I was not happy with the amount of (level appropriate) reading material I found on the internet. I decided to write my own book using only the words from the JLPT-5 vocabulary list. It is a collection of short stories and random phone conversations. It helps me to remember the N5 words, as I start to move on to the N4 list. For anyone at the N5 level I think this will help.
EDIT* Sorry guys the share link I posted before was not public. I am posting this new link so everyone can view or download without any permissions.
Thanks for the honest feedback. My understanding of Japanese is from a self taught standpoint, so what you are saying is probably true. Can you show me an example of what you are talking about to further elaborate? Like, maybe post a sentence from the book and put it next to a reworked sentence to show me the difference?
達 is a pluralising suffix used only with people. Otherwise, Japanese doesn’t differentiate between singular and plural - “letters and stories” would just be 手紙と話
毎週私は貴方合うため電車で町に旅行つもり。
If I’m reading this correctly, this is meant to say “Every week, I plan to travel to the town by train to meet you”, yes?
Japanese almost never uses second person pronouns, though I guess you can relax that restriction if you’re writing a love letter to someone, or somesuch.
You need a particle after 貴方 either way - either に or と
That should be 会う rather than 合う
旅行 is more of a long-distance journey, like a vacation or similar. 行く is all you need, here.
You need a する after the 旅行, in any case.
It’s a bit weird to use つもり with 毎週, because you’re describing a habitual action rather than a future intention. If it’s something you want to do, I might suggest ～たい instead.
In general, the usage of ため feels a bit heavy, especially since you do it again in the next sentence.
So, I’d probably go with:
毎週、私は電車で町にあなたと会いに行きたいです。
I’m not sure whether all of those grammar points are N5, though, and I’m still not a fan of using あなた. Plus, I’m not completely sure it exactly conveys your intent.
Wow, that’s good stuff. It seems I have alot to learn about the details of sentence structure and the words themselves. To be completely honest, I just started out learning particles and memorizing the list of vocabulary words via flashcards. I don’t think I have ever actually taken a real lesson in Japanese either online or irl. So I guess this attempt just goes to show that you need more than just a vocab list and basic particles.
Welp… I have memorized the list of words from the N5 list, and have a decent understanding of particles, but have no idea about the context of the words or sentence structure. Where do you suggest I go from here? Is there like a Japanese sentences class I should take? (joking but kinda serious)
Thanks for the examples, I look forward to any other feedback.
btw - maybe you can edit this book and redistribute it if anyone is interested?
Here is the link to download the book in .docx word format if anyone wants to edit JLPT-5 Reading (word format)
Im not sure about the resources you are using but having used Genki I and II myself, I can vouch that it has interesting and continuous stories throughout the two volumes using the grammar they teach up to each story. It might be somewhat expensive for some people though but I recommend them in general and I enjoyed using them. The stories are about 2 pages per lesson, and I believe there are 22 lessons between the 2 volumes.
Everyone here seems to recommend Genki because it’s written in english, but even if you’re english, consider Minna no nihongo shokyu I + grammar and vocabulary translations. The main book in all in japanese, which I find great for immersion, and you use the grammar and vocab in the companion book in your language (12 languages existing I think).
Can be expensive but well worth it if you’re not native English. Also this first book is supposed to give you a JLPT N5 Level at the end.
I really appreciate your collection of vocabulary. thank you for creating this…I really want something like this (with native/natural patterns of course) and so far there’s free graded readers and Watanoc.com (@Belthazar: is watanoc.com terrible or not terrible?)
I think more resources should just put Japanese names into example sentences. It’s how people talk, and you learn some names at the same time.
So in an example conversation, instead of あなた, just something like 田中さん or 山下さん, and then if there’s an English translation, it can be translated as “you.”
I didn’t read the content mentioned here yet, but I just mean generally.
I havent tried those resources myself but I think full on japanese with no english or other native language would be overkill and frustrating for a new beginner - especially n5/n4 level.
If you are considering Genki or other Japanese begginner textbooks, I suggest comparing the prices on Amazon to the Amazon.co.jp prices. Genki is usually cheaper from the Japanese amazon even with shipping prices. Not to mention the shipping is much faster.
Spoiler, it’s not overkill nor frustrating, I’m a total beginner, self studying myself so not even at N5 yet.
As I said, you have two books, the full japanese one, and the grammar/vocab translation one.
The books are meant to be used this way:
New grammar then vocab (in your native language)
Key sentences and easy exercices A and B (in japanese)
Listening to a conversation with japanese script
Hard exercices to reinforce what you learn
Listening and exercice tests
Because of (1), you never feel lost, and because the rest is in Japanese, you spend more time actually reading kana and listening to actual Japanese conversation at a decent speech speed.
Also it is known that this book is used worldwide AND in Japan to teach Japanese, and that globally, it gives a stronger N5 then N4 (with shokyu 2) than Genki1+2.
You contradict yourself, the grammar is not in japanese therefore the book is not all japanese, which wouldnt be possible at N5-N4 level anyways. Also you assume that this book has translations in every native language? Most likely only in english, not “your native language”.
Seems to me by your description that this book is identical to Genki, so it could be a good resource, but you described it as fully japanese to japanese (which I have seen in much higher level books but not at that level)
So again, main textbook: all Japanese. Companion text book: YOUR language (unless it’s not one of those 14)
So I don’t see how I’m contradicting myself? Grammar and vocab point are explained in your language, then the rest if on the full Japanese book
EDIT:
And even though I’m fluent in English, I picked the フランソス語版 one to go with my all jap main textbook and it’s definitely easier not having to do jap—> eng —> fre but just jap—>fre
The first two years of college we used the Minna No Nihongo books (so year 1, book 1. Year 2, book 2), alongside a Japanese native teacher. The Dutch teacher (I’m Dutch, we used the English version) would always answer questions we had after the Japanese teacher explained the grammar. We would do one chapter per week. Monday go through the new vocabulary list. Listen to pitch and such, the explanation of grammar. Other days we did all the exercises. Speaking exercises on Friday. After around 7 week, 7 chapters, we would have a big test. Reading, writing, speaking, listening.
We used not only the main book and the grammar book, but all the resources this series has. (so also listening, 2 additional exercise books, and 2 kanji books).
I thought it was a very pleasant way to learn Japanese because you get right into reading it from the start. There’s furigana, but no romaji, which I thought was super helpful. (I hate romaji with a passion)
Obviously having a native teacher helps too, but the book comes with CD’s that help you with pronunciations. I also thought it was more complete than the Genki series. But I haven’t tried those for long.
Only thing I dislike about the books, is that it uses the more formal ます form for a bit long. But as I was supposed to work in a business environment after graduating from this college, it made sense at the time. The more informal dictionary form is also taught, however. So you’re not missing out. And I got to say, as a result of this book, I tend to default to speaking a more polite Japanese.
thank you for creating this…I really want something like this (with native/natural patterns of course) and so far there’s free graded readers and 
I am relieved… !