山と 川と ハナ
The Mountain, the River, and Hana
Hana lives by a river. Every morning she climbs the mountain to call out encouragement to her dad, who works at the factory below.
Kanji usage
- 八さい八歳・はっさいeight years old
- 女のこ女の子・おんなのこgirl
- 川かわriver
- 工じょう工場・こうじょうfactory
- 人ひとperson
- 二人ふたりtwo people
- 七じ七時・しちじseven o'clock
- 九じ九時・くじnine o'clock
- 山やまmountain
- 入口入口・いりぐちentrance
- 口くちmouth
- 大きいおおきいbig, large
- 一本一本・いっぽんone (counter for long thin things)
- 十ぷん十分・じゅっぷんten minutes
- 上ります上る・のぼるto climb, go up
- 上うえtop, above
- 三十ぷん三十分・さんじゅっぷんthirty minutes
- 下げます下げる・さげるto lower (e.g. one's head — to bow)
- 力ちからstrength, power
New words
- ちかく近く・ちかくnear, nearby
- すんで住む・すむto live (somewhere)
- いま今・いまnow
- お父さんおとうさんfather (someone else's, polite)
- はたらく働く・はたらくto work
- おねえさんお姉さん・おねえさんolder sister
- まいあさ毎朝・まいあさevery morning
- おきて起きる・おきるto get up, wake up
- き木・きtree
- 行きます行く・いくto go
- あけて開ける・あけるto open (something)
- いいます言う・いうto say
- それからthen, after that
- つきます着く・つくto arrive
- 見えます見える・みえるto be visible, to appear
- ほう方・ほうdirection, way
- こえ声・こえvoice
- きょう今日・きょうtoday
- がんばってね頑張る・がんばるto do one's best, hang in there
- そしてand then
- あたま頭・あたまhead
- でもbut, however
- まいにち毎日・まいにちevery day
- とどきます届く・とどくto reach, to get through (of a voice, feelings)
Grammar in this text
- N は N ですGrammar card →ハナは 女のこです。— Hana is a girl.
The basic “X is Y” structure. は marks the topic, です is the copula.
- N の NGrammar card →川の ちかく— near the river (lit. “river-of nearby”)
の links two nouns: possession, description, or location.
- N で VGrammar card →工じょうで はたらく— works at the factory
で marks the place where an action happens, or the means by which it is done.
- [Time] に VGrammar card →七じに おきます— gets up at seven
に marks a specific point in time for an action (hour, day, year).
- N へ 行きますGrammar card →山へ 行きます— goes to the mountain
へ marks the direction of motion. Often interchangeable with に for verbs of movement.
- V-て、VGrammar card →口を あけて、「おはよう」と いいます— opens her mouth and says “good morning”
The ～て form chains actions in one sentence: did A and then did B.
- 「…」と いいますGrammar card →「お父さん、がんばってね」と いいます— says, “Dad, hang in there”
Quote + と + a verb of speaking. と acts as spoken quotation marks.
- N が 見えますGrammar card →川と 工じょうが 見えます— the river and the factory are visible
見える means “to be visible.” The subject takes が. Not “to see,” but “to come into view.”
- V-て いますGrammar card →工じょうで はたらいて います— is working at the factory (right now)
Ongoing action or state: ～て + います.
- ハナの 力も 小さいです— Hana's strength is also small
も means “also / too.” It replaces は or が and adds the sense of “and Y as well.”