Wakayama Prefectural Public High School Entrance Examination - Japanese key terms

Words such as しかし, つまり, たとえば that link sentences and show the logical relation between them. Finding these markers helps a reader follow the flow of an expository passage.

Words like これ, それ, あれ, この, その that point to something mentioned earlier or later. Identifying what a 指示語 refers to is a standard question in reading comprehension.

A block of sentences set off by a line break, usually developing one idea. Recognizing the topic sentence and the concluding sentence of each 段落 is basic to grasping a text's structure.

The central claim a passage makes, stated briefly in the reader's own words. A 要旨 question asks for the whole argument, not a single supporting detail.

The reasoning that connects evidence to a conclusion in a text, such as cause and effect, example and generalization, or contrast. Questions often ask which relation a paragraph uses.

The pairing of particular examples with general statements. Expository passages typically move from a concrete case to a broader claim, and questions ask which sentence states the general point.

Giving an example to support a claim, often marked by たとえば or のように. Recognizing 例示 helps a reader separate the main assertion from its illustrations.

Setting two things side by side to show their difference, marked by 一方, に対して, or 逆に. Contrast is one of the most frequent structures in expository passages.

The opinion or claim the author wants the reader to accept, usually stated near the end. Distinguishing it from factual description is the core skill in expository reading.

The inner feelings of a character in a literary text. Questions ask the reader to infer 心情 from actions, dialogue, and descriptions rather than from direct statements.

Description of scenery, weather, or surroundings used to reflect a character's feelings. A darkening sky, for example, may mirror anxiety without the feeling being named.

What a character does in a story. Because feelings are often shown through 行動 rather than stated, questions ask why a character acted in a certain way.

Quoted speech in a literary text. Tone, politeness level, and what is left unsaid in 会話文 often carry the key to a character's real feelings.

Figurative expression such as ようだ, みたいだ, or ごとし that compares one thing to another. Identifying the 比喩 helps a reader understand imagery and tone.

A figure of speech giving human qualities to non-human things, as when wind 'whispers'. Recognizing 擬人法 helps explain the mood a writer creates.

A unit of a story defined by a change of time, place, or participants. Dividing a text into 場面 is the first step in tracking how a character changes.

The pre-modern spelling convention used in 古文, where けふ is read きょう and ゐ is read い. Reading 古文 aloud requires converting 歴史的仮名遣い to modern pronunciation.

Words whose meaning differs from modern Japanese, such as あはれ (deep emotion) or をかし (charming). Learning 古文単語 as distinct vocabulary is essential for classical reading.

The rule that a particle such as ぞ, なむ, や, or か draws the sentence ending into 連体形, while は or も leaves it unchanged. Recognizing 係り結び signals emphasis and sentence boundaries.

Classical honorific, humble, and polite forms such as 給ふ, 侍り, and 奉る. In 古文, 敬語 shows who respects whom, which reveals social rank and relationships.

The common 古文 habit of leaving out the subject when it is understood. Readers must infer who acts from context, honorifics, and particles, since Japanese has no obligatory subject.

Small marks such as レ, 一, 二 placed beside kanbun characters to show the order in which they are read. 返り点 tell the reader to go back and read a character later.

Small kana written beside a kanbun character to supply the inflection of the Japanese reading. 送り仮名 show tense, politeness, and grammatical form in 漢文.

A kanbun passage rewritten in Japanese word order with kana added, keeping the kanji. Producing a correct 書き下し文 is a standard 漢文 exercise.

Reading a Chinese text in Japanese by applying 返り点 and 送り仮名 and rendering it with Japanese grammar. 訓読 lets a Japanese reader follow a Chinese original without knowing Chinese.

Characters such as 而, 於, and 矣 that are written but not read aloud in 訓読. Knowing 置き字 prevents errors when producing a 書き下し文.

Set phrases originating in classical Chinese stories, such as 矛盾 or 蛇足. Questions often ask for the meaning and source story of a 故事成語.

Classical Chinese prose and poetry studied in Japanese schools through 訓読. Passages are usually short anecdotes or philosophical excerpts with a clear moral.

Fixed four-character compounds such as 一期一会 or 起承転結. Questions test both the reading and the meaning of 四字熟語 in context.

Fixed phrases whose meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words, such as 油を売る or 耳が痛い. Candidates should know common 慣用句 and their figurative senses.

Words with similar but not identical meaning, such as 推測 and 想像. Questions ask which 類義語 best replaces a word without changing the sense.

Words with opposite meaning, such as 抽象 and 具体. Identifying 対義語 helps clarify a word's precise sense in a passage.

Words pronounced the same but written with different kanji and meaning, such as 機関 and 期間. Kanji questions often test choosing the correct 同音異義語 for a sentence.

Writing a kanji correctly for a word given in kana. Candidates must master stroke order and the distinction between similar-looking characters.

Conventions for manuscript paper: one character per box, indenting the first line, and placing punctuation in its own box. Following these rules is required in the composition section.

A short essay written to a prompt, usually stating an opinion with supporting reasons and examples. Clear structure and consistent style matter more than length.

A writing task with stated requirements, such as a word count, a required phrase, or a specified topic. Missing a stated 条件 costs marks even if the writing is otherwise good.

A four-part structure: introduction, development, turn, and conclusion. It is a useful model for organizing a short 作文 or a narrative passage.