家庭料理の楽しみ
Cooking at home · a free Japanese immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
今夜は野菜炒めを作る予定です。
Tonight, I am planning to make stir-fried vegetables.
Literal Tonight as for stir-fried-vegetables making plan is.
〜予定です expresses a future plan or schedule. It is a natural, everyday way to say what you intend to do later.
- 〜予定です (〜よていです) = 'plan to do ~' / 'scheduled to do ~'
- 今夜 (こんや) = tonight
- 野菜炒め (やさいいため) = stir-fried vegetables (noun compound)
まず、玉ねぎとにんじんを切ってから、フライパンを熱します。
First, after cutting the onion and carrots, I heat the frying pan.
Literal First, onion and carrots cutting-after, frying pan heat.
〜てから means 'after doing ~' and emphasizes sequence: the cutting must finish before the pan is heated.
- 〜てから = sequential action: 'after doing A, do B'
- 切る (きる, to cut) → て-form 切って (きって) + から
- 熱する (ねっする) = to heat
醤油と砂糖を混ぜながら、タレを作ります。
While mixing soy sauce and sugar, I make the sauce.
Literal Soy sauce and sugar mixing-while, sauce make.
〜ながら attaches to the verb stem to show two actions happening at the same time: mixing while making the sauce.
- 〜ながら = 'while doing ~', attaches to the verb stem (masu-stem)
- 混ぜる (まぜる, to mix) → 混ぜ (まぜ) + ながら
- タレ = dipping sauce or cooking sauce
塩を少し加えてください。
Please add a little salt.
Literal Salt a-little please-add.
〜てください is the standard polite request form. It is very common in recipes and kitchen instructions.
- 〜てください = polite request: 'please do ~'
- 少し (すこし) = a little
- 加える (くわえる) = to add (Group 2 verb)
このスープは甘くてまろやかな味がします。
This soup has a sweet and mellow flavor.
Literal This soup sweet-and mellow flavor does.
〜味がします means 'it tastes like ~' or 'it has a ~ flavor'. 甘くて connects two adjectives with 'and'.
- 〜味がします (〜あじがします) = 'has a ~ flavor / tastes ~'
- 甘い (あまい, sweet, i-adjective) → 甘くて (あまくて) = 'sweet and...' (conjunctive form)
- まろやか = mellow, smooth (na-adjective)
鍋の中でお湯が沸いています。
The water is boiling in the pot.
Literal Pot's inside hot-water boiling-is.
〜ています here expresses an action currently in progress: the water is actively boiling right now.
- 〜ています = present progressive for ongoing actions
- 沸く (わく) = to boil (Group 1 verb, used for liquids)
- お湯 (おゆ) = hot water
包丁を使うときは気をつけなさい。
Be careful when you use a knife.
Literal Knife using-when careful-be.
〜なさい is a mild but direct imperative, often used when giving safety advice or instructions to others.
- 〜なさい = firm polite imperative, used for advice or instructions
- 〜とき (時) = 'when ~' (uses plain present form before とき)
- 気をつける (きをつける) = to be careful
ごはんが炊けたら、お茶碗によそっていただけますか？
Once the rice is cooked, could you please serve it into bowls?
Literal Rice cooked-if/when, bowls-into serving could-you-do?
〜ていただけますか is a very polite request, softer than 〜てください. 〜たら sets up a conditional: 'once X happens, could you do Y?'
- 〜ていただけますか = very polite request: 'could you please do ~?'
- 〜たら = conditional: 'when/once ~ happens'
- よそう = to ladle or serve food into a bowl; お茶碗 (おちゃわん) = rice bowl
冷蔵庫に卵と牛乳がありますか？
Are there eggs and milk in the refrigerator?
Literal Refrigerator-in eggs and milk exist?
ありますか is used to ask whether something (inanimate) exists or is available. に marks the location where things are.
- ある/あります = to exist (for inanimate objects)
- に = location particle: 'in / at'
- 冷蔵庫 (れいぞうこ) = refrigerator; 卵 (たまご) = egg; 牛乳 (ぎゅうにゅう) = milk
料理を楽しみながら、新しいレシピに挑戦してみましょう。
While enjoying cooking, let's try taking on new recipes.
Literal Cooking enjoying-while, new recipes-to challenge-try let's.
〜ながら appears again, combining enjoyment with action. 〜てみましょう means 'let's try doing ~', encouraging the listener to attempt something new.
- 〜ながら = 'while doing ~'
- 〜てみましょう = 'let's try doing ~' (volitional + みる)
- 挑戦する (ちょうせんする) = to challenge oneself, to attempt; 料理 (りょうり) = cooking; 新しい (あたらしい) = new
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
野菜
vegetables
野菜を切ってから炒めます。
After cutting the vegetables, I stir-fry them.
やさい (yasai); a staple word in any cooking context
切る
to cut
にんじんを細かく切ってください。
Please cut the carrots finely.
