What is Paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing questions test your ability to recognize when two different expressions mean the same thing. At the N2 level, you need to understand various ways to express the same idea, including using different vocabulary, grammar structures, and levels of formality while maintaining the original meaning.
๐ฏ Types of Paraphrasing
1. Vocabulary Substitution (่ชๅฝใฎ่จใๆใ)
Replacing words with synonyms or similar expressions:
ๅฝผใฏ้ๅธธใซ้ ญใใใใ
Paraphrase: ๅฝผใฏใจใฆใ่ณขใใ
(He is very smart โ He is very intelligent)
้ๅธธใซ = ใจใฆใ, ้ ญใใใ = ่ณขใ
(He is very smart โ He is very intelligent)
้ๅธธใซ = ใจใฆใ, ้ ญใใใ = ่ณขใ
ใใฎๅ้กใฏ้ฃใใใฆ่งฃๆฑบใงใใชใใ
Paraphrase: ใใฎๅ้กใฏ้ฃใใใฆ่งฃใใใจใใงใใชใใ
(This problem is difficult and can't be solved)
่งฃๆฑบใงใใชใ = ่งฃใใใจใใงใใชใ
(This problem is difficult and can't be solved)
่งฃๆฑบใงใใชใ = ่งฃใใใจใใงใใชใ
2. Grammar Structure Change (ๆๆณๆง้ ใฎๅคๆด)
Expressing the same meaning with different grammar:
้จใ้ใใใใ ใ
Paraphrase: ้จใ้ใใ ใใใ/ ้จใ้ใๅฏ่ฝๆงใใใใ
(It looks like it will rain โ It will probably rain / There's a possibility of rain)
ใใใ = ใ ใใ = ๅฏ่ฝๆงใใใ
(It looks like it will rain โ It will probably rain / There's a possibility of rain)
ใใใ = ใ ใใ = ๅฏ่ฝๆงใใใ
ๅฝผใฏๆฅๆฌ่ชใๅๅผทใใฆใใใ
Paraphrase: ๅฝผใฏๆฅๆฌ่ชใฎๅๅผทใใใฆใใใ
(He studies Japanese)
Verb form โ Noun + ใใ form
(He studies Japanese)
Verb form โ Noun + ใใ form
3. Formality Level Change (ไธๅฏงใใฌใใซใฎๅคๆด)
Same meaning, different politeness level:
ๆๆฅๆฅใฆใใ ใใใ(Polite)
Paraphrase: ๆๆฅๆฅใฆใใใ(Casual)
ๆๆฅใใใฃใใใฃใฆใใ ใใใ(Honorific)
ๆๆฅใ่ถใใใ ใใใ(Formal)
All mean "Please come tomorrow" with different levels of politeness
ๆๆฅใใใฃใใใฃใฆใใ ใใใ(Honorific)
ๆๆฅใ่ถใใใ ใใใ(Formal)
All mean "Please come tomorrow" with different levels of politeness
๐ Common Paraphrasing Patterns
Necessity & Obligation Expressions
Original: ๅๅผทใใชใใใฐใชใใชใ
Paraphrases:
โข ๅๅผทใใชใใฆใฏใใใชใ
โข ๅๅผทใใชใใฆใฏใชใใชใ
โข ๅๅผทใใๅฟ
่ฆใใใ
โข ๅๅผทใใ็พฉๅใใใ
โข ๅๅผทใใชใใจใใใชใ
All mean: "must study"Possibility & Ability Expressions
Original: ๆฅๆฌ่ชใ่ฉฑใใใจใใงใใ
Paraphrases:
โข ๆฅๆฌ่ชใ่ฉฑใใ
โข ๆฅๆฌ่ชใ่ฉฑใ่ฝๅใใใ
โข ๆฅๆฌ่ชใ่ฉฑใใ
