Japanese speaking practice with shadowing

Try this line first

今、僕は車の中にいます。

Listen and record

0:03–0:07 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account

Three more lines, from short to long

Try the first line twice, then choose another line below. Return to this guide to choose the next exercise.

Next line

元気になります。

Listen and record

1:51–1:55 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account

Next line

初めて行きますよ。

Listen and record

0:47–0:49 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account

Next line

皆さんは僕の日本語を聞いてください。

Listen and record

0:37–0:42 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account

How to practise speaking Japanese by yourself: a 10-minute routine

The four lines above come from one speaker, Ken, in two videos, so they make a short routine you can do without a partner, shortest first: copy a real speaker, then change the line to say something true about you. At N5, stay with the first two steps for a few days.

1. Warm up with 「元気になります。」 (“you feel better”; Ken says it of a drink he takes for a cold). Listen, then record it after the speaker twice. Choose 0.75× under “More options” if it runs together. Then say what makes you feel good: コーヒーを飲んだら、元気になります。 (“When I drink coffee, I feel better.”)
2. Record 「初めて行きますよ。」 (“we’re going there for the first time”). Then name a place you are going to for the first time: 来月、日本に初めて行きます。 (“Next month I’m going to Japan for the first time.”)
3. Record 「今、僕は車の中にいます。」 (“right now I’m in the car”). Then say where you are now: 今、私は家にいます。 (“at home”) or 今、私は電車の中にいます。 (“on the train”). Ken says 僕 (boku), an informal “I” used mostly by men; 私 (watashi) suits anyone.
4. Finish with the longest line, 「皆さんは僕の日本語を聞いてください。」 (“everyone, listen to my Japanese”). Say it after the speaker until you no longer stop in the middle, then choose “With the speaker” and say it along. Then make your own request with the same ください: ゆっくり話してください。 (“Please speak slowly.”) and もう一度言ってください。 (“Please say it again.”)

Sada compares your takes of the video lines with the captions. It does not score the sentences you make up, and it does not grade pitch accent, so say those aloud and match Ken’s melody by ear.

Japanese shadowing by JLPT level: N5, N4, N3 and N2 or above

Start from your level, not from the hardest video. The levels here are our estimate of these lines and videos, not an official JLPT rating, and Sada does not test you for the JLPT.

• N5: start with the two shortest lines, after the speaker, not with them: 「元気になります。」 and 「初めて行きますよ。」 Choose 0.75× under “More options” if you need it, and say each line three times before moving on. Both videos here are N4–N3, so at N5 stay with these short lines for now.
• N4: the four lines on this page in order, shortest to longest. Then open the castle ruins walk (N4–N3, hand-written captions) and repeat it line by line after the speaker.
• N3: the same walk, now “With the speaker” at normal speed. Then try “Can you understand my Japanese?” (N4–N3, hand-written captions), a 22-minute video by the same speaker, line by line.
• N2 or above: no video here is above N3, so make it harder with speed: both videos “With the speaker” at normal speed, without pausing between lines. For harder material, paste any YouTube video with Japanese captions on the start page.

At every level: record, then open Compare and play your take against the original. Sada shows the words it heard and missed and your timing; it does not grade individual sounds or pitch accent.

Video and caption sources

Exercise text and ranges checked against the captions Sada uses on 2026-10-05. Captions may change; automatic captions can contain errors.

• Can you understand my Japanese? | Comprehensible Input (20min) — けんさんおかえり Japanese · 22 min · level N4–N3 · hand-written captions · Checked caption track
• A Walk Through Japanese Castle Ruins 🏯 | Easy Japanese Listening, N4-N3 — けんさんおかえり Japanese · 21 min · level N4–N3 · hand-written captions · Checked caption track

Japanese sounds to listen for

• Words without spaces: Japanese usually has no spaces between words. Sada matches words as it splits the sentence; those boundaries may differ from a textbook. Modern browsers use word segmentation; older browsers may fall back to characters.
• Length and pauses: Listen for long vowels and held consonants, then copy the short line at a comfortable pace. Replay your take to hear differences.
• Pitch accent: Listen to the speaker’s pitch pattern, but judge it by ear: Sada does not grade pitch accent or tones.

How to practise

1. Open an exercise from this guide. The link selects the exact line, with “After the speaker” chosen. Read it once and check that you understand it.
2. Press Record. Listen first, then say the line after the 3, 2, 1 count; recording stops automatically. Press Stop if you need to end early.
3. Keep the speaker’s pauses and rhythm. Use a comfortable voice; headphones help keep the original out of your recording.
4. Record a take, then open Compare and play your recording and the original. Review words and timing; Sada does not grade individual sounds.
5. Record the same line again, changing one thing you heard. Return here for a longer line; choose “With the speaker” when you are ready to speak along.

How well does Sada hear this language?

Compare shows recognised and missed words against the captions, plus timing feedback when usable word timings are available. It does not grade individual sounds or certify your accent. Automatic captions and recognition can be wrong, including around accents, apostrophes and numbers: replay the original and your take before deciding what to change. Earlier synthetic-voice tests (2026-09-25) are not evidence of accuracy for learner recordings.

Other languages

• Korean shadowing
• German shadowing
• Spanish shadowing
• French shadowing
• Italian shadowing
• Portuguese shadowing
• European Portuguese shadowing

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