I am always looking for new books to read in Japanese; the best way to practice is to do something you love in the language you are learning, and for me, that is reading.

Recently I have been trying to find my favorite books or authors in Japanese, and re-read them. It is a lot less pressure because I am already familiar with the story, so I just concentrate on picking up new vocab, and can worry less if I don't understand every little nuance. Enjoying doing something in Japanese is the key to motivation.

One of my favorite books, “The Little Prince,” is actually a great little read in Japanese. Most of the vocabulary is simple and the story is straightforward. I want to go over an excerpt of the book to show you how fun it can be to re-read your favorite books in Japanese.

If you haven’t read the book, don’t worry--there aren’t any spoilers. Also, please read this book, it is magnificent and I can almost guarantee you will love it.

I have taken the translations directly from the book, so it is more beautiful and much less exact than the literal translations I usually provide.

From Chapter 6:

ねえ、王子くん。
ねえ、おうじ　くん。
Oh, little prince!
Literally: “oh + prince + (suffix for boys)”

こんなふうに、ちょっとずつわかってきたんだ。きみがさみしく、ささやかに生きてきたって。
こんなふうに、　ちょっとずつ　わかってきたん　だ。　きみ　が　さみしく、ささやかに　いきてきたって。
Bit by bit I came to understand the secrets of your sad little life . . .
Literally: “in this way + little by little + understand + だ。you + が + lonely + modest + was living”

ずっときみには、おだやかな夕ぐれしか、いやされるものがなかった。
ずっと　きみ　には、おだやかな　ゆうぐれ　しか、いやされる　もの　が　なかった。
For a long time you had found your only entertainment in the quiet pleasure of looking at the sunset.
Literally: “long time + you + には + quiet + sunset + only + to be soothed + thing + が + なかった”
Note: しか and ない go together in a sentence to make up the word “only.” It does not make the sentence negative. For more about this, check out the following lessons: [NDL #38] - Can't get you out of my head & [NDL #180] - I only slept a whole five hours!

このことをはじめて知ったのは、４日めのあさ、そのとき、きみはぼくにいった。
この　こと　を　はじめて　しった　のは、よっかめ　の　あさ、そのとき、きみ　はぼく　に　いった。
I learned that new detail on the morning of the fourth day, when you said to me:
Literally: “this + thing + を + started + know + のは + 4th day + の + morning + that time + you + は + me + に + said”

「夕ぐれが大すきなんだ。夕ぐれを見にいこう……」
「ゆうぐれ　が　だいすきなんだ。ゆうぐれ　を　みにいこう…」
"I am very fond of sunsets. Come, let us go look at a sunset now."
Literally: “sunset + が + like a lot. Sunset + を + let’s go see”

「でも、またなきゃ……」
「でも、また　なきゃ…」
“But we must wait," I said.
Literally: “but + wait + must”
Note: V+なきゃ is the colloquial version of V+なければならない which is added to a verb and means “must do V.”

「なにをまつの？」
「なに　を　まつ　の？」
"Wait? For what?"
Literally: “what + を + wait + の”

「夕ぐれをまつんだよ。」
「ゆうぐれ　を　まつ　んだよ」
"For the sunset. We must wait until it is time."
Literally: “sunset + を + wait + んだよ”

とてもびっくりしてから、きみはじぶんをわらったのかな。
とても　びっくり　してから、きみ　は　じぶん　を　わらった　の　かな。
At first you seemed to be very much surprised. And then you laughed to yourself.
Literally: “very + surprised + after doing + you + は + self + を + laughed + の + かな”

こういったよね。
こう　いった　よね。
You said to me:
Literally: “this way + said + よね”

「てっきりまだ、ぼくんちだとおもってた！」
「てっきり　まだ、ぼく　んち　だ　と　おもってた！」
"I am always thinking that I am at home!"
Literally: “surely + not yet + I + home + だ + と + was thinking”
Note: んち is a shortened form of の　うち which means " ‘s home."

なるほど。
Just so.

ごぞんじのとおり、アメリカでまひるのときは、フランスでは夕ぐれ。
ごぞんじ　の　とおり、あめりか　で　まひる　の　とき　は、ふらんす　では　ゆうぐれ。
Everybody knows that when it is noon in the United States the sun is setting over France.
Literally: “knowing + の + way + America + で + noon + の + time + は + France + では + sunset”

だからあっというまにフランスへいけたら、夕ぐれが見られるってことになる。
だから　あっというまに　ふらんす　へ　いけたら、ゆうぐれ　が　みられる　って　ことになる。
If you could fly to France in one minute, you could go straight into the sunset, right from noon.
Literally: “therefore + one minute + France + へ + if you can go + sunset + が + can see + って + decided”
Note: あっというまに is one of my favorite expressions in Japanese. If you pull it apart it reads あっ　という　間　に, which roughly translates to “in the time it takes to say ‘ah’.” It is used to mean something very quick “in the blink of an eye, etc.”

でもあいにく、フランスはめちゃくちゃとおい。
でも　あいにく、ふらんす　は　めちゃくちゃ　とおい。
Unfortunately, France is too far away for that.
Literally: “but + unfortunately + France + は + extremely + far”

だけど、きみの星では、てくてくとイスをもってあるけば、それでいい。
だけど、きみ　の　ほし　では、てくてく　と　いす　を　もって　あるけば、それで　いい。
But on your tiny planet, my little prince, all you need do is move your chair a few steps.
Literally: “however + you + の + planet + では + trudging + chair + を + hold + if you walk + it is good there”

そうやってきみは、いつでも見たいときに、くれゆくお日さまを見ていたんだ。
そうやって　きみ　は、いつでも　みたい　とき　に、くれゆく　おひさま　を　みていたんだ。
You can see the day end and the twilight falling whenever you like . . .
Literally: “doing that + you + は + anytime + want to see + time + に + darken + the sun + を + was watching”

「１日に、44回も夕ぐれを見たことがあるよ！」
「いちにち　に、よんじゅうよんかい　も　ゆうぐれ　を　みた　ことがある　よ！」
"One day," you said to me, "I saw the sunset forty-four times!"
Literally: “one day + に + 44 times + も + sunset + を + saw + have done + よ”

If you liked this excerpt, please pick up the book in Japanese, or another book your are familiar with and give it a try. It doesn’t matter if you have to look up 10 words a page, as long as you are enjoying yourself and learning something new!

This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: