N3 Vocabulary · Test 18

減少 (げんしょう) means 'to decrease / to diminish' and is used for a quantity or number going down over time. Option 1 says 'the number of people using the library has decreased considerably,' which is a perfect usage — a countable number of users declining.

• 2値段が減少した is unnatural. Prices going down is expressed with 下がる or 安くなる, not 減少. 減少 is for quantities/numbers, not price levels.
• 3成績が減少した is wrong. Grades/scores dropping is expressed with 下がる or 落ちる. 減少 is not used for grades.
• 4半分に減少してコピーして is wrong. Making something physically smaller (an image/diagram) is 縮小(しゅくしょう)する or 小さくする, not 減少.

• 減少げんしょう — to decrease, to diminish (used for quantities, numbers, amounts)

身につける has two main meanings: (1) to wear/put on (clothes/accessories), and (2) to acquire/master (skills, knowledge, habits, abilities). Option 2 says 'I think I was able to acquire a lot of knowledge during this study abroad,' which correctly uses the 'acquire' meaning.

• 1友人を身につけている is wrong. Friends are not something you 'wear' or 'acquire' in this sense. You make friends (友人を作る/持つ).
• 3栄養を身につけている is wrong. Nutrition is something you take in (栄養をとる), not something you 'acquire/master' or 'wear.'
• 4犬を身につけて散歩している is wrong. You cannot 'wear' a dog. If it meant putting clothes on the dog, the object would be clothes, not the dog itself.

• 身みにつける — to wear (clothes/accessories); to acquire/master (skills, knowledge, abilities)

中古 (ちゅうこ) means 'secondhand, used' and is used for physical goods/items that have been previously owned. Option 3 says 'a new refrigerator is expensive, so I got a used one from my senior, and it seems usable without problems,' which is the correct usage.

• 1社員を中古として頼る is wrong. 中古 is for things, not people. Experienced employees would be ベテラン or 経験を積んだ.
• 2情報が中古 is wrong. Information being old/outdated is 古い or 時代遅れ. 中古 is not used for information.
• 4友情が中古になった is wrong. 中古 is for physical secondhand goods, not abstract concepts like friendship becoming old/stale.

• 中古ちゅうこ — secondhand, used (for physical goods/items)

断る (ことわる) means 'to refuse, to decline (an offer/invitation/request)' or 'to inform/ask permission in advance.' Option 4 says 'a friend invited me to go to a movie, but I had errands so I declined the invitation,' which is the correct usage of 'to decline.'

• 1夢を断らなかった is wrong. Not giving up on a dream is 諦(あきら)めなかった. 断る means to refuse/decline, not to give up.
• 2うわさを断らない is wrong. Denying a rumor is 否定(ひてい)する. 断る does not mean 'to deny.'
• 3会社を断って農業を始めた is wrong. Quitting a company to start farming is 会社を辞(や)めて. 断る means to refuse/decline, not to resign/quit.

• 断ことわる — to refuse, to decline (an offer/invitation/request); to inform/ask permission in advance

受取る (うけとる) means 'to receive (something sent/given to you).' Option 3 says 'I certainly received the materials you sent today,' which is the correct usage — receiving documents that were sent.

• 1子どもを両手で受取った is wrong. Catching/receiving a running child in your arms is 受け止めた or 抱きとめた. 受取る is for receiving things handed/sent to you, not catching a person physically.
• 2ホームステイの学生を受取って is wrong. Receiving/welcoming guests or students into your home is 迎(むか)える or 受け入れる. 受取る is for receiving items, not hosting people.
• 4腕を受取って is wrong. Supporting/catching someone's arm when they are about to fall is 支(ささ)えた or 受け止めた. 受取る does not mean to physically support/catch a body part.

• 受取うけとる — to receive (something sent/given/handed to you)

丸い (まるい) means 'round' or 'circular.' The sentence means 'I want a round table.' Option 3 「まるい」is the correct reading.

• 1ほそい means 'thin' or 'narrow' (細い). It does not match 丸い.
• 2かるい means 'light' in weight (軽い). It does not match 丸い.
• 4ひくい means 'low' (低い). It does not match 丸い.

• 丸まるい — round, circular

個人 (こじん) means 'individual' or 'private person.' The sentence means 'Even individuals can use this sports field.' The correct reading is こじん, option 2.

• 1こうじん is not a standard reading for 個人. The kanji 個 is read こ, not こう.
• 3こにん is incorrect; the kanji 人 here is read じん, not にん, in this compound.
• 4こうにん is incorrect on both characters; neither 個 nor 人 takes those readings in this word.

• 個人こじん — individual, private person

方向 (ほうこう) means 'direction.' The sentence means 'There is no mistake about this direction.' The correct reading is ほうこう, option 4.

• 1ほうぼう is incorrect; the second character 向 is read こう in this compound, not ぼう.
• 2ほうごう is incorrect; 向 is not read ごう.
• 3ほうほう is incorrect; this would be a repetition of 方, not the reading of the two-kanji compound 方向.

• 方向ほうこう — direction

申し込み (もうしこみ) means 'application' or 'registration.' The verb 申す (もうす) is the humble form of 言う, and 申し込み is its noun form. The sentence means 'Applications are due by tomorrow.' The correct reading is もうしこみ, option 4.

• 1もしくみ is incorrect; it drops the う from もうし and misreads こみ as くみ.
• 2もしこみ is incorrect; it drops the う from もうし.
• 3もうしくみ is incorrect; it misreads こみ as くみ.

• 申し込み（もうしこみ） — application, registration, entry

測って is the て-form of 測る (はかる), meaning 'to measure' (length, weight, quantity, etc.). The sentence means 'Please measure carefully/properly.' The correct reading is はかって, option 3.

• 1まもって is the て-form of 守る (まもる, to protect/abide by). It does not match 測る.
• 2しまって is the て-form of 閉まる/締まる (しまう, to close/tighten). It does not match 測る.
• 4したがって is the て-form of 従う (したがう, to follow/obey). It does not match 測る.

• 測はかる — to measure (length, weight, area, etc.)