2020/12 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. まず、この問題を<u>調査</u>します。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
調査 (ちょうさ) means 'investigation' or 'survey'. The correct reading is 'ちょうさ'. The sentence means 'First, I will investigate this problem.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 調査.
This is an incorrect reading for 調査.
This is an incorrect reading for 調査.
2. どんな<u>種類</u>がありますか。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
種類 (しゅるい) means 'type' or 'kind'. The correct reading is 'しゅるい'. The sentence asks 'What kinds are there?'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 種類.
This is an incorrect reading for 種類.
This is an incorrect reading for 種類.
3. この辺は<u>岩</u>が多い場所だ。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
岩 (いわ) means 'rock' or 'boulder'. The correct reading is 'いわ'. The sentence means 'This area has many rocks.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 岩.
すな (suna) means 'sand', which is a different word.
どろ (doro) means 'mud', which is a different word.
4. たくさんの人と<u>交流</u>する。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
交流 (こうりゅう) means 'exchange' or 'interaction'. The correct reading is 'こうりゅう'. The sentence means 'to interact with many people.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 交流.
This is an incorrect reading for 交流.
This reading is missing the long vowel mark for 'ryuu'.
5. 荷物はフロントに<u>預けて</u>おきました。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
預けて (あずけて) is the te-form of 預ける, meaning 'to deposit' or 'to leave (something with someone)'. The correct reading is 'あずけて'. The sentence means 'I left my luggage at the front desk.'
Why other options are incorrect:
とどけて (todokete) is the te-form of 届ける, meaning 'to deliver', which is a different verb.
This is an incorrect reading for 預けて.
This is an incorrect reading for 預けて.
6. わたしは<u>普通</u>、7 時に起きます。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
普通 (ふつう) means 'usually' or 'normally'. The correct reading is 'ふつう'. The sentence means 'I usually wake up at 7 o'clock.'
Why other options are incorrect:
This is an incorrect reading for 普通.
This is an incorrect reading for 普通.
ふだん (fudan) is the reading for 普段, which also means 'usually' or 'ordinarily', but uses different kanji.
7. 理由もなく<u>疑って</u>はいけないと思う。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
疑って (うたがって) is the te-form of 疑う, meaning 'to doubt' or 'to suspect'. The correct reading is 'うたがって'. The sentence means 'I think you shouldn't doubt without reason.'
Why other options are incorrect:
ことわって (kotowatte) is the te-form of 断る, meaning 'to refuse', which is a different verb.
きらって (kiratte) is the te-form of 嫌う, meaning 'to dislike', which is a different verb.
おこって (okotte) is the te-form of 怒る, meaning 'to get angry', which is a different verb.
8. 来週は旅行で家を<u>留守</u>にします。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
留守 (るす) means 'absence from home'. The correct reading is 'るす'. The sentence means 'Next week, I will be away from home for a trip.'
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.
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. それは<u>ぎゃく</u>ですよ。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ぎゃく (gyaku) means 'reverse' or 'opposite'. The correct kanji is 逆. The sentence means 'That's the opposite.'
Why other options are incorrect:
途 (to) means 'way' or 'route'.
迅 (jin) means 'rapid' or 'swift'.
造 (zou) means 'to make' or 'to create'.
10. あしたの朝は気温が<u>ひくく</u>なるそうです。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ひくく (hikuku) is the adverbial form of 低い (ひくい), meaning 'low'. The correct kanji is 低く. The sentence means 'It seems the temperature will be low tomorrow morning.'
Why other options are incorrect:
冷く (tsumetaku) means 'cold', but is not the correct kanji for ひくく in the context of temperature being low.
底 (soko) means 'bottom', and is not used in this context.
令 (rei) means 'command' or 'order', and is not related to temperature.
11. 授 業で花の 形や色を<u>かんさつ</u>しました。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
かんさつ (kansatsu) means 'observation'. The correct kanji is 観察. The sentence means 'I observed the shape and color of the flowers in class.'
