JLPT N3 practice questions

Books and toys are scattered around the room, so めちゃくちゃ fits to describe a messy, chaotic state.

My younger brother's room is always a mess with books and toys.

都 is と, as in 首都 (しゅと, capital city). 都 means city and 会 suggests gathering: think of a city as a place where people gather.

It seems my younger brother has completely gotten used to living in the city.

ホーム is the train station platform where passengers wait for a train.

I wait for the train on the station platform.

Add さえ with a negative ending to mean not even: 時間さえなかった means there was not even time.

I was so busy today that I did not even have time to eat lunch.

前 is ぜん as in 午前 (ごぜん, morning), and 後 is ご as in 午後 (ごご, afternoon). Together, in front and behind give "front and back".

Before moving the car, check for safety in front and behind.

お金を使う describes spending money, and けち expresses reluctance to part with it, meaning stingy or tightfisted.

My older brother is stingy when it comes to spending his own money.

決める (きめる, decide) → 決まり: something decided as a rule. The rule is what everyone is expected to follow.

Please follow the school rules carefully.

おしゃべりをする means to chat; it can suggest talking too much when quiet is expected.

Even though class was in progress, I kept chatting with the friend in front of me instead of being quiet, and the teacher told me off.

時間 (じかん, time) + をたっぷり使う means spending plenty of time on something with room to spare.

On my days off, I take plenty of time to cook.

ごとに means each or every: the curtains change with each season.

I change this room's curtains every season.

険 is けん, as in 危険 (きけん, danger). Pair 保 (protect, guarantee) with 険 (danger) to remember insurance.

I plan to enroll in a new insurance policy starting next month.

本人 means the actual person involved, rather than someone speaking about them.

Please ask the person concerned for the details.

かきとめでおくる means “send by registered mail”. The postal service records acceptance and delivery, so important documents can be traced.

I sent the important contract by registered mail.

けが refers to an injury and 診てもらった means receiving a medical examination, so 外科 (surgery department) is the medical department needed.

Because I got injured, I was examined at a nearby surgery department.

制作 specifically refers to creating creative or artistic works like anime, films, and artwork.

I create animated videos as a hobby.

国 is こく, as in 外国 (がいこく, foreign country), and 語 is ご, as in 英語 (えいご, English). Together, 国 (country) + 語 (language) refers to national language.

My younger brother is doing his Japanese homework.

Add たびに to a dictionary-form verb like 聞く to express that whenever you listen to the song, the same memory comes back.

Every time I hear this song, I remember my parents' home.

いたずら can mean a prank or mischievous behavior, especially by a child.

My younger brother drew on the wall with a pen as a prank, and our mother scolded him severely.

交 is こう, as in 交差点 (こうさてん, intersection), and 流 is りゅう, as in 流行 (りゅうこう, trend): mingling and flowing together create social interaction.

Deepen interaction with the neighbors.

Mother’s Day gives the reason for choosing mother as the recipient of the flowers.

I gave my mother flowers on Mother’s Day.

社 means company and 員 means member: an employee. 正社員 is a regular employee, rather than someone hired only for a limited period.

I will start working as a regular employee next month.

Shops hand out a サンプル (sample) of cosmetics so customers can try a small amount before buying.

I received a cosmetics sample at the shop.

Use せいで when a cause leads to a negative or unwanted outcome like not being able to wake up.

Because I stayed up late at night, I couldn't wake up in the morning.

私の (my) needs a person noun to serve as the subject who goes for a walk, making 父親 (father) the natural fit.

My father goes for a walk early every morning.

書 is read しょ, as in 辞書 (じしょ, dictionary). 読 (read) + 書 (book): reading books.

I read a little before going to sleep.

協力する means working together toward the same task or goal.

The family worked together to do a thorough cleaning.

生意気 describes speaking or behaving too boldly for your position, often toward someone older.

My younger brother got scolded for saying something cheeky.

後悔 is regret about something already done or a choice already made.

I regretted buying expensive clothes.

ニュースによると names the source; ということだ reports information from that source. Together they mean “according to the news, …”.

According to the news, electricity rates will rise starting next month.

署 means sign and 名 means name: writing your name as your signature. It is more than simply telling someone your name.

Please sign here after reading the contract.

