A: This quiz looks complicated, but if you draw a line here, it's simple, right? B: When you put it that way, that's certainly true.
'Sou iu fū ni iwareru to, ...' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker wants to show agreement or understanding towards a certain statement or opinion. 'Sou iu fū ni' means 'when you put it that way', indicating that the speaker is taking into account the previous sentence or situation and has a nuance of respecting the other person's opinion or way of thinking.
2026.02.24 Tue #685: Well, isn't it good?
まあ、いいんじゃないですか。
Maa, ii n janai desu ka.
Well, isn't it good?
A「このアイデア、どう思う？」 B「まあ、いいんじゃないですか」
A: What do you think about this idea? B: Well, isn't it good?
'Mā, īn janai desu ka.' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker wants to express agreement or a positive evaluation about a certain matter. 'Mā' means 'well', indicating that the speaker may have some hesitation or a modest attitude. 'Iin janai desu ka' means 'isn't it good?', conveying that the speaker feels that a certain matter is good, but also has a nuance of seeking the listener's opinion.
2026.02.23 Mon #684: That alone would be enough, but...
それだけでいいのに...
sore dake de ii no ni.
That alone would be enough, but...
A「これに新しい機能を追加しておいたよ」 B「それだけでいいのに」
A: I added a new feature to this. B: That alone would be enough.
'Sore dake de ii no ni.' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker wants to convey that they feel a certain element or condition alone would be sufficient. 'Sore dake' means 'that alone', referring to a specific element or condition. 'Ii no ni' means 'would be enough', indicating that the speaker feels that if that element or condition is present, it would be sufficient.
2026.02.22 Sun #683: Perhaps, ...
もしかしたら、...
moshikashitara, ...
Perhaps, ...
A「もしかしたら、今日、雨が降るかもしれないね」 B「うん、傘を持っていったほうがいいかもね」
A: Perhaps it might rain today. B: Yes, maybe you should take an umbrella.
'Moshikashitara, ...' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker wants to express possibility or speculation about a certain matter. 'Moshikashitara' means 'perhaps', indicating an uncertain situation or prediction.
2026.02.21 Sat #682: It's not that I'm saying that, ...
そういうことを言ってるんじゃなくて、...
sou iu koto o itteru n janakute, ...
It's not that I'm saying that, ...
A 「つまり、この仕事、やりたくないんですね」 B 「いやいや、そういうことを言ってるんじゃなくて、問題があるって、この仕事には」
A: So, you don't want to do this job, right? B: No, no, it's not that I'm saying that, but there are issues with this job.
'Sou iu koto o itteru n janakute, ...' is a colloquial expression used when the speaker feels that there is a misunderstanding about a certain statement or opinion, and wants to correct that misunderstanding and explain what they actually want to convey.
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)
