READING OF THE DAY · N5
Today’s suggested reading·Nature
海からの 石
A Stone from the Sea
夏休みに、家族で 海へ 行きました。
JAPANESE READING PRACTICE · JLPT N5
A little Japanese.
A little more confidence.
Read a short story, check the English, then try it again in polite or plain Japanese. Start small. Go at your own pace.
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…2026.10.24 · 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 12–15-MINUTE JAPANESE MYSTERY
終電のひかりしゅうでんのひかり
The Light of the Last Train
Haru is waiting for the last train when a small blue light asks to go home. Follow the light, uncover Platform 0, and decide which train leaves at 11:44.
あ Furigana · ↔ Polite / plain · ? Tap-word help · ↻ Saved progress
28
CHOICE
SECTIONS
45
TARGET
WORDS
10
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.
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
- A Small Screening on a Rainy Day MEMBERS
- 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.