โข ๆฅๆฌ่ชใ่ฉฑใใใจใๅฏ่ฝใ
All mean: "can speak Japanese"Probability & Likelihood Expressions
Original: ๆๆฅ้จใ้ใใใใใใชใ
Paraphrases:
โข ๆๆฅ้จใ้ใๅฏ่ฝๆงใใใ
โข ๆๆฅ้จใ้ใใ ใใ
โข ๆๆฅ้จใ้ใใใใ
โข ๆๆฅ้จใซใชใใใใใใชใ
All mean: "it might rain tomorrow"Opinion & Thought Expressions
Original: ็งใฏใใฎๆ ็ปใใใใจๆใ
Paraphrases:
โข ็งใฎๆ่ฆใงใฏใใใฎๆ ็ปใใใ
โข ใใฎๆ ็ปใฏใใใจๆใใใ
โข ใใฎๆ ็ปใฏใใใจ่ใใ
โข ใใฎๆ ็ปใใใใใใชๆฐใใใ
All mean: "I think this movie is good"๐ Advanced Paraphrasing Techniques
Passive โ Active Voice
ๆฏใซๅฑใใใใ(Passive)
Paraphrase: ๆฏใ็งใๅฑใฃใใ(Active)
(I was scolded by my mother โ My mother scolded me)
(I was scolded by my mother โ My mother scolded me)
ๅ
็ใๅญฆ็ใ่คใใใ(Active)
Paraphrase: ๅญฆ็ใๅ
็ใซ่คใใใใใ(Passive)
(The teacher praised the student โ The student was praised by the teacher)
(The teacher praised the student โ The student was praised by the teacher)
Affirmative โ Double Negative
ใใใฏ็พๅณใใใ
Paraphrase: ใใใฏไธๅณใใชใใ/ ใใใฏใพใใใฏใชใใ
(This is delicious โ This is not bad)
(This is delicious โ This is not bad)
ๅฝผใฏ้ ญใใใใ
Paraphrase: ๅฝผใฏ้ฆฌ้นฟใงใฏใชใใ/ ๅฝผใฏ้ ญใๆชใใชใใ
(He is smart โ He is not stupid / not dumb)
(He is smart โ He is not stupid / not dumb)
Causative Expressions
ๅ
็ใๅญฆ็ใซๆฌใ่ชญใพใใใ
Paraphrase: ๅ
็ใๅญฆ็ใซๆฌใ่ชญใใใใซ่จใฃใใ
(The teacher made students read books โ The teacher told students to read books)
(The teacher made students read books โ The teacher told students to read books)
๐ก Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Find the Equivalent
Choose the sentence with the same meaning:
Original: ใใฎไปไบใฏ็ฐกๅใงใฏใชใใ
A. ใใฎไปไบใฏ้ฃใใใ
B. ใใฎไปไบใฏ็ฐกๅใ ใ
C. ใใฎไปไบใฏๅคงๅคใ ใ
A. ใใฎไปไบใฏ้ฃใใใ
B. ใใฎไปไบใฏ็ฐกๅใ ใ
C. ใใฎไปไบใฏๅคงๅคใ ใ
Answer: A and C are both correct
็ฐกๅใงใฏใชใ (not easy) = ้ฃใใ (difficult) = ๅคงๅคใ (tough)
็ฐกๅใงใฏใชใ (not easy) = ้ฃใใ (difficult) = ๅคงๅคใ (tough)
Original: ๅฝผๅฅณใฏๆฏๆฅ้ๅใใฆใใใ
A. ๅฝผๅฅณใฏๆฏๆฅ้ๅใใใ
B. ๅฝผๅฅณใฏๆฏๆฅ้ๅใใใฆใใใ
C. ๅฝผๅฅณใฏๆฏๆฅ้ๅใใใ
A. ๅฝผๅฅณใฏๆฏๆฅ้ๅใใใ
B. ๅฝผๅฅณใฏๆฏๆฅ้ๅใใใฆใใใ
C. ๅฝผๅฅณใฏๆฏๆฅ้ๅใใใ
Answer: B
้ๅใใฆใใ = ้ๅใใใฆใใ (doing exercise)
้ๅใใฆใใ = ้ๅใใใฆใใ (doing exercise)
Exercise 2: Rewrite with Different Grammar
1. Original: ่กใใชใใใฐใชใใชใ
Rewrite: ่กใๅฟ
