Fukuoka Entrance Japanese key terms

Words like これ, それ, あれ, この, その that point to something mentioned elsewhere in the passage. Reading questions often ask exactly what a highlighted それ refers to, so trace the noun it replaces.

Words such as しかし, つまり, たとえば, だから that link sentences and show the logical relation between them. Noticing them tells you whether the next sentence adds, contrasts, or concludes.

A block of text starting on a new line with a one-character indent. Each paragraph usually carries one idea, so finding its topic sentence helps you map the passage's structure.

The central message of a whole passage, stated briefly in your own words. Questions ask you to pick the summary that covers the entire text, not just one striking detail.

What the writer thinks or recommends, as opposed to facts, data, or views the writer is only reporting. Choices that confuse a reported opinion with the writer's own view are common traps.

A particular case, number, or anecdote offered to support a general claim, often introduced by たとえば. Recognizing it stops you from mistaking the example for the main argument.

A structure that sets two things against each other, marked by しかし, 一方, or AではなくB. Contrast is one of the most frequent ways entrance passages organize an argument.

The inner feelings of a character in a narrative passage. Examiners rarely state them directly; you infer them from actions, dialogue, weather descriptions, and words like 思わず.

The cause or ground for something. Why-questions are answered by clauses ending in から, ので, or ため, usually in the sentence just before or after the point in question.

What a paragraph is about, as opposed to what it says about that thing. Identifying the topic lets you predict what the following sentences will explain.

The reading of a kanji borrowed from Chinese, heard in compounds such as 学 in 学校. It appears mostly in two-kanji words and in formal vocabulary.

The native Japanese reading of a kanji, usually written with okurigana, as in 学ぶ. Single-kanji verbs and adjectives almost always use it.

The hiragana written after a kanji to complete a word's reading and show its inflection, as in 食べる or 新しい. Writing too few or too many is a standard deduction.

The component that organizes a kanji in dictionaries, such as さんずい in 海 or ごんべん in 語. Knowing it helps you guess a character's rough meaning and look it up.

The number of strokes needed to write a kanji. Dictionary lookups and some questions require it, and miscounting usually comes from splitting or merging strokes incorrectly.

The fixed order for writing strokes: left to right, top to bottom, horizontal before vertical, enclosure before contents. Correct order keeps characters balanced and legible when you write quickly.

Different words that share the same sound, such as 公園 and 講演. You choose the right one from context and from which kanji combine naturally with the surrounding words.

A word with the opposite meaning, such as 増える and 減る. Vocabulary items ask you to select the antonym, and reading passages often build their argument on such pairs.

A word close in meaning to another, such as たぶん and おそらく. Replace-the-word questions test the nuance, formality, and collocations that separate the two.

A fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as 手を焼く or 耳が痛い. These appear in short vocabulary items and occasionally inside reading passages.

A set expression made of four kanji, such as 一生懸命 or 以心伝心. You must know both its reading and its meaning, because questions often test one against the other.

A word built from two or more kanji, such as 図書館 or 日本語. Reading and writing items depend on knowing which kanji combinations form real words.

The surrounding words and sentences that decide which meaning or reading fits. When a kanji has several possible readings, only the context tells you which one applies.

The part of a sentence that performs the action or is being described, often marked by が or は. Japanese often omits it, so you must recover it from the surrounding text.

The part of a sentence that says what the subject does or is. In Japanese it comes at the end, as a verb, an adjective, or a noun with the copula.

A word or phrase that describes another word, such as an adjective before a noun or an adverb before a verb. Long modifying clauses are a common source of misreading.

A short particle such as が, を, に, で, or と that shows the grammatical role of the word before it. Choosing the wrong particle is the most frequent grammar mistake.

An ending or auxiliary that adds meaning to a verb, such as れる for passive, させる for causative, たい for desire, and らしい for hearsay. Each attaches to a specific form.

How verbs and adjectives change form to show tense, negation, politeness, and mood. Questions test the correct stem or ending for a situation, not only the meaning.

Politeness levels: 尊敬語 raises the other person, 謙譲語 lowers the speaker, and 丁寧語 is the neutral です・ます style. Mixing them, or stacking two honorifics, is a classic error.

The smallest natural chunk a sentence can be split into without sounding odd, roughly a content word plus its particles. Dividing a sentence into 文節 helps you locate subject and predicate.

The class a word belongs to, such as noun, verb, adjective, adverb, particle, or auxiliary. The class tells you where the word can stand and how it inflects.

Quick notes taken while the recording plays, using numbers, arrows, and abbreviations rather than full sentences. Good notes record who does what and when, which is what the questions ask.

Phrases used to ask a favour, such as ～てもらえませんか or ～ていただけますか. Listening items ask whether the request was accepted, refused, or accepted only on a condition.

Forms like たら, ば, と, and なら that set a condition. In a listening script a condition such as 雨なら中止 changes the plan, and the question tests which plan finally applies.

The person speaking in a dialogue. Tracking who is talking, and who is being addressed, matters because Japanese drops pronouns and the speaker can change without warning.

Grid paper for Japanese writing, one character per box. Rules cover indenting the first line, starting a new paragraph, and where to place a small っ or a comma.

The plain style ending in だ or である, used in reports and formal essays. Mixing it with です・ます inside one piece is treated as an error.

The plan of an essay: introduction stating your position, body giving reasons and examples, conclusion restating the position. A clear structure earns marks separately from grammar and vocabulary.

A stated limit such as 二百字以内 or 三百字程度. Writing far over the limit, or filling much less than the required length, loses marks even when the content is good.