N4 Reading Practice: Cooking Class

Reading Passage

今日は、ずっと楽たのしみにしていた日本料理にほんりょうりの教室きょうしつに参加さんかしてきました。料理りょうりは好すきなのですが、日本料理にほんりょうりはあまり得意とくいではありません。実じつは初心者しょしんしゃでも安心あんしんだと聞きいて、少すこし不安ふあんもありましたが、思おもい切きって参加さんかすることにしました。

教室きょうしつに着つくと、先生せんせいが笑顔えがおで迎むかえてくれました。他ほかの生徒せいとさんも親切しんせつな方かたばかりで、すぐに馴染なじめました。今日きょうは、なんと寿司すしと味噌汁みそしるを作つくるとのこと。お寿司すしは難むずかしいイメージがあったので、驚おどろきでした。先生せんせいはまず、お米こめの炊たき方かたや魚さかなの切きり方かたを本当ほんとうに丁寧ていねいに教おしえてくださり、私わたしも先生せんせいの手元てもとをよく見みながら、同おなじようにやってみました。

お寿司すしの形かたちを整ととのえるのは少すこし難むずかしかったものの、最終的さいしゅうてきにはきれいに仕上しあがりました。自分じぶんで作つくったお寿司すしと味噌汁みそしるをみんなで美味おいしく頂いただきました。本当ほんとうに感動的かんどうてきな味あじでした。先生せんせいからは、「ぜひ家いえでもまた作つくってみてくださいね」と温あたたかいお言葉ことばをいただきました。今日きょうは新あたらしいことを学まなべただけでなく、素敵すてきな出会であいもありました。次つぎの教室きょうしつへ行いくのが、もう今いまから楽たのしみです。

Vocabulary List

• 日本料理にほんりょうり (nihonryōri) — Japanese cuisine

• 教室きょうしつ (kyōshitsu) — classroom; class

• 参加さんかする (sanka suru) — to participate

• 得意とくい (tokui) — good at; strong point

• 初心者しょしんしゃ (shoshinsha) — beginner

• 心配しんぱい (shinpai) — worry; anxiety

• 笑顔えがお (egao) — smiling face

• 生徒せいと (seito) — student

• 親切しんせつ (shinsetsu) — kind; gentle

• 寿司すし (sushi) — sushi

• 味噌汁みそしる (misoshiru) — miso soup

• 難むずかしい (muzukashii) — difficult

• 炊たき方かた (takikata) — how to cook (rice)

• 魚さかな (sakana) — fish

• 手元てもと (temoto) — at hand; by one's side (referring to the teacher's hands)

English Translation

Today, I participated in a Japanese cooking class I had been looking forward to. I like cooking, but I'm not very good at making Japanese food. Actually, I heard it was beginner-friendly, so even though I had a little anxiety, I decided to take the plunge and participate.

When I arrived at the classroom, the teacher greeted me with a smile. All the other students were also kind people, and I quickly felt at ease. Today, surprisingly, we were going to make sushi and miso soup. I was surprised because I had the impression that sushi was difficult. First, the teacher taught us how to cook rice and how to cut fish very carefully, and I watched her hands closely and tried to do the same.

Shaping the sushi was a little difficult, but in the end, it turned out beautifully. We all deliciously enjoyed the sushi and miso soup I made myself. It was truly a moving taste. The teacher kindly said, "Please do try making it at home too." Today, not only did I learn new things, but I also had wonderful encounters. I'm already looking forward to going to the next class!

Comprehension Questions

• 私わたしは日本料理にほんりょうりが得意とくいですか。

Is the narrator good at Japanese cooking?

• 今日きょうの教室きょうしつでは、何なにを作つくりましたか。

What did they make in today's class?

• お寿司すしを作つくるのは簡単かんたんでしたか。

Was making sushi easy?

• 先生せんせいは最後さいごに何なんと言いいましたか。

What did the teacher say at the end?

• 私わたしは次つぎの教室きょうしつに行いきたいと思おもっていますか。

Does the narrator want to go to the next class?

Grammar Points Used

• 〜が、〜 (but, however): This conjunction is used to connect two clauses where the second clause expresses something contrary or unexpected compared to the first clause. It can also be used to simply connect two sentences without expressing contradiction, similar to "and" in English, but often implying a slight pause or shift in topic.

Example: 料理りょうりは好すきなのですが、日本料理にほんりょうりはあまり得意とくいではありません。(I like cooking, but I'm not very good at making Japanese food.)

• 〜ても、〜 (even if/though): This grammar pattern indicates a concession. It means "even if," "even though," or "although." It is formed by connecting the te-form of a verb or i-adjective, or the noun/na-adjective + で, with も.

Example: 少すこし不安ふあんもありましたが、思おもい切きって参加さんかすることにしました。(Even though I had a little anxiety, I decided to take the plunge and participate.)

• 〜ことにする (to decide to do something): This expression signifies that one has decided to perform a certain action. It implies a conscious decision on the part of the speaker or subject. The verb before 〜ことにする must be in the plain form.

Example: 参加さんかすることにしました。(I decided to participate.)

• 〜とのこと (I heard that...; it is said that...): This pattern is used to report information or rumors that the speaker has heard from someone else or from some source. It adds a nuance of "I heard" or "it was said that" to the statement.

Example: 今日きょうは、なんと寿司すしと味噌汁みそしるを作つくるとのこと。(I heard that today, surprisingly, we were going to make sushi and miso soup.)

• 〜てくれました (do something for someone): This is a versatile grammar pattern that shows that someone performed an action for the speaker's benefit. It expresses gratitude or appreciation for the action. The verb is in its te-form, followed by くれました.

Example: 先生せんせいが笑顔えがおで迎むかえてくれました。(The teacher greeted me with a smile.)

• 〜方かた (how to do something): This suffix is attached to the stem of a verb (masu-form stem) to indicate "the way of doing something" or "how to do something." It is a common and useful noun-forming suffix.

Example: お米こめの炊たき方かた (how to cook rice), 魚さかなの切きり方かた (how to cut fish).

• 〜てみる (to try to do something): This expression means "to try to do something" or "to do something and see what happens." It is formed by taking the te-form of a verb and adding みる. It indicates an experimental action.

Example: 先生せんせいの手元てもとをよく見みながら、同おなじようにやってみました。(I watched the teacher's hands closely and tried to do the same.)

• 〜と思おもいます (I think that...): This common phrase is used to express one's opinion, thought, or belief. It follows a plain form verb or adjective, or a noun/na-adjective + だ. It's a fundamental way to express personal conjecture.

Example: 次つぎの教室きょうしつへ行いくのが、もう今いまから楽たのしみです。(I'm already looking forward to going to the next class!)

• 〜ばかり (only, nothing but): When used with a noun, it emphasizes that there are only people/things of that kind. It can also imply a large quantity or exclusivity. It can also follow a te-form verb to mean "just finished doing". In this passage, it indicates exclusivity.

Example: 他ほかの生徒せいとさんも親切しんせつな方かたばかりで、すぐに馴染なじめました。(All the other students were also kind people, and I quickly felt at ease.)

• 〜と聞きく (to hear that...): This expresses hearing information from someone or somewhere. When followed by の particle and で, it forms a reason, as in 〜と聞きいたので ("because I heard that..."). This is a common way to introduce reported speech or information.

Example: 初心者しょしんしゃでも安心あんしんだと聞きいて (because I heard it was beginner-friendly).