Japanese Learning

Japanese Reading Practice: A Library Closure and a Return Box

Read an invented library notice and distinguish the closed day from the usual opening hours. Find the alternative place to return a book.

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Reading time 2 min
Author LavaJapanese

Read an invented library notice and distinguish the closed day from the usual opening hours. Find the alternative place to return a book.

Read the text

図書館からのお知らせ

ふだんは午前九時から午後六時まで開いています。

今週の水曜日は休みです。本を返す人は、入り口の右にある返却ボックスに入れてください。

木曜日はいつもどおり九時に開きます。

How to read this text

Separate the usual schedule from the exception. The opening-hours sentence does not cancel the Wednesday closure. The following instruction supplies an alternative for returning books while the building is closed.

入り口の右にある modifies 返却ボックス: it identifies the box to the right of the entrance. Look for the noun after the modifying phrase before deciding what is on the right. Actual library return rules differ; this notice is original exercise material, not guidance for a real branch.

English translation — check after your first reading

Notice from the library: Normally we are open from nine in the morning to six in the evening. This Wednesday we are closed. To return books, put them in the return box to the right of the entrance. On Thursday we open at nine as usual.

Examples to read before you practise

Japanese

Reading / English

ふだん

usually / ordinarily

返す

かえす — return

返却

へんきゃく — return of a borrowed item

入り口

いりぐち — entrance

右

みぎ — right

いつもどおり

as usual

The notice or message above is fictional and was written for this exercise. Answer from this text; do not assume that a real service follows these hours or rules.

Try six questions

Try these self-check questions from memory, then compare your answers with the explanations. For automatic checking and saved progress, open the related practice after this article.

  1. What day is closed this week?

  2. What time does the library open on Thursday?

  3. On which side of the entrance is the box?

  4. What should be put in the box?

  5. How many hours are the usual opening hours? Type digits only.

  6. Are normal indoor services available this Wednesday? Type はい or いいえ.

Answer key and explanations

  1. 水曜日 / すいようび — Wednesday is the stated exception.

  2. 九時 / くじ / 9時 — Thursday opens at nine as usual.

  3. 右 / みぎ — The phrase says 入り口の右.

  4. 本 / ほん — The instruction concerns returning books.

  5. 9 — From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. is nine hours.

  6. いいえ — The library is closed on the specified Wednesday.

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