N1 Vocabulary · Test 89

負債 is read ふさい, meaning 'debt, liabilities.' The correct option is 夫妻, also read ふさい (husband and wife / married couple). This question tests recognizing the reading ふさい among lookalike/similar-sounding kanji.

• 1不在 is read ふざい (not ふさい) — the dakuten on ざ distinguishes it; also means 'absence,' unrelated.
• 3風習 is read ふうしゅう, meaning 'custom' — different reading and meaning.
• 4封鎖 is read ふうさ, meaning 'blockade, lockdown' — different reading and meaning.

• 負債ふさい — debt, liabilities
• 多額たがく — large sum, huge amount
• 夫妻ふさい — married couple, husband and wife

再三 is read さいさん, meaning 'repeatedly, again and again.' The correct option is 採算, also read さいさん (profitability / cost-performance). This tests identifying the matching reading さいさん.

• 2最善 is read さいぜん, meaning 'the best' — different reading (ぜん vs さん).
• 3整然 is read せいぜん, meaning 'orderly, neat' — different reading entirely.
• 4財産 is read ざいさん, meaning 'property, assets' — close in sound but the initial consonant is voiced ざ, not さ.

• 再三さいさん — repeatedly, again and again
• 採算さいさん — profitability, cost-performance, accounting
• 聞く耳を持たない（きくみみをもたない） — to refuse to listen, turn a deaf ear

意地 is read いじ, meaning 'willfulness, stubbornness, pride.' 意地を張る is a set phrase meaning 'to be stubborn, stand on one's pride.' The correct option is 維持, also read いじ (maintenance, preservation).

• 1位置 is read いち, meaning 'position' — different reading (ち vs じ).
• 2一致 is read いっち, meaning 'agreement, coincidence' — has a small っ and different final consonant.
• 4異議 is read いぎ, meaning 'objection, dissent' — close but the second character is read ぎ, not じ.

• 意地いじ — willfulness, stubbornness, pride
• 意地を張る（いじをはる） — to be stubborn, insist on one's pride
• 維持いじ — maintenance, preservation

The underlined word 結晶 is read けっしょう (kesshō). Option 2, 決勝, is also read けっしょう, making it the correct match. This question tests whether you can correctly identify the reading of 結晶 among several similar-sounding compounds.

• 1化粧 is read けしょう (keshō) — no small っ and a different vowel pattern. It means 'makeup/cosmetics.'
• 3傑作 is read けっさく (kessaku) — the second kanji has a different reading (さく vs しょう). It means 'masterpiece.'
• 4欠席 is read けっせき (kesseki) — again the second kanji differs (せき vs しょう). It means 'absence.'

• 結晶けっしょう — crystal
• 決勝けっしょう — finals, deciding match
• 化粧けしょう — makeup, cosmetics
• 傑作けっさく — masterpiece
• 欠席けっせき — absence

The underlined word 均衡 is read きんこう (kinkō). Option 2, 近郊, is also read きんこう, making it the correct match. The sentence means 'The two forces maintain a balance.'

• 1金庫 is read きんこ (kinko) — no long vowel at the end. It means 'safe, vault.'
• 3機構 is read きこう (kikō) — the first kanji has a different reading (き vs きん). It means 'mechanism, organization.'
• 4緊急 is read きんきゅう (kinkyū) — the second kanji differs entirely. It means 'emergency, urgent.'

• 均衡きんこう — balance, equilibrium
• 近郊きんこう — suburbs, outskirts
• 金庫きんこ — safe, vault
• 機構きこう — mechanism, organization
• 緊急きんきゅう — emergency, urgent

The underlined word 維持 is read いじ (iji) and means 'maintenance' or 'preservation'. In this question type, you must choose the option whose kanji word has the exact same reading as the underlined word. Option 3, 意地, is also read いじ (iji), making it the correct choice.

• 1記事 is read きじ (kiji) and means 'article' or 'news story'. The reading is different from いじ.
• 2医師 is read いし (ishi) and means 'doctor'. The reading is different from いじ.
• 4支持 is read しじ (shiji) and means 'support' or 'backing'. The reading is different from いじ.

