Japanese reading comprehension test
5 short Japanese stories with 20 questions in total, written for beginners in mostly kana with spacing between phrases. Read a story, answer four questions in Japanese, and see what you missed.
Which language are you reading in?
Stories in Japanese
A Japanese question, before you start
いちばの あさ
ゆきこさんは あさ、いえで なにを のみますか。
Show the answer
おちゃ
Why read Japanese this way
The hard part of beginner Japanese reading is not grammar, it is that a wall of unspaced text hides where each word ends. These stories are written in mostly kana with spaces between phrases, so you can practise following a story before you can read a newspaper. That is a different skill from recognising kanji, and it is the one comprehension actually needs.
Want to read the Japanese stories first?
Every story here is also in the free web reader, where you can tap any word for its meaning and listen to it read aloud. Read the Japanese stories
Questions about the test
Do I need to know kanji?
Very little. The stories are written mostly in hiragana and katakana with spacing between phrases, so they are readable once you know kana and some basic vocabulary.
Are the questions in Japanese?
Yes, in the same simple kana as the stories, using the story's own words.
