N2 Vocabulary · Test 40

清潔 is read せいけつ, meaning 'clean / sanitary'. The sentence means 'That hotel is old, but the rooms were very clean.' Option 4 matches the correct reading.

• 1せっきつ — incorrect; there is no 促音 (small っ) in this word, and the second kanji is not 欠.
• 2せいきつ — incorrect; the second kanji 潔 is read けつ, not きつ.
• 3せっけつ — incorrect; this would correspond to a different word (e.g., 欠血/切欠-like reading) and wrongly inserts a 促音.

• 清潔せいけつ — clean, sanitary, hygienic

隠す is read かくす, meaning 'to hide (something)'. The sentence means 'There's no need to hide that.' Option 1 is correct.

• 2もどす (戻す) means 'to return/put back', not 'to hide'.
• 3わたす (渡す) means 'to hand over/pass', not 'to hide'.
• 4さがす (探す) means 'to search/look for', not 'to hide'.

• 隠かくす — to hide, to conceal

姿勢 is read しせい, meaning 'posture / attitude'. The sentence means 'Yamada-san always has good posture, doesn't she.' Option 3 is correct.

• 1しぜい — incorrect; no 促音 and wrong vowel in the second kanji.
• 2しっぜい — incorrect; wrongly inserts a 促音 and uses ぜい for 勢.
• 4しっせい — incorrect; wrongly inserts a 促音. This reading corresponds to 失勢 (しっせい), not 姿勢.

• 姿勢しせい — posture, attitude, stance

積む (to pile/stack/load) in て-form is 積んで (つんで). The sentence means 'Please stack/pile them more carefully.' Option 4 is correct.

• 1たたんで (畳んで) is the て-form of 畳む (to fold), not 'to stack'.
• 2あんで (編んで) is the て-form of 編む (to knit/weave), not 'to stack'.
• 3むすんで (結んで) is the て-form of 結ぶ (to tie/bind), not 'to stack'.

• 積つむ — to pile up, stack, load

逃亡 is read とうぼう, meaning 'flight / running away / escape'. The sentence means 'The criminal had been living a life on the run for more than 10 years.' Option 1 is correct.

• 2とぼう — incorrect; the first kanji 逃 in this compound is とう (long vowel), not と.
• 3とうそう — incorrect; the second kanji is 亡 (ぼう), not 走 (そう). 逃走 (とうそう) is a different word.
• 4とそう — incorrect; both vowels are wrong: 逃 should be とう and 亡 should be ぼう.

• 逃亡とうぼう — flight, escape, running away

「しんけん」is written 真剣, meaning 'serious, earnest.' The sentence means 'At that time, I wasn't seriously thinking about my future.' 真剣 is a common word combining 真 (true/genuine) and 剣 (sword), originally from the martial-arts idea of facing an opponent with a real (not wooden) sword — i.e., with full seriousness.

• 1真険 uses 険 (steep, dangerous), which is not used in this word. It is a deliberate lookalike with the same on-reading ケン.
• 3信険 uses 信 (trust/belief) instead of 真, and 険 instead of 剣. Both kanji are wrong.
• 4信剣 uses 信 (trust/belief) instead of 真. The first kanji is wrong.

• 真剣しんけん — serious, earnest (about something)

「つとめて」is written 努めて, from the verb 努める (つとめる, to make an effort / strive). The sentence means 'I would like to continue striving to improve our services going forward.' 努める conveys putting in effort toward a goal.

• 1志める would be read こころざめる (to aspire), which is a different verb and does not fit the context of making effort.
• 2勧める is read すすめる (to recommend / advise), a different word entirely.
• 3労める is read いたわめる or ねぎらめる (to care for / console), which does not fit the context of striving toward service improvement.

• 努つとめる — to make an effort, to strive

「きふ」is written 寄付, meaning 'donation / contribution.' The sentence means 'The proceeds from the bazaar were donated in full.' 寄付 combines 寄 (to bring near / give) and 付 (to attach), and is the standard word for making a monetary donation.

• 1寄符 uses 符 (tally / symbol) instead of 付. While it shares the reading フ, it is not a real word for donation.
• 2貴付 uses 貴 (precious / honorable) instead of 寄. This is not the correct word.
• 4貴符 uses both wrong kanji — 貴 instead of 寄 and 符 instead of 付.

• 寄付きふ — donation, contribution (especially monetary)

「そくざに」is written 即座に, meaning 'immediately, instantly, on the spot.' The sentence means 'When I asked the person about the rumor, I was immediately denied.' 即座に combines 即 (immediately / right at) and 座 (seat / place), conveying an instantaneous response.

• 2速座に uses 速 (fast) instead of 即. While 速 also relates to speed, the established word is 即座に, not 速座に.
• 3即差に uses 差 (difference) instead of 座. 差 has the reading サ but does not form this word.
• 4速差に uses both wrong kanji — 速 instead of 即 and 差 instead of 座.

• 即座そくざに — immediately, instantly, on the spot

「せめたら」is written 責めたら (conditional form of 責める, せめる, to blame / scold / press someone). The sentence means 'It's pitiful to press/blame them that much.' 講める means to criticize or put pressure on someone, which fits the context of being かわいそう (pitiful).

• 1疑めたら would be read うたがめたら (to doubt/suspect), a different verb that does not fit the context of scolding or pressing someone.
• 2怒めたら is not a standard verb form; 怒る (おこる, to get angry) does not conjugate to 怒める in this way, and this is not a real word.
• 3憎めたら would be read にくめたら (to hate), which is a different verb and does not fit the context of blaming or pressing someone.

• 責せめる — to blame, to scold, to press (someone)