N3 Vocabulary · Test 6

遅く is read おそく, meaning 'late(ly)'. The sentence means 'It ended up becoming later than before.' The adjective 遅い (おそい, late) in its く-form becomes 遅く (おそく).

• 2きたなく is the reading of 汚く (dirty), a different word with no connection to 遅く.
• 3みじかく is the reading of 短く (short), a different word.
• 4とおく is the reading of 遠く (far), a different word.

• 遅おそく — late(ly) — く-form of 遅い (おそい, late)

線 is read せん, meaning 'line'. The sentence means 'Please use this pen to draw a line.' This is a common single-kanji word with an on'yomi reading.

• 1ず is not a standard reading of 線; it may be confused with 頭 (あたま/ず, head).
• 3え is the reading of 絵 (picture) or 画, not 線.
• 4もじ is the reading of 文字 (character/letter), not 線.

• 線せん — line

調査 is read ちょうさ, meaning 'investigation / survey / research'. The sentence means 'I plan to go do field research during summer vacation.' 調 (ちょう) + 査 (さ) gives ちょうさ.

• 1ちょうさつ is not a valid reading; it incorrectly adds つ to the second kanji.
• 3かんさ is the reading of 監査 (audit), a near-synonym with different kanji.
• 4かんさつ is the reading of 観察 (observation) or 監察 (inspection), different words.

• 調査ちょうさ — investigation, survey, research

郵便 is read ゆうびん, meaning 'mail / postal'. The sentence means 'This morning, mail was delivered.' 郵 (ゆう) + 便 (びん) gives ゆうびん. Note the long vowel うう in ゆう.

• 1ゆべん drops one う, making it an incorrect reading.
• 2ゆびん also drops one う, making it an incorrect reading.
• 3ゆうべん uses べ instead of び, which is wrong for 便.

• 郵便ゆうびん — mail, postal service

腰 is read こし, meaning 'lower back / waist / hips'. The sentence means 'I had medicine applied to my lower back.' This is a kun'yomi reading of a body-part kanji.

• 1むね is the reading of 胸 (chest), a different body part.
• 2かた is the reading of 肩 (shoulder), a different body part.
• 4くび is the reading of 首 (neck), a different body part.

• 腰こし — lower back, waist, hips

「さいしょ」is written as 最初, meaning 'first' or 'beginning.' The sentence means 'The first person to come was Suzuki-san.' 最初(さいしょ) is the correct kanji for this reading.

• 1最後(さいご) means 'last' or 'end.' It has a similar look but a different reading and opposite meaning.
• 2最始 is not a real Japanese word. It looks plausible because 最 + 始 seems logical, but this compound does not exist.
• 4最終(さいしゅう) means 'final' or 'last' (e.g., 最終電車 'last train'). The reading and meaning do not match さいしょ.

• 最初さいしょ — first, beginning
• 最後さいご — last, end
• 最終さいしゅう — final, last

「ていでん」is written as 停電, meaning 'power outage' or 'blackout.' The sentence means 'Last night, there was a power outage for 30 minutes.' 停(てい) means 'stop/halt' and 電(でん) means 'electricity,' so 停電 literally means 'stopped electricity.'

• 1消電 is not a real word. 消(しょう/けす) means 'extinguish,' but this compound does not exist.
• 2切電 is not a real word. 切(せつ/きる) means 'cut,' but this compound does not exist.
• 3止電 is not a real word. 止(し) means 'stop,' and while the meaning seems close, the correct compound uses 停 rather than 止.

• 停電ていでん — power outage, blackout

「やくして」is written as 訳して, the te-form of 訳する(やくする), meaning 'to translate.' The sentence means 'Could you translate this text for me?' 訳(やく) here means 'translation.'

• 2説して would be read せつして or といて, not やくして. 説(せつ) appears in 説明(せつめい, explanation) but does not match this reading or meaning.
• 3記して(きして) means 'to write down / record.' The reading きして does not match やくして.
• 4語して would be read かたして or ごして, not やくして. 語(かたる/ご) means 'to tell/speak' but does not match this reading or meaning.

• 訳やくする — to translate
• 記きする — to write down, record

「かぐ」is written as 家具, meaning 'furniture.' The sentence means 'I bought new furniture.' 家(か) means 'house' and 具(ぐ) means 'tool/goods,' so 家具 = household goods/furniture.

• 1道具(どうぐ) means 'tools / utensils.' It is a real word but reads どうぐ, not かぐ.
• 3家貝 is not a real word. 貝(かい) means 'shellfish' and is used as a visual distractor resembling 具.
• 4道貝 is not a real word. It combines 道and 貝to form a non-existent compound.

• 家具かぐ — furniture
• 道具どうぐ — tools, utensils

「うちがわ」is written as 内側, meaning 'inside / inner side.' The sentence means 'Please look at the inside of the box.' 内(うち/ない) means 'inside' and 側(がわ/そば) means 'side.'

• 1裏測 is not a real word. 測(そく) means 'measure' and is a visual distractor resembling 側.
• 2裏側(うらがわ) means 'back side / reverse side.' It is a real word but reads うらがわ, not うちがわ.
• 3内測 is not a real word. 測(そく) is used as a distractor for 側(がわ).

• 内側うちがわ — inside, inner side
• 裏側うらがわ — back side, reverse side