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.
2026.08.23 Sun #865: Quite apart from that, ...
〜もさることながら
... mo saru koto nagara.
Quite apart from that, ...
A「閲覧数、かなり増えたね」 B「うん、閲覧数もさることながら、ダウンロード数も増えてる」
A: The number of views has increased quite a bit. B: Yes, the increase in views is notable, but so is the rise in downloads.
'... mo saru koto nagara' is used when speakers acknowledge the importance or relevance of a point already under discussion and then extend attention to another point. Here, 'saru koto' has the sense of 'that being so' or 'that being important,' and the full expression functions roughly as 'that is important too, but not only that.' It does not reject or downplay the preceding point. Instead, it preserves that evaluation while adding another dimension for consideration. The expression can be used in speech, but it is somewhat more formal than alternatives such as '... mo mochiron sou da ga.' In the example, the speaker acknowledges the increase in views and then adds that the rise in downloads is also noteworthy.
2026.08.22 Sat #864: Do we really need to go that far?
A: Let's print the materials, put them on a USB drive, and, just in case, keep copies in two places in the cloud too. B: Do we really need to go that far?
'Soko made hitsuyou?' is an immediate expression used when speakers hear a proposed preparation or response and question whether it is really necessary to go to that extent. 'Soko' does not refer to a physical location here; it points to the degree of action or preparation just described. 'Made' presents that degree as an endpoint, and 'hitsuyou?' questions whether reaching that endpoint is necessary. Unlike simply asking 'Hitsuyou?' (Is it necessary?), the expression can imply that the speaker considers the proposed action somewhat excessive. The exact action and degree do not need to be repeated because they are already available from the preceding utterance. In the example, A proposes preparing paper copies, a USB copy, and copies in two cloud locations. B responds with 'Soko made hitsuyou?' to question whether that much preparation is really necessary.
2026.08.21 Fri #863: Oh, that explains it.
あ、それでか
A, sore de ka.
Oh, that explains it.
A「あ、閉ってる」 B「今日、祝日だからね」 A「あ、それでか」
A: Oh, it's closed. B: Yeah, because it's a holiday today. A: Oh, that explains it.
'A, sore de ka' is an immediate expression used when newly received information suddenly explains something that had previously seemed puzzling or unexplained. 'A' marks the moment when the speaker reaches a new understanding. 'Sore de' takes the listener's immediately preceding statement as the cause or reason, while 'ka' marks the speaker's realization and acceptance of that causal connection. What has now been explained does not need to be stated because it is understood from the preceding conversation or shared situation. Unlike an expression such as 'Aa, sou iu koto ka,' which indicates understanding of an explanation more generally, 'A, sore de ka' specifically focuses on recognizing the causal connection between the newly given information and something that had previously been puzzling. In the example, the speaker learns that it is a holiday and immediately realizes that this explains why the situation is different from usual.
2026.08.20 Thu #862: No, not that.
いや、そこじゃなくて
Iya, soko ja nakute.
No, not that.
A「文を削るってこと？」 B「いや、そこじゃなくて、見出しのほう」
A: You mean I should cut down the text? B: No, not that. I mean the heading.
'Iya, soko ja nakute' is an immediate expression used when speakers notice that the listener has focused on a point different from what they intended and redirect that focus on the spot. 'Iya' signals an immediate correction of the listener's preceding interpretation, while 'soko ja nakute' indicates that the problem lies specifically in the point being focused on rather than in the listener's entire understanding. Here, 'soko' does not necessarily refer to a physical location; it can refer to a point or part of the immediately preceding discussion. Ending with 'nakute' also leaves the utterance open and signals that the intended point or a further explanation will follow. What 'soko' refers to does not need to be stated explicitly because it is understood from the preceding utterance or shared situation. In the example, A assumes that the suggestion concerns shortening the text, and B immediately redirects the focus with 'Iya, soko ja nakute' before specifying that the heading is the intended point.
2026.08.19 Wed #861: Given the circumstances...
事が事だけに
Koto ga koto dake ni.
Given the circumstances...
A「どうする、連絡する？」 B「うん、事が事だけに、すべきでしょう」
A: What should we do? Should we contact them? B: Yeah, given the circumstances, I think we should.
'Koto ga koto dake ni' is used when the nature or seriousness of a matter makes special consideration or action appropriate. The two occurrences of 'koto' refer to the same matter, but repeating the word in 'koto ga koto' signals that the matter is not an ordinary one and has some particular significance that must be taken into account. 'Dake ni' then presents that circumstance as the basis for the judgment or action that follows. Importantly, the speaker does not state exactly what makes the matter serious or unusual. Because the relevant situation is already shared by the speakers, 'koto ga koto dake ni' can call that shared knowledge back into the conversation and use it as a reason for what follows. In the example, A asks whether they should contact someone. Rather than repeating the details of the problem, B invokes the shared circumstances with 'koto ga koto dake ni' and concludes that they should make contact.
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)
