2013/12 JLPT N3 Letters and Vocabulary test
問題1___のことばの読み方として最もよいものを1・2・3・4から一つえらびなさい。
1. 庭に<u>生えた</u>草にきれいな花が咲いていた。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
はえた (haeta) is the correct reading for 生えた, the past tense of 生える (haeru), meaning 'to grow' or 'to sprout'. The sentence means 'Beautiful flowers bloomed on the grass that grew in the garden.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 生えた.
This is an incorrect reading for 生えた.
うえた (ueta) is the past tense of 植える (ueru), meaning 'to plant'. While related to growth, it's not the correct reading for 生えた in this context.
2. 今週は<u>各地</u>でいろいろなお祭りがあります。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
かくち (kakuchi) is the correct reading for 各地, meaning 'various places' or 'every region'. The sentence means 'This week, there are various festivals in many places.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 各地.
This is an incorrect reading for 各地.
This is an incorrect reading for 各地.
3. <u>貯金</u>がどのくらいかわかりません。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ちょきん (chokin) is the correct reading for 貯金, meaning 'savings' or 'money saved'. The sentence means 'I don't know how much savings I have.'
Why other options are incorrect:
だいきん (daikin) means 'price' or 'charge'.
げんきん (genkin) means 'cash'.
ぜいきん (zeikin) means 'tax'.
4. 隣のお宅は<u>留守</u>のようです。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
るす (rusu) is the correct reading for 留守, meaning 'absence' or 'not at home'. The sentence means 'It seems the house next door is empty/no one is home.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 留守.
This is an incorrect reading for 留守.
This is an incorrect reading for 留守.
5. もう少し<u>浅い</u>皿はありませんか。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
あさい (asai) is the correct reading for 浅い, meaning 'shallow'. The sentence means 'Do you have a slightly shallower plate?'
Why other options are incorrect:
ふかい (fukai) means 'deep', which is the opposite of 浅い.
あつい (atsui) can mean 'hot' (暑い/熱い) or 'thick' (厚い).
うすい (usui) means 'thin' or 'light'.
6. この<u>文章</u>は長くてわかりにくい。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ぶんしょう (bunshou) is the correct reading for 文章, meaning 'text', 'writing', or 'composition'. The sentence means 'This text is long and difficult to understand.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 文章.
This is an incorrect reading for 文章.
This is an incorrect reading for 文章.
7. <u>改札</u>の前で待っています。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
かいさつ (kaisatsu) is the correct reading for 改札, meaning 'ticket gate' (e.g., at a train station). The sentence means 'I am waiting in front of the ticket gate.'
Why other options are incorrect:
かいじょう (kaijou) means 'venue' or 'assembly hall'.
けいさつ (keisatsu) means 'police'.
This is an incorrect reading.
8. その話をしたら、彼女は<u>笑って</u>いました。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
わらって (waratte) is the correct reading for 笑って, the te-form of 笑う (warau), meaning 'to laugh' or 'to smile'. The sentence means 'When I told that story, she was laughing.'
Why other options are incorrect:
こまって (komatte) is the te-form of 困る (komaru), meaning 'to be troubled' or 'to be in difficulty'.
おこって (okotte) is the te-form of 怒る (okoru), meaning 'to get angry'.
うたがって (utagatte) is the te-form of 疑う (utagau), meaning 'to doubt' or 'to suspect'.
問題2___のことばを漢字で書くとき、最もよいものを、1・2・3・4 から一つえらびなさい。
9. 米の輸出量が去年の2<u>ばい</u>になった。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
倍 (bai) is the correct kanji for ばい, meaning 'times' or 'double'. The sentence means 'The amount of rice exports doubled compared to last year.'
Why other options are incorrect:
培 (bai) means 'to cultivate' or 'to foster'.
増 (zou) means 'increase', but it's not the kanji for ばい in this context.
僧 (sou) means 'monk'.
10. 昨日の夕方、この辺りで<u>ていでん</u>があった。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
停電 (teiden) is the correct kanji for ていでん, meaning 'power outage' or 'blackout'. The sentence means 'There was a power outage around here yesterday evening.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect kanji combination.
This is an incorrect kanji combination.
This is an incorrect kanji combination.
11. すぐに<u>つつんで</u>ください。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
包んで (tsutsunde) is the correct kanji for つつんで, the te-form of 包む (tsutsumu), meaning 'to wrap'. The sentence means 'Please wrap it immediately.'
Why other options are incorrect:
呼んで (yonde) is the te-form of 呼ぶ (yobu), meaning 'to call'.
結んで (musunde) is the te-form of 結ぶ (musubu), meaning 'to tie' or 'to bind'.