• 維持いじ — maintenance, preservation
• 意地いじ — willpower, obstinacy, spirit
• 記事きじ — article, news story
• 医師いし — doctor, physician
• 支持しじ — support, backing

The question asks you to choose the word among the options that has the same reading as the underlined word 証人. The word 証人 is read as しょうにん (shōnin). Option 2, 承認, is also read as しょうにん (shōnin), making it the correct answer. This is a classic JLPT homophone (同音異義語) question.

• 1成人 is read as せいじん (seijin), meaning 'adult'. It does not share the same reading as 証人.
• 3昇進 is read as しょうしん (shōshin), meaning 'promotion'. It is close in pronunciation but has a different middle character (し instead of に), so it is incorrect.
• 4就任 is read as しゅうにん (shūnin), meaning 'assumption of office'. It is close in pronunciation but has a different first character (しゅう instead of しょう), so it is incorrect.

• 証人しょうにん — witness
• 承認しょうにん — approval, consent, recognition
• 成人せいじん — adult
• 昇進しょうしん — promotion
• 就任しゅうにん — assumption of office

In this question type (common in the pre-2010 JLPT), you must choose the option whose kanji word has the same reading as the underlined word. The underlined word 該当 is read がいとう (gaitō). Option 4, 街頭, is also read がいとう (gaitō), making it the correct answer.

• 1回答 is read かいとう (kaitō). While it shares the second kanji's reading 'とう', the first part 'かい' is different from 'がい'.
• 2高等 is read こうとう (kōtō). The first part 'こう' is different from 'がい'.
• 3半島 is read はんとう (hantō). The first part 'はん' is different from 'がい'.

• 該当がいとう — to apply to, to correspond to, to fall under (a condition)
• 街頭がいとう — street, on the street
• 回答かいとう — reply, answer, response
• 高等こうとう — high grade, advanced, higher
• 半島はんとう — peninsula

The question asks for the correct reading of the underlined word 有効 in the sentence パスポートの有効期限が切れている (The passport's validity period has expired). The word 有効 is read as ゆうこう (yūkō) and means 'valid' or 'effective'. Option 3, 友好, is also read as ゆうこう (yūkō), making it the correct homophone.

• 1優勢 is read as ゆうせい (yūsei), meaning 'predominance' or 'superiority'. It does not match the reading of 有効.
• 2誘導 is read as ゆうどう (yūdō), meaning 'guidance' or 'induction'. It does not match the reading of 有効.
• 4勇敢 is read as ゆうかん (yūkan), meaning 'bravery' or 'courage'. It does not match the reading of 有効.

• 有効ゆうこう — valid, effective
• 友好ゆうこう — friendship, friendly relations
• 優勢ゆうせい — predominance, superiority
• 誘導ゆうどう — guidance, induction
• 勇敢ゆうかん — bravery, courage

The correct option is 1. The underlined word 「携帯」 is read as 「けいたい」 (keitai) and means 'portable' or 'mobile'. Option 1, 「形態」, is also read as 「けいたい」 (keitai) and means 'form', 'shape', or 'structure'. In this type of question, you must select the option that shares the same reading as the underlined word.

• 2「掲載」 is read as 「けいさい」 (keisai), meaning 'publication' or 'carrying (an article)'. It does not share the same reading as 「携帯」.
• 3「系統」 is read as 「けいとう」 (keitou), meaning 'system' or 'lineage'. It does not share the same reading as 「携帯」.
• 4「停滞」 is read as 「ていたい」 (teitai), meaning 'stagnation' or 'sluggishness'. Although it looks somewhat similar and ends in 「たい」, its reading is different from 「携帯」.

• 携帯けいたい — portable, mobile
• 形態けいたい — form, shape, structure
• 掲載けいさい — publication, insertion (in a newspaper/magazine)
• 系統けいとう — system, lineage
• 停滞ていたい — stagnation, deadlock