(しょうぎ)

shogi (Japanese chess)

(ぷろ)

professional, pro

(きし)

professional shogi/go player

(はじめて)

for the first time

(じょせい)

woman

(にほん)

Japan

(むかし)

long ago, past

(にんき)

popularity

(げーむ)

game

(ふたり)

two people

(ばん)

board (for shogi/go)

(うえ)

top, above

(こま)

piece (in shogi/chess)

(うごかす)

to operate / move

(たたかう)

to fight, to battle

(とても)

very; extremely

(つよい)

strong

(わかい)

young

(ひと)

person / people

(たち)

plural suffix (for people)

(あつまる)

to gather; to come together

(かい)

meeting; gathering

(なんねん)

how many years / many years

(しあい)

match, game

(そして)

and; and then

(よい)

good

(せいせき)

results; record

(のこす)

to leave behind, to leave uneaten

(いままで)

until now / so far

(これから)

from now on

(たくさん)

a lot / many

(れんしゅう)

practice, training

(すき)

liked, favorite

(よろこぶ)

to be delighted

it has been decided that ~

Expresses that a decision has been made. The verb こと nominalizes the preceding clause and 決まる indicates passive decision.

polite past tense

「始まりました」「発表しました」のように、過去の出来事を丁寧体で述べています。

from (starting point)

Indicates the origin or source. 建物の中から means 'from inside the building'.

there is / was ~

Used to report the occurrence of an earthquake — 'there was a magnitude 6 strong earthquake'.

te-form for connecting clauses

The te-form connects sequential actions or clauses. Here it links 'started' with the following action.

to become

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

in order to ~

Expresses what is necessary in order to sell cars in America.

to become (い-adjective)

Expresses a change of state for い-adjectives. Drop the final い and add くなる. Indicates something has changed or will change to a new state.

must ~

Expresses strong obligation. Here the imperative to eliminate nuclear weapons.

only ~

Limiter particle. 女性だけが宇宙船に乗りました means 'only women boarded the spaceship.'

Did not ~ (polite past negative)

Polite past negative form of verbs. Expresses that something did not happen in the past.

so that ~

通りやすいように gives the purpose of planting many plants: so animals can cross easily.

want to ~

Verb stem + たい to express desire.

to say that ~ (quotation)

と話しています reports what a company representative said.

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.

将棋のプロ棋士に　初めて女性がなる

A woman becomes a professional shogi player for the first time

将棋のプロの棋士に、初めて女性がなることが決まりました。

It has been decided that, for the first time, a woman will become a professional shogi player.

将棋は、日本で昔から人気があるゲームです。

Shogi is a game that has been popular in Japan since long ago.

二人で、盤の上の駒を動かして戦います。

Two people fight by moving pieces on a board.

プロの棋士になるためには、とても強くならなければなりません。

To become a professional shogi player, you have to become very strong.

若い人たちが集まる会で、何年も試合をします。

Young people play matches for many years at a gathering where they meet.

そして、よい成績を残した人だけがプロになれます。

Then only the people who achieve good results can become professionals.

今まで、この会でプロになった女性はいませんでした。

Until now, no woman had become a professional through this gathering.

女性の棋士は「これからも強くなるように、たくさん練習したいです」と話しました。

The female player said, "I want to practice a lot so that I keep getting stronger."

将棋が好きな人たちは、とても喜んでいます。

People who like shogi are very happy.