Japanese with Ren
JLPT N5-N3Beginner+2026-07-09

Japanese Listening Practice: How to Make Miso Soup | Japanese with Ren

Bilingual Script

Vocabulary & Expressions

Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary Flashcards

1 / 8
tap to flip

はんげつぎり

半月切り

Japanese
tap to flip

half-moon cut

Example

玉ねぎを半月切りにします。

Translation

Comprehension Quiz

Q1. What kind of miso soup did Ren make today?

  • A) Onion and tofu miso soup
  • B) Wakame and tofu miso soup
  • C) Potato miso soup
  • D) Eggplant miso soup

Q2. What is the difference between "半月切り" (half-moon cut) and "薄切り" (thin slice)?

  • A) They're cuts for different vegetables
  • B) 薄切り is simply a thinner version of 半月切り
  • C) 半月切り is only used for tofu
  • D) There's no difference at all

Q3. What tip did Ren give about simmering the onion?

  • A) Starting from boiling water brings out more sweetness
  • B) Starting from cold water brings out more sweetness
  • C) You should microwave the onion first
  • D) You should simmer it for a full hour

Q4. What is "本だし" (Hondashi) made from?

  • A) Kombu (kelp) only
  • B) The umami of bonito flakes and seasonings
  • C) Powdered shiitake mushroom
  • D) Miso and soy sauce

Q5. How did Ren add the miso to the pot?

  • A) He dropped it straight into the pot
  • B) He dissolved it with chopsticks on the ladle while adding it
  • C) He mixed it with water first, separately
  • D) He melted it in the microwave first

Reverse Challenge: English → Japanese

The harder direction — producing Japanese from meaning. This is what builds real conversation ability.

Q1. How do you say "I'm going to cut the onion into half-moon slices"?

Q2. How do you say "If you just add the miso straight in, it doesn't dissolve easily"?

Q3. How do you say "I turn off the heat right before it boils, so I don't lose the aroma"?

Q4. How do you say "There's cotton tofu and silken tofu"?

Q5. How do you say "I'd be really happy if this video helps you with your Japanese studies"?

AI Conversation Practice Prompt

AI Conversation Practice

Copy and paste this into any AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to practise speaking Japanese. You don't need to read the Japanese yourself — just paste it, and the AI will start a simple Japanese conversation and gently guide you.

Enjoying these free lessons?

Watch the full video on YouTube and subscribe to catch new episodes.

Subscribe

Comments

Want to practice speaking Japanese?

Book a 30-minute Zoom conversation lesson with Ren — ¥1,500 (tax included). Perfect for N5–N3 learners who want to move beyond listening and start speaking.

Book a lesson →