優位（ゆうい）means 'superiority, advantageous position.' The common phrase 優位に立つ means 'to stand in an advantageous/superior position (over others).' Option 1, 'Ａ社は小型パソコン市場において他社より優位に立っている' ('Company A has been holding a superior position over other companies in the small PC market'), is the correct usage.
2優位に入賞できる does not make sense. 優位 describes a position of superiority, not certainty of achievement. 確実（かくじつ）に or 優秀（ゆうしゅう）な would be appropriate here.
3ご予約のお客さまを優位にお席にご案内 means 'guiding reserved customers to their seats with superiority,' which is nonsensical. The intended word is 優先（ゆうせん）的に, meaning 'prioritizing, giving priority to.'
4品質を優位に考える is incorrect. 優位 describes a relative position of advantage, not a priority in thinking. 優先（ゆうせん）して or 重視（じゅうし）して would be correct.
優位 — superiority, advantageous position
優位に立つ（ゆういにたつ） — to stand in a superior/advantageous position
優先 — priority, giving priority (a common confusable word)
かばう means 'to defend/protect someone (from criticism, blame, or harm), to take someone's side.' Option 4, '父にしかられていたら、母が「わざとやったわけじゃないんだから」と言ってかばってくれた' ('When I was being scolded by my father, my mother defended me by saying "It's not like I/he did it on purpose"'), is the correct usage. The mother is speaking on the child's behalf to shield them from blame.
1身をかばう is not natural. かばう is used to protect/defend another person, not oneself in this way. For protecting oneself from stress, 守る（まもる）or 防ぐ（ふせぐ）would be appropriate.
2警備員が住人をかばっている means guards are 'defending residents from criticism,' which doesn't fit the context of entrance security. 守る（まもる）or 警備（けいび）する would be correct.
3人権をかばう is not standard. かばう is used for defending a person from blame/criticism, not for protecting abstract rights. 守る（まもる）or 擁護（ようご）する would be appropriate.
かばう — to defend/protect someone from blame or harm; to take someone's side
しかられる — to be scolded
わざと — deliberately, on purpose
3.加味
1わが社では、仕事の成果だけでなく、勤務態度も加味して社員を評価している。
2外国の文化が加味されて、わが国の生活スタイルも徐々に変化してきた。
3発表は以上ですが、最後に少しだけ加味させていただきます。
4私は保存料や着色料を加味した食品ばなるべく買わないようにしている。
Show answer
Answer: 1. わが社では、仕事の成果だけでなく、勤務態度も加味して社員を評価している。
加味（かみ）as a suru-verb means 'to take into consideration, to factor in' — incorporating something as one element in a judgment or evaluation. Option 1, '仕事の成果だけでなく、勤務態度も加味して社員を評価している' ('We evaluate employees by factoring in not only work results but also work attitude'), is the correct usage. 勤務態度 is being incorporated as a factor in the evaluation.
2外国の文化が加味されて means foreign culture was 'factored into a judgment,' which doesn't fit the context of lifestyle change. The intended word is 影響（えいきょう）されて ('influenced by') or 取り入れられて ('incorporated/adopted').
3加味させていただきます would mean 'allow me to factor (something) into consideration,' which doesn't fit the context of adding remarks at the end of a presentation. 追加（ついか）させて or 補足（ほそく）させて would be correct.
4加味した食品 is a confusion with 調味（ちょうみ, seasoning/flavoring）. 加味 in modern Japanese does not mean 'to add seasoning to food.' The sentence should use 調味（ちょうみ）した or 添加（てんか）した.
加味 — taking into consideration, factoring in (as one element in a judgment)
調味 — seasoning, flavoring (a common confusable word)
成果 — results, achievements
勤務態度 — work attitude
4.気配
1私は目や口のあたりに祖母の気配があるとよく言われる。
2彼女が部屋に入ってくると、その場の気配がぱっと明るくなった。
3会議の開始時間を過ぎているのに、誰も来る気配がない。
4駅前にビルや店ができて、10年前とは気配がすっかり変わった。
Show answer
Answer: 3. 会議の開始時間を過ぎているのに、誰も来る気配がない。
気配（けはい）means 'signs, indication, presence (that something is about to happen or that someone/something is present).' Option 3, '誰も来る気配がない' ('There is no sign of anyone coming'), is the correct usage. 来る気配がない is a very common phrase meaning 'no indication that (someone) will come.'
1祖母の気配がある means 'there is a sign/presence of grandmother,' which doesn't fit the context of resembling someone's facial features. The intended word is 面影（おもかげ, resemblance/traces of someone's appearance).
2その場の気配 means 'signs/indication of the place,' which doesn't fit the context of atmosphere brightening. The intended word is 雰囲気（ふんいき, atmosphere/mood).
4気配がすっかり変わった means 'the signs/indications have completely changed,' which doesn't fit the context of a town's appearance changing. 景色（けしき）or 様子（ようす）would be appropriate.
気配 — signs, indication, presence (of something happening or someone being present)
面影 — resemblance, traces of someone's features (a common confusable word)
雰囲気 — atmosphere, mood (a common confusable word)
様子 — state, condition, appearance
5.合致
1この靴は私の足の形に合致していて、疲れにくい。
2私は年齢に合致した服装をするように心がけている。
3実験結果は、理論的な予測に完全に合致していた。
4自分に合致する仕事なんて、そう簡単には見つからない。
Show answer
Answer: 3. 実験結果は、理論的な予測に完全に合致していた。
合致 (がっち) means 'to match exactly,' 'to conform to,' or 'to agree with,' and is used for abstract concepts such as conditions, theories, predictions, or opinions. Option 3 correctly uses it to describe experimental results perfectly matching a theoretical prediction.
