that a certain object or situation does not move at all. To explain the structure of this phrase in more detail, 'biku to mo shinai' means 'not budging at all', indicating a state of complete immobility. The speaker emphasizes the unmovable nature of the object or situation.
2026.01.13 Tue #643: let me do this much
これぐらいはさせて
kore gurai wa sasete,
let me do this much
A「これ、手伝ってくれてありがとう」 B「これぐらいはさせて」
A: Thank you for helping me with this. B: Let me do this much.
'Kore gurai wa sasete' is an expression used when responding to a request from someone who is always taking care of you, expressing a humble yet willing attitude to help within your own capabilities. 'Kore gurai wa' means 'at least this much', and 'sasete' means 'let me do it'.
2026.01.12 Mon #642: sorry that this is all I can do
これぐらいしかできなくて、
kore gurai shika dekinakute,
sorry that this is all I can do
A「これ、手伝ってくれてありがとう」 B「ごめんね、これぐらいしかできなくて」
A: Thank you for helping me with this. B: Sorry that this is all I can do.
'Kore gurai shika dekinakute,' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker wants to express humility about their abilities or actions and convey an intention of apology. To explain the structure of this phrase in more detail, 'kore gurai shika' means 'only this much', indicating the speaker's limitations. 'Dekinakute,' means 'I can't do it', communicating the limitation of ability. The speaker acknowledges their limitations to the listener and expresses a feeling of apology.
2026.01.11 Sun #641: I'm glad I did it.
しといてよかった。
shitoite yokatta.
I'm glad I did it.
A「これ、最後の一つ？」 B「まだあるよ、たくさん買っといてよかったね」
A: Is this the last one? B: There are still more, I'm glad I bought a lot.
'Shitoite yokatta.' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker wants to affirmatively evaluate an action or choice made in the past and express a sense of relief about the outcome. To explain the structure of this phrase in more detail, 'shitoite' is the colloquial form of 'shite oku', meaning to complete an action in advance. 'Yokatta' means 'I'm glad' or 'It was good'. The speaker recognizes that their past choice was correct and is satisfied with the result.
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)
