Free JLPT N2 Exam Flashcards

Means doing X as a main activity while also doing Y on the side (e.g., 仕事のかたわら子育てする). Implies a sustained parallel pattern, distinct from ながら (simple simultaneous) and うちに (during a temporary state).

Acknowledges a fact then signals a contradicting reality: 'but still...' (e.g., 買ったものの使っていない = bought it but haven't used it). Softer and more reflective than にもかかわらず (despite) and less blunt than しかし.

Taking the opportunity: doing B while doing A because A makes B convenient (e.g., 買い物のついでに郵便局に寄る). One-time and opportunistic, unlike かたわら which implies a long-term parallel habit.

'For a...' - compares an actual quality or quantity to a baseline expectation (e.g., 若いわりにしっかりしている = solid for someone young). Can be positive or negative; distinct from だけあって, which confirms rather than contrasts.

'Just because...' - introduces a single cause that produced a (usually negative) result (e.g., 油断したばかりに負けた = lost solely because I let my guard down). Carries regret; not the neutral limitation of だけ.

'Far from...' - the actual outcome is the OPPOSITE of what was expected (e.g., 休むどころか忙しくなった = far from resting, I got busier). Stronger than だけでなく (not only), which carries no contrastive reversal.

'Nothing more than/merely' - belittles the significance of what precedes it (e.g., これは始まりにすぎない = this is merely the beginning). More dismissive than だけ, which is a neutral 'only'.

'Must be/certainly' - strong conviction based on evidence (e.g., 彼が書いたにちがいない = it must be him who wrote it). Differs from はずだ, which rests on logical expectation from rules; ちがいない reflects the speaker's personal judgment.

'As long as...' - the consequence holds while the condition remains true (e.g., 元気なかぎり働く = work as long as I'm healthy). Distinct from 〜なら (general conditional) because かぎり frames the condition as a limit or boundary.

'There is a risk that...' - warns of a possible negative outcome (e.g., 洪水のおそれがある = there is a risk of flooding). Reserved for undesirable possibilities; do not use for positive predictions, which use はず/だろう.

'Despite/in spite of' - the result contradicts what the premise would normally imply (e.g., 雨にもかかわらず試合が行われた = despite the rain the match was held). Stronger and more formal than のに; common in news and essay writing.

'Should have but didn't' - regretful counterfactual, more literary than ば〜のに (e.g., 言えばよいものを黙っていた = should have said it, but stayed silent). Carries a tone of blame or self-reproach.

'Even while/even though' - ながら plus も adds contrastive emphasis, signaling the result is surprising given the constraint (e.g., 狭いながらも快適に暮らしている = small though it is, living comfortably).

'Even though' (with reproach) - expresses blame or annoyance, not neutral like のに (e.g., 知っているくせに教えない = he knows but won't tell me). Avoid with superiors; it sounds critical and is considered rude.

'That said/even so' - a concessive transition that admits a fact but limits its force (e.g., 簡単とはいえ油断できない = simple though it may be, I can't let my guard down). Useful for bridging paragraphs in opinion writing.

'For a...' - the actual behavior is unexpected for the stated category (e.g., 初心者にしては上手だ = good for a beginner). Compares against a category standard; distinct from わりに (specific baseline) and だけあって (confirms expectation).

In '30分も経たないうちに', も marks the brief span as surprisingly short ('even 30 minutes hadn't passed'). Without も the sentence is flat; with も it conveys astonishment at the speed or quantity.

'Only' with negative polarity - exclusive and often regretful (e.g., 残りはこれしかない = only this is left). Differs from だけ (neutral, positive polarity): しか frames the limitation as undesirable.

'If only...' - the minimum sufficient condition for the result (e.g., 水さえあれば生きていける = if only there's water, I can survive). Slightly stronger than だけで because さえ emphasizes 'even just this one thing'.

'Even' - more literary and slightly stronger than も (e.g., 親すら信じない = even parents won't believe it). Used for surprising inclusions or exclusions in formal writing.

'About / at the level of' - degree or extent, often 'at least' (e.g., それくらい分かる = I at least understand that). With negation it can belittle: '〜くらいしか〜ない' = only about.

Belittling or surprising quotation marker: 'such a thing' (e.g., 失敗するなんて思わなかった = I never thought I'd fail). Stronger than など; conveys astonishment or dismissal.

Means 'grasp/comprehend' (e.g., 状況を把握する). Both kanji use on'yomi: 把=は、握=あく. The kun'yomi 握る (にぎる) does NOT appear in this compound - a common N2 reading trap.

許可 (permission) has the short vowel ki-yo-ka, while 強化 (strengthen) and 教科 (subject) have the long vowel kyō. Context tells them apart: '許可を得る' = obtain permission; '強化する' = strengthen.

実施 (implementation, e.g., 法律を実施する) has a small っ and short final vowel. 実質 (substance, e.g., 実質的な責任) ends in the long しつ. Misreading flips the meaning entirely.

