📖 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 are talking.
さくらとすみれが話している。
Sakura to Sumire ga hanashite iru.
Sports Day, right?
「スポーツの日」なんだよね。
“Supōtsu no Hi” nan da yo ne.
wasn’t it called
“Health and Sports Day” before?
前って、
「体育の日」じゃなかった？
mae tte,
“Taiiku no Hi” janakatta?
Yeah, it was.
そうだったね。
Sō datta ne.
I thought
I had remembered it
wrong. 💦
わたし、
間違えて覚えてたのかと
思った💦
Watashi,
machigaete oboeteta no ka to
omotta. 💦
You remembered it
just fine. 🤣
ちゃんと覚えてたんだね🤣
Chanto oboeteta n da ne. 🤣
going from
“Health and Sports Day”
to “Sports Day”…
somehow,
it feels a little different.
体育の日から
スポーツの日って……
なんだか、
ちょっと雰囲気変わったよね。
Taiiku no Hi kara
Supōtsu no Hi tte…
nandaka,
chotto fun’iki kawatta yo ne.
“Taiiku” feels
a little like a school subject,
but “sports”
feels a little broader.
「体育」だと、
学校の授業っぽい感じがするけど、
「スポーツ」だと、
もう少し広い感じがするかも。
“Taiiku” da to,
gakkō no jugyō ppoi kanji ga suru kedo,
“supōtsu” da to,
mō sukoshi hiroi kanji ga suru kamo.
It’s not just about running.
Watching,
cheering…
those feel like
part of sports too.
走るだけじゃなくて、
見るのも、
応援するのも、
スポーツって感じするね。
Hashiru dake janakute,
miru no mo,
ōen suru no mo,
supōtsu tte kanji suru ne.
when the name changes,
even a holiday
you’ve known for a long time
can feel a little new.
名前が変わると、
昔から知ってる祝日なのに
ちょっと新しく見えるね。
namae ga kawaru to,
mukashi kara shitteru shukujitsu na noni
chotto atarashiku mieru ne.
Even though
we already know what it is. 😊
中身は知ってるのにね😊
Nakami wa shitteru noni ne. 😊
Sakura.
If we don’t hurry,
we’ll be late for the sports festival!
さくら。
早くしないと、
体育祭に遅れるよー。
Sakura.
Hayaku shinai to,
taiikusai ni okureru yō.
That would be bad! 💦
それは困るー💦
Sore wa komaru. 💦
💭 Story Note
### From “Health and Sports Day” to “Sports Day”
In Japan,
the holiday now called
「スポーツの日」
(Supōtsu no Hi),
or “Sports Day,”
used to be called
「体育の日」
(Taiiku no Hi),
or “Health and Sports Day.”
The holiday was originally
observed on October 10.
Later,
under Japan’s Happy Monday system,
it was moved
to the second Monday of October.
The name was also changed
from 「体育の日」
to 「スポーツの日」.
For people who remember
the old name,
hearing 「スポーツの日」
can still feel
a little unfamiliar.
That is why Sakura says:
「体育の日じゃなかった？」
Even though
it is the same familiar holiday,
a new name can make it
feel a little different.
📚 Vocabulary
Here are some words and expressions from this story.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Day | スポーツの日 | supōtsu no hi |
| Health and Sports Day | 体育の日 | taiiku no hi |
| remembered | 覚えてた | oboeteta |
| feeling / atmosphere | 雰囲気 | fun'iki |
| be late | 遅れる | okureru |
「遅れる」(okureru)
means “to be late” or “to be delayed.”
It is used when
a person, train, bus, or other thing
does not arrive or happen
at the expected time.
For example:
「学校に遅れる。」
Gakkō ni okureru.
“I’ll be late for school.”
「電車が遅れている。」
Densha ga okurete iru.
“The train is delayed.”
In this story,
Sumire says:
「体育祭に遅れるよー。」
She is telling Sakura
that they will be late
for the school sports festival
if they do not hurry.
「遅れる」 is a common word
you can use in many everyday situations.
🔰 Mix Words and Feel Their Meaning｜ことばを混ぜて、感覚をつかもう
Today’s word is:
「遅れる」(okureru)
It means:
“to be late”
or
“to be delayed.”
Try mixing it into English.
“We’re going to 遅れる
for the sports festival! 💦”
“If we don’t hurry,
we’ll 遅れる for school.”
「遅れる」 is used
when someone or something
does not arrive
at the expected time.
It is a very useful word
for everyday situations. 😊
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