J-CAT flashcards

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

風邪をひく

Fixed collocation meaning 'to catch a cold'; Japanese uses 風邪をひく, not 風邪になる. Memorize verb-noun pairs as chunks because J-CAT tests collocation knowledge directly.

音読み

The Sino-Japanese reading of a kanji, used mainly in multi-kanji compounds; for example, 学 is read がく in 学校 and 学生.

訓読み

The native Japanese reading of a kanji, usually written with okurigana when it forms a verb or adjective; 食べる uses た, 高い uses たか.

自動詞 and 他動詞

Intransitive verbs describe a change with が (ドアが開く); transitive verbs describe someone acting on an object with を (ドアを開ける). Pairs often share a stem.

～的

A suffix that turns nouns into na-adjectives meaning '-like' or '-ive': 論理的 (logical), 経済的 (economic), 積極的 (proactive).

オノマトペ

Mimetic words that describe sounds, states, or manners: ぐっすり (soundly), はっきり (clearly), しっかり (firmly), ゆっくり (slowly). They often take と with する.

複合動詞 ～出す

A verb compound whose second element 出す adds 'suddenly begin' (泣き出す) or 'outward' (走り出す, 取り出す); the first verb is in its masu-stem form.

カタカナ略語

Clipped loanwords written in katakana: パソコン from personal computer, コンビニ from convenience store, エアコン from air conditioner, アルバイト from German Arbeit.

は vs が

は marks a known topic or contrast; が marks new information or the subject with ある, いる, 好き, わかる, できる. 日本語がわかります means 'I understand Japanese'.

～てしまう

Attaches to the te-form to show an action is completed fully or, often with regret, done unintentionally: ケーキを食べてしまった = I ate the whole cake / unfortunately ate it.

～ておく

Te-form plus おく means do something in advance or leave it in a prepared state: 会議の前に資料を読んでおく = read the materials before the meeting.

～てある

Te-form plus ある describes a state resulting from someone's intentional action; the object is marked with が: 窓が開けてある = the window has been opened (and stays open).

と conditional

と expresses a natural, automatic consequence: 春になると桜が咲く. The main clause cannot be a request, invitation, or volitional form, so と is wrong for 'if you go, please...'.

なら conditional

なら means 'if it is the case that' and often picks up the listener's statement: 京都なら、金閣寺がおすすめです. It is not used for automatic natural consequences.

させる causative

Causative form させる/せる means make or let someone do something. Intransitive verbs take を (子供を歩かせる); transitive verbs take に (子供に本を読ませる).

～てもらう

Te-form plus もらう means receive a favor: 友達に教えてもらった = I had my friend teach me. The giver is marked with に, the receiver is the subject.

こそあど体系

Demonstrative system: こ refers to the speaker's near or just-mentioned item, そ to the listener's or preceding context, あ to shared/far knowledge, ど to a question.

逆接の接続詞

Contrastive conjunctions しかし, ところが, だが, でも introduce a clause that often carries the author's main claim; the clause before them is background or concession.

指示語の解決

To resolve そ/あ, look backward for the nearest noun phrase matching number and animacy; if no noun fits, the referent may be the whole preceding clause.

極端表現の選択肢

Options containing 必ず, 絶対, すべて, まったく are usually wrong in inference questions; correct answers tend to be hedged with ～かもしれない or ～と考えられる.

メールの依頼文

In a short email or notice, identify sender, recipient, required action, and deadline. The action usually appears in a ～てください or ～をお願いします sentence.

時間順マーカー

Sequence markers まず, 次に, そのあと, 最後に, ～前に, ～たあとで show order; use them to answer schedule and procedure questions without rereading everything.

段落の結論

Conclusion markers つまり, 要するに, したがって signal restatement or inference; main-idea answers cluster near these expressions at the end of a paragraph.

メモの宛先・用件

For memo/notice tasks, separate who wrote it, who receives it, what must be done, and by when; wrong options usually swap one of these four elements.

即時応答

Instant-response items give a short utterance and three replies; choose the reply matching the speech level and function, such as a polite acceptance for a polite request.

課題理解

Task-understanding items ask what the speaker must do next. The answer often follows a correction such as ～ではなく～のほうが or ～てから.

ポイント理解

Point-understanding items ask why, when, or where. Reasons often follow ～から, ので, or んです; times are often revised mid-conversation.

長音・促音・撥音

Vowel length, gemination, and moraic ん distinguish words: おばさん vs おばあさん, 来て vs 切って, 日 vs 人. Count mora when a word sounds ambiguous.

数詞の読み

Numbers 4, 7, and 9 have multiple readings: よん/し, なな/しち, きゅう/く. Counters change readings too: 一つ, 一人, 一枚, 一本.

授受動詞の方向

あげる means give out from the speaker's side, くれる means give toward the speaker, もらう means receive. Subject and に-marked recipient show who benefits.

敬語の聴取

Respectful forms いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, ご覧になる mark a superior or customer; humble forms 伺う, いたす, お目にかかる mark the speaker, revealing who is who.

文末の動詞

Japanese tense and polarity appear at the final verb, so a sentence can turn negative only at the end (～ませんでした). Wait for the verb before choosing an answer.