READING OF THE DAY · N4
Ready to practiseToday’s suggested reading·Returning a lost umbrella
戻ってきた青い傘
The Blue Umbrella Comes Back
昨日、駅で電車を待っている間、買ったばかりの大きな青い傘をベンチに置きました。
JAPANESE READING PRACTICE · JLPT N4
Your next chapter
in Japanese.
Build N4 confidence with short readings and choose-your-own adventures. Follow a different path, check the English, then reread in polite or plain Japanese.
Try an N4 adventure · choose your own path →A step beyond N5 · What changes?
N4 introduces longer sentences, more connected ideas, and a wider range of grammar and vocabulary. Read once, check the translation, then compare polite and plain Japanese. You don’t need to understand everything on your first read.
Start with the N5-to-N4 bridge lessons →Daily readings5 free stories · explore the reading calendar+
YOUR READING COLLECTION · JLPT N5
Choose a story.
Pick a day on the calendar or browse the stories below. Read, check the translation, then switch polite/plain and reread.
YOUR N5 READING YEAR— / 5 GOLD STARSAnswer a reading correctly to light up its day.—%OPEN CALENDARCLOSE CALENDAR↓
One story, one star. Choose a day to read. Dates are suggestions, not deadlines. Checking saved progress…
★ EARNED AVAILABLE NOT OPENED YET
October 2026
— / 5 ★5 READINGS AVAILABLE0 MORE TO EXPLOREYOUR WHOLE COLLECTION IS OPEN
Lessons & practice1 unit · quick quizzes & a downloadable cheat sheet+
YOUR N5 LEARNING PATH · LEVEL ONE
Brush up.
Test yourself.
Make it stick.
Six First Steps questions introduce kana, greetings, です, は, and simple questions. Try an answer, then read the explanation.
Checking saved progress…2026.10.26 · TODAY AT KOTOBA COVE
今日(きょう)の 五問(ごもん)
Five questions from your available N5 units. Read, choose, and learn from each explanation.
0DAY
STREAK
STREAK
0OF 6
LEARNED
LEARNED
—ALL-TIME
ACCURACY
ACCURACY
N5 lesson cheat sheet 1 unit · 6 quick reminders · Download available
Your N5 quick reference
A handy reminder beside your reading or before a quiz. This summarizes your available N5 units, not an exhaustive or official JLPT syllabus. Open an example, compare styles, or return to the unit for practice.
Form key: Dictionary form = the basic verb (たべる). Verb stem = remove ます (たべます → たべ). Group 1 = u-verbs; group 2 = ru-verbs, but not every verb ending in る is group 2. Te/ta forms include で/だ endings. Casual requests and invitations are for familiar situations; the teacher greeting stays polite.
1 of 1 unit shown.
01 · First Steps
Hiragana あ
Form: あ → a; あさ → asa
Hiragana represents Japanese sounds. Read あ as a, as in あさ (morning).
Example + English
あさ、パンを たべます。
I eat bread in the morning.
Katakana words
Form: テレビ → terebi
Katakana often writes borrowed words, such as テレビ (television). The script changes, not the sentence’s word order.
Example + English
テレビを みます。
I watch television.
Morning greetings
Form: おはようございます / おはよう
Use the polite morning greeting with a teacher. おはよう is casual; the example keeps the courteous greeting in both modes because the listener is still a teacher.
Example + English
先生、おはようございます。
Good morning, teacher.
Topic particle は
Form: Topic は + noun + です / だ
は introduces the topic and is pronounced wa. です makes this noun statement polite; だ is its plain counterpart.
Example + English
わたしは マリアです。
I am Maria.
Question particle か
Form: Polite statement + か
Final か makes this polite statement a question. Casual noun questions often omit ですか and use rising intonation, shown here with ？.
Example + English
これは 本ですか。
Is this a book?
Basic word order
Form: Topic は + owner の + thing + です
The owner comes before の and the thing comes after it. The main predicate comes at the end.
Example + English
それは 田中さんの かさです。
That is Tanaka’s umbrella.
UNIT 010 / 6
はじめの 一歩
First Steps
Build confidence with kana, greetings, です, は, and simple questions.
KANAです・はGREETINGS
Choose-your-own adventures1 book · follow a different path each time+
ADVENTURE LIBRARYChoose paths · Reread routes · Collect endings
A 12–18-MINUTE COMMUNITY ADVENTURE
雨の日の小さな上映会あめのひのちいさなじょうえいかい
A Small Screening on a Rainy Day
Rain changes the afternoon, but not the welcome. Help Lina prepare a community film screening, choose how people can take part, and discover six different ways a small contribution can matter.
