N2 · 40 words

Transport, freight and delivery

How goods are packed, sent, tracked and delivered, and how timetables go wrong.

This is the language of delivery slips, warehouses and service announcements. Most of the words are kanji compounds, and many of them take する. Read the kanji and the pairs sort themselves out: 搬入(はんにゅう) is carrying in, 搬出(はんしゅつ) carrying out. One pair has to be learned by sight, because it sounds identical: 運行(うんこう) is said of trains and buses, 運航(うんこう) of ships and planes, the second kanji being the one in 航空(こうくう). Announcements prefer the formal noun to a verb, so you will hear 遅延(ちえん) and 欠航(けっこう) where conversation would use a verb such as 遅(おく)れる.

The words

Verb (2)

積み込むto load (into or onto)VerbN2

作業員(さぎょういん)が重(おも)い箱(はこ)を次々(つぎつぎ)とトラックに積(つ)み込(こ)んでいる。The workers are loading heavy boxes onto the lorry one after another.

送り届けるto deliver (to someone); to see (someone) homeVerbN2

飲(の)み会(かい)の後(あと)、酔(よ)った同僚(どうりょう)を家(いえ)まで送(おく)り届(とど)けた。After the drinks party, I saw my drunk colleague safely home.

This list belongs to Getting around and going away — ten lists and 401 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.