Listening to the news

JLPT N22 sets · 12 lines

News reports on weather, traffic, and the economy run on a fixed set of formulas, and shadowing only makes sense once you understand them.

What this page practisessource attribution with によりますと · prediction expressions with 見込み/恐れ · service suspensions and resumptions · numbers and rises and falls · broadcast sign-offs

Weather and traffic

Single lines · 6 lines

These are the two broadcasts you hear most often, built on highly formulaic sentence patterns.

  1. 気象庁きしょうちょうによりますと、明日あすは関東地方かんとうちほうで大雨おおあめが降ふる見込みこみです。

    According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, heavy rain is expected in the Kanto region tomorrow.

    「〜によりますと」= "according to...", the fixed opening news reports use to state their source; 「見込み」= "expected".

  2. 土砂災害どしゃさいがいの恐おそれがありますので、十分じゅうぶんご注意ちゅういください。

    There is a risk of landslides, so please take extra care.

    「〜恐れがあります」is only used for the possibility of something bad happening, never for good things.

  3. 東海道新幹線とうかいどうしんかんせんは、強風きょうふうのため、上下線じょうげせんで運転うんてんを見合みあわせています。

    Due to strong winds, Tokaido Shinkansen services are suspended in both directions.

    「運転を見合わせる」 means service is suspended; it's the set phrase in railway announcements, and they don't say 「止まる」.

  4. 運転再開うんてんさいかいは、午後ごご三時さんじごろになる見通みとおしです。

    Service is expected to resume at around 3 p.m.

  5. ご利用りようの方かたは、最新さいしんの運行情報うんこうじょうほうをご確認かくにんください。

    Passengers, please check the latest service updates.

  6. 以上いじょう、お天気てんきと交通情報こうつうじょうほうをお伝つたえしました。

    That's your weather and traffic report.

Economic news

Dialogue · 6 lines

Prices and exchange rates make this the most number-dense type of broadcast.

  1. male anchor

    総務省そうむしょうの発表はっぴょうによりますと、先月せんげつの消費者物価指数しょうひしゃぶっかしすうは、去年きょねんの同おなじ月つきと比くらべて、二に・一いちパーセント上昇じょうしょうしました。

    According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Consumer Price Index for last month rose 2.1 percent from the same month last year.

    Read the decimal point as 「てん」: 2.1 = にてんいち. In broadcasts, 「前年同月比」 is often spoken as 「去年の同じ月と比べて」.

  2. male anchor

    食料品しょくりょうひんの値上ねあがりが続つづいているためとみられます。

    This is believed to be due to continued increases in food prices.

    「〜とみられます」 means "is believed to be" or "is thought to be"; in news it signals conjecture without asserting it as fact.

  3. Female anchor

    政府せいふは、来月らいげつから新あらたな支援策しえんさくを始はじめるとしています。

    The government says it will launch new support measures starting next month.

    「〜としています」= (someone) states that..., used when relaying official statements, so the responsibility for the claim stays with the source, not the speaker.

  4. Female anchor

    詳くわしい内容ないようは、今月中こんげつちゅうに発表はっぴょうされる予定よていです。

    Details are expected to be announced later this month.

  5. male anchor

    一方いっぽう、円相場えんそうばは、一時いちじ、一いちドル百五十円台ひゃくごじゅうえんだいまで値下ねさがりしました。

    Meanwhile, the yen fell at one point to the 150-yen range against the dollar.

    「一方」 is the connective news reports use to switch topics; 「一時」 means "at one point, during the session".

  6. Female anchor

    市場しじょうでは、当面とうめん、円安えんやすが続つづくという見方みかたが強つよまっています。

    In the markets, there's a growing view that the yen will remain weak for the time being.

    円安 = the yen weakening (not "cheap"); 円高 = the yen strengthening. Learners often get these two reversed.

Audio on this page is AI-synthesized speech (Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS), not a human recording; the sentences are original.

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