Breakdown of kono zisyoapuri ha, reibun dake de naku hatuon mo kikeru node benri da.
Questions & Answers about kono zisyoapuri ha, reibun dake de naku hatuon mo kikeru node benri da.
この is an adjective-like word that must be followed by a noun:
- この辞書アプリ = this dictionary app (app near the speaker)
これ is a pronoun and stands alone:
- これは辞書アプリです。 = This is a dictionary app.
Because 辞書アプリ (dictionary app) is explicitly mentioned, you need この before it, not これ.
If you removed 辞書アプリ, then you would say:
- これは便利だ。 = This is convenient.
は marks the topic of the sentence – what you are talking about overall:
- この辞書アプリは…便利だ。
As for this dictionary app, (it) is convenient.
が is mainly a subject marker, often used to introduce something new or emphasize the subject itself.
You could say:
- この辞書アプリが便利だ。
but the nuance changes slightly. この辞書アプリが便利だ sounds more like:
- This dictionary app (in particular) is the one that is convenient (perhaps compared to others).
In a neutral description about “this app,” は is the natural choice.
The pattern is:
- AだけでなくBも
= not only A but also B
In this sentence:
- 例文だけでなく発音も
= not only example sentences but also pronunciation
So inside the larger clause:
- 例文だけでなく発音も聞ける
= you can listen not only to example sentences but also to pronunciation.
も means “also / too / as well.”
In the pattern AだけでなくBも:
- Aだけでなく = not only A
- Bも = B as well
So 発音も highlights that pronunciation is an additional thing you can hear, on top of the example sentences.
Dropping も would sound incomplete, because だけでなく sets up a “not only A but (also) B” structure, and も fills the “also” part.
The “object” of 聞ける (what you can hear) is indeed 例文 and 発音, and in very explicit grammar you might expect:
- 例文だけでなく発音も聞くことができる。
- or 例文だけでなく発音も聞ける。
In casual, natural Japanese, を is often dropped when it’s clear what verb it belongs to, especially in fixed patterns like:
- AだけでなくBも [verb]
If you really want to include を, the clearest place is:
- 例文だけでなく発音も聞ける →
例文だけでなく発音も聞くことができる
(を still sounds a bit heavy there too)
So here the object marker is simply omitted by ellipsis, which is very common in spoken and informal written Japanese.
聞ける is the potential form of the verb 聞く (to listen / hear).
For a typical godan verb like 聞く:
- Dictionary form: 聞く
- Stem for potential: change く → け, then add る
- Potential: 聞ける = can hear, be able to listen (to)
So:
- 聞く = to listen / to hear
- 聞ける = can listen / can hear
In polite form:
- 聞ける → 聞けます
Alternative but more formal / wordy:
- 聞くことができる = to be able to listen/hear
Both relate to hearing, but the viewpoint is different:
聞ける (potential of 聞く)
- Focus: your ability or possibility to listen/hear
- Implies you make an effort / voluntarily listen.
- Example: このアプリで発音が聞ける。
= You can (choose to) listen to the pronunciation with this app.
聞こえる
- Focus: sound that (can) be heard / reaches your ears
- More passive, about whether sound is audible.
- Example: 外から音楽が聞こえる。
= I can hear music coming from outside. (Music is audible.)
In the sentence about an app feature (“you can listen to it”), 聞ける is exactly right.
ので and から both mean “because / since” and introduce a reason.
- …聞けるので便利だ。
= It is convenient because you can listen (to it).
Nuance:
ので
- Slightly more formal / softer / more objective.
- Often used in writing, polite speech, or when you want to sound less blunt.
から
- More direct / casual / conversational.
- Very common in everyday speech.
You could say:
- …聞けるから便利だ。
and it would still be natural, just a little more casual and straightforward.
- 便利だ = plain (dictionary) form
- 便利です = polite form
This sentence uses casual/plain style, which is common:
- among friends
- in personal notes, diaries
- in some explanations or informal writing
If you were speaking politely (e.g., to a teacher, customer, or in a formal review), you would say:
- この辞書アプリは、例文だけでなく発音も聞けるので便利です。
Both mean the same; only politeness level is different.
便利だ literally means “convenient”, but its usage overlaps with English “useful” quite a bit.
Common nuances:
- 便利なアプリ = a convenient / useful app
- 駅の近くで便利だ = It’s close to the station, so it’s convenient.
In this sentence, 便利だ implies:
- It’s convenient / handy to have, because you can not only see example sentences but also listen to pronunciation.
Translating it as “convenient” or “really handy” fits best.
辞書アプリ is a compound noun:
- 辞書 = dictionary
- アプリ = app (short for アプリケーション)
Together:
- 辞書アプリ = a dictionary app (an app whose function is a dictionary)
You could say:
- この辞書は便利だ。 = This dictionary is convenient.
- このアプリは便利だ。 = This app is convenient.
But この辞書アプリ specifically highlights that it’s an app which is a dictionary, not a paper dictionary and not just any app.
Yes, you could split it:
- この辞書アプリは、例文だけでなく発音も聞ける。便利だ。
This is understandable and natural in casual speech or simple writing.
However:
Using ので explicitly shows the cause–effect relationship:
It is convenient *because you can…*Two separate sentences simply state:
- It can do X and Y.
- It’s convenient.
The cause is still implied, but ので makes that logical connection clearer and smoother.