N4 Vocabulary · Test 1

The underlined word 楽しかった is the past tense of 楽しい (たのしい, 'fun/enjoyable'). Its past form is たのしかった ('was fun'). Option 3 matches this reading exactly.

• 1いそがしかった is the past tense of 忙しい (いそがしい, 'busy'). The kanji 楽 does not read as いそが.
• 2すずしかった is the past tense of 涼しい (すずしい, 'cool/refreshing'). The kanji 楽 does not read as すず.
• 4かなしかった is the past tense of 悲しい (かなしい, 'sad'). The kanji 楽 does not read as かな.

• 楽たのしい — fun, enjoyable
• 忙いそがしい — busy
• 涼すずしい — cool, refreshing
• 悲かなしい — sad

The underlined kanji 味 is read あじ, meaning 'taste/flavor'. The sentence says 'I like this taste.' Option 4 gives the correct reading.

• 1かたち (形) means 'shape'. This is a different concept from taste.
• 2いろ (色) means 'color'. This is a different concept from taste.
• 3におい (匂い/臭い) means 'smell/odor'. This is a different concept from taste.

• 味あじ — taste, flavor
• 形かたち — shape
• 色いろ — color
• 匂におい — smell, odor

The underlined word 不便 is read ふべん, meaning 'inconvenient'. 不 is read ふ (rendaku does not apply here because 便 already begins with a voiced consonant 'b'), and 便 is read べん. Option 1 gives the correct reading ふべん.

• 2ぶべん uses ぶ for 不, which is incorrect. 不 is read ふ in this word.
• 3ふへん uses へん for 便, which is incorrect. 便 is read べん here.
• 4ぶへん has both the wrong reading for 不 (ぶ instead of ふ) and for 便 (へん instead of べん).

• 不便ふべん — inconvenient
• 便べん — convenience, mail

The underlined word 切って is the て-form of 切る (きる, 'to cut'). The conjugation is 切る → 切って (きって). The sentence means 'Please cut the vegetables.' Option 2 gives the correct reading きって.

• 1とって is the て-form of 取る (とる, 'to take'). The kanji 切 does not read as と.
• 3あらって is the て-form of 洗う (あらう, 'to wash'). The kanji 切 does not read as あら.
• 4もって is the て-form of 持つ (もつ, 'to hold/carry'). The kanji 切 does not read as も.

• 切きる — to cut
• 取とる — to take
• 洗あらう — to wash
• 持もつ — to hold, carry

The underlined word 以外 is read いがい, meaning 'except/other than'. The sentence means 'Everyone except Hayashi-san came.' Option 4 gives the correct reading いがい.

• 1にそと is not a valid reading for 以外. 以 is read い, not に, and 外 is read がい (onyomi) or そと (kunyomi), but the compound uses いがい.
• 2にがい is not a valid reading for 以外. 以 is read い, not に.
• 3いそと uses the kunyomi そと for 外, but in the compound 以外 the correct reading is いがい (onyomi).

• 以外いがい — except, other than
• 以い — by means of, from (prefix)
• 外がい/そと — outside, other than

The underlined word is くろい, meaning 'black.' The correct kanji writing is 黒い. The sentence means 'I want black socks.'

• 1白い (しろい) means 'white' — the opposite color.
• 3赤い (あかい) means 'red.'
• 4青い (あおい) means 'blue.'

• 黒くろい — black
• 靴下くつした — socks

The underlined word is けいかく, meaning 'plan.' The correct kanji is 計画 (計 = measure/plan, 画 = drawing/design). The sentence means 'The plan for summer vacation has not been decided yet.'

• 1計書 — 書 (しょ) means 'document/writing'; this is not a real word.
• 2訂画 — 訂 (てい) means 'revise/correct'; this is not a real word.
• 4訂書 — combines 訂 (てい) and 書 (しょ); not a real word.

• 計画けいかく — plan
• 夏休なつやすみ — summer vacation
• 決きまる — to be decided

The underlined word is いしゃ, meaning 'doctor.' The correct kanji is 医者 (医 = medicine/doctor, 者 = person). The sentence means 'I want to become a doctor.'

• 1匠員 — 匠 (たくみ) means 'craftsman'; 員 (いん) means 'member'; not a real word for いしゃ.
• 2医員 — combines 医 (い) and 員 (いん); not a standard word for 'doctor.'
• 3匠者 — combines 匠 (たくみ) and 者 (しゃ); not a real word.

• 医者いしゃ — doctor
• なる — to become

The underlined word is よる, meaning 'night.' The correct kanji is 夜. The sentence means 'Tomorrow night I will go out with my family.'

• 2昼 (ひる) means 'daytime/noon.'
• 3夕 (ゆう) means 'evening' and is used in compounds like 夕方 (ゆうがた); it is not read as よる.
• 4朝 (あさ) means 'morning.'

• 夜よる — night
• 家族かぞく — family
• 出でかける — to go out

The underlined word is かして, the te-form of かす (to lend). The correct kanji is 貸す → 貸して. The sentence means 'Please lend me an umbrella.'

• 1貨して — 貨 (か) means 'goods/cargo'; 貨する is not a standard verb.
• 2資して — 資 (し) means 'capital/resources'; 資する means 'to contribute/serve as' and is read しする, not かす.
• 4質して — 質 (しち) means 'quality/pawn'; 質する is not read かす.

• 貸かす — to lend
• 傘かさ — umbrella