N3 Vocabulary · Test 20

The underlined word きまり (決まり) means 'rule' or 'regulation'. Option 4 規則 (きそく) is the closest in meaning, as it also means 'rule/regulation'.

• 1料金 (りょうきん) means 'fee/charge', which is unrelated to a rule.
• 2技術 (ぎじゅつ) means 'technology/skill', unrelated to a rule.
• 3結果 (けっか) means 'result', unrelated to a rule.

• きまり (決まり)（きまり） — rule, regulation, custom
• 規則きそく — rule, regulation
• 料金りょうきん — fee, charge
• 技術ぎじゅつ — technology, skill
• 結果けっか — result

The underlined phrase 不安だ (ふあんだ) means 'anxious/uneasy/worried'. Option 1 心配だ (しんぱいだ) means 'worried/concerned', which is the closest paraphrase.

• 2寂しい (さびしい) means 'lonely/sad', which is a different feeling from being anxious.
• 3危険だ (きけんだ) means 'dangerous'; while climbing alone may be dangerous, 不安 describes the emotional state of worry, not the objective danger.
• 4つまらない means 'boring/dull', unrelated to feeling anxious.

• 不安ふあんだ — anxious, uneasy, worried
• 心配しんぱいだ — worried, concerned
• 寂さびしい — lonely, sad
• 危険きけんだ — dangerous
• つまらない — boring, dull

The underlined word まなんでいる (学んでいる) means 'is studying/learning'. Option 3 勉強している (べんきょうしている) means 'is studying', which is the closest paraphrase.

• 1紹介している (しょうかいしている) means 'is introducing', not studying.
• 2たくさん飾っている (たくさんかざっている) means 'is decorating/displaying a lot', unrelated to learning.
• 4たくさん持っている (たくさんもっている) means 'has a lot (of)', unrelated to learning.

• まなむ (学ぶ)（まなぶ） — to study, to learn
• 絵画かいが — painting, picture (art)
• 勉強べんきょうする — to study
• 紹介しょうかいする — to introduce
• 飾かざる — to decorate, to display

The underlined word まったく is used with the negative いなかった to mean 'not at all / completely not'. Option 2 ぜんぜん (全然) is used with negatives to mean 'not at all', making it the closest paraphrase.

• 1あまり with a negative means 'not very much / not much', which is weaker than まったく (not at all).
• 3まだ (still) + negative means 'not yet', which is a different meaning from 'not at all'.
• 4もう (already) + negative means 'not anymore', which differs from 'not at all'.

• まったく — completely, entirely (with negative: not at all)
• ぜんぜん (全然) — not at all (with negative); completely
• あまり — not very much (with negative)
• まだ — still, not yet
• もう — already, not anymore (with negative)

The underlined phrase 延期になった (えんきになった) means 'was postponed / was put off to a later date'. Option 1 '後の別の日にやることになった' (it was decided to do it on another later day) correctly captures the meaning of postponement.

• 2始まるのが予定より早くなった means 'it started earlier than scheduled', which is the opposite of postponement.
• 3終わるのが予定より遅くなった means 'it ended later than scheduled', which describes a delay in finishing, not a postponement of the event itself.
• 4後の別の日に続けることになった means 'it was decided to continue on another later day'; 延期 means the event is moved to a later date, not that it is continued/resumed on another day.

• 延期えんき — postponement, deferral
• 講演会こうえんかい — lecture, presentation event

性格 (せいかく) means 'personality' or 'character' — the set of traits that describe a person's nature. Option 3 says 'My younger sister and I have similar personalities in that we both like chatting,' which correctly uses 性格 to describe a personal trait that can be compared between people. This is the correct usage.

• 1歌 (songs) do not have 性格 (personality). To describe a song as 'bright/cheerful,' you would use words like 明るい曲 or 明るいメロディー, not 性格.
• 2Running fast is a physical ability, not a 性格 (personality). You could say 走るのが速かった (I was fast at running), but calling it a 'personality' is incorrect.
• 4レストラン (restaurants) do not have 性格. To describe a restaurant as 'quiet,' you would say 静かなレストラン, without 性格.

• 性格せいかく — personality, character

募集 (ぼしゅう) means 'to recruit / to call for applicants' — gathering people for a position or purpose. Option 1 says 'The supermarket in front of the station is recruiting part-time workers,' which is the correct usage of 募集.

• 2Collecting old stamps as a hobby should be 収集 (しゅうしゅう, collecting), not 募集. 募集 is for recruiting people, not gathering objects as a hobby.
• 3資料 (materials/documents) are not 'recruited.' The intended meaning here is probably 回収 (かいしゅう, collecting back) or 準備 (preparing), not 募集.
• 4ごみ (trash) cannot be 募集 (recruited). The intended word is probably 集める (あつめる, to gather) or まとめる, not 募集.

• 募集ぼしゅう — recruiting, calling for applicants

似合う (にあう) means 'to suit / to look good on (someone)' — used for clothing, accessories, hairstyles, etc. matching a person well. Option 4 says 'That white hat really suits Ikeda-san,' which is the correct usage: a hat looking good on someone.

• 1Dance movements not matching should be 合わない (あわない, from 合う 'to match/fit'), not 似合わない. 似合う is about appearance suiting someone, not about movements being in sync.
• 2Opinions not matching should be 合わない (あわない, from 合う), not 似合わない. 似合う is not used for opinions agreeing or disagreeing.
• 3A schedule suiting everyone should be 合う (あう, 'to match/suit') or 都合がいい, not 似合う. 似合う is about visual/aesthetic suitability, not schedule convenience.

• 似合にあう — to suit, to look good on (someone)

消費 (しょうひ) means 'to consume' — using up resources, energy, goods, etc. Option 1 says 'We live by consuming large amounts of energy such as electricity,' which correctly uses 消費 for consuming energy/resources.

• 2Work/tasks to finish should be 処理 (しょり, process/handle) or 消化 (しょうか, in the sense of completing work), not 消費. You don't 'consume' work.
• 3Erasing computer data should be 消去 (しょうきょ, erasing/deleting), not 消費. 消費 means to use up, not to erase.
• 4Food being digested in the stomach should be 消化 (しょうか, digestion), not 消費. 消費 is about consuming resources, not the biological process of digestion.

• 消費しょうひ — consumption, consuming (resources/energy/goods)

空 (から) means 'empty' — containing nothing inside. Option 2 says 'Please put empty plastic bottles (that have been drunk and become empty) here,' which correctly uses 空 to mean 'empty' (a container with nothing left inside).

• 1Tea without sugar or milk is called ブラック (black tea) or ストレート (straight), not 空の紅茶. 空 means 'empty' (nothing inside), which would mean a cup with no tea at all — not tea without additives.
• 3A day with no plans is 空いている日 or 暇な日, not 空の日. While 空 can mean 'free/available' in some compound forms, 空の日 by itself is not standard for 'a free day.'
• 4Lacking experience should be 浅い (あさい, shallow) or 乏しい (とぼしい, scarce), not 空. 空 means 'empty' in a physical sense and is not used to describe the depth or amount of experience.

• 空から — empty (containing nothing)