N5 Grammar · Test 34

A says 'I caught a cold and have had a headache since yesterday.' B responds with a sympathetic expression. たいへんですね ('That's tough / That sounds hard') is the natural expression of sympathy/concern for someone's illness or difficulty. It fits perfectly as a compassionate reply.

• 1いたいですね ('That hurts, doesn't it') would describe B's own pain or comment on pain abstractly. It is not a natural sympathetic response to someone reporting their headache.
• 2すみませんね ('I'm sorry') implies B is apologizing for something B did. Since B did not cause the cold, this is not appropriate as a sympathy expression here.
• 4わるいですね ('That's bad') can sound blunt or even slightly accusatory/insensitive. While it acknowledges the situation, it is not the standard sympathetic expression used for someone's illness in Japanese.

• 風邪かぜをひく — to catch a cold
• 頭あたま — head
• 痛いたい — painful, sore
• 大変たいへん — tough, difficult, terrible (used to express sympathy)

A invites B to see a movie together tomorrow. B begins with あしたは ちょっと… ('Tomorrow is a bit…'), which is a classic soft-refusal pattern in Japanese. The natural completion is しごとが あります ('I have work'), giving a reason why B cannot go. This is the standard polite way to decline an invitation.

• 2時間が いいです ('The time is good') would actually sound like agreement, contradicting the hesitation cue ちょっと. It does not function as a refusal.
• 3えいがが あります ('There is a movie') does not make sense as a reason to decline seeing a movie. If anything, it would support going, not refusing.
• 4いっしょに いいです ('Together is fine') expresses agreement, which contradicts the soft-refusal pattern set up by ちょっと. It is not a valid way to decline.

• 映画えいが — movie, film
• 一緒いっしょに — together
• ちょっと — a little; (in declining) it's a bit… (soft refusal marker)
• 仕事しごと — work, job

A asks 'Which person is Tanaka-sensei?' (どのかた ですか = which person). The question asks for identification by pointing out a specific person. あの めがねの かたです ('That person with glasses') directly answers by identifying Tanaka-sensei among the people present. This matches the question word どの (which).

• 2とても しずかな かたです ('A very quiet person') describes Tanaka-sensei's personality, not which person he is. The question asks どのかた (which person), seeking physical identification, not a character description.
• 3日本語を おしえる 先生です ('A teacher who teaches Japanese') describes what Tanaka-sensei does, not which person he is. Again, this does not answer どの (which).
• 4あれは 田中先生です ('That is Tanaka-sensei') uses あれ, which refers to a thing, not a person. To refer to a person you should use あのかた/あの人. Also, it does not directly answer 'which person' as naturally as option 1.

• どの — which (used before a noun to ask which one)
• 方かた — person (honorific for 人)
• 眼鏡めがね — glasses
• 先生せんせい — teacher

A says 'Please don't enter that room' (入らないで ください). B should acknowledge this instruction. わかりました ('I understand / Understood') is the natural and correct response to comply with a request or instruction. It shows B has understood and will follow the instruction.

• 1すみませんが ('I'm sorry, but…') is an incomplete utterance. It would need to be followed by something (e.g., a reason or a request). On its own, it does not properly acknowledge the instruction.
• 3ごめんください ('Excuse me / Is anyone home?') is used when visiting someone's house or calling out to get attention. It is not a response to an instruction.
• 4しつれいします ('Excuse me') is used when entering/leaving a room or taking leave. Ironically, saying this in response to 'don't enter' would be inappropriate, as it is typically said when entering a room.

• 部屋へや — room
• 入はいる — to enter
• 〜ないでください — please do not ~
• 分わかる — to understand

A says 'Let's take a short break' (休みましょう - volitional form, suggesting an action together). B responds with ええ (yes, agreeing) and then そうですね ('That's right / That sounds good'). そうですね is the natural agreement expression when someone makes a suggestion. Together, ええ、そうですね means 'Yes, that's a good idea.'

• 1休みました ('(I/we) rested') is past tense, stating that a rest already happened. This does not fit as a response to a suggestion to rest now.
• 2そうでしょう ('That's probably so') expresses conjecture or seeking confirmation about something B is unsure of. It is not an agreement response to a suggestion.
• 3休みません ('(I) will not rest') is a direct refusal, which contradicts the agreeing ええ at the beginning of B's response. It is inconsistent.

