What is Contextual Usage?
Contextual usage questions test your ability to choose the most appropriate word based on the surrounding context. At the N2 level, you must understand nuances, collocations, and how words function differently in various situations. This skill is essential for natural Japanese communication.
๐ Key Concepts
1. Collocation (้ฃ่ช)
Words that naturally go together:
ใ่ถใ___ใ
Options: A. ้ฃฒใ (drink) B. ้ฃในใ (eat) C. ใใ (do)
Answer: A. ใ่ถใ้ฃฒใ - drink tea (natural collocation)
Answer: A. ใ่ถใ้ฃฒใ - drink tea (natural collocation)
็ดๆใ___ใ
Options: A. ใใ B. ๅฎใ (keep) C. ็ ดใ (break)
Answer: B. ็ดๆใๅฎใ - keep a promise (common collocation)
Answer: B. ็ดๆใๅฎใ - keep a promise (common collocation)
2. Register & Formality (ๆฌ่ชใฌใใซ)
Choosing words appropriate for the situation:
ๅ
็ใๆๅฎคใซ___ใ(Formal)
Options: A. ๆฅใ B. ใใใฃใใใฃใ C. ๆฅใใใฃใ
Answer: B. ใใใฃใใใฃใ - honored way of saying "came"
Answer: B. ใใใฃใใใฃใ - honored way of saying "came"
ๅ้ใๅฎถใซ___ใ(Casual)
Options: A. ใใใฃใใใฃใ B. ๅใฃใ C. ๆฅใ
Answer: C. ๆฅใ - casual "came"
Answer: C. ๆฅใ - casual "came"
3. Semantic Nuance (ๆๅณใฎ้ใ)
Subtle differences in meaning:
ๅฝผใฏไปไบใ___้
ใใ
Options: A. ใกใใฃใจ (a little) B. ใใชใ (quite) C. ๅ
จ็ถ (not at all)
Answer: B. ใใชใ้ ใ - quite slow (strong degree)
Answer: B. ใใชใ้ ใ - quite slow (strong degree)
๐ Common Contextual Patterns
Verbs with Specific Objects
ๆใๆดใ (ใฆใใใใ) - wash hands
้กใๆดใ (ใใใใใใ) - wash face
็ฟใๆดใ (ใใใใใใ) - wash dishes
่ปใๆดใ (ใใใพใใใใ) - wash car
้ซชใๅใ (ใใฟใใใ) - cut hair
็ดใๅใ (ใใฟใใใ) - cut paper
้ป่ฉฑใๅใ (ใงใใใใใ) - hang up phone
ๆฏใๅใใ (ใใใใใใ) - be out of breathAdjectives with Specific Nouns
ๅผทใ้ขจ (ใคใใใใ) - strong wind
ๆฟใใ้จ (ใฏใใใใใ) - heavy rain
ๅณใใๅฏใ (ใใณใใใใใ) - severe cold
ๆใๆฅ (ใใคใใฒ) - hot day
ๆทฑใ้ขไฟ (ใตใใใใใใ) - deep relationship
ๅบใ็ดๆ (ใใใใใใใ) - firm promise
้ใ่ฒฌไปป (ใใใใใใซใ) - heavy responsibility
่ปฝใๆฐๆใก (ใใใใใใก) - light-hearted feelingSituational Expressions
Meeting Someone:
ๅใใพใใฆ (ใฏใใใพใใฆ) - Nice to meet you (first time)
ใไน
ใใถใใงใ (ใใฒใใใถใใงใ) - Long time no see
ใ็กๆฒๆฑฐใใฆใใใพใ (ใใถใใใใฆใใใพใ) - It's been a while (formal)
Apologizing:
ใใฟใพใใ - Sorry (casual)
็ณใ่จณใใใใพใใ (ใใใใใใใใใพใใ) - I'm very sorry (formal)
ๅคฑ็คผใใพใใ (ใใคใใใใพใใ) - Excuse me (after the fact)๐ฏ Practice by Category
Business Context (ใใธใใน)
ไผ่ญฐใ___ใใใใฎใงใใใ
Options: A. ้ใ B. ้ใใ C. ๅงใใ
Options: A. ้ใ B. ้ใใ C. ๅงใใ
Answer: A. ้ใ (ใฒใใ) - hold/open a meeting
ไผ่ญฐใ้ใ is the standard collocation
ไผ่ญฐใ้ใ is the standard collocation
ๅฅ็ดใ___ใพใใใ
Options: A. ไฝใ B. ็ตใถ C. ็ตใ
Options: A. ไฝใ B. ็ตใถ C. ็ตใ
Answer: B. ็ตใถ (ใใใถ) - conclude a contract
ๅฅ็ดใ็ตใถ is the proper business term
ๅฅ็ดใ็ตใถ is the proper business term
Academic Context (ๅญฆ่ก)
่ซๆใ___ใใฆใใพใใ
Options: A. ไฝใ B. ๆธใ C. ๆธใใฆใใ
Options: A. ไฝใ B. ๆธใ C. ๆธใใฆใใ
Answer: B. ๆธใ (ใใ) - write a paper
่ซๆใๆธใ is the standard academic expression
่ซๆใๆธใ is the standard academic expression
่ฉฆ้จใซ___ใ
Options: A. ๅใใ B. ๅใค C. ใงใใ
