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N3 Day 17

一人で暮らしてはじめて Only after living alone

Today you will learn to say what happened the moment you did something (〜たとたん) and what you only understood after experiencing it (〜てはじめて).

About 25 minutes · 8 words · grammar · reading · quiz

Today's words

一人暮らし

ひとりぐらし

living alone

大学だいがくに入はいって、一人ひとり暮ぐらしを始はじめました。

I entered university and started living alone.

感謝

かんしゃ

gratitude, thanks

手伝てつだってくれた友ともだちに感謝かんしゃしています。

I'm grateful to my friends who helped me.

親

おや

parent(s)

夏休なつやすみに親おやと旅行りょこうをしました。

I went on a trip with my parents during summer vacation.

苦労

くろう

hardship, trouble

アパートを探さがすのに苦労くろうしました。

I had a hard time finding an apartment.

実家

じっか

one's parents' home

お正月しょうがつは実家じっかへ帰かえります。

I'm going back to my parents' home for New Year.

驚く

おどろく

to be surprised

部屋へやに入はいったとたん、大おおきな音おとがして驚おどろいた。

The moment I entered the room, there was a loud noise and I was startled.

急に

きゅうに

suddenly

急きゅうに雨あめが降ふってきた。

It suddenly started to rain.

当たり前

あたりまえ

natural, a matter of course

約束やくそくを守まもるのは当あたり前まえのことだ。

Keeping your promises is only natural.

Today's grammar

〜たとたん

The moment ~ happened, (something unexpected occurred)

Formation
  • Vた形 + とたん(に)

AたとたんB means that B happened immediately after A. B is something the speaker did not expect, often surprising. Because it describes an observed event, the main clause is usually in the past tense and cannot express the speaker's intention, a request, or an order. A is always in the た-form.

Examples

  • 家いえを 出でたとたん、雨あめが降ふりだした。

    The moment I left the house, it started to rain.

  • 急きゅうに 立たち上あがったとたんに、頭あたまが痛いたくなった。

    As soon as I stood up suddenly, I got a headache.

Full explanation and quiz →

〜てはじめて

Not until ~ / only after ~ (did I realize)

Formation
  • Vて形 + はじめて

AてはじめてB means "only after experiencing A did B happen," implying that before A, the speaker did not understand B. B usually expresses a realization or change, such as わかる, 気づく, or 知る. It does not take the speaker's intention or a request.

Examples

  • 一人ひとりで 暮くらしてはじめて、親おやのありがたさがわかった。

    It wasn't until I lived alone that I understood how much my parents had done for me.

  • 実際じっさいに 行いってみてはじめて、その町まちのよさを知しった。

    Only after actually going there did I learn how nice that town is.

Full explanation and quiz →

Read

アリさんの手紙 Ali's letter

お父とうさん、お母かあさん、お元気げんきですか。一人ひとり暮ぐらしを始はじめて、もう一か月いっかげつになります。Dad, Mom, how are you? It's already been a month since I started living alone.

実家じっかを出でたとたん、家事かじの大変たいへんさに驚おどろきました。The moment I left home, I was surprised at how hard housework is.

洗濯せんたくも料理りょうりも、自分じぶんでしなければ、だれもしてくれません。If I don't do the laundry and cooking myself, nobody will do it for me.

先週せんしゅうは急きゅうに雨あめが降ふってきて、干ほしていた洗濯物せんたくものが全部ぜんぶぬれてしまいました。Last week it suddenly started to rain, and all the laundry I had hung out got wet.

実家じっかでは、ご飯はんもきれいな服ふくも、いつもあるのが当あたり前まえだと思おもっていました。At home, I thought it was natural that there was always food and clean clothes.

自分じぶんでやってみてはじめて、親おやの苦労くろうが分わかりました。Only after trying it myself did I understand how hard you both worked.

今いままで、ちゃんと「ありがとう」と言いったことがありませんでしたね。本当ほんとうに感謝かんしゃしています。I never properly said "thank you" before, did I? I'm truly grateful.

来月らいげつの連休れんきゅうに、一度いちど帰かえります。そのときは洗濯物せんたくものをたくさん持もっていくので、よろしくお願ねがいします。I'll come home once during next month's long weekend. I'll bring a lot of laundry with me, so please take care of it.

アリよりLove, Ali

Tap a line to see the translation.

Check your understanding

R1アリさんが実家じっかを出でてすぐに驚おどろいたことは何なんですか。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 2 家事かじがとても大変たいへんだったこと

The letter says, "The moment I left home, I was surprised at how hard housework is." 〜たとたん means right after doing something.

R2手紙てがみの内容ないようと合あうものはどれですか。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 3 アリさんは、来月らいげつ、洗濯物せんたくものを持もって実家じっかに帰かえる。

At the end, Ali writes that he will go home once next month and bring a lot of laundry. He only understood his parents' hard work after trying it himself, so 1 is wrong, and he never said thank you before, so 2 is wrong.

Quiz

1雨あめが（　　）降ふってきたので、近ちかくの店みせに入はいった。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 2 急きゅうに

"It suddenly started raining, so I went into a nearby store." 急に means suddenly. ちっとも is used with negative forms, and まだ and 当たり前に do not fit here.

2毎日まいにちおいしいご飯はんを作つくってくれる母ははに、とても（　　）しています。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 4 感謝かんしゃ

"I'm very grateful to my mother, who makes delicious meals every day." 感謝する takes に for the person. 心配する takes を, so it does not fit 母に, and 合格 and 失敗 make no sense here.

3大学だいがくに入はいってから、（　　）を出でてアパートで暮くらしている。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 1 実家じっか

"Since entering university, I have left my parents' home and live in an apartment." 実家を出る means to move out of your parents' home. You cannot say 親を出る.

4ドアを開あけた（　　）、猫ねこが外そとへ走はしって出でていった。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 3 とたん

"The moment I opened the door, the cat ran outside." Vた + とたん shows that something unexpected happened right after an action. たびに follows the dictionary form, so 開けたたびに is wrong.

5病気びょうきになって（　　）、健康けんこうの大切たいせつさが分わかった。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 1 はじめて

"Only after getting sick did I understand how important health is." Vて + はじめて means you understood something only after that experience. とたん follows the た form, not the て form.

6「〜たとたん」の使つかい方かたが正ただしい文ぶんはどれですか。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 4 立たち上あがったとたん、ポケットからかぎが落おちた。

After 〜たとたん comes something unexpected that actually happened: "The moment I stood up, my key fell out of my pocket." You cannot use it for your own plans or intentions as in 1 and 2, and 3 needs the た form 開けた.

7親に電話でんわをかけました。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 2 おや

親 alone is read おや (parent). しん is used in words like 親切 (しんせつ). "I called my parents."

8仕事しごとを探さがすのに苦労した。

Answer and explanation

Answer: 3 くろう

苦労 is read くろう (hardship). ろう is long and く is not voiced. "I had a hard time finding a job."

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