あ Furigana · ↔ Polite / plain · ? Tap-word help · ↻ Saved progress
19
CHOICE
SECTIONS
255
TARGET
WORDS
8
N5 GRAMMAR
PATTERNS
READ THE SCENE
→MAKE A CHOICE
→RETURN BY ANOTHER PATH
MEMBER COLLECTION · JLPT N5
Enjoy the samples. Explore more when you’re ready.
The full N5 collection has 365 readings, fifteen lesson units, and seven adventures.
Preview the adventure titles
- The White Fox and the Rain Lantern MEMBERS
- The Blue Bottle by the Sea MEMBERS
- The Little Robot in the Shopping Street MEMBERS
- First Time at a Ramen Shop MEMBERS
- Lunch at the Convenience Store MEMBERS
- The Red Mask at the Summer Festival MEMBERS
Membership sales are not open yet. Creating a free account saves your progress; it does not unlock the full collection.
Contact us about tester accessNew here? How to get more from each story
THREE WAYS TO PRACTICE · JLPT N5
Three ways to make N5 stick.
Simple on purpose. Kotoba Cove’s N5 stories are short and approachable so you can focus on understanding the Japanese. Each uses a different everyday situation—and a different mix of kanji, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension—for clear, repeatable practice. Choose one mode today, or move through all three.
EXPLORE & REREAD
Adventure stories
Read, make a choice, and see where the story goes. Return to a book, take another route, and meet familiar Japanese in a new context while you discover every ending.
Choose an adventureBRUSH UP & TEST
Guided lessons
Review N5 grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension, then test yourself with short questions. Every answer teaches with a clear rule and a natural example.
Open the lessonsREAD, COMPARE & RETURN
Daily readings
Read one self-contained story each day, answer for comprehension, then use the translation, word help, vocabulary, and both narration styles to go deeper.
Read today’s storyTHE KOTOBA COVE ROUTINE
One story, two readings.
A simple second pass turns one short story into a fuller lesson.
- Read
Read once in Japanese with the translation closed.
- Answer
Choose an answer to the comprehension question.
- Check
Reveal the English translation and confirm the meaning.
- Switch
Change to the other narration style: polite ↔ plain.
- Reread
Use word help and vocabulary while noticing kanji and grammar.
Daily readings5 stories · everyday situations, richer Japanese+
DAILY READINGS · JLPT N4
Your next
reading habit.
Simple on purpose, with more to connect. Each reading introduces a manageable mix of grammar, kanji, and vocabulary. Both styles keep the same story meaning; quoted dialogue stays appropriate to the situation.
5 / 5N4 READINGS OPEN · 0 MORE TO EXPLORE
★ —N4 GOLD STARS · SAVED SEPARATELY FROM N5
Open another seven whenever you like, or show the whole collection in Settings.
BATCH 01 · DAYS 1–5
Small changes, new choices
Lessons & mixed review1 sample lesson · start with the bridge from N5+
GUIDED LESSONS · JLPT N4
Understand it.
Try it.
Use it again.
1 short lessons connect the grammar you meet in stories. Learn from paired examples, test yourself with 6 questions, and revisit the explanations—not just your score.
ALL 1 LESSONS ARE AVAILABLE NOW · N4 IS READYOPTIONAL · N5 → N4
Moving from N5 to N4
N4 builds on the Japanese you already know. Sentences connect more ideas, include longer descriptions, and express reasons, conditions, and intentions. Read in meaningful chunks—you do not need to understand everything at once.
Start here if you have finished N5. These three short bridge lessons show how familiar words fit into longer sentences. They are a gentle introduction, not a complete list of N4 grammar or a strict boundary between levels.
Already comfortable? Skip to the regular lessons →Open the N5 → N4 bridge · 3 lessons, 9 questions
The switch changes the connected examples and questions. “Familiar pieces” stay polite as a fixed starting point. Numbered brackets show reading chunks; they are not ordinary Japanese punctuation.
1. Connect familiar ideas
You may already know some of these patterns. Here the goal is to see how short, familiar pieces fit together. Connecting them can make a reason, contrast, or condition explicit; two separate statements do not always express that relationship on their own.
A reason: because…
Familiar pieces
雨が降っていました。出かけませんでした。
It was raining. I did not go out.
Read in chunks · polite
1雨が降っていたので、2出かけませんでした。
Because it was raining, I did not go out.
- Reason + ので
- Result
Notice: ので tells us why the second action happened. In this example, the verb inside the reason is plain even when the final ending is polite. Nouns and な-adjectives connect differently; the Reasons and Contrasts lesson covers that next.
A contrast: but…
Familiar pieces
このケーキは高いです。でも、おいしいです。
This cake is expensive. But it is delicious.
Read in chunks · polite
1このケーキは高いですが、2おいしいです。
This cake is expensive, but it is delicious.
- First fact + contrast
- Contrasting fact
Notice: Here が connects two contrasting facts; it is not marking the subject. The plain example uses けれど to keep the same contrast. Read beyond the connector before deciding what the speaker means.
