HSC Japanese Beginners (NSW) key terms

The group of people you are related to, such as parents, siblings and grandparents. Used when talking or asking about someone's household members.

A polite word meaning both parents together, mother and father. Often used when introducing your family or explaining who you live with.

Brothers and sisters as a group. In Japanese, older and younger siblings are named separately, so this word covers siblings generally without saying age order.

A child with no brothers or sisters. Useful for describing your own family size or asking someone whether they have siblings.

A house or a home building. It can also refer to one's household. Distinct from うち, which often means 'my home' in a more personal sense.

An informal word for home, often meaning 'my house' or 'my family's place'. Commonly used in casual conversation when inviting someone or saying where you are.

A rented flat or apartment, usually a low-rise wooden or light steel building. Different from マンション, which suggests a larger concrete block.

A multi-storey apartment building, usually made of concrete and often owned rather than rented. Used when describing where someone lives.

The nearby area around where you live; the neighbourhood. Useful for talking about local shops, neighbours and what is close to home.

A town or a district within a city. Can describe the place you live in or a part of town you are visiting.

A village, smaller than a town and usually in the countryside. Useful when comparing city life with rural life.

The countryside or rural area, away from big cities. Also used to mean one's home town in the country. The opposite idea is 都会.

A big city or urban area, with busy streets and many people. Often contrasted with the quieter countryside when discussing lifestyles.

A school of any level. Used when talking about where you study, your daily routine, or the school you attended in the past.

A university or college. Common when discussing plans after finishing school, entrance exams, or study abroad.

Studying or learning, especially schoolwork. Used as a noun and with する to mean 'to study'. Appears in sentences about subjects and exams.

An exam or test. Used for school tests and entrance examinations. Often appears in phrases about preparing for or passing an exam.

Work or a job. Can refer to employment in general or a particular task. Used when talking about parents' jobs or future careers.

A part-time job, often done by students. Borrowed from German. Used when talking about earning money while studying.

The future, especially in relation to one's life plans and career. Common in sentences about what someone wants to become.

A dream. Used both for dreams while sleeping and for hopes and ambitions, such as a dream job or goal.

A friend or friends. A very common word for talking about who you spend time with, and about friendships at school or in your neighbourhood.

To play, or to spend free time doing something enjoyable. Used for playing games, sport, or simply hanging out with friends.

A hobby or interest. Used when asking or saying what someone enjoys doing in their spare time, such as music or sport.

Free time, or the state of having nothing to do. Used in questions about spare time and in replies about being busy or free.

Busy, with little free time. An adjective used to describe people, days or weeks, often in excuses or small talk about schedules.

Travel or a trip. Used with する to mean 'to travel'. Common in sentences about holidays, destinations and how long someone stayed somewhere.

Sightseeing, visiting famous places as a tourist. Used with する to mean 'to go sightseeing'. Often paired with names of cities and landmarks.

A holiday, break or day off. Can refer to school holidays, public holidays or a rest from work. Used in sentences about plans.

The summer holidays, a long break from school. A common topic for recounting past activities or describing future plans.

Together, or the same. Used with に to say you did something with someone, such as travelling or eating with family or friends.

A photograph. Used with をとる to mean 'to take a photo'. Common in recounts of trips and in descriptions of family or friends.

Money. Used when talking about prices, saving, part-time earnings, or how much something costs during a trip.

Shopping, or things bought. Used with する to mean 'to shop'. Appears in talking about weekends, holidays and local areas.

A hope or wish; also used to describe a preferred choice, such as a desired course or job. More formal than 夢.