SACE Stage 2 Japanese (continuers) key terms

The polite register system in Japanese made up of respectful, humble, and courteous forms. Students choose these forms when addressing teachers, customers, or superiors, or when writing formal letters and emails.

Respectful language that raises the listener or a third person by describing their actions with special verbs or prefixes. Examples include いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, and 召し上がる.

Humble language that lowers the speaker's own actions to show respect toward the other person. Verbs such as 伺う, 申す, and いただく replace ordinary forms in formal situations.

Courteous speech marked mainly by です and ます endings, used to keep conversation polite without elevating or humbling anyone. It is the baseline register for most classroom and service interactions.

The plain, casual verb and adjective forms used with close friends, family, and in informal writing such as diaries or notes. Knowing when to switch between plain and polite forms is a core sociolinguistic skill.

Short back-channel responses such as うん, そうですね, or へえ that show a listener is following and engaged. Frequent, well-timed use signals attentiveness in Japanese conversation.

The set phrases and strategies used to shift a conversation to a new topic smoothly, for example ところで or それはそうと. Managing transitions politely keeps interaction natural and avoids abruptness.

Making a request, often softened with forms like 〜ていただけませんか or 〜てもらえますか. The choice of form depends on the relationship and the size of the favour.

Declining an invitation or request. Japanese refusals typically begin with apology or hesitation (ちょっと…) and offer a reason or alternative rather than a blunt no.

Inviting someone to do something, commonly with 〜ませんか or 〜ましょう. The form chosen reflects politeness level and whether the speaker assumes agreement.

A stated opinion or viewpoint. In discussion tasks students must express a position, support it with reasons, and respond to a partner's differing view politely.

Agreement with a proposal or opinion, often signalled by 〜に賛成です or 私もそう思います. Stating agreement clearly and adding a reason strengthens interactive responses.

Disagreement with a proposal or opinion. Skilled speakers soften it with ちょっと違うと思います or 確かにそうですが、… before giving a counter-argument.

A short introductory remark before the main point, such as すみません、ちょっとお願いがあるんですが. Prefacing softens requests and prepares the listener for what follows.

The grammatical subject of a sentence. Japanese frequently omits it when context makes the referent clear, so readers infer subjects from verb forms and surrounding text.

Omission of words that context makes recoverable, especially subjects, objects, and particles. Recognising what has been left out is essential for accurate comprehension of Japanese texts.

Words like これ, それ, あれ, and この that point to things or ideas. Tracking what a こ-series word refers to across sentences is a common reading-comprehension demand.

Conjunctions such as しかし, だから, and また that link sentences and signal logical relations like contrast, cause, or addition. They are key clues to a text's argument structure.

A paragraph. Identifying each paragraph's topic sentence and function helps readers summarise structure and locate the writer's main claim in longer passages.

The gist or main point of a text. Summarising a 要旨 requires separating central claims from supporting examples and detail.

The writer or author of a text. Questions often ask about the 筆者の考え, meaning the author's view as distinct from facts reported or opinions quoted.

Chinese-derived characters used in Japanese writing. Candidates need to read common jōyō characters in context and recognise both on-yomi and kun-yomi readings.

The reading of a kanji based on its historical Chinese pronunciation, such as ガク in 学校. Compounds of two or more kanji usually take on-yomi readings.

The native Japanese reading of a kanji, such as やま for 山. Kun-yomi often appear when a single kanji stands alone or is followed by okurigana.

Hiragana written after a kanji stem to complete a word and show its reading, as in 食べる or 高い. Correct okurigana is required for accurate writing.

Words written in katakana, mostly loanwords from English and other languages, such as コンピューター or アルバイト. They are common in advertisements, menus, and modern media texts.

Loanwords borrowed into Japanese from other languages, usually written in katakana. Their meaning may differ from the source language, so context is needed for accurate interpretation.

English-looking words coined in Japan whose meaning differs from real English, such as サラリーマン or ベビーカー. Misreading them as standard English causes comprehension errors.

Particles such as は, が, を, に, and で that mark grammatical roles. Correct particle choice is a frequent accuracy point in writing and a clue to meaning in reading.

An intransitive verb describing an action or change without an object, such as 開く or 始まる. It usually pairs with が, while its transitive partner takes を.

A transitive verb that takes an object, such as 開ける or 始める. Choosing the right member of an intransitive/transitive pair is a common writing accuracy issue.

The passive form, built with 〜れる or 〜られる. It expresses being acted upon and is also used for adversative passives describing inconvenience suffered.

The causative form, made with 〜せる or 〜させる, meaning to make or let someone do something. It appears in requests, explanations of rules, and descriptions of authority.

Forms expressing conditions, such as 〜たら, 〜ば, 〜なら, and 〜と. Each carries slightly different nuance, and choosing appropriately affects clarity in written argument.

Polite written style using です and ます endings, standard in letters, emails, and formal essays. Consistency of style within one text is expected in examination writing.

Plain written style using dictionary forms, typical of reports, diaries, and newspaper articles. Mixing 常体 and 敬体 within one piece is usually treated as a style error.

The organisation or structure of a piece of writing, including introduction, body, and conclusion. A clear 構成 with linking words is a criterion in extended writing tasks.

The conventions of Japanese letter writing, including the seasonal opening 拝啓, the closing 敬具, and set greetings to the recipient. Following these conventions is expected in formal correspondence tasks.

The shared customs, values, and practices of a society. In this course, comparing Japanese and Australian cultural practices develops intercultural understanding and supports discussion tasks.

A customary habit or everyday practice, such as removing shoes at the entrance or bowing when greeting. Recognising such practices helps interpret behaviour described in texts.

Annual seasonal events such as お正月, 花見, 七夕, and お盆. Knowing their timing and customs supports comprehension of texts about Japanese daily life.