運んで (hakonde) is the te-form of 運ぶ (hakobu), meaning 'to carry' or 'to transport'.
12. 田中さんは<u>どくしん</u>です。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
独身 (dokushin) is the correct kanji for どくしん, meaning 'single' or 'unmarried'. The sentence means 'Mr. Tanaka is single.'
Why other options are incorrect:
単身 (tanshin) means 'alone' or 'single (person living alone)', often implying living away from family, but 独身 specifically refers to marital status.
独者 (dokusha) means 'reader'.
This is an incorrect kanji combination.
13. この本を<u>かして</u>ください。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
貸して (kashite) is the correct kanji for かして, the te-form of 貸す (kasu), meaning 'to lend'. The sentence means 'Please lend me this book.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect kanji.
借 (karu) means 'to borrow'. 借して would mean 'to make someone borrow', which is not the intended meaning of 'to lend'.
This is an incorrect kanji. 貨 (ka) means 'freight' or 'goods'.
14. この猫は、わたしが触ろうとすると、すぐ<u>にげる</u>。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
逃げる (nigeru) is the correct kanji for にげる, meaning 'to run away' or 'to escape'. The sentence means 'This cat runs away immediately when I try to touch it.'
Why other options are incorrect:
遠 (too) means 'far'. This is an incorrect kanji for にげる.
逆 (saka) means 'reverse'. This is an incorrect kanji for にげる.
返 (kae) means 'return'. This is an incorrect kanji for にげる.
問題3 ( )に入れるのに最もよいものを、1・2・3・4から一つえらびなさい。
15. 風邪をひいて、のどの( )が悪いです。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
調子 (choushi) means 'condition' or 'state'. 'のどの調子が悪い' (nodo no choushi ga warui) is a common phrase meaning 'my throat is in bad condition' or 'my throat feels bad'. The sentence means 'I caught a cold, and my throat is in bad condition.'
Why other options are incorrect:
気分 (kibun) means 'feeling' or 'mood'. It's used for general feelings, not typically for specific body parts.
事情 (jijou) means 'circumstances' or 'situation'.
都合 (tsugou) means 'convenience' or 'circumstances'.
16. このズボンは( )ので、もう少し小さいサイズのをください。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
緩い (yurui) means 'loose'. The sentence implies the pants are too loose, so a smaller size is needed. The sentence means 'These pants are loose, so please give me a slightly smaller size.'
Why other options are incorrect:
きつい (kitsui) means 'tight' or 'severe'. If the pants were tight, one would ask for a larger size.
だるい (darui) means 'sluggish' or 'dull', describing a physical feeling, not clothing fit.
苦しい (kurushii) means 'painful' or 'difficult', describing a feeling of suffering, not clothing fit.
17. 日本に来てから、もう3年( )。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
たちました (tachimasita) is the past tense of 経つ (tatsu), meaning 'to pass' (referring to time). 3年が経ちました (sannen ga tachimashita) means '3 years have passed'. The sentence means 'It has already been 3 years since I came to Japan.'
Why other options are incorrect:
移りました (utsurimashita) is the past tense of 移る (utsuru), meaning 'to move' or 'to transfer'.
かかりました (kakarimashita) is the past tense of かかる (kakaru), meaning 'to take' (time or money), or 'to hang'. It's used for the duration of an action, not simply the passage of time.
通りました (toorimashita) is the past tense of 通る (tooru), meaning 'to pass through' or 'to go through'.
18. ついさっきまでいい天気だったのに、( ) 雨が降ってきてぬれてしまいました。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
突然 (totsuzen) means 'suddenly' or 'unexpectedly'. It fits the context of a sudden change in weather. The sentence means 'It was good weather just a moment ago, but suddenly it started raining and I got wet.'
Why other options are incorrect:
早めに (hayame ni) means 'earlier than usual' or 'in advance'.
さっそく (sassoku) means 'immediately' or 'at once'.
急ぐ (isogu) is a verb meaning 'to hurry', not an adverb to describe suddenness.
19. この国は( )が高いので、生活が大変です。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
物価 (bukka) means 'prices (of goods)'. If prices are high (物価が高い), life becomes difficult. The sentence means 'Prices are high in this country, so life is difficult.'
Why other options are incorrect:
経済 (keizai) means 'economy'. 'Economy is high' doesn't make sense in this context.
消費 (shouhi) means 'consumption'. 'Consumption is high' doesn't directly explain the difficulty of life.
支出 (shishutsu) means 'expenditure' or 'expenses'. While high expenses make life difficult, 物価 (prices) is a more direct cause for the general cost of living.
