Learning Japanese N4 Reading: Understand Advice and Recommendations

The JLPT N4 reading section focuses on practical situations – receiving advice, recommendations, instructions, and simple explanations. Don’t be intimidated! It’s more about recognizing common phrases and understanding the gist of what’s being said than meticulously analyzing complex grammar.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

Here are some key terms you’ll encounter frequently:

• アドバイス (adibaaisu) – Advice
• お勧め (osusume) – Recommendation
• おすすめ (osutomou) – Another way of saying recommendation, slightly more casual.
• 〜てください (～te kudasai) – Please do… (Used for polite requests and suggestions)
• 〜ほうがいいです (～hou ga ii desu) – It’s better to… / You should…
• どう思いますか？(dou omoimasuka?) – What do you think?
• 〜について (～ni tsuite) – About…

Common Dialogue Structures

Let’s look at some typical dialogue structures:

• Person A suggests something: “映画を見に行くのはどうですか？(Eiga o mi ni iku no wa dou desu ka?)” – How about going to see a movie?
• Person B responds and asks for advice: “それなら、私はアクション映画が好きです。(Sore nara, watashi wa akushon eiga ga suki desu.)” – If that’s the case, I like action movies.

Real-World Situations & Examples

Situation 1: Restaurant Recommendation

Japanese: “この近くに美味しいレストランはありますか？(Kono chikaku ni oishii resutoran wa arimasu ka?)” – Are there any good restaurants around here?

English Translation: “Are there any good restaurants around here?”

Possible Response: “はい、おすすめは‘山田屋’です。美味しいラーメンが食べられます。(Hai, osusume wa ‘Yamada-ya’ desu. Oishii ramen ga taberaremasu.)” – Yes, I recommend ‘Yamada-ya’. You can eat delicious ramen there.

Mistake & Correction: “山田屋には行きました。でも、ちょっと高いかったです。(Yamada-ya ni wa ikimashita. Demo, chotto takai katusita.)” – “I went to Yamada-ya, but it was a little expensive.” Correction: “山田屋は美味しいですが、少し高めです。(Yamada-ya wa oishii desu ga, sukoshi takame desu.)” – ‘Yamada-ya’ is delicious, but it’s slightly pricey.

Situation 2: Health Advice

Japanese: “風邪気らいませんか？(Kazegurai masen ka?)” – Are you feeling sick?

English Translation: “Are you feeling sick?”

Possible Response: “少し喉が痛いです。何かおすすめの薬はありますか？(Sukoshi nodo ga itai desu. Nani ka osusume no yaku wa arimasu ka?)” – My throat hurts a little. Do you have any recommendations for medicine?

Key Vocabulary: 喉 (nodo) – throat, 薬 (yaku) – medicine

Tips for Success

• Focus on Kanji Recognition: The N4 test uses a significant number of common kanji. Spend time learning them.
• Practice Reading Common Phrases: Repeatedly read and understand the phrases listed above.
• Don’t Get Bogged Down in Grammar: Focus on understanding the meaning, even if you don’t perfectly grasp every grammatical structure. The JLPT N4 prioritizes comprehension over complex grammar mastery.
• Start with Simple Texts: Begin with texts designed for beginner learners, like simple news articles or restaurant menus.

By focusing on practical vocabulary and common dialogue structures, you can successfully tackle the reading section of the JLPT N4!