JLPT N4 practice questions

かがく means science, which naturally fits a TV show topic like かがくのテレビばんぐみ (science TV program).

My younger brother likes science TV shows.

診る and 見る (みる, see) have the same reading. 診 (み, examine medically) is used when a doctor checks a patient.

The doctor examines my stomach.

Add に to ひさしぶり to mean doing something for the first time in a while.

I cooked food at home for the first time in a long time.

Add つもりだ directly to the plain verb 寝る to express your plan or intention to go to sleep early tonight.

I plan to go to bed early tonight.

Use できるだけ before an adjective to mean "as ... as possible." Here, it describes buying vegetables as cheaply as possible.

I bought vegetables that were as cheap as possible.

An event like a meeting fits with あります to express that it will take place tomorrow morning.

Starting tomorrow morning, I have an important meeting.

食 (food) + 料 (materials) + 品 (goods): food products sold as groceries, rather than a single prepared dish.

I bought groceries at the shop in front of the station.

The room is hot (あつい), so you turn on the air conditioner or cooling (れいぼう) to cool it down.

Because the room was hot, I turned on the air conditioning.

After a noun like 店 (みせ, shop), attach な + のに to mean "even though," expressing dissatisfaction with the result.

Even though it is an expensive restaurant, it isn't very delicious.

行きます (will go) describes a future plan, which matches さらいしゅう (the week after next).

I am going on a trip with my family the week after next.

The changing rooms are divided between men and women. 女性 is the group contrasted with 男性.

For changing, men use the room on the right and women use the room on the left.

大 is だい as in 大好き (だいすき, loving), and 事 is じ as in 火事 (かじ, fire): a big matter is important.

I still treasure the letters from my family.

With パソコン (personal computer), データ refers to digital files or data that can disappear when lost or deleted.

The computer data disappeared.

ひっこします expresses a future move, so a future time word like さらいげつ fits.

I am moving to a new house the month after next.

Add って at the end of a plain sentence to casually share hearsay or what someone said, meaning "I heard that...".

I heard Tanaka is going to Japan next week.

君 is a familiar way to say you.

What did you eat for breakfast?

しっかり means doing something properly or sufficiently. With たべて ください, it encourages eating a proper, hearty breakfast.

Please eat a proper breakfast.

The sentence describes commuting somewhere every morning. じむしょ means "office", which is a place you can go to with へ 行きます.

My father goes to the office every morning.

Trains and buses stop running during bad weather, so とまりました naturally describes public transportation shutting down.

Public transportation stopped running because of the typhoon.

料 means fee and 金 refers to money: the amount you pay for a service. The bus sentence uses it for the fare.

Please pay the bus fare here.

Add ために after a noun plus の to state a deliberate goal: けんこうの + ために means "for the sake of health".

I run every morning for my health.

そうじしています shows an action, and いっしょうけんめい works as an adverb meaning doing that action with all one's effort.

My younger brother is cleaning his room with all his might.

You write a text or sentence in a diary, making ぶん (sentence) the natural fit with 書きました.

I wrote a short sentence in my diary.

交 is こう, as in 交差点 (こうさてん, intersection). Joining 交 (coming and going) with 通 (pass through) refers to traffic or transportation.

Transportation in this town is very convenient.

会う indicates an upcoming plan with a friend, making 予定 (plan) the natural word here.

I have plans to meet a friend tomorrow.

A pocket planner (てちょう) is used for writing down plans or appointments, so スケジュール fits the context.

I wrote next week's schedule in my planner.

Add ことになりました after a dictionary-form verb like くらす to say a plan or decision has been arranged.

It has been decided that I will live alone starting next month.

You watch something on テレビ (television), and a ドラマ is a TV drama series.

Every evening, I watch a popular TV drama on television.

塩 (しお, salt) + 辛い (からい, a strong taste). In this word, that means salty, not hot with chili.

This soup is a little salty, isn’t it?

ほとんど means "almost" or "nearly" when paired with a completed action like おわりました.

