Duolingo Japanese Practice Test 2

Question 1

In Japanese, what are the three writing systems and their primary uses?

Accepted Answer

Hiragana for native words, Katakana for foreign words, and Kanji for Chinese-origin characters

Answer

Japanese uses three writing systems: Hiragana for native Japanese words and grammatical elements, Katakana primarily for foreign loanwords and emphasis, and Kanji (Chinese characters) for expressing meaning concisely. Most written Japanese uses all three.

Question 2

What is the correct particle to use for the topic of a Japanese sentence?

Accepted Answer

は (wa)

Answer

The particle は (pronounced 'wa' in this context, not 'ha') marks the topic of a sentence. For example, '私は学生です' (Watashi wa gakusei desu = I am a student). It differs from が (ga), which marks the subject for emphasis or new information.

Question 3

How do you say 'I like sushi' in Japanese?

Accepted Answer

すしが好きです

Answer

'すしが好きです' (Sushi ga suki desu) is the natural way to say 'I like sushi.' The particle が (ga) is used with 好き (suki = liked/likable) because the thing liked takes が, not を. The subject 'I' is often omitted when contextually clear.

Question 4

What is the difference between です (desu) and だ (da) in Japanese?

Accepted Answer

です is polite and だ is casual/plain form of the copula 'to be'

Answer

Both です and だ function as the copula ('to be'), but です is the polite form used in formal situations and with strangers, while だ is the plain/casual form used with friends and family. Choosing between them is a key aspect of Japanese politeness levels.

Question 5

In the Duolingo Japanese course, which counting system is typically introduced first?

Accepted Answer

The Chinese-origin (on'yomi) counting system

Answer

Duolingo typically introduces the Chinese-origin counting system (ichi, ni, san, shi/yon...) first as it is more universally applicable. The native Japanese system (hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu...) is used for general counting without specific counters.

Duolingo Practice Test

Duolingo Practice Test

Duolingo Japanese Practice Test 2