• 人ひと
  • ·person; someone; somebody
  • ·human beings; mankind; man; people; humans
  • ·human (Homo sapiens)
  • ·(other) people; others
  • ·character; personality; nature
  • ·capable person; competent person; suitable person; right person
  • ·adult; grown-up
  • ·I; me; one
  N5
• 聞くきくAs it appears here: 聞き
  • ·to hear
  • ·to listen (e.g. to music)
  • ·to ask; to enquire; to query
  • ·to hear about; to hear of; to learn of
  • ·to follow (advice, order, etc.); to obey; to listen to; to comply with
  • ·to hear (e.g. a plea); to grant (a request); to accept (e.g. an argument); to give consideration to
  • ·to smell (esp. incense); to sample (a fragrance)
  • ·to taste (alcohol); to try
  N5
• その
  • ·that; the
  • ·part (as in "part two")
  • ·um ...; er ...; uh ...
  N5
• なか
  • ·inside; interior
  • ·among; within
  • ·middle; center; centre
  • ·during; while; middle; midst; amid
  • ·interval; gap
  • ·mean; average
  • ·second (of three, e.g. sons, volumes); middle
  • ·medium grade; medium quality
  • ·red-light district
  N5
• 一人ひとり
  • ·one person
  • ·being alone; being by oneself
  • ·being single; being unmarried
  • ·by oneself; alone
  • ·just; only; simply
  N5
• 二人ふたり
  • ·two persons; two people; pair; couple
  N5
• おぼえるAs it appears here: おぼえて
  • ·to memorize; to memorise; to commit to memory; to learn by heart; to bear in mind; to remember
  • ·to learn; to pick up; to acquire
  • ·to feel
  • ·to think; to regard
  N5
• 次つぎ
  • ·next; following; subsequent
  • ·stage; station
  N5
• 話すはなすAs it appears here: 話し
  • ·to talk; to speak; to converse; to chat
  • ·to tell; to explain; to narrate; to mention; to describe; to discuss
  • ·to speak (a language)
  N5
• 同じおなじ
  • ·same; identical; equal; alike; equivalent
  • ·anyway; in any case; if one must ...; if one has to ...; as long as ...
  N5
• 話はなし
  • ·talk; speech; chat; conversation
  • ·topic; subject
  • ·discussions; negotiation; argument
  • ·rumor; talk; hearsay
  • ·tale; story; fable
  • ·circumstances; particulars
  N5
• 面白いおもしろい
  • ·interesting; fascinating; intriguing; enthralling
  • ·amusing; funny; comical
  • ·enjoyable; fun; entertaining; pleasant; agreeable
  • ·good; satisfactory; favourable; desirable; encouraging
  N5
• ところ
  • ·place; spot; scene; site
  • ·address
  • ·district; area; locality
  • ·one's house
  • ·point; aspect; side; facet
  • ·passage (in text); part
  • ·space; room
  • ·thing; matter
  • ·whereupon; as a result
  • ·about to; on the verge of
  • ·was just doing; was in the process of doing; have just done; just finished doing
  • ·approximately; around; about
  N5
• つまらないAs it appears here: つまらなく
  • ·dull; uninteresting; boring; tedious
  • ·insignificant; unimportant; trifling; trivial; worthless
  • ·absurd; foolish; silly; stupid
  • ·useless; pointless; disappointing
  N5
• するAs it appears here: して
  • ·to do; to carry out; to perform
  • ·to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into)
  • ·to serve as; to act as; to work as
  • ·to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
  • ·to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as
  • ·to decide on; to choose
  • ·to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.)
  • ·to be (in a state, condition, etc.)
  • ·to be worth; to cost
  • ·to pass (of time); to elapse
  • ·to place, or raise, person A to a post or status B
  • ·to transform A to B; to make A into B; to exchange A for B
  • ·to make use of A for B; to view A as B; to handle A as if it were B
  • ·to feel A about B
  • ·verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs")
  • ·creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go")
  • ·to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to
  N5
• ある
  • ·to be; to exist; to live
  • ·to have
  • ·to be located
  • ·to be equipped with
  • ·to happen; to come about
  • ·to exist (in a completed state); to be (something unchanged in its current state)
  N5
• 私わたし
  • ·I; me
  N5
• 最初さいしょ
  • ·beginning; outset; first; onset
  N4
• 変わるかわるAs it appears here: 変わって
  • ·to change; to be transformed; to be altered; to vary
  • ·to move to
  • ·to be different; to be uncommon; to be unusual
  N4
• 形かたち
  • ·(physical) form; shape; figure
  • ·visage; (facial) features; appearance (of a person); figure; looks
  • ·form (as opposed to substance); manner (of action); style; (outward) appearance
  • ·(resultant) state; situation; condition; form
  • ·behaviour (towards others); attitude; demeanor; manners
  • ·shape (positional qualities of a group of stones)
  N4
• はず
  • ·should (be); bound (to be); expected (to be); must (be)
  • ·nock (of a bow)
  • ·nock (of an arrow)
  • ·nock-shaped grip (between thumb and forefinger)
  • ·wooden frame on the tip of the mast of a Japanese ship that prevents the hawser from falling out
  N4
• 場合ばあい
  • ·case; occasion; situation; circumstances
  N4
• 枝えだ
  • ·branch; bough; limb; twig; sprig; spray
  N4
• 子こ
  • ·child; kid; teenager; youngster; young (non-adult) person
  • ·(one's) child; offspring
  • ·young woman
  • ·young (animal)
  • ·offshoot
  • ·interest
  • ·new share
  • ·player who is not a dealer
  • ·young geisha; young prostitute
  • ·bird egg
  • ·-er (often of young women)
  N4
• 語るかたるAs it appears here: 語られて
  • ·to talk about; to speak of; to tell; to narrate
  • ·to recite; to chant
  • ·to indicate; to show
  N3
• くわしいAs it appears here: くわしく
  • ·detailed; full; minute
  • ·knowing very well; knowledgeable (about); well-acquainted (with); well-informed (about); familiar (with)
  N3
• 語るかたるAs it appears here: 語られ
  • ·to talk about; to speak of; to tell; to narrate
  • ·to recite; to chant
  • ·to indicate; to show
  N3
• 退屈たいくつ
  • ·tedious; boring; dull; uninteresting; tiresome; monotonous
  • ·to feel bored; to get bored (with); to get tired (of)
  N3
• 部分ぶぶん
  • ·portion; section; part
  N3
• 省くはぶくAs it appears here: 省かれ
  • ·to omit; to leave out; to exclude; to eliminate
  • ·to curtail; to save; to cut down; to economize; to economise
  N3
• 物語ものがたり
  • ·story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
  N3
• お
  • ·honorific/polite/humble prefix
  N3
• よう
  • ·appearing ...; looking ...
  • ·way to ...; method of ...ing
  • ·form; style; design
  • ·like; similar to
  • ·thing (thought or spoken)
  N3
• 注ちゅう
  • ·annotation; explanatory note; comment
  N3
• ほんの
  • ·mere; only; just; slight
  N1
• 少数しょうすう
  • ·small number; few; minority
  N1
• 世代せだい
  • ·generation
  N1
• 反応はんのう
  • ·reaction; response
  • ·physical reaction (to a stimulus); observable response (of an organism)
  • ·reaction; effect; change
  N1
• 教訓きょうくん
  • ·lesson; precept; teachings; moral
  N1
• 教えおしえ
  • ·teaching; instruction; teachings; precept; lesson; doctrine
  N1