Why other options are incorrect:
観祭 (kansai) is not the correct kanji combination for 'observation'.
視察 (shisatsu) means 'inspection' or 'official visit', which is different from general observation.
視祭 (shisai) is not a common or correct kanji combination.
12. 田村さんが手紙を読んで<u>ないて</u>いた。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ないて (naite) is the te-form of 泣く, meaning 'to cry'. The correct kanji is 泣いて. The sentence means 'Mr. Tamura was crying while reading the letter.'
Why other options are incorrect:
恋いて (koite) is the te-form of 恋う, meaning 'to long for' or 'to love', which is a different verb.
涙 (namida) means 'tear', but 涙いて is not a correct verb form.
悲 (kanashi) means 'sad', but 悲いて is not a correct verb form.
13. 夜の 11 時<u>いこう</u>は、料金が高くなる。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
いこう (ikou) means 'after' or 'from now on'. The correct kanji is 以降. The sentence means 'The fee will be higher after 11 PM.'
Why other options are incorrect:
以向 is not a standard kanji combination for 'after'.
移降 is not a standard kanji combination for 'after'.
移向 is not a standard kanji combination for 'after'.
14. 今は<u>ふくざつ</u>な気持ちだ。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ふくざつ (fukuzatsu) means 'complex' or 'complicated'. The correct kanji is 複雑. The sentence means 'I have mixed feelings right now' or 'My feelings are complicated right now.'
Why other options are incorrect:
復推 is not a standard kanji combination for 'complex'.
復雑 uses an incorrect first kanji for 'complex'.
複推 is not a standard kanji combination for 'complex'.
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. 旅行中に町を歩いていたら、( )学生時代の友人に会い、とても驚いた。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
偶然 (ぐうぜん) means 'by chance' or 'accidentally'. It perfectly fits the context of unexpectedly meeting an old friend, which caused surprise. The sentence means 'While walking in town during my trip, I accidentally met a friend from my student days, and I was very surprised.'
Why other options are incorrect:
案外 (あんがい) means 'unexpectedly' or 'surprisingly', but it usually implies something is different from what one expected, not a chance encounter.
せっかく (sekkaku) means 'with much trouble' or 'at great pains', implying effort was made, which doesn't fit a chance meeting.
ついでに (tsuide ni) means 'while doing something else' or 'incidentally', implying an intentional secondary action, not a random encounter.
16. 森さんは明るくて ( ) のある人だから、一緒に話していると、 とても楽しい。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ユーモア (yuumoa) means 'humor'. The sentence describes Mori-san as a bright person with humor, making conversations enjoyable. This is the most suitable word to describe a personality trait that makes someone fun to talk to.
Why other options are incorrect:
カロリー (karorii) means 'calorie', which is unrelated to personality.
アップ (appu) means 'up' or 'increase', which does not fit the context of a personality trait.
レジャー (rejaa) means 'leisure', which is unrelated to personality.
17. 今度の旅行は、みんなから行きたい場所の （ ）を聞いて、 どこに行くかを決めます。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
希望 (きぼう) means 'hope' or 'desire'. The sentence means 'For the next trip, we will decide where to go by asking everyone for their desired destinations.' This is the most appropriate word for asking about preferences.
Why other options are incorrect:
感覚 (かんかく) means 'sense' or 'feeling', which doesn't fit the context of asking for specific places.
意識 (いしき) means 'consciousness' or 'awareness', which is unrelated to travel preferences.
決心 (けっしん) means 'determination' or 'resolution', which refers to one's own strong decision, not a request for others' preferences.
18. この物語に（ ）する人たちは、全員女性だ。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
登場 (とうじょう) means 'appearance (on stage, in a story)' or 'entry'. It refers to characters appearing in a story. The sentence means 'All the people who appear in this story are women.'
