Fukushima Entrance Japanese key terms

Modern written Japanese, as opposed to classical texts. In entrance exams it names the section testing essays, literary fiction, and practical writing from the Meiji era onward, requiring comprehension of argument structure, theme, and the writer's stance.

An essay that argues a position on society, culture, language, or thought. Questions ask for the central claim, the function of examples, and the meaning of contrastive expressions such as 〜ではなく or むしろ.

A personal essay recording observations and reflections, often loosely structured. Examiners test whether you can follow the writer's shifting attention and separate description from opinion.

The essential point of a whole passage, condensed into one or two sentences. Distinguish it from a supporting example: a correct answer restates the main claim, not a detail that merely illustrates it.

The central issue a literary text explores, such as loneliness, growth, or the gap between appearance and reality. It is broader than the plot and is often expressed through recurring images rather than stated outright.

A character's or speaker's inner feeling at a given moment. Exam questions ask you to infer it from actions, dialogue, and scenery, so watch for verbs of perception and adverbs of degree.

Description of scenery and circumstances used to reflect or set off a character's feelings. A darkening sky or a silent room often carries emotional meaning, so ask why the author chose that detail.

Figurative expression that likens one thing to another, through simile (〜のようだ), metaphor (〜だ), or personification. Identify both halves of the comparison and the point of similarity the author intends.

A concrete object, place, or action that stands for an abstract idea in a literary work. Recurring images such as a window or a train often carry the theme, so track where they reappear.

Words such as これ, それ, あれ, and この that point to other content. Locate the referent in the preceding or following text, and check whether the whole clause or only its final noun is being pointed to.

Conjunctions and connective phrases such as しかし, つまり, したがって, and なぜなら that signal logical relations. They mark contrast, restatement, conclusion, or cause, and are the fastest guide to a passage's structure.

The setting of two ideas, situations, or characters against each other to clarify a point. Expressions like 一方, 逆に, and 〜ではなく mark contrasts, and the author's claim usually sits on one side of them.

Restating an idea in different words. Exam answers rarely repeat the passage verbatim, so you must recognize paraphrases such as 〜にほかならない for 〜だ and match abstract wording to concrete examples.

Classical Japanese, the written language of the Heian through early modern periods. Exams test vocabulary, honorific usage, grammar particles, and reading of works such as 源氏物語 and 枕草子.

Classical vocabulary whose meaning differs from modern Japanese. For example あはれ means deep emotion and をかし means charming or amusing, so memorizing these false friends is essential for translation questions.

The traditional kana spelling used in classical texts, in which ゐ, ゑ, and を appear and は is written for the particle pronounced わ. Read it aloud to recover modern pronunciation before interpreting meaning.

The classical rule in which a particle such as ぞ, なむ, や, or か changes the sentence-final form, for example to the 連体形. Spotting the particle tells you where the clause ends and often signals emphasis or a question.

Classical auxiliary verbs such as けり, なり, べし, and まし that attach to stems to add tense, mood, or hearsay. Each has several meanings, so choose the one that fits the context and the preceding form.

Honorific language in classical texts, divided into respectful (尊敬), humble (謙譲), and polite (丁寧) types. Identifying who performs and who receives the action reveals the social relationships between characters, a frequent question target.

Classical Chinese as read in Japan using 訓読, with marks for word order and particles. Exams test reading order, translation into modern Japanese, and understanding of passages from Chinese histories and philosophers.

Marks such as レ, 一, 二, and 上, 下 that indicate the order in which to read Chinese characters in a 訓読 text, since Japanese word order differs from Chinese. Reading the marks correctly is a prerequisite for translation.

Characters such as 而, 於, 于, and 矣 that are written but not read aloud in 訓読. They often mark connection, place, or sentence ending, so their grammatical role still matters for translation.

Characters read twice, once before and once after the following phrase, such as 未 (いまだ〜ず) and 将 (まさに〜んとす). They carry tense or negation and must be translated with the correct auxiliary ending.

Reading kanji aloud correctly, including on-readings and kun-readings and their rendaku changes. Exams test rare readings, readings in compounds, and distinctions such as 生 in 一生 versus 生まれる.

The reading of a kanji derived from Chinese pronunciation, such as ガク for 学. Most compounds use on-readings, but some common words mix on and kun, so check each word rather than each character.

The native Japanese reading of a kanji, such as たべる for 食. Kun-readings often appear with okurigana, and the same character can have several, so learn readings in whole words.

Kana written after a kanji stem to show inflection or reading, as in 飲む versus 飲み物. Exam questions test whether the okurigana is correct and whether it is required at all.

Writing the correct kanji for a word given in kana, tested for stroke accuracy and correct character choice. Watch for homophones such as 対象 and 対照, where only context decides.

Words pronounced alike but written with different kanji and meaning differently, such as 機関, 期間, and 気管. Choose by collocation: only one fits the surrounding words.

A fixed compound of two or more kanji, such as 矛盾 or 把握, whose meaning may not follow from its parts. Exams test both reading and meaning, including four-character compounds (四字熟語).

The rules governing sentence structure and word inflection. Entrance questions ask you to identify parts of speech, analyze sentence constituents, and choose the grammatically correct form among similar options.

Word classes such as noun, verb, adjective, adjectival noun, adverb, and particle. Classifying a word correctly determines how it inflects and connects, which many grammar questions depend on.

The inflection of verbs and adjectives across forms such as 未然形, 連用形, and 終止形. Questions test which form a given particle or auxiliary requires, so learn the conjugation table rather than isolated words.

Particles such as は, が, を, に, and で that mark case, topic, or nuance. Small differences change meaning, so compare が versus は and に versus で in context.

The stock of words a reader commands, tested through synonym and antonym questions and through choosing the word that fits a blank. Build it from context sentences, not isolated lists.

A fixed phrase whose meaning is not literal, such as 油を売る or 耳が痛い. Exams ask for the meaning or the correct body-part or object, so memorize the whole phrase.

A traditional proverb expressing folk wisdom, such as 急がば回れ. Questions test meaning and appropriate use, sometimes pairing a proverb with a situation that matches or deliberately contradicts it.

A four-character compound of Chinese origin with a fixed meaning, such as 一石二鳥 or 温故知新. Learn the meaning and the exact characters, since exams test both writing and usage.

Composition writing in which you state and support an opinion within a set length and time. Graders reward a clear thesis, coherent paragraph order, and concrete examples over ornate phrasing.

A block of sentences developing one point, usually opened by a topic sentence. In composition, start a new paragraph when the focus shifts, and keep one claim per paragraph.

The overall arrangement of a piece of writing: introduction, body, and conclusion. A clear structure with a stated position at the start and a restated conclusion at the end scores higher than a list of impressions.