JLPT N4 Vocabulary
Practice 10 questions

あには　だいがくで　経済を　べんきょうして　います。

• CorrectけいざいCorrect — 「経済」 (economy) is read 「けいざい」.
• WrongけいけんThe reading for 「経験」 (experience), a different kanji.
• WrongけいさんThe reading for 「計算」 (calculation), a different kanji.
• WrongけいたいThe reading for 「携帯」 (mobile), a different kanji.

Explanation. 「経済(けいざい)」 is an N4-level kanji compound.

この　もんだいは　とても　むずかしいです。（むずかしい）

• Correct難しいCorrect — the proper kanji spelling of "difficult".
• Wrong難かしいThe okurigana (inflectional ending) is incorrect.
• Wrong困しいConfused with 「困る」 (to be troubled).
• Wrong苦しいA different word meaning "painful/hard".

Explanation. 「難しい」 is an essential N4 kanji whose okurigana must be memorized precisely.

かいぎの　じかんが　（　　）ので、いそいで　いきました。

• CorrectおくれそうだったCorrect — fits the context of hurrying because it looked like being late.
• WrongたりなかったMeans "was not enough", an unnatural reason to hurry.
• WrongおわらなかったMeans ‘didn't finish', doesn't fit the context.
• WrongきまらなかったMeans ‘wasn't decided', doesn't fit the context.

Explanation. The most natural reason for hurrying is "it looked like being late" (おくれそう).

かれは　しごとに　ねっしんです。

• Correctいっしょうけんめいです"Enthusiastic" and "working hard" are synonymous expressions here.
• WrongひまですMeans "free/idle", close to the opposite meaning.
• WrongてきとうですMeans "halfhearted/adequate", the opposite meaning.
• WrongにがてですMeans "poor at", unrelated.

Explanation. 「ねっしん (enthusiastic)」 and 「いっしょうけんめい (hard-working)」 convey a similar meaning.

Which sentence uses 「げんいん」 correctly?

• Correctじこの　げんいんを　しらべていますCorrect — "investigating the cause of an accident" is a natural use of "cause".
• Wrongかれは　げんいんが　いい　ひとですMisuses "cause" as if describing personality.
• Wrongこの　りょうりは　げんいんが　おいしいですMisuses "cause" as if describing taste.
• Wrongあしたは　げんいんが　いい　てんきに　なるでしょうMisuses "cause" unrelated to weather.

Explanation. 「げんいん (cause)」 is naturally used only to refer to the reason behind an event or phenomenon.