(きゅうしょく)

school lunch

(むりょう)

free of charge

(まち)

town

(ふえる)

to increase; to grow

(にほん)

Japan

(しょうがっこう)

elementary school

(ちゅうがっこう)

middle school / junior high school

(ひる)

noon / daytime

(たべる)

to eat

(いま)

now

(おかね)

money

(おや)

parent

(はらう)

to pay

(でも)

but; however

(いる)

to need; to be necessary

(くに)

country; the government

(しらべ)

investigation; survey

(きょねん)

last year

(ぜんこく)

nationwide; the whole country

(さんぶんのいち)

one third

(し)

city

(こども)

child

(ふたり)

two people

(さんにん)

three people

(いる)

to exist, to be (animate)

(いえ)

house

(たいへん)

tough, serious

(だから)

so, therefore

(かわり)

substitute; replacement; instead

(あたらしい)

new

(けいかく)

plan

(かんがえる)

to think; to consider

(らいねん)

next year

(いう)

to say

(しかし)

however, but

(たくさん)

a lot / many

(ひつよう)

necessary / needed

(これから)

from now on

(はなしあう)

to discuss

to become

Expresses a change of state; Kawai became the new commissioner of the Sports Agency.

polite non-past tense

The polite non-past ～ます states what will happen — the funeral will continue.

until / as far as

Indicates an end point in space or time. Here it expresses how far the balls flew.

did ... (polite past)

Polite past tense of verbs. Formed with verb stem + ました. Used in formal or polite speech to describe completed actions.

is doing, has been doing (ongoing state/action)

Expresses a continuing action or resulting state. Formed with て-form + いる. Can describe an action in progress or a state resulting from a past change.

about ~ / approximately ~

Indicates approximate quantity. About 230mm of rain falls normally.

because ～

Provides a reason or cause.

want to ~

Verb stem + たい to express desire.

給食が無料になる町が増える

More towns are making school lunches free

日本の小学校や中学校では、昼に給食を食べます。

At elementary and junior high schools in Japan, children eat a school lunch at midday.

今まで、給食のお金は親が払いました。

Up until now, parents paid the cost of the school lunches.

でも、今、給食のお金がいらない町が増えています。

But now the number of towns where school lunches cost nothing is increasing.

国の調べでは、去年、全国で三分の一ぐらいの市や町が給食を無料にしました。

According to a national survey, last year about one third of the cities and towns across the country made school lunches free.

子どもが二人や三人いる家は、お金が大変です。

For households with two or three children, the cost is a heavy burden.

だから、市や町が代わりにお金を払います。

So the cities and towns pay the money instead.

国も新しい計画を考えています。

The national government is also considering a new plan.

来年から、小学校の給食を無料にしたいと言っています。

It says that from next year it wants to make elementary school lunches free.

しかし、お金がたくさん必要です。

However, a great deal of money is needed.

国と市や町は、これから話し合います。

The national government and the cities and towns will discuss this from now on.