N2 Vocabulary · Test 135

きちんと (きちんと) means 'properly, neatly, correctly, in order.' The stem 正しくととのっているようす describes a state where things are correctly arranged and in proper order, which is exactly what きちんと conveys.

• 1さっぱりと (さっぱりと) means 'neatly/cleanly' or 'refreshedly,' but it emphasizes a sense of being uncluttered or refreshed (e.g., a clean hairstyle or a refreshing feeling), not the sense of being correctly and properly arranged.
• 3かちんと is not a standard adverb meaning 'properly.' The expression かちんとくる means 'to get angry/annoyed,' which is unrelated to the stem.
• 4すっきりと (すっきりと) means 'refreshed, clear, unclouded' — describing a feeling of mental clarity or neatness, not the state of things being correctly arranged.

• 正ただしく — correctly, properly
• ととのっている（整っている） — is arranged, is in order
• きちんと — properly, neatly, correctly
• さっぱりと — neatly, refreshingly
• すっきりと — refreshed, clear-headed

詫びる (わびる) means 'to apologize, to express regret.' The stem 申し訳なかったと、あやまる means 'to apologize, feeling that one is sorry/regretful,' which is precisely the meaning of 詫びる.

• 1断る (ことわる) means 'to refuse, to decline, or to give advance notice.' It does not mean to apologize.
• 3叱る (しかる) means 'to scold, to reprimand.' This is the opposite action — blaming someone rather than apologizing.
• 4咎める (とがめる) means 'to blame, to find fault with, to censure.' Like option 3, this is about criticizing someone, not apologizing.

• 申し訳ない（もうしわけない） — feeling sorry, apologetic
• あやまる（謝る） — to apologize
• 詫わびる — to apologize, to express regret
• 断ことわる — to refuse, to decline
• 叱しかる — to scold
• 咎とがめる — to blame, to find fault

確かめる (たしかめる) means 'to confirm, to verify, to make sure.' The stem 本当に正しいかどうか、もういちど調べる means 'to check once more whether something is truly correct,' which is exactly what 確かめる means.

• 1当てる (あてる) means 'to guess, to hit (a target), to apply.' It does not mean to verify or confirm.
• 2認める (みとめる) means 'to acknowledge, to recognize, to admit.' While related to accepting something as true, it does not mean to re-check or verify.
• 3迷う (まよう) means 'to hesitate, to waver, to get lost.' This is unrelated to checking or confirming.

• 確たしかめる — to confirm, to verify
• 当あてる — to guess, to hit
• 認みとめる — to acknowledge, to admit
• 迷まよう — to hesitate, to get lost

手が空く (てがあく) means 'to become free, to have one's hands free (from work).' The stem 仕事がなくなってひまになる means 'to become idle/free because work is gone,' which matches 手が空く perfectly.

• 2手が足りない (てがたりない) means 'to be short-handed, to not have enough people.' This is about lacking workers, not about becoming free.
• 3手が掛かる (てがかかる) means 'to take time and effort, to be troublesome.' This is the opposite of becoming free — it means work is demanding.
• 4手が切れる (てがきれる) is not a common idiom for becoming free. It can mean 'to sever a relationship' in some contexts, which is unrelated to the stem.

• 手が空く（てがあく） — to become free (from work), to have free time
• 手が足りない（てがたりない） — to be short-handed
• 手が掛かる（てがかかる） — to take time/effort, to be troublesome

レクリエーション (recreation) means 'recreation, leisure activities for refreshment.' The stem 仕事をはなれて、心を楽しませるためにすること means 'something done away from work to refresh and enjoy the mind,' which is the definition of recreation.

• 1オートメーション (automation) means 'automation, mechanization.' This is about machines doing work automatically, unrelated to leisure.
• 2コミュニケーション (communication) means 'communication, exchanging information.' While social, it is not specifically about leisure away from work.
• 4デモンストレーション (demonstration) means 'demonstration, protest, or showing how something works.' This is unrelated to recreation or leisure.

• レクリエーション（れくりえーしょん） — recreation, leisure activity
• オートメーション（おーとめーしょん） — automation
• コミュニケーション（こみゅにけーしょん） — communication
• デモンストレーション（でもんすとれーしょん） — demonstration