Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 13

それは なんですかWhat is that?

Sore wa nan desu ka

No new grammar. We review kore/sore/are + nani (ch6) with words for everyday things: water, money, shoes, clothes, umbrella, pencil, paper, chair, desk, window, eye, hand. Ask about an object and answer, like Sore wa nan desu ka — Enpitsu desu. Kana: reading a mix of object words at speed.

Help improve this content. If something looks off,let us know →

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

それ? これ?— Sore? Kore?

  1. YukiマMaイiクkuさsaんn、そsoれreはwaなnaんnでdeすsuかka。Mike, what's that?
  2. MikeそSoれreはwaえeんnぴpiつtsuでdeすsu。That's a pencil. (slip: it's near me, so the natural word is "kore", not "sore")
  3. YukiマMaイiクkuさsaんnはwa「こkoれre」でdeすsuよyo。For you, it's "kore".
  4. MikeあA、こkoれreはwaえeんnぴpiつtsuでdeすsu!あAれreはwaまmaどdoでdeすsu。Oh, this is a pencil! And that over there is a window.
i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

なにが ありますか— What's Here?

  1. KenあAれreはwaくkuつtsuでdeすsuかka。Are those shoes over there?
  2. MikeはHaいi、くkuつtsuでdeすsu。そSoれreはwaかkaさsaでdeすsuかka。Yes, shoes. Is that an umbrella?
  3. KenいIいiえe、こkoれreはwaふfuくkuでdeすsu。あAれreがgaかkaさsaでdeすsu。No, this is clothes. That over there is the umbrella.
  4. MikeあA、そうsōでdeすsuねne!ぜZeんnぶbuあaりriまmaすsuねne。Oh, I see! Everything's here.
i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study
みmiずzu

nounwater

おoかkaねne

nounmoney

くkuつtsu

nounshoes

ふfuくku

nounclothes

かkaさsa

nounumbrella

えeんnぴpiつtsu

nounpencil

かkaみmi

nounpaper

いiすsu

nounchair

つtsuくkuえe

noundesk

まmaどdo

nounwindow

めme

nouneye

てte

nounhand

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

kore/sore/are + nani (review)

Explanation

No new grammar. We review the words that point at things (ch6): kore (near me), sore (near you), are (far from both). Ask "what?" with nani/nan, and answer with <noun> desu: Sore wa nan desu ka — Enpitsu desu. Before desu, nani becomes nan.

Examples

  • それは なんですか。— えんぴつです。What is that? — A pencil.
  • これは みずです。あれは おかねですか。This is water. Is that money over there?
  • それは くつですか。— いいえ、ふくです。Are those shoes? — No, they're clothes.
  • これは め、それは て です。This is an eye, that is a hand.
i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

ひらがな: ものの ことばを はやく— Hiragana: Object Words at Speed

Read each word as one chunk:

  • みず・て・めmizu · te · mewater · hand · eye — 1-2 mora each
  • かさ・くつ・かみkasa · kutsu · kamiumbrella · shoes · paper
  • えんぴつ・つくえ・まどenpitsu · tsukue · madopencil · desk · window

Read at speed:

Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?

Study in the app →

Report an issue

Spotted an error or have a suggestion? Every report helps us improve this content.