A condition: if…
Familiar pieces
明日、雨が降ります。家で本を読みます。
It will rain tomorrow. I will read a book at home.
Read in chunks · polite
1明日、雨が降ったら、2家で本を読みます。
If it rains tomorrow, I will read a book at home.
- Condition + たら
- What I will do if it happens
Notice: Adding たら changes the two statements into a conditional plan: rain is not presented as certain. Although 降ったら contains a past-form shape, 明日 makes this a future situation. たら can also mean “when/after”; context matters.
Try three questions
No timer or pass requirement. Answers stay for this page visit only and do not change your regular lesson progress.
0 / 3 answered.
2. Find the noun after its description
In English we often say “the book that…” or “the person who…”. Japanese puts that description before the noun. Find the noun first, then ask which words describe it. The brackets below are study guides, not punctuation you must write.
Which book?
Familiar pieces
昨日、本を借りました。その本はおもしろいです。
I borrowed a book yesterday. That book is interesting.
Read in chunks · polite
1昨日借りた2本は3おもしろいです。
The book I borrowed yesterday is interesting.
- Description: borrowed yesterday
- Noun: book + topic は
- Main statement
Notice: 昨日借りた describes 本, not a separate action after it. 借りた is plain because it directly modifies the noun; 借りました本 is not the standard form, even in a polite sentence.
Which person?
Familiar pieces
昨日、駅で人に会いました。その人は先生です。
I met someone at the station yesterday. That person is a teacher.
Read in chunks · polite
1昨日、駅で会った2人は3先生です。
The person I met at the station yesterday is a teacher.
- Description: met at the station yesterday
- Noun: person + topic は
- Main statement
Notice: The whole description ends just before 人. Japanese does not add a separate word for “who” here. The final statement tells us that this person is a teacher.
Try three questions
No timer or pass requirement. Answers stay for this page visit only and do not change your regular lesson progress.
0 / 3 answered.
3. Read all the way to the ending
A familiar verb may sit inside a larger expression. The final part can turn an action into a thought, plan, or experience. Look for the main ending, then reread the earlier chunks. Plain forms inside a polite sentence are normal; they do not automatically make the conversation casual.
A thought, not a certainty
Familiar pieces
明日は雨が降ります。
It will rain tomorrow.
Read in chunks · polite
1明日は雨が降る2と3思います。
I think it will rain tomorrow.
- Idea being considered
- と introduces the thought
- Main ending: I think
Notice: と思います adds “I think,” so the whole sentence is less certain than the familiar statement. 降る remains plain in both versions; the main ending changes from 思います to 思う.
A plan, not a completed action
Familiar pieces
週末に本を読みます。
I will read a book at the weekend.
Read in chunks · polite
1週末に本を読む2つもりです。
I intend to read a book at the weekend.
- Planned action in dictionary form
- Main ending: I intend to
Notice: The full ending describes an intention. It does not mean the reading is finished or guarantee that the plan will happen. 読む stays in dictionary form before つもり in both styles.
An experience, not a date
Familiar pieces
京都に行きました。
I went to Kyoto.
Read in chunks · polite
1京都に行った2ことがあります。
I have been to Kyoto.
- Action in plain past form
- Main ending: have the experience of
Notice: ことがあります presents a past experience without saying when it happened. Read the whole pattern rather than translating only 行った as “went.”
Try three questions
No timer or pass requirement. Answers stay for this page visit only and do not change your regular lesson progress.
0 / 3 answered.
Learn → Practice → ReviewStart with three useful learning points, compare polite/plain Japanese, then try six questions. Retry just the ones you missed, or take the whole lesson again. Already studied? Jump to mixed review and the checkpoint →
— / 1LESSONS PRACTISED
— / 6ANSWERED CORRECTLY AT LEAST ONCE
N4 lesson cheat sheet 1 lessons · 3 learning points · Download available
Your N4 quick reference
Use this beside your reading or before a review. It summarizes this course, not an exhaustive or official JLPT syllabus. Open an example or return to its lesson when you need more context.
Form key: Dictionary form = basic verb (かく). Stem = remove ます (かきます → かき). Plain forms include negative and past forms. Group 1 = u-verbs; group 2 = ru-verbs—not every verb ending in る is group 2. Te/ta forms include endings such as で/だ. The download includes both example styles and English translations.
1 of 1 lessons shown.
01 · Plans and Decisions
～つもり
Form: Dictionary / ない form + つもりだ
An intention to do / not do something; not a completed action or a guarantee.
Example + English
今度の連休は、家で古い写真を整理するつもりです。
I intend to organize old photographs at home over the next long weekend.
～ことにする
Form: Dictionary / ない form + ことにする
Make a decision. ことにした reports that the decision was made, not that the action is finished.
Example + English
朝の時間を作るために、夜は十一時に寝ることにしました。
I decided to go to bed at eleven at night to make more time in the morning.