Why other options are incorrect:
発生 (はっせい) means 'occurrence' or 'outbreak', typically for events or phenomena, not people in a story.
外出 (がいしゅつ) means 'going out', which refers to physically leaving a place, not appearing in a narrative.
入門 (にゅうもん) means 'introduction' or 'entering a school/field', which is unrelated to characters in a story.
19. さっき履いてみた靴は少し大きかったけど、この靴は（ ）してもらった。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ぴったり (pittari) is an adverb meaning 'perfectly (fit), exactly'. It describes something fitting perfectly. The sentence means 'The shoes I tried on earlier were a bit big, but these shoes fit me perfectly.'
Why other options are incorrect:
はっきり (hakkiri) means 'clearly' or 'distinctly', which does not describe how shoes fit.
しっかり (shikkari) means 'firmly' or 'steadily', which describes stability, not fit.
そっくり (sokkuri) means 'exactly alike' or 'entirely', which describes similarity or completeness, not fit.
20. たくさん買い物したので、買った商 品を家まで（ ）してもらった。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
配達 (はいたつ) means 'delivery'. The sentence means 'Since I bought a lot, I had the purchased items delivered to my home.' This is the most appropriate action for getting purchased goods home.
Why other options are incorrect:
報告 (ほうこく) means 'report', which is unrelated to transporting goods.
送信 (そうしん) means 'transmission' or 'sending a message', which is unrelated to physical goods.
訪問 (ほうもん) means 'visit', which refers to a person visiting a place, not goods being transported.
21. 友人に頼まれたので、結婚式の司会を( )。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
引き受けた (ひきうけた) is the past tense of 引き受ける, meaning 'to undertake' or 'to accept (a task/responsibility)'. The sentence means 'My friend asked me, so I accepted the role of MC for the wedding.'
Why other options are incorrect:
引き出した (ひきだした) means 'pulled out' or 'withdrew (money)', which does not fit the context of accepting a role.
受け取った (うけとった) means 'received', typically for physical items or information, not a role or responsibility.
取り付けた (とりつけた) means 'installed' or 'attached', which is unrelated to accepting a role.
22. 二つの会社の仕事内容や 給 料を（ ）して、いいと思ったほうの 会社に決めた。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
比較 (ひかく) means 'comparison'. The sentence means 'I compared the job descriptions and salaries of the two companies and decided on the one I thought was better.' This is the logical action before making a decision between two options.
Why other options are incorrect:
競争 (きょうそう) means 'competition', which is not what one does with job descriptions and salaries to make a personal choice.
選択 (せんたく) means 'choice' or 'selection'. While one makes a choice, '比較' (comparison) is the action performed to *make* the choice.
区別 (くべつ) means 'distinction' or 'differentiation', which is about identifying differences, not evaluating and choosing the better option.
23. 朝まで寝ないで本を読んでいたので、今日は眠くて何度も（ ）が出た。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
あくび (akubi) means 'yawn'. The sentence means 'I was reading a book all night without sleeping, so today I'm sleepy and kept yawning many times.' Yawns are a direct result of sleepiness.
Why other options are incorrect:
くしゃみ (kushami) means 'sneeze', which is unrelated to sleepiness.
せき (seki) means 'cough', which is unrelated to sleepiness.
しゃっくり (shakkuri) means 'hiccup', which is unrelated to sleepiness.
24. 料理を運ぶのが遅かったので、お客さんから（ ）を言われた。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
文句 (もんく) means 'complaint'. The sentence means 'Because the food delivery was slow, I received a complaint from the customer.' This is the most appropriate word for expressing dissatisfaction.
Why other options are incorrect:
失礼 (しつれい) means 'rudeness' or 'excuse me', which is not what a customer would 'say' in this context as a direct response to slow service.
我慢 (がまん) means 'patience' or 'endurance', which is a state of mind, not something said by a customer in this situation.