Example sentences are translated by AI.

• というのはN3

  Introduces an explanation or definition of the topic just named — 'the thing called…' / 'what … means is'.

  昔話というのは、最初はほんの少数の人が聞き、そのなかの一人か二人がおぼえて、次の世代の人に話し、そして次へと語られてきました。

  Folktales were originally heard by only a small number of people; one or two of them remembered the story, told it to the next generation, and in this way it was passed on from one generation to the next.

• によって/によるN32 times in this passage

  Marks means, cause, passive agent, or a factor something depends on; 'by (means of)', 'due to', 'depending on'.

  聞き手の反応によって、面白いところがくわしく語られ、退屈な部分は省かれ、物語としての形がととのってきます。

  Depending on the listeners’ reactions, the interesting parts are told in greater detail, the boring parts are omitted, and the story gradually takes on a more polished form.

• ところがN3

  Sentence-initial conjunction introducing a result that runs contrary to what was expected — "however; but (unexpectedly)".

  聞き手の反応によって、面白いところがくわしく語られ、退屈な部分は省かれ、物語としての形がととのってきます。

  Depending on the listeners’ reactions, the interesting parts are told in greater detail, the boring parts are omitted, and the story gradually takes on a more polished form.

• としてN3

  Marks the role, capacity, or status in which someone or something acts — "as (a doctor / a rule / etc.)".

  聞き手の反応によって、面白いところがくわしく語られ、退屈な部分は省かれ、物語としての形がととのってきます。

  Depending on the listeners’ reactions, the interesting parts are told in greater detail, the boring parts are omitted, and the story gradually takes on a more polished form.

• 的（てき）N3

  A suffix turning a noun into a na-adjective meaning "relating to / -like / -ical" (一般的, 科学的).

  （注）教訓：道徳的な教え

  (Note) 教訓: a moral teaching

• 〜てくるN43 times in this passage

  Verb te-form plus 来る, marking motion toward the speaker or the gradual onset of a state — 'come to do' / 'start to / become'.

  昔話というのは、最初はほんの少数の人が聞き、そのなかの一人か二人がおぼえて、次の世代の人に話し、そして次へと語られてきました。

  Folktales were originally heard by only a small number of people; one or two of them remembered the story, told it to the next generation, and in this way it was passed on from one generation to the next.

• はずだN4

  Expresses the speaker's reasoned confidence that something is or should be the case — 'should, ought to, is supposed to'.

  だから面白いはずです。

  That is why they ought to be interesting.

• 〜てしまう / 〜ちゃうN4

  Verb te-form plus しまう, marking an action as fully completed or done regrettably/by accident — 'end up ...ing' / 'finish ...ing'; ちゃう/じゃう is the casual contraction.

  でも、教訓やお説教をつけ加え、つまらなくしてしまう場合もあるようです。

  However, there also seem to be cases where morals or preachy lessons are added, making the story less interesting.

• ようだN4

  Expresses conjecture or resemblance drawn from evidence, "it seems / looks like".

  でも、教訓やお説教をつけ加え、つまらなくしてしまう場合もあるようです。

  However, there also seem to be cases where morals or preachy lessons are added, making the story less interesting.

• そしてN5

  Additive/sequential conjunction joining clauses, 'and / and then'.

  昔話というのは、最初はほんの少数の人が聞き、そのなかの一人か二人がおぼえて、次の世代の人に話し、そして次へと語られてきました。

  Folktales were originally heard by only a small number of people; one or two of them remembered the story, told it to the next generation, and in this way it was passed on from one generation to the next.

• だ / ですN5

  The copula linking a noun or na-adjective to the subject — plain だ / polite です, 'is/am/are'.

  同じ話でも変わってくるのが当たり前です。

  Naturally, even the same story changes over time.