QCAA Japanese flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

あいづち

Backchannel responses such as うん、そうですね、なるほど that show the listener is following the speaker; they signal attention rather than full agreement with the content.

検討します

Literally 'I will consider it', but in Japanese business and social exchange it commonly functions as a polite refusal or postponement rather than a genuine promise to decide.

〜ていただけませんか

A highly polite request form meaning 'could you possibly do...'. The negative interrogative softens the imposition more than 〜てください and suits superiors or strangers.

うち・そと

The in-group/out-group distinction. When addressing outsiders, speakers use humble forms for their own family and company, such as 父 or 弊社, even if those people outrank them.

召し上がる／いただく

Honorific and humble verbs for 'eat/drink'. 召し上がる elevates the other person's action; いただく lowers the speaker's own action in the same situation.

いらっしゃる／参る

Honorific and humble counterparts of 行く・来る・いる. いらっしゃる describes the other party's movement or presence; 参る describes the speaker's own humble movement.

おっしゃる／申す

Respectful and humble verbs for 'say'. Use おっしゃる for a superior's or customer's speech and 申す for the speaker's own statements in formal contexts.

です・ます体

The polite written and spoken style ending sentences in です or ます. It marks formal or distanced register in letters, notices, and conversation with non-intimates.

だ・である体

The plain written style used in reports, essays, and news. It signals informational, impersonal distance and contrasts with the polite です・ます style of letters and notices.

しかし／ところが

Contrast connectors meaning 'however'. しかし is neutral and formal; ところが adds surprise because the outcome contradicts expectation, often introducing an unexpected result.

つまり

A restatement connector meaning 'in other words'. It signals that the following clause paraphrases or summarises the preceding one, useful for identifying the writer's key point.

したがって

A formal result connector meaning 'therefore'. It marks a logical consequence of the preceding statement and typically appears in expository or argumentative writing rather than casual speech.

はたち

The irregular reading of 二十歳, meaning twenty years old. It is a fixed reading and a common listening and reading comprehension detail in texts about coming-of-age ceremonies.

一人／二人

Irregular readings ひとり and ふたり for one and two people. Other counts follow 〜にん, so these two must be memorised separately from the regular counter pattern.

氵（さんずい）

The water radical. It appears in kanji connected to liquids and water, such as 海、池、酒、流, and helps readers infer the meaning of unfamiliar compounds.

言（ごんべん）

The speech radical. Kanji containing it, such as 話、語、読、説明, usually relate to speaking, language, or reading, giving a semantic clue for unknown words.

文末の「が」

A sentence-final が or けど that trails off often implies an unstated request, refusal, or reservation. The listener must infer the omitted clause from context and politeness level.

カタカナの用法

Katakana in running text marks loanwords, onomatopoeia, emphasis, or company and product names. Its function differs by context and is not limited to foreign vocabulary.

起承転結

A four-part Japanese organisational pattern: introduction, development, turn, and conclusion. It is common in speeches and essays, with the main point often placed near the end.

拝啓／敬具

The standard opening and closing salutation pair in formal Japanese letters. 拝啓 opens the letter and 敬具 closes it, with a seasonal greeting placed between them.

時候の挨拶

A seasonal greeting in formal letters, such as 春暖の候, placed after 拝啓. It acknowledges the season before the main content and marks a polished written register.

ご清聴ありがとうございました

The standard closing line of a formal speech or presentation, thanking the audience for listening. It follows the conclusion and signals the end of the presentation.

発表させていただきます

A humble presentation phrase meaning 'I will be allowed to present'. The causative plus いただく lowers the speaker and suits formal academic or business settings.

箇条書き

A bulleted list in Japanese documents. Items typically use the ・ mark, and headings may use 【】 or ■ to separate sections from body text.

縦書き

Vertical writing, read from top to bottom and right to left. It appears in literary texts and formal correspondence and contrasts with modern horizontal 横書き layout.

自己紹介の構成

The conventional self-introduction order: name, origin or affiliation, hobby or interest, then よろしくお願いします. This sequence is expected in class and workplace introductions.

一段動詞の見分け方

Group 2 verbs end in る preceded by an i or e sound, such as 食べる or 見る. Exceptions like 帰る and 入る belong to Group 1 despite the ending.

て形の音便

Te-form sound changes: う・つ・る become って, む・ぶ・ぬ become んで, く becomes いて, ぐ becomes いで, and す becomes して. 行く is irregular as 行って.

自動詞・他動詞

Intransitive and transitive verb pairs such as 開く／開ける. The intransitive describes a resulting state, while the transitive describes an agent acting on an object.

と・ば・たら・なら

Four conditional forms. と marks natural consequence, ば a hypothetical condition, たら a flexible 'once/if', and なら a supposition based on the topic just raised.

あげる・もらう・くれる

Verbs of giving and receiving. あげる is I give, もらう is I receive, and くれる is someone gives to me; with the te-form they express favours done.

尊敬語と謙譲語

Respectful and humble keigo. 尊敬語 elevates the other person's actions, while 謙譲語 lowers the speaker's own actions; mixing the two within one utterance is an error.