When it comes to Japanese apps, there are thousands to chose from to practice and improve your studies. But you should also have fun! I am always searching for new learning apps and games to practice my Japanese, and more importantly, have a bit of fun.

I ran across one game recently that I think you guys might enjoy. The app (アプリ in Japanese) is called 罪と罰（つみとばつ）which means “crime and punishment.”

The game is simple. You read a short story about a crime that happened, then at the end, someone from the story is lying and you have to figure out why. It is usually based on some contradiction in the witness testimony.

For example, “when a girl dies near a convenience store the detectives interview a worker. He says he is upset someone would stab such a beautiful girl.” Of course, how did the worker know she was stabbed? So he is obviously the killer.

In the app, when you find out where someone lied, you highlight the sentence and submit your answer.

So now that you get the idea, let’s do one together!
See if you can figure this one out on your own.

「罪と罰2」stage1-4「拳銃を突き付けられて」
[Crime and Punishment] Stage 1-4 [A Gun Was Thrust At Me]

「ドアを開けたらいきなり拳銃を突きつけられたんです！」
どあ　を　あけたら　いきなり　けんじゅう　を　つきつけられた　んです！
“When I opened the door, a gun was suddenly thrust at me”
Literally: “door + when opened + suddenly + gun + を + thrust at + んです”

「もう怖くて怖くて…」
もう　こわくて　こわくて…
“So scary”
Note: もう in this case is used to emphasize the emotion

「おとなしく指示に従うと言うと、目かくしをされて腕を縛られ、車の外へ放り出されました」
おとなしく　しじ　に　したがう　というと、めかくし　を　されて　うで　を　しばられ、くるま　の　そと　へ　ほうりだされました
“When I said I would obey his instructions, I was blindfolded, my arms were tied, and I was thrown out of the car.”
Literally: “obediently + instruction + に + obey + said + blindfold + を + was + arm + を + bound + car + の + outside + へ + thrown out”

誘拐犯に車を奪われたタクシー運転手はそう語る。
ゆうかいはん　に　くるま　を　うばわれた　たくしー　うんてんしゅ　は　そう　かたる。
Said the taxi driver, who had his car stolen.
Literally: “kidnapper + に + car + を + taken by force + taxi + driver + は + in that way + said”

「犯人の特徴ですか？」
はんにん　の　とくちょう　です　か？
“What did the criminal look like?”
Literally: “criminal + の + characteristics + です + か”

「ええと…サングラスを掛けた痩せ形の男で、背は高かったです」
ええと…さんぐらす　を　かけた　やせがた　の　おとこ　で、せ　は　たかかった　です
“Umm, he was a man with a slender build wearing sunglasses, he was tall”
Literally: “ umm + sunglasses + を + wore + slender build + の + man + で + back + は + tall + です”

「髪は短くて…スポーツ刈りというんですか、あんな感じでした」
かみ　は　みじかくて…すぽーつがり　という　んです　か、あんな　かんじ　でした
“His hair was short, like a sport cut, or kinda like that”
Literally: “hair + は + short + sport cut + called + んです + か + that + feeling + でした”

「色は明るくて…金髪のように見えましたね」
いろ　は　あかるくて…きんぱつ　の　ように　みえました　ね
“The color was light, seemed kind of blonde.”
Literally: “color + は + light + blonde + の + like that + seemed + ね”

「それから、綺麗な青の瞳をしていました」
それから、きれいな　あお　の　ひとみ　を　していました
“And he had pretty blue eyes”
Literally: “and + pretty + blue + の + eyes + を + had”

「日本語は流暢でしたから、ハーフか、クォーターかもしれません」
にほんご　は　りゅうちょう　でした　から、はーふ　か、くぉーたー　かもしれません
“Because he was fluent in Japanese, he might have been a half, or quarter (Japanese)”
Literally: “Japanese + は + fluent + was + because + half + か + quarter + might be”
Note: In Japanese, the terms ハーフ and クォーター mean half Japanese and quarter Japanese.

「スパイ映画の登場人物みたいなブラックスーツを着て、革の手袋をしていました」
すぱい　えいが　の　どうじょうじんぶつ　みたいな　ぶらっくすーつ　を　きて、かわ　の　てぶくろ　を　していました
“He was wearing a black suit like the character in a spy movie, and leather gloves”
Literally: “spy + movie + の + character + like + black suit + を + wear + leather + の + gloves + を + wore”

「なるほど…」
“I see…”

「荒井刑事、メモは結構です」
あらい　けいじ、　めも　は　けっこう　です
“Detective Arai, that’s enough for the notes”
Literally: “Arai + detective + notes + は + enough + です”

真剣にメモを取る荒井刑事に待ったをかけ、私は運転手に笑いかけた。
しんけん　に　めも　を　とる　あらい　けいじ　に　まった　を　かけ、わたし　は　うんてんしゅ　に　わらいかけた。
I told Detective Arai to stop seriously taking notes, and I laughed at the driver.
Literally: “earnestly + に + notes + を + take + Arai + detective + に + stopped + I + は + driver + に + laughed at”
Note: The idiomatic phrase 待ったをかける means "to put a stop to; to put the brakes on."

「運転手さん、嘘をつくのはやめてください」
うんてんしゅさん、うそ　を　つく　のは　やめて　ください
“Taxi driver, please stop telling lies”
Literally: “driver + lie + を + tell + のは + stop + please”

「嘘だって？」
うそ　だ　って？
“A lie?”

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Did you figure out what the Taxi Driver was lying about his story? Read through it again if you have to. We'll be looking at the answer in the next lesson!

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This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: