N5 · easySimplified retelling · JLPT N5
ねずみの嫁入り Nezumi no Yomeiri in easy Japanese (N5)
This is our own simplified retelling of The Finest Match in All the Land, written for N5 learners and checked word by word against the N5 vocabulary list. A few story words and grammar patterns go beyond N5; the notes below give each one's level. It keeps the characters, events and ending of the original. When it feels easy, move on to the N4 version or the original text.
The story in brief
A mouse couple living in a storehouse have a beautiful daughter and want her to marry the strongest being in the world. The father asks the Sun, the Cloud, the Wind and a Wall in turn, and each one names someone stronger. The Wall says mice are stronger than it because they make holes through it. Pleased, the father goes home, and the daughter marries Chūsuke, the young mouse next door; the mouse family grows large.
AI translation · independently checked
むかし、大きなくらの中に、ねずみのお父さんとお母さんがすんでいました。Once upon a time, a father mouse and a mother mouse lived inside a big storehouse.
くらには食べものがたくさんありました。There was plenty of food in the storehouse.
二人にはこどもがいませんでした。The two of them had no children.
かみさまにたのむと、女の子が生まれました。When they asked the gods, a baby girl was born to them.
女の子はだんだん大きくなりました。Little by little, the girl grew bigger.
そして、日本でいちばんきれいなねずみになりました。And she became the prettiest mouse in all Japan.
お父さんとお母さんはいいました。The father and mother said:
「日本でいちばんの女の子です。いちばんつよい人とけっこんしてほしいです。」"She is the finest girl in all Japan. We want her to marry the strongest one there is."
いちばんつよいのはだれでしょうか。Now, who could the strongest one be?
それはそらの上のお日さまです。Why, it is the Sun, up above the sky.
お父さんは、お母さんと女の子といっしょに、天へ行きました。The father went up to the heavens together with the mother and the girl.
「お日さま、あなたがいちばんつよいです。どうぞ、わたしの女の子とけっこんしてください。」"Mr. Sun, you are the strongest of all. Please marry my daughter."
お日さまはいいました。The Sun said:
「でも、わたしよりつよい人がいますよ。くもです。くもが来ると、わたしは何もできません。」"But there's someone stronger than me, you know. The Cloud. When the Cloud comes along, I can't do a thing."
お父さんは、くものところへ行きました。The father went to see the Cloud.
「くもさん、あなたがいちばんつよいです。どうぞ、わたしの女の子とけっこんしてください。」"Honorable Cloud, you are the strongest of all. Please, I beg you, marry my daughter."
「でも、わたしよりつよい人がいますよ。かぜです。かぜがふくと、わたしはとんでいきます。」"But there's someone stronger than me, you know. The Wind. When the Wind blows, I go flying away."
お父さんは、かぜのところへ行きました。The father went to see the Wind.
「かぜさん、あなたがいちばんつよいです。どうぞ、わたしの女の子とけっこんしてください。」"Honorable Wind, you are the strongest of all. Please, I beg you, marry my daughter."
「でも、わたしよりつよい人がいますよ。かべです。わたしがたくさんふいても、かべはとびません。」"But there's someone stronger than me, you know. The Wall. However hard I blow, the Wall doesn't fly away."
お父さんは、かべのところへ行きました。The father went to see the Wall.
「かべさん、あなたがいちばんつよいです。どうぞ、わたしの女の子とけっこんしてください。」"Honorable Wall, you are the strongest of all. Please, I beg you, marry my daughter."
「でも、わたしよりつよい人がいますよ。それは、ねずみさんです。わたしは大きくて、つよいです。でも、ねずみさんは、わたしにあなを作って、むこうへ出ます。わたしは、ねずみさんよりよわいです。」"But there's someone stronger than me, you know. It's the mice. I'm big, and I'm strong. But the mice make holes in me and come out on the other side. I'm weaker than the mice."
お父さんは、大きなこえでいいました。The father said in a loud voice:
「わかりました。ねずみがいちばんつよいのですね。今まで知りませんでした。」"I understand. So it is we mice who are the strongest. I never knew that until now."
お父さんは、げんきにいえへかえりました。The father went home in high spirits.
すぐに、女の子は、となりのちゅうすけというわかいねずみとけっこんしました。Soon after, the girl married a young mouse from next door called Chūsuke.
二人はいつもいっしょでした。The two of them were always together.
そして、お父さんとお母さんをたいせつにしました。And they took good care of her father and mother.
こどももたくさん生まれました。Many children were born to them, too.
くらのねずみのかぞくは、おおぜいになりました。The family of mice in the storehouse grew very large.
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning | JLPT |
|---|---|---|
| くらくら | storehousedictionary form: 蔵A thick-walled building for storing rice, food and valuables. A natural home for mice in old stories. | N1 |
| すんですむ | to live (somewhere)dictionary form: 住むUsed with に for the place: くらの中にすむ. The ongoing state is すんでいる. | N5 |
| たのむたのむ | to ask (for a favor), to requestdictionary form: 頼む | N5 |
| 生まれましたうまれる | to be borndictionary form: 生まれる | N5 |
| だんだんだんだん | gradually, little by little | N1 |
| けっこんけっこん | marriagedictionary form: 結婚〜とけっこんする = to marry someone. Note the particle と, not を. | N5 |
| つよいつよい | strongdictionary form: 強いOpposite: よわい (weak). | N5 |
| くもくも | clouddictionary form: 雲 | N4 |
| ふくふく | to blow (of wind)dictionary form: 吹くかぜがふく = the wind blows. | N5 |
| かべかべ | walldictionary form: 壁 | N4 |
| あなあな | holedictionary form: 穴 | N3 |
| となりとなり | next door, neighboringdictionary form: 隣 | N5 |
| たいせつにたいせつ | important, precious (たいせつにする = to take good care of, cherish)dictionary form: 大切〜をたいせつにする = to treat someone with care, to cherish. | N5 |
| おおぜいおおぜい | many, a large number (of people or animals)dictionary form: 大勢Used for people or animals, not for things. | N5 |
Grammar
〜でいちばん〜 N5 the most ... in (a place or group)
いちばん before an adjective makes a superlative. The place or group comes before で.
日本でいちばんきれいなねずみになりました。
She became the prettiest mouse in all Japan.
〜くなる／〜になる N5 to become ...
い-adjectives change い to く before なる (大きい → 大きくなる). Nouns and な-adjectives take に before なる (ねずみになる).
女の子はだんだん大きくなりました。
Little by little, the girl grew bigger.
〜てください N5 please do ...
The て-form plus ください makes a polite request. どうぞ before it makes the request even more earnest.
どうぞ、わたしの女の子とけっこんしてください。
Please, I beg you, marry my daughter.
AよりB N5 more B than A
より marks the thing being compared against. わたしよりつよい means 'stronger than me'.
わたしよりつよい人がいますよ。
There's someone stronger than me, you know.
〜と (when / whenever) N4 when A happens, B (always) follows
The dictionary form plus と shows that the second event naturally follows the first. Here it shows cause and effect in nature.
くもが来ると、わたしは何もできません。
When the Cloud comes along, I can't do a thing.
〜ても N4 even if ..., even though ...
The て-form plus も means the result does not change, whatever happens in the first part.
わたしがたくさんふいても、かべはとびません。
However hard I blow, the Wall doesn't fly away.