I have almost finished my homework.

The birth makes the speaker a father, so the baby is his child. Of these family terms, only 娘 means his daughter.

My daughter was born, and I became a father.

Use におい + がする to describe detecting a smell. Sensory impressions like smells, sounds, and tastes take がする.

There is a nice smell in front of the bakery.

お風呂 (おふろ, bath) holds water depth, so あさい describes a bath or pool that is shallow.

This bath is a little shallow.

掃 (は, sweep) is そう in 掃除 (そうじ, cleaning). 掃く names the action done with a broom; 掃除 covers cleaning more generally.

I sweep the entrance clean with a broom.

困ったときは sets up a situation about timing, so いつでも fits to invite someone to call anytime.

When you are in trouble, please call anytime.

You give a present on a birthday, so プレゼント fits with たんじょう日に and あげました.

I gave a present on my mother's birthday.

教 is きょう, as in 教育 (きょういく, education). Pairing teaching with 科 (subject) and 書 (book) gives a textbook for study.

I put the textbook on the desk into my bag.

作ってみたい expresses wanting to try making it, and 一度 adds the idea of doing it at least once.

I want to try making this dish once.

昨日 shows the purchase was very recent. Attach たばかり to 買っ to make 買ったばかり, expressing that you only just bought them.

I only just bought these shoes yesterday.

A prearranged plan to eat with family fits 約束, and があります shows that this arrangement exists.

Tonight, I have plans to eat dinner with my family.

いえの ちかく (near the house) sets a neighborhood location, which fits a facility like a gas station.

There is a gas station near my house.

寝坊する means oversleeping: waking up later than intended.

I overslept today and was late for school.

じゅうぶん works as an adverb meaning "enough" or "sufficiently" to describe getting plenty of sleep.

I got enough sleep yesterday.

ようになる describes a change: getting up early has become a new habit.

I've started getting up early every morning.

やっぱり means "after all" or "as expected," expressing that despite other experiences, one's own bed at home is best.

After all, I sleep best in my bed at home.

歯 (は, tooth) + 医者 (いしゃ, doctor): a doctor for your teeth. The two words join without changing their readings.

I have a dentist’s appointment tomorrow afternoon.

At a store (店で), working a part-time job is expressed with パートをする.

My mother works a part-time job at a nearby store.

〜の かたちを している means “to have the shape of...”. Bread is baked into the visual shape of an animal.

This bread is shaped like an animal.

母の + かわりに means "in place of my mother," showing cooking instead of her.

I cooked a meal in place of my mother.

Add にくい directly after 食べ (the stem of 食べます) to express that something is hard to eat.

This bread is hard and difficult to eat.

具 is read ぐ, as in 道具 (どうぐ, tool). 家 (home) + 具 (tool): equipment for the home, or furniture.

I am going to buy furniture to put in my new home.

The sentence describes a child playing (あそんでいます), so おもちゃ (toy) naturally fits as what they are playing with.

The child is playing with a toy.

When writing a letter, ていねい describes neat, careful handwriting.

I wrote the letter in neat handwriting.

〜に 反対する means to oppose or disagree with something, matching the father's objection to the trip.

My father is opposed to my trip.

全 is ぜん, as in 全部 (ぜんぶ, all): 安 (peaceful) + 全 (complete): completely safe.

Even at night, this is a bright and safe street.

To prepare something ahead of time, add おきます after a verb in て-form. 作っておきます means to make it in advance.

I will make tomorrow's boxed lunch in advance.

Use やさしい to describe being kind or gentle toward someone (わたしに).

My older sister is always kind to me.

辛くない is negative, so use ちっとも with it to mean "not at all".

This soup is not spicy at all.

文 is ぶん as in 文化 (ぶんか, culture), joining 学 (study) to describe the study of written works.

My older brother is studying Japanese literature at university.

You use チームに入っています to mean belonging to or joining a sports group like a soccer team.

My older brother is on a soccer team.