N4 · 41 words

University life

Lectures, exams, credits, majors, clubs and student life.

A Japanese university year is built from 授業(じゅぎょう), 単位(たんい) and 試験(しけん), much as an English one is, and it starts in April. The verbs are worth noticing: you "receive" an exam (試験(しけん)を受(う)ける) and "fall" in one (試験(しけん)に落(お)ちる). And a club is either a relaxed サークル or a serious, competitive 部(ぶ).

The words

Verb (3)

受けるto take (an exam, a class)VerbN4

来月(らいげつ)、大学院(だいがくいん)の試験(しけん)を受(う)けます。Next month I am taking the graduate school entrance exam.

落ちるto fail (an exam); to fallVerbN4

一回(いっかい)試験(しけん)に落(お)ちましたが、次(つぎ)は合格(ごうかく)しました。I failed the exam once, but passed the next time.

With に: 試験(しけん)に落(お)ちる.

学ぶto learn; to studyVerbN4

留学(りゅうがく)して、教科書(きょうかしょ)にないことをたくさん学(まな)びました。Studying abroad, I learnt a lot that is not in the textbooks.

A little more formal than 勉強(べんきょう)する.

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.