20. 先に家を出た兄に、駅の近くでやっと( )。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
追いつきました (oitsukimashita) is the past tense of 追いつく (oitsuku), meaning 'to catch up with'. The sentence means 'I finally caught up with my older brother, who left home earlier, near the station.'
Why other options are incorrect:
間に合いました (maniaimashita) means 'made it in time'.
ぶつかりました (butsukarimashita) means 'collided with' or 'crashed into'.
届きました (todokimashita) means 'arrived' or 'reached'.
21. わたしは泳ぐのが下手なので、この前、海で( )になりました。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
おぼれそう (oboresou) means 'almost drowned' or 'likely to drown'. The verb 溺れる (oboreru) means 'to drown'. Since the speaker is bad at swimming (泳ぐのが下手), almost drowning is the most logical outcome. The sentence means 'I'm bad at swimming, so the other day, I almost drowned in the sea.'
Why other options are incorrect:
こおりそう (koorisou) means 'almost froze' or 'likely to freeze'.
たまりそう (tamarisou) means 'almost accumulated' or 'likely to pile up'.
すべりそう (suberisou) means 'almost slipped' or 'likely to slip'.
22. 友人の家で食べたケーキがおいしかったので、( )と作り方を教えてもらった。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
材料 (zairyō) means 'ingredients'. If a cake was delicious, it's natural to ask for the ingredients and how to make it. The sentence means 'The cake I ate at my friend's house was delicious, so I asked them to teach me the ingredients and how to make it.'
Why other options are incorrect:
資源 (shigen) means 'resources'.
部品 (buhin) means 'parts' or 'components' (for machinery, etc.).
原因 (gen'in) means 'cause' or 'origin'.
23. あの兄弟はいつも一緒に学校に来るのに、今日は( )来た。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
別々に (betsubetsu ni) means 'separately'. The sentence implies a contrast to 'always together'. The sentence means 'Those brothers always come to school together, but today they came separately.'
Why other options are incorrect:
半々に (hanbun ni) means 'half and half'.
分けて (wakete) is the te-form of 分ける (wakeru), meaning 'to divide' or 'to separate' (as a verb).
区切って (kugitte) is the te-form of 区切る (kugiru), meaning 'to divide' or 'to punctuate'.
24. 佐藤さんに仕事をお願いしたら、( ) くれました。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
引き受けて (hikiukete) is the te-form of 引き受ける (hikiukeru), meaning 'to undertake' or 'to accept (a job/request)'. The sentence means 'When I asked Mr. Sato to do the job, he accepted it for me.'
Why other options are incorrect:
引き出して (hikidashite) is the te-form of 引き出す (hikidasu), meaning 'to pull out' or 'to withdraw (money)'.
引っ張って (hippatte) is the te-form of 引っ張る (hipparu), meaning 'to pull'.
引っかけて (hikkakete) is the te-form of 引っ掛ける (hikkakeru), meaning 'to hook' or 'to trick'.
25. 森さんはいつも、自分の飼っているペットが一番かわいいとみんなに( )いる。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
自慢して (jimanshite) is the te-form of 自慢する (jimansuru), meaning 'to boast' or 'to be proud of'. It fits the context of someone always talking proudly about their pet. The sentence means 'Mr. Mori is always boasting to everyone that his pet is the cutest.'
Why other options are incorrect:
期待して (kitai shite) is the te-form of 期待する (kitai suru), meaning 'to expect' or 'to hope for'.
応援して (ouen shite) is the te-form of 応援する (ouen suru), meaning 'to cheer' or 'to support'.
賛成して (sansei shite) is the te-form of 賛成する (sansei suru), meaning 'to agree' or 'to approve'.
問題 4 ___に意味が最も近いものを、1・2・3・4から一つえらびなさい。
26. 高橋さんの家は<u>キッチン</u>が広くていいですね。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
台所 (daidokoro) means 'kitchen', which is the direct Japanese equivalent of the English loanword キッチン (kitchen). The sentence means 'Mr. Takahashi's house has a spacious kitchen, which is nice.'
Why other options are incorrect:
玄関 (genkan) means 'entrance' or 'foyer'.
部屋 (heya) means 'room'.
廊下 (rouka) means 'corridor' or 'hallway'.
27. 机の<u>位置</u>を確認しておいてください。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
場所 (basho) means 'place' or 'location', which is the closest synonym to 位置 (ichi), meaning 'position' or 'location'. The sentence means 'Please confirm the position of the desk.'
Why other options are incorrect:
値段 (nedan) means 'price'.
数 (kazu) means 'number'.
色 (iro) means 'color'.
28. その商品は<u>売り切れた</u>。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
売り切れた (urikireta) means 'sold out'. This is best expressed by 全部売れた (zenbu ureta), meaning 'all were sold'. The sentence means 'That product sold out.'