1靴が足の形に合う (shoes fitting one's feet) is a physical fit, so the more appropriate word is the common verb 合う (あう) or ピッタリ合う, not the formal 合致.
2服装が年齢に合う (clothes suiting one's age) is a matter of suitability, so 合う (あう) or ふさわしい is appropriate. 合致 is too formal and implies exact conformity rather than general suitability.
4仕事が自分に合う (a job suiting oneself) refers to personal compatibility or suitability, which calls for 合う (あう). 合致 is not used for personal compatibility.
合致 — to match exactly; to conform to; to agree with (used for abstract things like conditions, theories, predictions)
6.怠る
1昨日、会社を怠って映画を見に行ってしまった。
2忙しいときは料理を怠って、買ってきた弁当で済ますこともある。
3彼はどんな苦労も怠らずに、いつも積極的に仕事に取り組んでいる。
4成功を勝ち取るためには、日々の努力を怠ってはいけない。
Show answer
Answer: 4. 成功を勝ち取るためには、日々の努力を怠ってはいけない。
怠る（おこたる）means 'to neglect, to be remiss in (a duty/obligation).' Option 4, 'To achieve success, you must not neglect your daily effort (日々の努力を怠ってはいけない),' is the correct usage: neglecting a duty/effort.
1Skipping work to see a movie is サボる（to play truant/skip）. 怠る is about neglecting a task/duty, not about skipping a place.
2Skipping cooking and buying a bento is more like 手抜きをする（てぬき）or サボる. 料理を怠る sounds odd because cooking is not typically framed as a duty one 'neglects' in this way.
3苦労も怠らずに is unnatural. The intended expression is 苦労も厭わず（いとわず）'without hesitating at hardships.' 怠らずに doesn't collocate with 苦労 in this positive sense.
怠る — to neglect (a duty/obligation), to be remiss in
サボる（さぼる） — to skip, to play truant, to slack off
厭わず — without hesitating/disliking (to do something)
勝ち取る（かちとる） — to win, to secure
7.見込み
1今日はこれから取引先に打ち合わせに行く見込みです。
2周囲の見込みに応えて、すばらしい仕事を成し遂げた。
3田中さんは、来週には退院の見込みです。
4見込みもしないところで昔の友人に会った。
Show answer
Answer: 3. 田中さんは、来週には退院の見込みです。
見込み（みこみ）means 'prospect, likelihood, expectation (that something will happen).' Option 3, 'Tanaka is likely to be discharged from hospital next week (来週には退院の見込みです),' uses 見込み correctly to express a predicted/prospective outcome.
1For a planned schedule ('I plan to go to a meeting with a client'), the word is 予定（よてい）'plan/schedule.' 見込み implies a forecast/probability, not a personal plan.
2'Living up to the expectations of those around you' is 周囲の期待に応えて. 見込み is not used for others' expectations of you.
4'Unexpectedly ran into an old friend' uses 思いがけない（おもいがけない）or 予期（よき）しない. 見込みもしない is not an established expression.
満たない（みたない）means 'not reaching (a certain quantity/level), less than.' Option 1, 'I was born in a small village with a population of less than 500 (人口500人に満たない),' is the correct usage: a quantity/number that is not reached.
2For 'we're short three copies of the meeting materials,' the word is 足りない（たりない）'insufficient/short.' 満たない is not used for counting a shortage of items.
3'No matter how hard I try, I can't match Tanaka in English ability' uses 及ばない（およばない）'cannot match/cannot reach (someone's level).' 満たない is for quantities/thresholds, not for comparing oneself to a person.
4'If there is any unsatisfactory point regarding our service' should be 不十分な点（ふじゅうぶんなてん）or 不足な点（ふそくなてん）. 満たない点 is not a natural collocation.
有数 (ゆうすう) means 'one of the best,' 'one of the leading,' or 'among the few notable ones.' It is used to describe something or someone that ranks among the top or most prominent in a given context. Option 2, 'この国は世界でも有数の小麦生産国だ' ('This country is one of the world's leading wheat-producing nations'), uses the word correctly — the country is described as being among the top wheat producers globally.
1This sentence treats 有数 as if it meant 'limited in quantity' or 'in short supply,' which is incorrect. The intended meaning seems to be something like 有限 (ゆううん, 'limited') or 品薄 (しなうす, 'in short supply'). 有数 does not describe product availability.
3This sentence uses 有数 as if it meant 'only a few' or 'a small number,' confusing it with 少数 (しょうすう, 'minority/a few'). 有数 does not refer to a small count of people.
4This sentence treats 有数 as if it meant 'the best' or 'the most excellent' among several options, as in 優秀 (ゆうしゅう, 'excellent') or 最良 (さいりょう, 'best'). 有数 means 'one of the notable/leading ones,' not 'the one selected as best.'
有数 — one of the best; among the leading; one of the few notable ones
小麦 — wheat
少数 — minority; a small number (distractor concept)
優秀 — excellent; superior (distractor concept)
Explanations are AI-generated and are sometimes not accurate. Spotted a mistake in a question or answer? Write to us at hello@practicejlpt.com and we’ll fix it.
Practice JLPT