📖 Study Guide
Learn Japanese through stories.
These stories include Japanese culture,
daily life, travel experiences,
and conversations between people.
1. Read the English text.
2. Read the Japanese text.
3. Use Romaji if needed.
4. Review the vocabulary.
🌸 Story
Sakura and Sumire were eating dango
while looking at the moon.
さくらとすみれは、月を眺めながら
お団子を食べていた。
Sakura to Sumire wa, tsuki o nagamenagara
odango o tabete ita.
Hey!
Sakura, you ate one extra dango!
あー！
さくら、お団子一つ多く食べてる！
Ā!
Sakura, odango hitotsu ōku tabeteru!
Really?
本当に？
Hontō ni?
and you had four.
That is definitely one extra. 😤
さくらは四つ。
絶対、一つ多い😤
Sakura wa yottsu.
Zettai, hitotsu ōi. 😤
You tasted one
before we started, right? 😊
最初に一つ、
味見してたよね？😊
Saisho ni hitotsu,
ajimi shiteta yo ne? 😊
That was a taste,
so it does not count. 😊
あれは味見だから、
数に入らないの😊
Are wa ajimi dakara,
kazu ni hairanai no. 😊
Cat Punch! 🐾
猫パンチ🐾
Neko panchi! 🐾
The gentle Cat Punch landed on Sakura’s hand.
さくらの手に、やさしい猫パンチが当たった。
Sakura no te ni, yasashii neko panchi ga atatta.
半分こしよー😊
hanbunko shiyō. 😊
But that one is yours, right?
それ、さくらの分でしょ？
Sore, Sakura no bun desho?
we will both have the same amount. 😊
ふたりとも同じだもん😊
futari tomo onaji da mon. 😊
a make-up cat touch. 🐾😊
仲直りの猫タッチ🐾😊
Nakanaori no neko tacchi. 🐾😊
the twins split the last dango in half.
最後のお団子を半分こした。
saigo no odango o hanbunko shita.
💭 Story Note
Moon viewing, or お月見（おつきみ／otsukimi）, is a Japanese autumn tradition.
People enjoy looking at the moon and often prepare round dumplings called
月見団子（つきみだんご／tsukimi dango）.
In this story, 猫パンチ（ねこパンチ／neko panchi） is a playful,
light paw-like tap. It is part of Sakura and Sumire’s familiar comedy,
not a serious fight.
📚 Vocabulary
Here are five words from today’s story.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| moon viewing | お月見 | otsukimi |
| dango / Japanese dumpling | 団子 | dango |
| one extra / one more than | 一つ多い | hitotsu ōi |
| to taste / sample food | 味見する | ajimi suru |
| to split in half and share | 半分こ | hanbunko |
**半分こ（はんぶんこ／hanbunko）** is a friendly, casual expression
used when two people divide something into equal halves and share it.
最後のお団子を半分こしよう。
Saigo no odango o hanbunko shiyō.
Let’s split the last dango in half.
このケーキ、半分こする？
Kono kēki, hanbunko suru?
Shall we share this cake half-and-half?
The word is especially common in warm, everyday conversations,
including conversations with children, family, and close friends.
🔰 Mix Words and Feel Their Meaning｜ことばを混ぜて、感覚をつかもう
Today’s word is **半分こ（hanbunko）**.
Try mixing it into an English sentence
while keeping its warm Japanese feeling.
Let’s 半分こ the last dango.
Do you want to 半分こ this cake with me?
We can 半分こ it, so we both get the same amount.
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