JLPT N3 flashcards

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

〜的 (suffix)

Attaches to nouns to form na-adjectives meaning '-like' or '-al', e.g., 経済的 (economic), 具体的 (concrete). It often describes a quality or perspective.

Transitive/intransitive pairs

Many verbs come in pairs: 開く/開ける, 閉まる/閉める, 落ちる/落とす. The transitive form takes を and describes an agent acting on an object; the intransitive takes が.

Counter 〜冊

Used for bound volumes such as books, notebooks, and magazines. Example: 本を三冊買いました ('I bought three books'). Do not use it for flat objects like paper.

Counter 〜枚

Used for flat, thin objects such as paper, plates, shirts, and tickets. Example: 切符を二枚ください ('Two tickets, please'). It is not used for bound books.

Onomatopoeia ぐっすり

Describes sleeping deeply and soundly. Example: 昨夜はぐっすり眠れました ('I slept soundly last night'). It pairs commonly with 眠る and suggests uninterrupted sleep.

Prefix お/ご

Polite prefixes attached to nouns: お often with native Japanese words (お茶, お金), ご with Sino-Japanese words (ご飯, ご説明). Some fixed expressions must be memorized.

〜始める compound verb

Attaches to the masu-stem of a verb to mean 'begin to do'. Example: 雨が降り始めた ('It began to rain'). Similar suffixes include 〜続ける (continue) and 〜終わる (finish).

直す vs 治す

直す means to fix or correct something (repair, revise), while 治す means to cure or heal an illness or injury. Example: 間違いを直す (correct a mistake); 病気を治す (cure an illness).

Katakana abbreviations

Loanwords are often shortened in casual Japanese: パソコン (personal computer), エアコン (air conditioner), コンビニ (convenience store). The full foreign word is usually understood but less natural in daily speech.

〜やすい / 〜にくい

Attach to the masu-stem to mean 'easy to' and 'hard to'. Example: この本は読みやすい ('This book is easy to read'); この道は歩きにくい ('This road is hard to walk on').

聞く vs 聴く

聞く means to hear or ask; 聴く means to listen attentively, especially to music or a performance. Example: 音楽を聴く ('listen to music') versus 先生に聞く ('ask the teacher').

〜たら conditional

Forms a condition meaning 'if' or 'when'. It often implies completion of the first action before the second. Example: 家に着いたら電話してください ('Call me when you arrive home').

〜なら conditional

Presents a condition based on what the listener said or a topic: 'if it is the case that'. Example: 日本へ行くなら、京都がおすすめです ('If you're going to Japan, Kyoto is recommended').

〜と conditional

Expresses a natural or automatic consequence: 'whenever/if A happens, B always happens'. Example: 春になると、桜が咲きます ('When spring comes, cherry blossoms bloom'). It cannot follow a request.

〜てある

Describes a resulting state after someone intentionally did something; the object usually takes が. Example: 窓が開けてある ('The window has been opened and is open'). Compare 窓が開いている (simply open).

〜ておく

Means to do something in advance or leave something as is for a purpose. Example: 会議の前に資料を読んでおきます ('I will read the materials before the meeting').

〜てしまう

Expresses completing an action fully or doing something regrettable. Example: ケーキを全部食べてしまった ('I ate all the cake'). With regret: 財布を忘れてしまった ('I forgot my wallet').

あげる/くれる/もらう

あげる: I or someone gives to another; くれる: someone gives to me/my group; もらう: I receive from someone. Example: 友達が本をくれた ('A friend gave me a book').

Passive form

Godan verbs change u to a + れる (書く→書かれる); ichidan verbs take stem + られる (食べる→食べられる); する→される, 来る→来られる. It marks the receiver as subject.

Causative form

Godan verbs change u to a + せる (書く→書かせる); ichidan verbs take stem + させる (食べる→食べさせる); する→させる, 来る→来させる. It means 'make/let someone do'.

Relative clause

A clause in plain form directly precedes and modifies a noun. Example: 昨日買った本 ('the book I bought yesterday'). No relative pronoun is used; the noun's role is understood from context.

〜ので vs 〜から

Both mean 'because'. 〜ので sounds more objective and polite, often used for facts or polite explanations; 〜から is more subjective and can express personal reason or opinion.

Discourse marker しかし

Signals contrast: 'however, but'. In reading, it often introduces the author's main counterpoint. Example: 安い。しかし、品質が悪い ('Cheap. However, the quality is bad').

Discourse marker つまり

Signals paraphrase or conclusion: 'in other words, that is'. It often restates the previous sentence in simpler terms, helping identify the main idea in a passage.

Point comprehension task

A listening section question type that asks for one specific detail from a conversation, such as time, place, person, or reason. Listen for the question word before the dialogue.

Directions vocabulary

Common direction words: まっすぐ (straight), 右/左 (right/left), 角を曲がる (turn at the corner), 二つ目の信号 (the second traffic light). These often appear in map or route questions.

〜てもいいです

Expresses permission: 'you may do'. Example: ここに座ってもいいですか ('May I sit here?'). The negative prohibition is 〜てはいけません ('you must not').

〜なくてもいいです

Expresses that something is not necessary: 'you don't have to'. Example: 明日来なくてもいいです ('You don't have to come tomorrow'). It differs from prohibition 〜てはいけません.

〜ていただけませんか

A polite request form meaning 'could you please do?'. It is more polite than 〜てください. Example: 写真を撮っていただけませんか ('Could you please take a photo?').

〜んです explanation

Used to explain a situation or ask for an explanation, often with a concerned or curious tone. Example: どうしたんですか ('What's wrong?'). It frequently appears in listening dialogues before the key information.

Correction cue いや

In conversation, いや or いや、そうじゃなくて signals that the speaker is correcting or rejecting the previous statement. The corrected information is often the answer in listening questions.

Counter 〜階

Counter for floors of a building: 一階 (first floor), 二階 (second floor), 三階 (third floor). Note the readings いっかい, にかい, さんがい; 何階 asks 'which floor'.