Having a spacious garden is an appealing feature of the house, so 魅力 fits best to describe its charm or attraction.

The charm of this old house is that it has a spacious garden.

おんぶ means carrying someone on your back, often a child.

The child said they were too tired to walk, so I carried them home on my back.

品 is ひん, as in 食料品 (しょくりょうひん, groceries). 製 (manufacture) + 品 (goods): manufactured goods.

This product is easy to use and popular.

You practice for a sports tournament or meet, so 大会 fits naturally with テニス and 練習.

I am practicing every day for next week's tennis tournament.

不足し + がち means tending not to get enough vegetables, describing an unwanted negative tendency.

When living alone, you tend to run short of vegetables without realizing it.

告 is こく, as in 報告 (ほうこく, report). 広 (wide) + 告 (inform): informing widely through an advertisement.

I learned about the new shop by seeing a newspaper advertisement.

With 始まります (starts), you need a time period like 学期 (school term), not school expenses or university departments.

A new school term starts next week.

After taking a bath, さっぱり expresses feeling clean, refreshed, and renewed.

I took a bath and felt refreshed.

好 is read す in 好き (すき, liked), but この in 好み for someone's taste or preference.

I adjust the seasoning to my family's tastes.

ぼんやり過ごす describes passing time idly or daydreaming with an unfocused mind.

On my days off, I often spend my time idly in my room.

所 is read しょ as in 住所 (じゅうしょ, address); here 短 (fault) and 所 (point) combine to mean a weak point.

It is difficult to fix one's own shortcomings.

Add っぽい directly to 水 to form 水っぽい, meaning watery or having too much water.

This soup is a little watery, isn't it?

実を結ぶ means to bear fruit or pay off. 努力 fits because daily effort leads to passing an exam.

Daily effort bore fruit, and I passed the exam.

今 is こん as in 今月 (こんげつ, this month), and 後 is ご as in 午後 (ごご, afternoon): now + after refers to from now on.

I talked with my family about our life from now on.

The first child is a boy, making him the eldest son. 次男 would be a second son.

Our first child was a boy, so I told my father about the birth of our eldest son.

きっかけ means the trigger or initial motivation that prompted an action like taking up cooking.

What prompted me to start cooking was my mother's illness.

生 is せい as in 学生 (がくせい, student), and 物 is ぶつ as in 動物 (どうぶつ, animal): a living thing.

I found a small creature in the river.

Add にしたがって after 夕方になる to express that as evening approaches, the wind steadily strengthens alongside that change.

As evening approached, the wind grew stronger.

With the negative verb 下がらなかった, 少しも means "not even a bit" or "not at all".

I took medicine, but my fever didn't go down at all.

地 is ち, as in 地下鉄 (ちかてつ, subway). Combined with 域 (region), it forms an area or district.

In the area where I live, garbage sorting is very detailed.

After sleeping enough, your physical strength (体力) returns to normal. 回復 means recovery or restoration of health and stamina.

Because I slept enough, my physical strength recovered.

どうせ〜なら means "if ... anyway". It expresses that if being late is going to happen anyway, you should at least call beforehand.

If you are going to be late anyway, I want you to let me know in advance.

住 is read す, as in 住む (すむ, to live): a place to live is a dwelling.

I will look for a residence near the station.

てはじめて marks the experience that first made a realization possible.

Only after living on my own did I understand how hard my parents had it.

役割 refers to someone's role or assigned duty, making 家事の役割 the natural phrase for dividing household chores.

Our family decided on everyone's share of the household chores.

業 is read ぎょう, as in 営業 (えいぎょう, business). Combining 失 (lose) with 業 (vocation) literally describes losing one's work.

My older brother lost his job and is looking for work.

小遣い refers to pocket money, so use 円 to state the amount in Japanese yen.

This month's allowance is 5,000 yen.

一 is いつ, as in 同一 (どういつ, identical). Combining 唯 (only) with 一 (one) means only or sole.

Listening to music is my only pleasure.

台風 (typhoon) causes a loss of electricity, making 停電 (blackout) the natural fit with になった.

There was a blackout last night because of the typhoon.

歴 is れき, as in 歴史 (れきし, history). 学歴 is your education history: the schools and qualifications in your background.

This company hires capable people regardless of their educational background, such as whether they graduated from university.