反対 (はんたい) means 'opposition' or 'disagreement', which is too strong and doesn't fit the context of a service issue.
25. 試合会場に着いた田中選手は、待っていた大勢のファンに（ ）。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
かこまれた (kakomareta) is the passive form of 囲む (かこむ), meaning 'to be surrounded'. The sentence means 'Player Tanaka, upon arriving at the match venue, was surrounded by many waiting fans.' This accurately describes fans gathering around a person.
Why other options are incorrect:
うめられた (umerareta) is the passive form of 埋める, meaning 'to be buried' or 'to be filled', which is not appropriate for people surrounding someone.
つつまれた (tsutsumareta) is the passive form of 包む, meaning 'to be wrapped' or 'to be enveloped', which implies being covered, not surrounded by a crowd.
まぜられた (mazerareta) is the passive form of 混ぜる, meaning 'to be mixed', which is not appropriate for people surrounding someone.
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. 今回の仕事はとても<u>きつい</u>。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
きつい (kitsui) means 'tough', 'hard', 'severe', or 'demanding'. Therefore, 大変だ (taihen da), meaning 'difficult' or 'tough', is the closest in meaning. The sentence means 'This job is very tough.'
Why other options are incorrect:
おもしろい (omoshiroi) means 'interesting', which is the opposite of 'tough'.
簡単だ (kantan da) means 'easy', which is the opposite of 'tough'.
つまらない (tsumaranai) means 'boring' or 'uninteresting', which is not the primary meaning of 'きつい'.
27. 今日はとても<u>くたびれた</u>。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
くたびれた (kutabireta) means 'got tired' or 'worn out'. Therefore, つかれた (tsukareta), meaning 'got tired', is the closest in meaning. The sentence means 'Today I'm very tired.'
Why other options are incorrect:
いそがしかった (isogashikatta) means 'was busy', which can lead to tiredness but is not the same as being tired.
はずかしかった (hazukashikatta) means 'was embarrassed', which is a different emotion.
こまった (komatta) means 'was troubled' or 'was in difficulty', which is a different state.
28. 休みが<u>明けたら</u>、また連絡します。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
明ける (akeru) in this context means 'to end' or 'to be over' (e.g., for a holiday, night). Therefore, おわったら (owattara), meaning 'when it ends', is the closest in meaning. The sentence means 'I will contact you again after the holidays are over.'
Why other options are incorrect:
きまったら (kimattara) means 'when decided', which is unrelated to the end of a holiday.
とれたら (toretara) means 'when taken' or 'when obtained', which is not appropriate for a holiday ending.
はじまったら (hajimattara) means 'when started', which is the opposite of '明けたら' in this context.
29. この店はいつも<u>混雑している</u>。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
混雑している (konzatsu shiteiru) means 'is crowded' or 'is congested'. This implies there are many customers. Therefore, '客がたくさんいる' (kyaku ga takusan iru), meaning 'there are many customers', is the closest in meaning. The sentence means 'This shop is always crowded.'
Why other options are incorrect:
品物があまりない (shinamono ga amari nai) means 'there aren't many goods', which is unrelated to being crowded.
客があまりいない (kyaku ga amari inai) means 'there aren't many customers', which is the opposite of being crowded.
品物がたくさんある (shinamono ga takusan aru) means 'there are many goods', which is unrelated to being crowded.
30. このスポーツのルールは<u>単純だ</u>。
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
単純だ (tanjun da) means 'simple' or 'straightforward'. Therefore, わかりやすい (wakariyasui), meaning 'easy to understand', is the closest in meaning. The sentence means 'The rules of this sport are simple.'
Why other options are incorrect:
よく知られている (yoku shirareteiru) means 'well-known', which is not directly related to simplicity.
あまり知られていない (amari shirareteinai) means 'not well-known', which is the opposite of 'well-known' and unrelated to simplicity.
わかりにくい (wakarinikui) means 'hard to understand', which is the opposite of 'simple'.
