QCAA Japanese key terms

Fixed spoken or written expressions used when meeting, parting, thanking, or apologising. Choosing the right one depends on the relationship and situation, so learners must judge formality before speaking.

The Japanese honorific system as a whole, covering respectful, humble, and polite language. Speakers use it to show awareness of social distance, seniority, and the position of the listener or the person being discussed.

Respectful language that raises the person being spoken about or spoken to. Verbs and nouns take special forms, such as いらっしゃる for 行く・来る・いる, and it is used for superiors, customers, and strangers.

Humble language that lowers the speaker's own actions to show respect toward the other party. Examples include いたす for する and うかがう for 聞く・行く, typically in service or business settings.

Polite language marked by です・ます forms and prefixes such as お and ご. It expresses courtesy toward the listener and is the normal register for strangers, teachers, and less familiar acquaintances.

Short back-channel responses such as はい, ええ, and そうですか that show the listener is following the speaker. Frequent, well-timed use signals attention and keeps conversation flowing naturally.

Spoken interaction between two or more people, involving turn-taking, topic management, and adjustment of politeness. Exam tasks often require responding appropriately to a prompt rather than producing a monologue.

A simulated conversation in which the candidate plays a set role, such as a student asking a host family for permission. Success depends on using suitable register and achieving the stated communicative purpose.

A prepared spoken presentation delivered to an audience, usually with a clear structure of greeting, body, and closing. Candidates are assessed on organisation, pronunciation, and audience awareness.

The internal plan of a spoken presentation: opening greeting, statement of topic, supporting points, and closing remark. A clear structure helps listeners follow the argument and satisfies presentational criteria.

A structured talk, often supported by visual aids, that informs or persuades an audience. It differs from casual speech in planning, signposting language, and the need to summarise key points.

A written composition produced to a prompt, such as a letter, diary entry, or opinion piece. Assessment focuses on task fulfilment, organisation, range of vocabulary and grammar, and appropriate register.

Electronic written correspondence with conventions such as a subject line, greeting, body, and closing. Register varies from casual between friends to formal when writing to a teacher or business contact.

A shortened restatement of the main ideas of a text or recording, omitting detail and examples. It demonstrates comprehension and requires distinguishing central claims from supporting information.

The general gist or overall meaning of a passage, understood without catching every word. Learners infer it from known vocabulary, context, and discourse markers when listening or reading.

Working out unstated meaning from context, such as guessing an unfamiliar word's sense or a speaker's intention. It is a core interpretive skill tested in listening and reading tasks.

The surrounding words, sentences, and situation that determine how an expression should be understood. Context resolves ambiguity in pronouns, omitted subjects, and words with multiple meanings.

A word or phrase carrying the central information in a text or recording. Identifying keywords quickly helps listeners and readers locate answers and ignore distracting detail.

The skill of listening for comprehension, including catching specific details, following instructions, and identifying a speaker's attitude. Tasks may use announcements, dialogues, or monologues at natural speed.

The skill of extracting meaning from written Japanese, from notices and menus to articles and letters. It involves recognising script, scanning for detail, and inferring purpose or audience.

One of the two Japanese syllabaries, used for grammatical endings, particles, and words not written in kanji. Fluency in reading it quickly is essential for processing sentences at normal speed.

The angular syllabary used mainly for loanwords, foreign names, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. Recognising it is vital because many modern terms, such as コンビニ, appear only in this script.

Chinese-derived characters used for content words in Japanese, each with readings and meanings. Learners must recognise common compounds and understand that readings change with context.

A compound word made of two or more kanji, such as 図書館 or 電車, whose meaning is often predictable from its parts. Knowing common compounds expands reading comprehension efficiently.

Words borrowed from other languages, usually written in katakana, such as アルバイト or パソコン. Their meaning may shift from the source language, so learners should check usage rather than assume.

Grammatical particles such as は, が, を, and に that mark the function of words in a sentence. Correct particle choice is essential because word order alone does not show grammatical roles.

A sentence pattern defined by the arrangement of elements such as subject, object, and verb. Recognising common patterns helps learners produce accurate Japanese and predict what comes next when reading.

Honorific language used to show respect, encompassing respectful, humble, and polite forms. Learners must select the correct type according to who performs the action and who is addressed.

The hierarchical relationships in Japanese society, based on age, seniority, and role, that shape language choice. Awareness of them guides decisions about honorifics, greetings, and forms of address.

The distinction between one's in-group, such as family or colleagues, and outsiders. It affects honorific use: humble forms describe in-group members when speaking to outsiders, even if those members are senior.

Titles attached to names to show respect or familiarity, such as さん, さま, 先生, and 君. Choosing wrongly can sound rude, so learners must consider the relationship and setting.

Set phrases used in routine social situations, such as いただきます before eating or お疲れさまです at work. They carry cultural meaning beyond literal translation and are expected in context.

The shared customs, values, and practices of a society, including seasonal events, foodways, and social etiquette. Understanding them helps learners interpret texts and respond appropriately in interactions.

Annual seasonal events such as お正月, 花見, and 七夕 that recur each year. Knowledge of them supports comprehension of texts about calendars, greetings cards, and school life.

The ability to recognise and respect differences between cultures without judging one by another's standards. It underpins tasks asking candidates to explain Japanese practices to others.

A stated personal view on a topic, usually supported by reasons and examples. Presentational and interpersonal tasks often require candidates to express and justify an opinion politely.

Words such as しかし, だから, and また that link sentences and signal logical relationships. Recognising them helps listeners follow argument structure and helps writers organise paragraphs clearly.