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.
2026.07.04 Sat #815: Things did a complete 180.
180度、変わっちゃいました。
180-do, kawacchaimashita.
Things did a complete 180.
A「なんか、方針が180度、変わっちゃいましたね」 B「しかたないよ、予算がないんだから」
A: Somehow, the policy has changed 180 degrees. B: It can't be helped; we don't have the budget.
'180-do, kawacchaimashita' is a casual spoken expression used when a situation, policy, opinion, or other matter has changed so drastically that it seems to have gone in the opposite direction. '180 degrees' is used metaphorically to mean 'a complete reversal.' 'Kawacchaimashita' is the colloquial form of 'kawatte shimaimashita,' often conveying surprise or disappointment about the unexpected change. In the example, the speaker is reacting to a major change in policy.
2026.07.03 Fri #814: You could at least clean your own room.
A: Okay, you can take care of the rest. B: Wait a minute. You could at least clean your own room.
'Heya no souji gurai, yatte kureta tte ii n janai' is a casual spoken expression used when the speaker feels that the other person should at least do something that is considered a minimum responsibility. 'Gurai' suggests that the task is not asking too much, and 'yatte kureta tte ii n janai' carries the feeling of 'You could at least do that.' Rather than giving a direct command, the speaker expresses mild dissatisfaction while implying that the responsibility naturally belongs to the listener.
2026.07.02 Thu #813: Why didn't you say that first?
どうして、それを先に言ってくれないの？
Doushite, sore o saki ni itte kurenai no?
Why didn't you say that first?
A「どうして、それを先に言ってくれないの？」 B「だって、誰も聞かなかったから」
A: Why didn't you say that first? B: Because nobody asked me.
'Doushite, sore o saki ni itte kurenai no?' is an immediate spoken reaction when important information is revealed too late. It is not simply asking for a reason. It also conveys the feeling that things could have turned out differently if the information had been given earlier. 'Saki ni' shows that the speaker is reacting not just to the information itself, but to the timing of when it was given. 'Itte kurenai no?' carries a mild tone of complaint rather than strong criticism. In the example, 'dare mo kikanakatta kara' means 'because nobody asked me.' It is different from 'dare mo kiite kurenakatta kara,' which means 'because nobody listened to me.'
A: Since everyone worked so hard today, the president is giving everyone a special bonus. B: That's what I want. That's how it should be.
'Sore yo, sore sore' is a casual spoken reaction used when someone's words or actions match what the speaker wanted, expected, or thought should happen. It is not just simple agreement; it carries the feeling of 'That's what I wanted' or 'That's the right thing to do.' In the example, 'sou shinai to' adds the sense that this is how things should be.
2026.06.30 Tue #811: It was worth sticking it out.
粘ったかいがあったよ。
Nebatta kai ga atta yo.
It was worth sticking it out.
A「とうとう完成したね」 B「うん、ここまで粘ったかいがあったよ」
A: We finally finished it. B: Yeah, it was worth sticking it out this far.
'Nebatta kai ga atta yo' is used when persistence has led to a satisfying result. 'Nebaru' means to keep going without giving up, especially when things do not work out right away. 'Kai ga atta' means that the effort or patience was not wasted and led to a good result. In the example, 'koko made nebatta kai ga atta yo' expresses the feeling that sticking it out this far was worth it because it finally led to completion.
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)
