N5 · 41 words

School and study

The classroom, the things on the desk and the verbs of learning.

Most of these words are compounds of two kanji, and many share one: 教(おし)える and 教室(きょうしつ), 漢字(かんじ) and 文字(もじ). Two things trip English speakers up. 先生(せんせい) is a title as well as a noun — you address your teacher as 田中(たなか)先生(せんせい) — but you do not use it of yourself, unless you are a teacher talking to small children. And 勉強(べんきょう)する is studying in general, while 習(なら)う is learning from somebody: you 習(なら)う the piano from a teacher and 勉強(べんきょう)する for a test.

The words

Verb (4)

答えるto answerVerbN5

先生(せんせい)の質問(しつもん)に日本語(にほんご)で答(こた)えました。I answered the teacher's question in Japanese.

The question takes に: 質問(しつもん)に答(こた)える.

教えるto teach; to tellVerbN5

姉(あね)は中学校(ちゅうがっこう)で数学(すうがく)を教(おし)えています。My older sister teaches maths at a junior high school.

Also to tell or show: 道(みち)を教(おし)えてください, please tell me the way.

習うto learn (from someone)VerbN5

子供(こども)のとき、ピアノを習(なら)いました。I learned the piano as a child.

Learning from a teacher; learning on your own is 勉強(べんきょう)する.

覚えるto memorise; to rememberVerbN5

先生(せんせい)の名前(なまえ)をもう覚(おぼ)えましたか。Have you learned the teacher's name yet?

覚(おぼ)えています means you still remember something.

This list belongs to School, university and research — five lists and 204 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 41 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.