～ことになる
Form: Dictionary / ない form + ことになる
Report an established arrangement or outcome. It can be a group decision you helped make, not only someone else’s decision.
Example + English
クラスで話し合って、発表は二人で行うことになりました。
After a class discussion, it was decided that we would give presentations in pairs.
Form questions practise building Japanese; meaning questions check what the Japanese communicates, with English choices. “The speaker” means the person speaking in the example, not you. Existing practice history is kept when wording improves.
LESSONS 01–01
Start with the essentials
LESSON 013 LEARNING POINTS · 6 QUESTIONS
予定と決定
Plans and Decisions
Express intentions, make personal decisions, and describe shared arrangements.
～つもり～ことにする～ことになる
— / 6 answered correctly
BRING IT TOGETHER
Mixed review & your next step
Revisit familiar questions from the lesson bank in a shuffled order, with shuffled choices. Each set samples every listed lesson. Start a fresh set for a new mix; repeats are part of practice. These are learning check-ins, not a JLPT mock exam or a guarantee of exam readiness.
You will get explanations, a topic-by-topic result, lesson links, and a retry of only your missed questions. Review answers contribute to your question practice totals; sampling a lesson does not mark that lesson complete. Scores are for this visit; individual answer progress follows the save status below.
Choose-your-own adventures1 free book · choices, discoveries & different endings+
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE · JLPT N4
Choose a story.
Find your own path.
Make choices as you read, then return by another path. Different endings are discoveries, not wrong answers. Each book keeps its own route and ending collection.
N4 / 01雨の日の小さな上映会あめのひのちいさなじょうえいかい
A RAINY AFTERNOON. SIX WAYS TO MAKE IT MATTER.
N4 ADVENTURE 01 · AVAILABLE NOW
A Small Screening on a Rainy Day
Rain changes the afternoon, but not the welcome. Help Lina prepare a community film screening, choose how people can take part, and discover six different ways a small contribution can matter.
- 19 story sections · 6 endings
- 6 screens per route · around 12–18 minutes
- Polite/plain Japanese · English translations · kanji help
Your route and endings are kept separately for each book. Read, choose, check the translation, then switch style and reread. The N4 collection is ready to practise.
About the N4 collection & how to practise
JLPT N4 · READYA little further,
A little further,
every day.
Familiar everyday situations, more connected Japanese. Start with short N4 readings that bring reasons, plans, experiences, and small surprises into the same story.
Read once, answer, check the English, then switch polite/plain and reread. Each story includes a grammar focus, eight vocabulary items, and tap-word help.
Want to brush up first? 1 guided lessons teach useful N4 patterns with examples, short quizzes, and explanations you can return to.
MEMBER COLLECTION · JLPT N4
JLPT N4 · Ready to practise
N4 includes 365 readings, twenty guided lessons, mixed review, and branching adventures. Bridge lessons help you move up from N5.
Preview the adventure titles
- The Little Clock in the Photograph MEMBERS
- Colors of a Seaside Town MEMBERS
- A Day to Share the Town's Sounds MEMBERS
- The Blue Envelope in the Library MEMBERS
- The First Day in the New Room MEMBERS
- The Post Office Above the Clouds MEMBERS
Membership sales are not open yet. Creating a free account saves your progress; it does not unlock the full collection.
Contact us about tester accessMEMBER COLLECTION · JLPT N3
JLPT N3 · In development
N3 currently includes 30 longer readings with two narration styles and three questions for a gold star, plus branching adventures. Follow the daily suggestion or read ahead.
Preview the adventure titles
- The Unfinished Star Map MEMBERS
- The Shop That Lends Tomorrow MEMBERS
- Before the Curtain Rises MEMBERS
Membership sales are not open yet. Creating a free account saves your progress; it does not unlock the full collection.
Contact us about tester accessABOUT KOTOBA COVE · ことば
Japanese, one story at a time.
Kotoba (ことば) means “word” or “language.” Kotoba Cove is a place for self-paced Japanese practice, built one JLPT level at a time.
READ · CHOOSE · UNDERSTAND · RETURN TOMORROWHow Kotoba Cove helps you learn
N5 · READY NOW
A complete beginner reading year
365 daily stories, seven branching adventures, and fifteen lesson units put beginner grammar and vocabulary into context. The ten expanded lessons include explanations, paired examples, and reading connections.
LEARN IN CONTEXT
Help when you need it
Show furigana, tap kanji and words for meaning, and compare polite with plain Japanese without changing the story.
YOUR OWN PACE
Progress that stays with you
Sign in to carry your gold stars and learning progress across devices, or practise as a guest on this device. N5 and N4 are ready to practise. N3 is in development.
These are approachable practice materials, not a complete JLPT exam course. N5 and N4 are ready to practise; N3 is still growing.