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. 割引
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
割引 (わりびき) means 'discount'. Option 2 correctly uses 割引 to mean that the fee will be discounted for group visits to the museum. This is the standard usage of the word.
Why other options are incorrect:
This sentence incorrectly uses 割引. Population decreases, it doesn't get 'discounted'. The correct word would be 減少 (genshou: decrease).
This sentence incorrectly uses 割引. Weight decreases, it doesn't get 'discounted'. The correct word would be 減る (heru: to decrease) or 減量 (genryou: weight loss).
This sentence incorrectly uses 割引. Sleeping time decreases, it doesn't get 'discounted'. The correct word would be 減る (heru: to decrease) or 少なくなる (sukunakunaru: to become less).
32. 気づく
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
気づく (きづく) means 'to notice' or 'to realize'. Option 3 correctly uses 気づく to mean realizing one had forgotten something on the train upon arriving home. This implies a sudden awareness of something previously overlooked.
Why other options are incorrect:
This sentence incorrectly uses 気づく. One would 'recall' (思い出す) or 'feel' (感じる) the scenery of their hometown, not 'notice' it in this context.
This sentence incorrectly uses 気づく. One would 'hear' (聞こえて) or be 'disturbed by' (邪魔されて) the noise, not 'notice' it in a way that prevents sleep.
This sentence incorrectly uses 気づく. One would 'think about' (考えると) or 'anticipate' (期待すると) their future university life, not 'notice' it.
33. 栄養
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
栄養 (えいよう) means 'nutrition'. Option 1 correctly uses 栄養 to mean that one is careful about meals because a lack of nutrition makes one prone to catching colds. This is the standard usage related to health and diet.
Why other options are incorrect:
This sentence incorrectly uses 栄養. A company's 'profit' (利益: rieki) or 'sales' (売上: uriage) would increase, not 'nutrition'.
This sentence incorrectly uses 栄養. A plane would incur 'costs' (費用: hiyou) or consume 'energy' (エネルギー), not 'nutrition'.
This sentence incorrectly uses 栄養. University lectures would have rich 'content' (内容: naiyou) or provide a lot of 'learning' (学び: manabi), not 'nutrition'.
34. ふらふら
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
ふらふら (furafura) is an onomatopoeic word meaning 'dizzy' or 'unsteady'. Option 2 correctly uses ふらふら to describe feeling unsteady when walking due to a fever. This is a common physical sensation.
Why other options are incorrect:
This sentence incorrectly uses ふらふら. Vegetables would be 'wilted' (しおれる: shioreru) or 'limp' (ぐったり: guttari) due to heat, not 'dizzy'.
This sentence incorrectly uses ふらふら. Fingers would be 'tired' (疲れた: tsukareta) or 'sluggish' (だるい: darui) from playing piano all day, not 'dizzy'.
This sentence incorrectly uses ふらふら. A voice would 'tremble' (震える: furueru) or become 'high-pitched due to nervousness' (上ずる: uwazuru), not 'dizzy'.
35. 滞在
Detailed Explanation
Why this is correct:
滞在 (たいざい) means 'stay' (as in a temporary visit or residence). Option 4 correctly uses 滞在 to mean staying in Tokyo for a week for work. This is the most appropriate usage for a temporary stay in a place.
Why other options are incorrect:
This sentence incorrectly uses 滞在. A train would 'stop' (停車している: teisha shiteiru) or 'be parked' at the platform, not 'stay' in the sense of a temporary visit.
This sentence incorrectly uses 滞在. One would 'drop by' (寄る: yoru) or 'take a break' (休憩する: kyuukei suru) at a coffee shop, not 'stay' in the sense of a temporary residence.
This sentence incorrectly uses 滞在. A car would be 'deposited' (預けられている: azukerareteiru) or 'kept' (置かれている: okareteiru) at a factory for repair, not 'staying'.