おおきなかぶ – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Dokodemo Jamboree! performers

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the joy of learning Japanese with “おおきなかぶ” (Ōkina Kabu)! This classic children's song, performed by Dokodemo Jamboree!, offers a fun and engaging way to learn basic vocabulary and sentence structures while enjoying a heartwarming story about the power of collaboration.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
おおきな ōkina A1	adjective - big, large
かぶ kabu A1	noun - turnip
おじいさん ojīsan A1	noun - grandfather, old man
育て sodate A2	verb - to raise, to bring up
畑 hatake A2	noun - field, cultivated land
まいた maita A2	verb - sowed, planted
たね tane A1	noun - seed
できました dekimashita A1	verb - was made, has been made
ひっぱる hipparu A1	verb - to pull
おばあさん obāsan A1	noun - grandmother, old woman
まご mago A1	noun - grandchild
いぬ inu A1	noun - dog
ねこ neko A1	noun - cat
ねずみ nezumi A2	noun - mouse
小さい chiisai A1	adjective - small, little
力持ち chikaramochi B1	noun - strong person
みんな minna A1	noun - everyone, all
抜ける nukemashita A2	verb - to come out, to be pulled out

Key Grammar Structures

• 働き者のおじいさんが**大事に大事に** 株を育てていました。

  ➔ Adverbial repetition for emphasis (大事に大事に)

  ➔ The repetition of the adverb "大事に" (carefully) enhances the meaning of 'very carefully' or 'with great care'.

• ある朝、畑に行ってみると、 とっても大きな株が**ありました**。

  ➔ Past tense of the existence verb "あります" (arimasu), indicating the existence of something.

  ➔ The past tense "ありました" (arimashita) describes the state of something existing at a specific time in the past.

• おじいさんの まいた かぶのたねから おおきなかぶが **できました**

  ➔ Past tense of "できる" (dekiru), meaning "to be made" or "to be able to", but here it signifies "was made" or "came to be".

  ➔ "できました" shows that the large turnip came into existence as a result of the seeds being planted.

• かぶをひっぱる おじいさん（ほっ！） **よいしょ**

  ➔ Onomatopoeia used to express effort and exertion.

  ➔ The word "よいしょ" (yoisho) is a sound effect indicating the effort being put into pulling the turnip.

• おおきなかぶは **ぬけません**

  ➔ Negative form of the verb "抜ける" (nukeru), meaning "to come out" or "to be pulled out".

  ➔ "ぬけません" (nukemasen) means "it won't come out" or "it won't be pulled out", showing the difficulty of the task.

• おばあさん、**手伝っておくれ**。

  ➔ Imperative form of the verb "手伝う" (tetsudau), meaning "to help", combined with "おくれ", a request form expressing a gentle command.

  ➔ This sentence is a polite request for the grandmother to help.

• おおきなかぶは ぬけません ああ、**びくともしないね**。

  ➔ Exclamatory sentence with emphasis on the stubbornness of the turnip.

  ➔ "びくともしないね" (bikutomo shinai ne) expresses the feeling that the turnip is not moving at all.

• 私も**手伝うよ**。

  ➔ Informal/plain form of the verb 手伝う (tetsudau) indicating a willingness to help.

  ➔ The use of "よ" (yo) adds emphasis and conveys the speaker's firm intention to help.