📖 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
the sounds of insects can be heard from somewhere nearby.
どこからか、虫の鳴き声が聞こえてくる。
Doko kara ka, mushi no nakigoe ga kikoete kuru.
have “bell” in its name?
なんで「鈴」なの？
nande “suzu” na no?
its chirping sounds like a bell?
鈴みたいだからじゃない？
suzu mitai dakara janai?
So it comes from the sound. 😊
音からなんだ😊
Oto kara nan da. 😊
look a little relieved?
ちょっと安心してるの？
chotto anshin shiteru no?
What does it look like?
見た目は？
Mitame wa?
a cricket, right? 😨
似てるよね😨
niteru yo ne. 😨
is said to come from comparing its chirping
to the sound of a bell, nya.
その鳴き声を鈴の音にたとえたものと
いわれているにゃ。
sono nakigoe o suzu no oto ni tatoeta mono to
iwarete iru nya.
It’s about the sound, not how it looks.
What a relief…
姿じゃなくて音なんだ。
よかったぁ……
sugata janakute oto nan da.
Yokattā…
Why are you so relieved? 💦
何がそんなに安心なのよ💦
nani ga sonna ni anshin na no yo. 💦
one of our relatives’ kids
came over with an insect cage
and said, “Look!”
親戚の子が、
「ほら！」って虫かごを
持ってきたことがあるの。
Shinseki no ko ga,
“Hora!” tte mushikago o
motte kita koto ga aru no.
“Wow, it’s a stag beetle! 😊”
But…
って言ったけど……
tte itta kedo…
“That’s a huge roach! 😱”
「でっかいゴキーーー😱」
“Dekkai gokīīī! 😱”
you can still enjoy autumn through their sounds, nya.
音なら秋を楽しめるにゃ。
oto nara aki o tanoshimeru nya.
If it’s only the sound…
then I guess it feels like autumn. 😊
音だけなら……
まあ、秋かな😊
Oto dake nara…
mā, aki kana. 😊
what about how it looks?
姿は？
sugata wa?
quietly echoed through the autumn night.
秋の夜に静かに響いていた。
aki no yoru ni shizuka ni hibiite ita.
💭 Story Note
In Japan, 鈴虫（すずむし / suzumushi） is strongly associated
with the sounds of autumn.
The name 鈴虫 is made from two words:
鈴（すず / suzu） — bell
虫（むし / mushi） — insect
Its chirping is often compared to
the clear, gentle sound of a small bell.
This is why the insect is called 鈴虫,
literally, “bell insect.”
For many people in Japan,
hearing insects such as 鈴虫 in the evening
can be one of the small signs that autumn is arriving.
The insects themselves may be difficult to see,
but their sounds can become part of the atmosphere of the season.
In this story,
Sakura enjoys that autumn feeling—
as long as she does not have to look too closely at the insect. 😅
📚 Vocabulary
Here are five words and expressions from today’s story.
They are useful for talking about insects, sounds, and everyday reactions in Japanese.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| bell cricket | 鈴虫 | suzumushi |
| chirping / cry | 鳴き声 | nakigoe |
| bell | 鈴 | suzu |
| insect cage | 虫かご | mushikago |
| not good with / uncomfortable with | 苦手 | nigate |
**鈴虫（すずむし / suzumushi）** is the Japanese word for
“bell cricket.”
The word is made from:
鈴（すず / suzu） — bell
虫（むし / mushi） — insect
The name is connected to the insect’s clear, ringing sound,
which can remind people of a small bell.
In Japanese, you might say:
鈴虫の声が聞こえる。
Suzumushi no koe ga kikoeru.
I can hear the bell crickets.
鈴虫が鳴いている。
Suzumushi ga naite iru.
The bell crickets are chirping.
Here, 鳴く（なく / naku） is the verb often used
for the sounds made by animals, birds, and insects.
So 鈴虫 is not simply the name of an insect.
Its name itself carries an image of the sound it makes.
🔰 Mix Words and Feel Their Meaning｜ことばを混ぜて、感覚をつかもう
Today’s word is **鈴虫（すずむし / suzumushi）**.
Try mixing **鈴虫**
into English sentences you already understand.
I can hear 鈴虫 outside.
鈴虫 sounds like a little bell.
We heard 鈴虫 this evening.
At first,
just treat **鈴虫** as one complete word.
It means “bell cricket.”
But instead of remembering only the translation,
try connecting the word with its sound:
鈴 — bell
虫 — insect
What kind of insect do you imagine
when you hear the word **鈴虫**?
Try explaining it
in your own words.
コメント