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🇯🇵 Japanese · Fluency Level 1

PART 3 · LESSON 21 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The rice cake on her back

Hana's first birthday at the Hanaya, with Yui's parents up from Kyoto: Mrs. Sato brings the one-measure rice cake, Yui's mother explains what it means, Hana falls, cries and holds on, and Ben says that in Canada it's just cake.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

Hana's first birthday in the Hanaya's dining room, with Yui's parents up from Kyoto. Ben is polite with Mrs. Sato and with Yui's parents, plain with Yui and Kenta; Yui's father is plain, her mother polite.

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Words and phrases

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いっしょう もち です よ。isshō-mochi desu yoIt's the one-measure rice cake.
せなか に？ じゅっキロ です よ。senaka ni? jukkiro desu yoOn her back? She weighs ten kilos.
「いっしょう、 こまらない」 と いう いみ です。'isshō, komaranai' to iu imi desuIt means never in want, for a lifetime.
ころぶ よ。 みんな ころぶ。 それ で いい。korobu yo. minna korobu. sore de iiShe'll fall. Everyone falls. That's how it should be.
はな ちゃん、 たって、 たって！Hana-chan, tatte, tatteHana, up, up!
ないて も、 おもち は はなさない。naite mo, omochi wa hanasanaiEven crying, she won't let go of the cake.
ころんで も はなさない。 つよい わ よ。koronde mo hanasanai. tsuyoi wa yoEven falling, she won't let go. She's strong.
カナダ で は、 ケーキ だけ です。Kanada de wa, kēki dake desuIn Canada, it's just cake.