• 休やすむ — to rest, to take a break
• 〜ましょう — let's ~ (volitional/suggestion form)
• そうですね — that's right; that sounds good (agreement)

A says 'I caught a cold and have had a headache since yesterday.' B responds with a sympathetic expression. たいへんですね ('That's tough / That sounds hard') is the natural expression of sympathy/concern for someone's illness or difficulty. It fits perfectly as a compassionate reply.

• 1いたいですね ('That hurts, doesn't it') would describe B's own pain or comment on pain abstractly. It is not a natural sympathetic response to someone reporting their headache.
• 2すみませんね ('I'm sorry') implies B is apologizing for something B did. Since B did not cause the cold, this is not appropriate as a sympathy expression here.
• 4わるいですね ('That's bad') can sound blunt or even slightly accusatory/insensitive. While it acknowledges the situation, it is not the standard sympathetic expression used for someone's illness in Japanese.

• 風邪かぜをひく — to catch a cold
• 頭あたま — head
• 痛いたい — painful, sore
• 大変たいへん — tough, difficult, terrible (used to express sympathy)

A invites B to see a movie together tomorrow. B begins with あしたは ちょっと… ('Tomorrow is a bit…'), which is a classic soft-refusal pattern in Japanese. The natural completion is しごとが あります ('I have work'), giving a reason why B cannot go. This is the standard polite way to decline an invitation.

• 2時間が いいです ('The time is good') would actually sound like agreement, contradicting the hesitation cue ちょっと. It does not function as a refusal.
• 3えいがが あります ('There is a movie') does not make sense as a reason to decline seeing a movie. If anything, it would support going, not refusing.
• 4いっしょに いいです ('Together is fine') expresses agreement, which contradicts the soft-refusal pattern set up by ちょっと. It is not a valid way to decline.

• 映画えいが — movie, film
• 一緒いっしょに — together
• ちょっと — a little; (in declining) it's a bit… (soft refusal marker)
• 仕事しごと — work, job

A asks 'Which person is Tanaka-sensei?' (どのかた ですか = which person). The question asks for identification by pointing out a specific person. あの めがねの かたです ('That person with glasses') directly answers by identifying Tanaka-sensei among the people present. This matches the question word どの (which).

• 2とても しずかな かたです ('A very quiet person') describes Tanaka-sensei's personality, not which person he is. The question asks どのかた (which person), seeking physical identification, not a character description.
• 3日本語を おしえる 先生です ('A teacher who teaches Japanese') describes what Tanaka-sensei does, not which person he is. Again, this does not answer どの (which).
• 4あれは 田中先生です ('That is Tanaka-sensei') uses あれ, which refers to a thing, not a person. To refer to a person you should use あのかた/あの人. Also, it does not directly answer 'which person' as naturally as option 1.

• どの — which (used before a noun to ask which one)
• 方かた — person (honorific for 人)
• 眼鏡めがね — glasses
• 先生せんせい — teacher

A says 'Please don't enter that room' (入らないで ください). B should acknowledge this instruction. わかりました ('I understand / Understood') is the natural and correct response to comply with a request or instruction. It shows B has understood and will follow the instruction.

• 1すみませんが ('I'm sorry, but…') is an incomplete utterance. It would need to be followed by something (e.g., a reason or a request). On its own, it does not properly acknowledge the instruction.
• 3ごめんください ('Excuse me / Is anyone home?') is used when visiting someone's house or calling out to get attention. It is not a response to an instruction.
• 4しつれいします ('Excuse me') is used when entering/leaving a room or taking leave. Ironically, saying this in response to 'don't enter' would be inappropriate, as it is typically said when entering a room.

• 部屋へや — room
• 入はいる — to enter
• 〜ないでください — please do not ~
• 分わかる — to understand

A says 'Let's take a short break' (休みましょう - volitional form, suggesting an action together). B responds with ええ (yes, agreeing) and then そうですね ('That's right / That sounds good'). そうですね is the natural agreement expression when someone makes a suggestion. Together, ええ、そうですね means 'Yes, that's a good idea.'

• 1休みました ('(I/we) rested') is past tense, stating that a rest already happened. This does not fit as a response to a suggestion to rest now.
• 2そうでしょう ('That's probably so') expresses conjecture or seeking confirmation about something B is unsure of. It is not an agreement response to a suggestion.
• 3休みません ('(I) will not rest') is a direct refusal, which contradicts the agreeing ええ at the beginning of B's response. It is inconsistent.

• 休やすむ — to rest, to take a break
• 〜ましょう — let's ~ (volitional/suggestion form)
• そうですね — that's right; that sounds good (agreement)