These five passages are written at N5 level — simple vocabulary, basic grammar, and short sentences. Each one is followed by three comprehension questions with explanations. Use the furigana toggle if you need help reading the kanji, but try reading without it first — the habit of guessing from context is exactly what the JLPT reading section tests.
How to use these passages. Read each passage once without furigana. Then answer the three questions. After checking your answers, turn furigana on and re-read to confirm you understood every word. One full re-read with furigana is worth ten lookups in a dictionary.
Passage 1 — Self-introduction (じこしょうかい)
わたしは田中りんです。にほんの東京にすんでいます。大学生です。えいごとにほんごをべんきょうしています。
1. Where does Tanaka Rin live?
The passage says にほんのとうきょうにすんでいます — "I live in Tokyo, Japan." The particle に marks the place of existence (すんでいます = living).
2. What is she?
大学生です — 大学 (daigaku) means university, 生 (sei/gakusei) means student. So 大学生 = university student.
3. What languages does she study?
えいごとにほんごをべんきょうしています — えいご = English, と = and, にほんご = Japanese. The particle と connects the two languages.
Passage 2 — Morning routine (あさのルーティン)
毎朝、七時におきます。シャワーをあびて、ごはんをたべます。八時にいえをでます。電車でがっこうへいきます。
1. What time does this person wake up?
七時におきます — 七時 (shichiji) is 7 o'clock. The particle に here marks a specific point in time. 八時 (hachiji) = 8 o'clock is when they leave the house, not when they wake up.
2. How do they get to school?
電車でがっこうへいきます — 電車 (densha) = train. The particle で marks the means of transport. へ marks the destination (school = がっこう).
3. What do they do after showering?
シャワーをあびて、ごはんをたべます — the て-form of あびる (to shower) connects the two actions in sequence. ごはんをたべます = eat a meal. Leaving the house comes later (八時に).
Passage 3 — Weekend plans (しゅうまつのよてい)
今度の日曜日に、ともだちと映画をみます。映画のあとで、一緒にレストランへいきます。イタリアりょうりがすきです。
1. When are they going?
今度の日曜日に — 日曜日 (nichiyoubi) = Sunday. 今度 means "this time" or "next (upcoming)." The days of the week: 月 Mon, 火 Tue, 水 Wed, 木 Thu, 金 Fri, 土 Sat, 日 Sun.
2. Who are they going with?
ともだちと — ともだち = friend, と = with. The particle と (when used with people) means "together with." 一緒に (issho ni) in the second sentence confirms they go together.
3. What food do they like?
イタリアりょうりがすきです — イタリア = Italy, りょうり = cuisine/cooking, すきです = like. Note that すき (like) takes が for the thing liked, not を.
Passage 4 — Finding something lost (わすれもの)
昨日、駅のなかで財布をなくしました。交番へいって、おまわりさんにはなしました。財布はしろいいろで、なかにおかねとカードがあります。
1. Where did they lose the wallet?
駅のなかで財布をなくしました — 駅 (eki) = train station. のなかで = inside. で here marks the location of the action (losing something). なくしました = lost.
2. Where did they go for help?
交番へいって — 交番 (kouban) is the small neighbourhood police box found throughout Japan. おまわりさん = police officer (polite form). This is an important vocabulary word for practical Japanese.
3. What colour is the wallet?
財布はしろいいろで — しろい = white (い-adjective), いろ = colour. The で here is the て-form of です, connecting the description of colour to the next clause about contents.
Passage 5 — The weather (てんき)
今日は雨です。かさをもってきました。明日ははれるそうです。はれたら、公園へ散歩にいきたいです。
1. What is the weather like today?
今日は雨です — 雨 (ame) = rain. Today is rain. Common weather words: はれ = sunny/clear, くもり = cloudy, 雪 (yuki) = snow.
2. What did they bring?
かさをもってきました — かさ = umbrella. もってきました is the て-form of もつ (to hold/have) + きました (came) = "brought." This is a useful pattern for describing bringing things to where you are.
3. What do they want to do tomorrow if it's sunny?
はれたら、公園へ散歩にいきたいです — はれたら = if it clears up (conditional form), 公園 = park, 散歩 = walk/stroll, いきたい = want to go. The たら conditional expresses "if/when X happens."
What to practise next
These passages cover basic vocabulary and sentence patterns. If you answered most questions correctly, try these next steps: