WACE Japanese: Second Language ATAR flashcards

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

です・ます form

The polite register used with teachers, strangers, and in formal writing. Verbs end in ます and adjectives or nouns take です. Keep it consistent through a whole spoken or written exchange.

Plain form

The casual register used with close friends and family. Verbs end in dictionary, た, or ない forms, and nouns take だ. Dropping か and raising intonation forms casual questions.

〜たことがあります

Expresses past experience, meaning 'have done' something. Attach to the plain past form of a verb. The negative counterpart is 〜たことがありません, meaning 'have never done'.

〜つもりです

States a speaker's intention, meaning 'plan to' or 'intend to'. It follows the dictionary form or a negative verb form. Stronger and more deliberate than 〜たいと思っています.

AよりBのほうが

Comparison pattern meaning 'B is more ~ than A'. The compared quality adjective follows, and the question form is AとBとどちらが〜ですか, asking which of the two is more.

そうですね

A conversational response showing agreement or confirming shared understanding. It can also signal the speaker is pausing to think. Tone of voice distinguishes agreement from hesitation.

Turn-taking markers

Words that manage conversation flow: あのう for hesitation, そういえば for 'by the way', つまり for restatement, なるほど for 'I see'. They signal comprehension without ending the exchange.

Keigo verb pairs

Respectful and humble verb equivalents: いらっしゃる for 行く/来る/いる, おっしゃる for 言う, 召し上がる for 食べる, 伺う for 行く/聞く, いただく for もらう. Convert to plain form to understand meaning.

Essay structure: 序論・本論・結論

The three-part Japanese essay frame: introduction stating the problem, body giving reasons and examples, conclusion restating the position. Each paragraph opens with a topic sentence in です・ます form.

しかし and 一方で

Connectives marking contrast in written argument. しかし introduces a direct counterpoint, while 〜一方で presents a parallel opposing aspect. Both carry logical weight and are scored in essays.

〜ので versus 〜から

Both give reasons. 〜から is more subjective and conversational, while 〜ので sounds softer and more objective, making it preferred in formal written explanation and polite speech.

〜ために

A formal written marker of cause or purpose, meaning 'because of' or 'in order to'. It follows a noun plus の or a verb dictionary form, and suits essays more than casual talk.

Hedging expressions

Devices that soften a claim: 〜かもしれません, 〜でしょう, 〜のではないでしょうか. They signal the writer's awareness of other views, which raises the quality of an opinion piece.

Degree adverbs

Adverbs scaling an adjective or verb: とても and すごく strengthen, かなり means considerably, あまり with a negative means not very, and ほとんど with a negative means hardly.

〜たり〜たり

Lists representative actions rather than an exhaustive sequence, meaning 'doing things like A and B'. Each verb takes the plain past form plus り, and the sentence closes with します.

Formal letter conventions

Japanese formal letters open with 拝啓 and a seasonal greeting, close with 敬具, and address the reader with 様. Casual contractions and plain forms are excluded from this register.

Emotion adjective plus reason

Feeling words such as うれしい, くやしい, 安心する, 感動する gain force when paired with a 〜ので or 〜から clause giving the cause. A bare feeling statement scores low.

Speech act endings

The final verb identifies the task: 〜てください is a request, 〜ませんか an invitation, 〜てもいいですか asks permission, and 〜てはいけません is prohibition. Identify the ending before answering.

〜までに versus 〜まで

〜までに marks a deadline, meaning 'by' a time. 〜まで marks the end point of a continuous period, meaning 'until'. Dialogues often contrast the two to test listening precision.

Counters in listening

Classifier words attached to numbers: 一つ for things, 一人 for people, 一枚 for flat objects, 一本 for long objects, 一杯 for cups. Wrong counters are common distractor options.

実は as a signal

A discourse marker meaning 'actually' or 'to tell the truth'. It often introduces the real reason or the key information that a listening question tests, so note what follows it.

ところで

A discourse marker meaning 'by the way' that changes the topic. It signals that the next utterance is a new subject, so earlier information usually answers earlier questions.

Intonation and meaning

Rising intonation turns a plain clause into a question, while falling 〜ね seeks confirmation. Stress on とても or あまり signals degree, and あまり with a negative means not very.

Refusal pattern

A polite refusal typically opens with 申し訳ございませんが or ちょっと〜, then gives a reason with 〜ので. Listening questions often ask for that stated reason rather than the refusal itself.

Note-taking grid

A listening strategy of recording who, what, when, where, and why in columns while audio plays. Correct options usually paraphrase the audio rather than repeat its exact wording.

こそあど reference

The demonstrative series これ, それ, あれ, どれ and their この, その, あの, どの forms point to previously mentioned nouns. Resolve each to the nearest compatible noun before answering.

つまり and すなわち

Connectives signalling restatement, meaning 'in other words' or 'that is'. The sentence following つまり usually contains the author's main claim, making it a prime target for questions.

〜以上 and 〜以下

Quantity limits meaning 'at least' and 'at most', and both are inclusive of the stated number. They commonly appear in notices and are easily reversed, which flips the correct answer.

〜なければなりません

Expresses obligation, meaning 'must' or 'have to'. Its opposite 〜なくてもいい means 'need not'. Distinguishing the two is essential in reading rules and instructions.

Text type prediction

Identifying the format before reading: メール has greeting, body, closing; お知らせ has headline, date, conditions; 意見文 has claim plus reasons. Format predicts where answers are located.

〜たら and 〜ば

Conditional forms meaning 'if' or 'when'. 〜たら follows the plain past form and stresses sequence, while 〜ば follows the conditional stem and stresses a general condition.

Shared kanji readings

Compounds sharing a character often share its on-yomi: 情報, 表情, 心情 all read 情 as じょう. Use okurigana and sentence context to choose between on-yomi and kun-yomi.