JLPT Context-Specific Vocabulary 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A shop sign reads '本日定休日.' What does this communicate to customers?
- Today is a sale day
- Today is the regular closing day (Correct answer)
- Today only, extended hours
- Today is the grand opening
Correct answer: Today is the regular closing day
'定休日' (teikyūbi) means 'regular holiday/closing day,' indicating the shop follows a set day-off schedule.
Question 2: Which phrase would be used in an apology letter from a company to customers about a product defect?
- ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ございません (Correct answer)
- ちょっとすみません
- 悪かったね
- ごめんなさい
Correct answer: ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ございません
'ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ございません' is the formal corporate apology for causing inconvenience.
Question 3: At a construction site, a sign reads '工事中立入禁止.' What does this mean?
- Construction workers only, free entry
- No entry due to ongoing construction (Correct answer)
- Construction completed, now open
- Caution: wet floor
Correct answer: No entry due to ongoing construction
'立入禁止' means 'no entry/trespassing prohibited,' and '工事中' means 'under construction.'
Question 4: A teacher says '提出期限は金曜日です' to students. What does '提出期限' mean in this academic context?
- Exam date
- Submission deadline (Correct answer)
- Office hours
- Grade release date
Correct answer: Submission deadline
'提出' means 'submission' and '期限' means 'deadline/time limit,' so this is the due date for turning in work.
Question 5: On a medicine bottle label, '食後30分以内に服用' instructs the patient to take the medication:
- 30 minutes before every meal
- Within 30 minutes after eating (Correct answer)
- Every 30 minutes throughout the day
- On an empty stomach for 30 days
Correct answer: Within 30 minutes after eating
'食後' means 'after meals' and '以内に' means 'within,' so the instruction is to take it within 30 minutes of eating.
Question 6: A real estate listing uses the term '築10年.' What does this tell a potential buyer?
- The property has a 10-year warranty
- The building was built 10 years ago (Correct answer)
- The rent is fixed for 10 years
- The property is 10 minutes from a station
Correct answer: The building was built 10 years ago
'築' refers to when something was built, so '築10年' means the building is 10 years old.
Question 7: During a job interview, the interviewer asks '志望動機を教えてください.' What is being asked?
- Your salary expectations
- Your motivation for applying (Correct answer)
- Your educational background
- Your available start date
Correct answer: Your motivation for applying
'志望動機' (shibō dōki) is a key interview term meaning 'reason/motivation for applying' to this position.
JLPT Context-Specific Vocabulary 3
A shop sign reads '本日定休日.' What does this communicate to customers?