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Botchan (Master Darling)
Botchan (Master Darling)

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Botchan (Master Darling) is here in full — 290 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Botchan (Master Darling)
Context Illustration Reading 1/58 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;
The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.
But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.
I think what he told me about you must be a lie.
He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Botchan (Master Darling)

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Botchan (Master Darling) is here in full — 290 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/58 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;
/wen aɪ went tuː ðə skuːl ɪn ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ʌv ðə deɪ ðə ˌferˈwel ˈdɪnər ˈpɑːrti wɑːz tuː biː held ˈpɔːrkjəpaɪn ˈsʌdənli spoʊk tuː miː/
Line 2
The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.
Line 3
But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.
Line 4
I think what he told me about you must be a lie.
/aɪ θɪŋk wʌt hiː toʊld miː əˈbaʊt juː mʌst biː ə laɪ/
Line 5
He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.
/hiː traɪd tuː sel ˈpɪktʃərz ənd ˈkjʊrioʊz tuː juː bʌt æz juː ʃʊk hɪm ɔːf hiː toʊld sʌm fɔːls ˈstɔːriz ɑːn juː/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

crook noun US /krʊk/

someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading “But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.”

curios noun US /ˈkjʊrioʊz/

plural of “curio” — something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting

From this reading “He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.”

drawings noun US /ˈdrɔːɪŋz/

plural of “drawing” — an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper

From this reading “But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.”

imitation noun US /ˌɪməˈteɪʃən/

the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations

From this reading “But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.”

originals noun US /ərˈɪdʒənəlz/

plural of “original” — an original creation (i.e., an audio recording) from which copies can be made

From this reading “But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.”

passes noun US /ˈpæsəz/

plural of “pass” — (baseball) an advance to first base by a batter who receives four balls

From this reading “But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.”

Porcupine noun US /ˈpɔːrkjəpaɪn/

relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur

From this reading “When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;”

tough adjective US /tʌf/

not given to gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading ““The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.”

All words in this reading · 69

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I think what he told me about you must be a lie.

afterwardadverbUS /ˈæftərwərd/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

beggedverbUS /beɡd/

inflected form of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

crooknounUS /krʊk/

someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

curiosnounUS /ˈkjʊrioʊz/

plural of “curio” — something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

drawingsnounUS /ˈdrɔːɪŋz/

plural of “drawing” — an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

falseadjectiveUS /fɔːls/

not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

famousadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪməs/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

farewellnounUS /ˌferˈwel/

an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I think what he told me about you must be a lie.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

Ikagin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

Ikagins

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

imitationnounUS /ˌɪməˈteɪʃən/

the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

lieverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading I think what he told me about you must be a lie.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading I think what he told me about you must be a lie.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

originalsnounUS /ərˈɪdʒənəlz/

plural of “original” — an original creation (i.e., an audio recording) from which copies can be made

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

passesnounUS /ˈpæsəz/

plural of “pass” — (baseball) an advance to first base by a batter who receives four balls

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

picturesnounUS /ˈpɪktʃərz/

plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

PorcupinenounUS /ˈpɔːrkjəpaɪn/

relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

quitverbUS /kwɪt/

put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

sellverbUS /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

shooknounUS /ʃʊk/

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But I heard afterward that Ikagin is a crook and often passes imitation of famous drawings for originals.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I think what he told me about you must be a lie.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading I think what he told me about you must be a lie.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

toughadjectiveUS /tʌf/

not given to gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading He tried to sell pictures and curios to you, but as you shook him off, he told some false stories on you.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I think what he told me about you must be a lie.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I went to the school, in the morning of the day the farewell dinner party was to be held, Porcupine suddenly spoke to me;

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “The other day I asked you to quit the Ikagins because Ikagin begged of me to have you leave there as you were too tough, and I believed him.

Chapter 9 of Botchan (Master Darling) by Soseki Natsume holds 290 sentences, grouped into 58 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 9 of Botchan (Master Darling) contain?

Chapter 9 holds 290 sentences of Botchan (Master Darling), unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Botchan (Master Darling) by Soseki Natsume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 290 sentences, grouped into 58 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 9 of Botchan (Master Darling)?

Work through the 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 58 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Botchan (Master Darling)

Common questions about reading Botchan (Master Darling) by Soseki Natsume on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Botchan (Master Darling)?

Yes. All 3028 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8868 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Botchan (Master Darling) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8868, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Botchan (Master Darling) take to read?

About 252 minutes of reading across 606 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Botchan (Master Darling) section by section

How to work through Botchan (Master Darling) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Botchan (Master Darling) to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Botchan (Master Darling)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Botchan (Master Darling), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Because
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Botchan (Master Darling); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hereditary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Botchan (Master Darling); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Recklessness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Botchan (Master Darling); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Playing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Botchan (Master Darling); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.