Why other options are incorrect:
全部売れなかった (zenbu urenakatta) means 'all didn't sell', which is the opposite of 'sold out'.
だんだん売れなくなってきた (dandan urenaku natte kita) means 'gradually stopped selling'.
よく売れるようになってきた (yoku ureru you ni natte kita) means 'started selling well'.
29. 今度、<u>わけ</u>を教えてください。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
理由 (riyuu) means 'reason', which is the closest synonym to わけ (wake), also meaning 'reason' or 'meaning'. The sentence means 'Next time, please tell me the reason.'
Why other options are incorrect:
計画 (keikaku) means 'plan'.
意見 (iken) means 'opinion'.
規則 (kisoku) means 'rule'.
30 今からアンケートを<u>回収</u>します。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
集める (atsumeru) means 'to gather' or 'to collect', which is the closest synonym to 回収する (kaishuu suru), meaning 'to collect' or 'to recover'. The sentence means 'I will collect the questionnaires now.'
Why other options are incorrect:
渡す (watasu) means 'to hand over' or 'to pass'.
贈る (okuru) means 'to give' or 'to present'.
始める (hajimeru) means 'to start' or 'to begin'.
問題 5 つぎのことばの使い方として最もよいものを、1・2・3・4から一つえらびなさい。
31. 早退
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
早退 (soutai) specifically means 'to leave early from work or school'. Option 3 correctly uses it in the context of leaving a company early due to an appointment. The sentence means 'Today, I had to go to the hospital in the evening, so I left the company early.'
Why other options are incorrect:
早退 is not typically used for leaving a movie theater. You would use 途中で帰った (tochuu de kaetta - left midway) or 途中で出た (tochuu de deta - left midway).
早退 is not used for leaving a sports game due to injury. 途中退場 (tochuu taijou - left midway from a game/match) would be more appropriate.
早退 is not used for being discharged early from a hospital. 早期退院 (souki taiin - early discharge from hospital) is the correct term.
32. 進歩
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
進歩 (shinpo) means 'progress' or 'advancement'. Option 2 correctly uses it to describe the advancement of science and technology. The sentence means 'Science and technology advanced, and people's lives became convenient.'
Why other options are incorrect:
進歩 is not used for plants growing. 育つ (sodatsu - grow) or 成長する (seichou suru - grow, develop) would be appropriate.
進歩 is not typically used for physical strength. 体力がついた (tairyoku ga tsuita - gained physical strength) or 体力が向上した (tairyoku ga koujou shita - physical strength improved) would be more natural.
進歩 is not commonly used for grades. 成績が上がった (seiseki ga agatta - grades went up) or 成績が向上した (seiseki ga koujou shita - grades improved) would be better.
33 余る
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
余る (amaru) means 'to be left over' or 'to remain (in excess)'. Option 4 correctly uses it to describe extra materials remaining because some people were absent. The sentence means 'Since there were people absent from class, there are several copies of materials left over.'
Why other options are incorrect:
余る is not typically used for time remaining until a deadline. 残る (nokoru - to remain) would be more appropriate.
余る is not used for symptoms remaining. 熱が残っている (netsu ga nokotte iru - fever remains) or 熱が続いている (netsu ga tsuzuite iru - fever is continuing) would be more natural.
余る is not used for trash not remaining. ごみが残っていない (gomi ga nokotte inai - trash is not remaining) would be more appropriate.
34. 効果
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
効果 (kouka) means 'effect' or 'result'. Option 3 correctly uses it to describe the positive result of an advertisement. The sentence means 'It seems the advertisement had an effect, and there were many customers this month.'
Why other options are incorrect:
効果 is not used for a positive outcome due to someone's help. おかげ (okage - thanks to) would be more appropriate.
効果 is not typically used for a natural consequence like aging. せい (sei - due to, fault of) or 影響 (eikyou - influence) would be more natural.
効果 is not used for the manifestation of fatigue. 影響 (eikyou - influence) or 症状 (shoujou - symptom) would be more appropriate.
35. こぼす
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
こぼす (kobosu) means 'to spill (liquid)' or 'to drop (something small, causing it to scatter)'. Option 1 correctly uses it for spilling juice. The sentence means 'I spilled juice on the desk and stained my notebook.'
Why other options are incorrect:
こぼす is not used for sweating. 汗をかく (ase o kaku - to sweat) is the correct expression.
こぼす is not typically used for something falling out of a pocket. 落とす (otosu - to drop) would be more appropriate.
こぼす is not used for documents scattering. 散らばる (chirabaru - to scatter) or ばらまく (baramaku - to scatter, to strew) would be more appropriate.