'Examine/consider toward a decision' (e.g., 検討する = study the options). NOT the same as 'discuss' (議論する) - 検討 implies investigating before choosing. Common in business keigo.

'Understood/acknowledged' - business keigo used to confirm a request (e.g., 承知いたしました = I understand). More formal than 分かった; the 承 has the long vowel shō.

'Situation/circumstances.' Both kanji use long ō vowels: じょう + きょう. Distinguish from 受領 (じゅりょう, 'receipt') which has a different middle vowel (ju vs jō).

'Unavoidable' = しかたがない (it can't be helped). Usually precedes a decision to proceed despite difficulty (e.g., やむを得ない事情で延期する). NOT the same as うまくいかない (going poorly).

'For now / for the time being' - an immediate minimal action pending more thought (e.g., とりあえずこれでお願いします). NOT 'first' in a sequence; it implies a tentative, stopgap choice.

'Without a doubt / unmistakably' (e.g., まぎれもない事実 = indisputable fact). Used when asserting identity or quality with full confidence; stronger than 確かに, which only states certainty.

'Even more so' - given an existing circumstance, the degree increases (e.g., 雨ならなおさら行きたくない = if it rains, I even more don't want to go). Differs from さらに (just 'more'), which has no prior baseline.

'Unexpectedly' - adverb expressing surprise at an outcome against expectation (e.g., 案外難しかった = it was unexpectedly hard). Synonymous with 思いがけなく; softer than 予想外.

'In a flash / instinctively' - reflex action without deliberation (e.g., とっさに手を出して支えた = instinctively put out a hand to brace). Refers to split-second reflexes, not deliberate speed (急いで / 素早く).

'Suspend or postpone pending review' (e.g., 計画を見合わせる = put the plan on hold). Distinct from あきらめる (give up entirely): 見合わせる keeps the option to resume once conditions improve.

'Begin to / suddenly start' - attaches to a verb stem to mark spontaneous onset (e.g., 泣き出す = burst into tears, 雨が降り出す = it starts raining). Indicates abrupt, often unplanned, beginning.

'Redo / re-do' - attaches to a verb stem to mean doing it again to correct a prior attempt (e.g., やり直す = do over, 書き直す = rewrite). Implies the first attempt was unsatisfactory.

'Deeply / into' - attaches to verb stems to signal thoroughness or a packed-in state (e.g., 考え込む = think deeply, 信じ込む = believe fully, 詰め込む = cram in). Indicates depth or saturation.

'Complete upward / finish with effort' - signals bringing an action to completion with a sense of accomplishment (e.g., 書き上げる = finish writing, 作り上げる = build to completion). Differs from 終わる (neutral finish) by implying effort.

Respectful 'kindly do for me' - combines the honorific prefix ご/お with くださる (humble-respectful くれる). E.g., ご説明くださる = kindly explain. Different from お〜になる, which elevates the actor's action; くださる frames it as a favor to the listener.

Respectful form for a superior's action - elevates the actor (e.g., 社長がご覧になる = the president looks). Used to show respect to the subject of the verb; the verb itself becomes respectful via the お〜になる pattern.

Humble form for one's own action - lowers the speaker to elevate the listener (e.g., ご案内します = I will humbly guide you). Used when the speaker's action affects a superior; different from sonkeigo, which elevates the other's action.

Humble 'say/tell' - kenjougo of 言う, more formal than 申す (e.g., お礼申し上げます = I humbly express thanks). Used in business letters and formal speech; do not use for in-group members.

Deictic/anaphoric words like これ/それ/あれ/この. In N2 long passages この often points FORWARD to what follows, while それ typically refers BACK to the immediately prior noun phrase. Misreading the reference flips comprehension.

Author's intent. When an N2 reading question asks 'なぜ〜と述べたのか' (why did the writer say X), the answer is almost always in the sentence BEFORE or AFTER the cited phrase, not the cited phrase itself - locate the writer's stated reason.

Markers that signal the author's conclusion. When a question asks '筆者の主張は何か' (what is the claim?), the sentence following these markers usually contains the answer - it is the writer's own restatement.

Same-meaning rewording. N2 vocabulary questions ask which option matches the underlined expression. Eliminate options that change nuance, register, or scope; the correct choice preserves all three.

Sentence-final nuance. '〜でしょうか' and '〜ませんか' soften proposals/requests; blunt '〜だ' or '〜する' is direct and can sound abrupt. N2 listening often traps you with the polite-vs-blunt distinction.

Task-comprehension questions ask what the speaker will do next. The answer is in the FINAL verb phrase of the speaker (する / しない / もう一度〜); ignore earlier hedges, complaints, or rejected options that distract.

N2 listening often hinges on dates, prices, and proper nouns. Jot them down the moment you hear them - the four options usually differ by one digit or one kana, and you cannot replay the audio.