Hyogo Entrance Japanese key terms

In fiction, words or phrases that directly express a character's feelings, such as 嬉しい, 悲しい, 不安, or 後悔. Identifying them helps infer motives and relationships.

Descriptive writing that depicts scenery or surroundings, often used to reflect a character's inner state. Recognizing such overlap is key to interpreting mood and theme.

Figurative language including simile (〜のように) and metaphor (〜のようだ). Understanding what is compared and why reveals nuance beyond literal meaning.

An object, action, or setting that represents an abstract idea or theme. In fiction, recurring symbols often point to the central message.

The central idea or message of a text, such as love, loss, or identity. It is usually implied rather than stated, and must be inferred from events and descriptions.

A distinct scene or section in a narrative, often marked by changes in time, place, or characters. Identifying scene shifts helps track plot development.

The chronological order of events in a narrative, which may include flashbacks or foreshadowing. Recognizing temporal shifts is essential for comprehension.

The perspective from which a story is told, such as first-person (私) or third-person. It affects what information is available and how events are interpreted.

The narrator of a literary work, who may be a character or an outside observer. Distinguishing the narrator from the author is important for analysis.

Words that connect clauses or sentences, such as しかし, だから, つまり. They signal logical relationships like contrast, cause, or conclusion, and are crucial for reading expository texts.

Words like これ, それ, あれ, この, その that point to something previously mentioned. Identifying the referent is a common question type in reading comprehension.

A block of text unified by a topic, often marked by indentation. Understanding paragraph structure helps locate main ideas and supporting details.

The main point or gist of a passage, summarizing the author's central argument. Questions often ask you to choose the statement that best captures it.

The author's opinion or claim in an argumentative text. It is often supported by evidence and may be signaled by expressions like 〜べきだ or 〜と考えられる。

The system of reasoning used to connect ideas, including cause-effect, comparison, and generalization. Following the logic helps evaluate the validity of an argument.

Specific examples or instances used to illustrate or support a general statement. Recognizing the relationship between general claims and examples aids comprehension.

Conceptual or general rather than concrete. Abstract statements often require interpretation through concrete examples to be fully understood.

The Chinese-derived reading of a kanji, often used in compound words. Knowing when to use on-yomi versus kun-yomi is essential for correct pronunciation.

The native Japanese reading of a kanji, often used when the kanji stands alone or with okurigana. Distinguishing it from on-yomi is a common test point.

Hiragana characters that follow a kanji to complete a word and indicate its reading, such as 食べる. Correct use of okurigana is tested in writing.

A compound word made of two or more kanji, such as 学校 or 電車. Understanding kanji combinations helps infer meanings of unfamiliar words.

A four-character idiomatic compound, such as 一石二鳥 or 異口同音. These are often tested for meaning and usage in context.

Idioms derived from historical events or classical Chinese literature, such as 矛盾 or 蛇足. Knowing their origins and meanings is important for kanbun and vocabulary questions.

Classical Chinese texts read in Japanese using kanbun conventions, including return marks (返り点) and okurigana. Basic understanding of kanbun grammar is required.

Marks such as レ, 一, 二 that indicate the order in which to read kanji in a kanbun text. Correct interpretation is essential for reading classical Chinese.

Marks added to kanbun to indicate reading order, pronunciation, and grammatical particles. They include return marks and okurigana.

Classical Japanese literature and language, including works from the Heian and Kamakura periods. Study focuses on grammar, vocabulary, and appreciation.

The traditional kana spelling system used in classical Japanese, where e.g. けふ is read as きょう. Converting to modern pronunciation is a common task.

A grammatical rule in classical Japanese where a particle like ぞ, なむ, や, か triggers a specific verb ending, often 連体形. Recognizing it helps parse sentences.

A grammatical auxiliary that attaches to verbs and adjectives to add meaning such as tense, negation, or politeness. In classical Japanese, knowing their conjugations is essential.

The inflection of verbs, adjectives, and auxiliaries according to tense, mood, or politeness. Mastery of conjugation patterns is fundamental to grammar questions.

Parts of speech such as noun, verb, adjective, and particle. Identifying them correctly is necessary for grammar analysis and sentence construction.

Particles like は, が, を, に that indicate grammatical relationships. Their correct use is a frequent test point in grammar and composition.

Honorific language, including respectful (尊敬語), humble (謙譲語), and polite (丁寧語) forms. Correct usage is tested in both grammar and writing sections.

Writing a composition or essay. Candidates must organize ideas logically and express them clearly using appropriate vocabulary and grammar.

The organization of a composition into paragraphs, each with a clear topic and supporting sentences. Good structure is essential for effective writing.

Listening comprehension. Candidates listen to spoken Japanese and answer questions about content, intent, or details. Note-taking and identifying key words are important skills.

Notes taken while listening. Effective note-taking, using abbreviations and symbols, helps recall details for answering questions.

Important words or phrases in a listening passage that signal the main point or answer. Recognizing them quickly is crucial for success.