きる (kiru); て-form: 切って
炒める
to stir-fry
野菜を強火で炒めます。
I stir-fry the vegetables over high heat.
いためる (itameru); て-form: 炒めて
醤油
soy sauce
醤油を少し加えると、味が深くなります。
When you add a little soy sauce, the flavor deepens.
しょうゆ (shoyu); one of the most essential Japanese condiments
塩
salt
スープに塩を入れてください。
Please add salt to the soup.
しお (shio)
沸く
to boil
お湯が沸いたら、パスタを入れます。
When the water boils, I add the pasta.
わく (waku); used specifically for liquids reaching boiling point
包丁
kitchen knife
包丁で玉ねぎを切ります。
I cut the onion with a kitchen knife.
ほうちょう (houchou)
鍋
pot
鍋にお湯を入れて火にかけます。
I put hot water in the pot and put it on the heat.
なべ (nabe); also refers to Japanese hot-pot dishes
炊く
to cook rice
ごはんを炊いてから、おかずを準備します。
After cooking the rice, I prepare the side dishes.
たく (taku); used specifically for cooking rice or grains, not other foods
混ぜる
to mix
卵と牛乳をよく混ぜてください。
Please mix the egg and milk well.
まぜる (mazeru); て-form: 混ぜて
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
今日(きょう)の夕方(ゆうがた)、さくらさんは台所(だいどころ)でカレーを作(つく)っています。まず玉(たま)ねぎとじゃがいもを切(き)ってから、鍋(なべ)に油(あぶら)を熱(ねっ)します。野菜(やさい)を炒(いた)めながら、カレーのいい香(かお)りが部屋中(へやじゅう)に広(ひろ)がります。醤油(しょうゆ)を少(すこ)し加(くわ)えると、さらに深(ふか)い味(あじ)になります。ごはんが炊(た)けたら、家族(かぞく)みんなで一緒(いっしょ)に食(た)べます。
Sentence by sentence
今日(きょう)の夕方(ゆうがた)、さくらさんは台所(だいどころ)でカレーを作(つく)っています。
This evening, Sakura is making curry in the kitchen.
作(つく)っています uses the 〜ています progressive form to show an action happening right now.
まず玉(たま)ねぎとじゃがいもを切(き)ってから、鍋(なべ)に油(あぶら)を熱(ねっ)します。
First, after cutting the onions and potatoes, she heats oil in the pot.
切(き)ってから uses 〜てから to indicate that cutting must be completed before the oil is heated, showing a clear cooking sequence.
野菜(やさい)を炒(いた)めながら、カレーのいい香(かお)りが部屋中(へやじゅう)に広(ひろ)がります。
While stir-frying the vegetables, the wonderful aroma of curry spreads throughout the room.
炒(いた)めながら uses 〜ながら to show two things happening simultaneously: the stir-frying and the spreading aroma.
醤油(しょうゆ)を少(すこ)し加(くわ)えると、さらに深(ふか)い味(あじ)になります。
When she adds a little soy sauce, the flavor becomes even deeper.
〜と here is a natural conditional: whenever you do A, B naturally follows. It describes an expected cooking result.
ごはんが炊(た)けたら、家族(かぞく)みんなで一緒(いっしょ)に食(た)べます。
Once the rice is cooked, the whole family eats together.
炊(た)けたら uses the potential form 炊(た)ける plus たら, meaning 'once the rice has finished cooking'. 〜たら marks the condition for what follows.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
〜てから — Sequential Actions (After doing ~)
〜てから attaches to the て-form of a verb to express that one action is completed before the next begins. It emphasizes a clear order of steps, making it especially useful for cooking instructions, recipes, and daily routines. Unlike 〜ながら (simultaneous), 〜てから means one action must fully finish first.
[Verb て-form] + から、[next action]
野菜(やさい)を切(き)ってから、炒(いた)めます。
After cutting the vegetables, I stir-fry them.
手(て)を洗(あら)ってから、料理(りょうり)を始(はじ)めます。
After washing my hands, I start cooking.
ごはんが炊(た)けてから、お皿(さら)を準備(じゅんび)します。
After the rice has cooked, I prepare the plates.
タマネギを炒(いた)めてから、肉(にく)を加(くわ)えます。
After frying the onion, I add the meat.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Japanese: "I plan to make stir-fried vegetables tonight."
Hint Use 予定(よてい)です for "plan to".
Complete the sentence using 〜てから: まず、玉ねぎ(たまねぎ)とにんじんを___、フライパンを熱(ねっ)します。
Hint Change 切る(きる) to its te-form, then add から.
Translate to English: 醤油(しょうゆ)と砂糖(さとう)を混ぜ(まぜ)ながら、タレを作ります(つくります)。
Hint 〜ながら means doing two things at the same time.
Which word means "to boil" (as in water boiling in a pot)?
Rewrite these two actions as one sentence using 〜てから: 1) ごはんが炊けます(たけます)。 2) お茶碗(おちゃわん)によそっていただけますか？
Hint Attach てから to the end of the first verb.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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