่ฆใใใ / ่กใใชใใจใใใชใ
2. Original: ้ฃในใใใจใใงใใ
Rewrite: ้ฃในใใใ / ้ฃในใใฎใๅฏ่ฝใ
3. Original: ้จใ้ใใใใ
Rewrite: ้จใ้ใใ ใใ / ้จใ้ใๅฏ่ฝๆงใใใ
4. Original: ๅฝผใฏ่ฆชๅใ ใจๆใ
Rewrite: ๅฝผใฏ่ฆชๅใ ใจ่ใใ / ๅฝผใ่ฆชๅใ ใจใใๆฐใใใExercise 3: Context-Based Paraphrasing
Original: ๆๆฅใฏๅฟใใใฆไผ่ญฐใซๅๅ ใงใใพใใใ
Paraphrase options:
A. ๆๆฅใฏๅฟใใใฎใงไผ่ญฐใซๅบใใใพใใใ
B. ๆๆฅใฏๅฟใใใฆไผ่ญฐใซๅบๅธญใใใใจใใงใใพใใใ
C. ๆๆฅใฏๅฟใใใใไผ่ญฐใซๅๅ ใใใใจใใงใใพใใใ
Paraphrase options:
A. ๆๆฅใฏๅฟใใใฎใงไผ่ญฐใซๅบใใใพใใใ
B. ๆๆฅใฏๅฟใใใฆไผ่ญฐใซๅบๅธญใใใใจใใงใใพใใใ
C. ๆๆฅใฏๅฟใใใใไผ่ญฐใซๅๅ ใใใใจใใงใใพใใใ
Answer: All are correct paraphrases
All express the same meaning: "I'm busy tomorrow and can't attend the meeting"
All express the same meaning: "I'm busy tomorrow and can't attend the meeting"
๐ฏ Common Paraphrasing Pairs
Conjunctions & Connectors
ใ ใใ = ใใฎใใ = ใใใง = ใใใใฃใฆ = ใใใซ
(therefore, so, that's why)
ใใใ = ใงใ = ใใใฉใ = ใใฉ = ใ = ใจใใใ
(however, but)
ใใใฆ = ใใใใ = ใใฎๅพ = ๆฌกใซ
(and, then, next)
ใคใพใ = ใใชใใก = ่ฆใใใซ = ่จใๆใใใจ
(in other words, that is to say)
ไพใใฐ = ใใจใใฐ = ไพใๆใใใจ
(for example)Time Expressions
ใใใซ = ็ดใกใซ = ๅณๅบงใซ = ใใกใพใก
(immediately, right away)
ๆ่ฟ = ใใฎ้ = ่ฟ้ = ๆ่ฟใงใฏ
(recently, lately, these days)
ๅฐๆฅ = ไปๅพ = ใใใใ = ๆชๆฅ
(future, from now on)
ไปฅๅ = ๅใซ = ใใคใฆ = ๆ
(before, previously, formerly)Degree & Extent
ใจใฆใ = ้ๅธธใซ = ๅคงๅค = ใใใ = ใใชใ = ๆฅตใใฆ
(very, extremely, quite)
ๅฐใ = ใกใใฃใจ = ใใ = ใใใใซ
(a little, slightly, somewhat)
ๅ
จใ = ๅ
จ็ถ = ๅฎๅ
จใซ = ใพใฃใใ
(completely, totally, not at all)
ใปใจใใฉ = ๅคง้จๅ = ๅคงๅ = ใปใผ
(almost, mostly, nearly)๐ฏ Key Takeaways
- Synonym knowledge: Build vocabulary of words with similar meanings
- Grammar flexibility: Learn multiple ways to express the same grammar point
- Context preservation: Ensure paraphrases maintain the original meaning
- Register awareness: Understand formality level changes
- Structural variety: Practice converting between active/passive, affirmative/negative
- Connector mastery: Know various conjunctions with similar meanings
- Natural expression: Choose paraphrases that sound natural in context
- Nuance sensitivity: Recognize when slight meaning differences matter