Options: A. ๅใใ B. ๅใค C. ใงใใ
Answer: A. ๅใใ (ใใใ) - pass an exam
่ฉฆ้จใซๅใใ/ๅๆ ผใใ are correct expressions
่ฉฆ้จใซๅใใ/ๅๆ ผใใ are correct expressions
Daily Life Context (ๆฅๅธธ)
้ขจ้ชใ___ใพใใใ
Options: A. ใใใ B. ใฒใ C. ใใใ
Options: A. ใใใ B. ใฒใ C. ใใใ
Answer: B. ใฒใ - catch a cold
้ขจ้ชใใฒใ is the natural expression
้ขจ้ชใใฒใ is the natural expression
ๅใ___ใใฃใใ
Options: A. ๆใฃใฆ B. ๅใฃใฆ C. ใคใใใง
Options: A. ๆใฃใฆ B. ๅใฃใฆ C. ใคใใใง
Answer: A. ๆใฃใฆ (ใใฃใฆ) - take (bring) an umbrella
ๅใๆใฃใฆใใ is the standard phrase
ๅใๆใฃใฆใใ is the standard phrase
๐ Synonym Differentiation
่ฆใ vs ่ฆณใ vs ่จบใ
่ฆใ (ใฟใ) - see, watch (general)
ไพ: ใใฌใใ่ฆใ - watch TV
ไพ: ๆฏ่ฒใ่ฆใ - see scenery
่ฆณใ (ใฟใ) - watch (entertainment)
ไพ: ๆ ็ปใ่ฆณใ - watch a movie
ไพ: ่ฉฆๅใ่ฆณใ - watch a game
่จบใ (ใฟใ) - examine (medical)
ไพ: ๅป่
ใๆฃ่
ใ่จบใ - doctor examines patient่ใ vs ่ดใ
่ใ (ใใ) - hear, listen (general)
ไพ: ้ณใ่ใใใ - can hear sound
ไพ: ่ฉฑใ่ใ - listen to a story
ไพ: ่ณชๅใ่ใ - hear a question
่ดใ (ใใ) - listen (attentively)
ไพ: ้ณๆฅฝใ่ดใ - listen to music
ไพ: ่ฌ็พฉใ่ดใ - attend a lectureไฝใ vs ้ ใ vs ๅตใ
ไฝใ (ใคใใ) - make (general)
ไพ: ๆ็ใไฝใ - cook/make food
ไพ: ่จ็ปใไฝใ - make a plan
้ ใ (ใคใใ) - build, construct
ไพ: ๅฎถใ้ ใ - build a house
ไพ: ่นใ้ ใ - construct a ship
ๅตใ (ใคใใ) - create (artistic)
ไพ: ไฝๅใๅตใ - create a work of art
ไพ: ๆฐใใไผ็คพใๅตใ - create a new company๐ก Advanced Practice
Context-Based Selection
ๆจๆฅใๅ้ใจ___ใฌในใใฉใณใง้ฃไบใใใใ
Options: A. ๆฐใใ B. ๆฐ้ฎฎใช C. ๆฐใ
Options: A. ๆฐใใ B. ๆฐ้ฎฎใช C. ๆฐใ
Answer: A. ๆฐใใ (ใใใใใ) - new
ๆฐใใใฌในใใฉใณ (new restaurant) is the natural collocation
ๆฐ้ฎฎใช is for fresh food, ๆฐใ is for newly established things
ๆฐใใใฌในใใฉใณ (new restaurant) is the natural collocation
ๆฐ้ฎฎใช is for fresh food, ๆฐใ is for newly established things
ๅฝผๅฅณใฏ___ๆงๆ ผใงใ่ชฐใจใงใใใไปฒ่ฏใใชใใ
Options: A. ๆใใ B. ๆ็ฝใช C. ๆใใ
Options: A. ๆใใ B. ๆ็ฝใช C. ๆใใ
Answer: A. ๆใใ (ใใใใ) - bright, cheerful
ๆใใๆงๆ ผ means cheerful personality
ๆ็ฝ and ๆใใ mean "clear/obvious"
ๆใใๆงๆ ผ means cheerful personality
ๆ็ฝ and ๆใใ mean "clear/obvious"
ใใฎๅ้กใซใคใใฆใ___ๆ่ฆใ่ฟฐในใฆใใ ใใใ
Options: A. ่ช็ฑ B. ่ช็ฑใช C. ่ชๅใฎ
Options: A. ่ช็ฑ B. ่ช็ฑใช C. ่ชๅใฎ
Answer: C. ่ชๅใฎ (ใใถใใฎ) - your own
่ชๅใฎๆ่ฆ means "your own opinion"
่ช็ฑใชๆ่ฆ would mean "free opinion" (less natural here)
่ชๅใฎๆ่ฆ means "your own opinion"
่ช็ฑใชๆ่ฆ would mean "free opinion" (less natural here)
๐ฏ Key Takeaways
- Learn collocations: Study words that naturally go together
- Context is king: Same word can have different nuances in different situations
- Register matters: Choose appropriate formality level
- Synonym awareness: Understand subtle differences between similar words
- Natural expressions: Learn phrases as chunks, not just individual words
- Reading exposure: Read diverse materials to see words in context
- Pattern recognition: Identify common verb-noun and adjective-noun combinations
- Practice discrimination: Focus on differentiating similar words in context