Japan America Society of Colorado

Level 1 Study Guide

Level 1 Study guide

Welcome to our new Japan Cup study guide! Here are a few tips on how to navigate this resource:

  1. All of the bullet points with red text are links to information or practice (like the one in our next point)

  2. Start with our sets on Quizlet

    • There is a lot of information in this study guide, so use the Quizlet to find which sections you need to study and which sections you already know well

  3. Make sure you understand what’s included in level 1 before trying to learn the extra information

    • Many of the links provide more information than what will be included for the Japan Cup Level 1

    • This is another reason to review our Quizlets to know what will be included and what is extra information

    • Some of the links include a (Note:) which gives more direction on what to study within the link

Let’s Study: べんきょうしましょう！

 

Table of Contents

  • *Please note that in addition to the kanji listed below, other kanji and kanji compounds of a similar degree of difficulty may be included during the competition.

    Specific terms that may appear in kanji-related questions:

    1. おんよみ：The on’yomi of a kanji is the modern descendant of the Japanese approximation of the Chinese pronunciation of the character at the time it was introduced. It is often used with the kanji compounds.

      • Example: 「ちゅう」is the on’yomi for 「中」

    2. くんよみ：The kun’yomi of a kanji is a reading based on the pronunciation of a native Japanese word that closely approximated the meaning of the Chinese character when it was introduced. There can be multiple kun readings for the same kanji, and some kanji have no kun’yomi.

      • Example: 「なか」is the kun’yomi for 「中」

    Level 1 Kanji

    一　二　三　四　五　六　七　八　

    九　十　百　千　万　円　月　日　

    本　人　学　生　先　上　下　時　

    分　山　川　中　外　田　何　右　

    左　大　小　目　口

    Level 1 Sample Compounds

    学生（がくせい）・　左右（さゆう）・　百万（ひゃくまん）

    上下（じょうげ）・　何人（なんにん）・　十日（とおか）

    八百（はっぴゃく）・　十二時（じゅうにじ）・　日本（にほん）

    Level 1 Sample Words

    大（おお）きい

    生（い）きる

    外（そと）

    小（ちい）さい

    上（あ）がる

  • Level 1 competitors should know the below idiomatic expressions often used in the Japanese language.

    1. ごますり・ごまをする

      Literal meaning: to grind sesame seeds, to ingratiate oneself

      Sucking up to one’s superiors

      • Ex. ねえ、あの学生、先生によくごますっていますね。

      • That student often sucks up to the teacher, doesn’t he/she?

    2. はなよりだんご

      Literal meaning: sweets are preferred to flowers

      To prefer something practical over something pretty

      • Ex. はなみの時は、はなよりたべもののほうがいいです。ぼくははなよりだんごのタイプです。

      • During cherry blossom viewing, I enjoy the food more than the flowers. I’m the type who prefers practicality over beauty

    3. いわぬがはな

      Literal meaning: silence is the flower

      Some things are better left unsaid, silence is golden

      • Ex. あのことは、トムにはいいません。「いわぬがはな」

      • I won’t tell Tom about it. Some things are better left unsaid.

    4. さくら

      Literal meaning: cherry blossom

      A planted audience

      Explanation: This expression originates from the Edo period when a paid or hired audience would applaud and cheer a show or performance. This paid audience would be seated in the section of the theater called “sakura.”

      • Ex. あの人、ずっとわらっていますね。たぶん、さくらですよ。まんざいはぜんぜんおもしろくないですよ。

      • That person is laughing a lot. He might be a plant. The two-person stand up comedy act isn’t funny at all.

    5. めがてんになる

      Literal meaning: one’s eyes turn into dots

      To be stunned or shocked

      • Ex. 0てんのテストをははにみせたら、めがてんになっていた。

      • When I showed my 0 score test to my mother, she was stunned and shocked.

  • All competitors should know various animal sounds. These can be written in either hiragana or katakana, but katakana is more widely used. Examples are given below.

    Roar (Lion) = ガオー

    Buzz (Bee) = ブーン

    Tweet (Bird) = チュンチュン

    Meow (Cat) = ニャーニャー

    Moo (Cow) = モーモー

    Caw (Crow) = カーカー

    Woof (Dog) = ワンワン

    Quack (Duck) = ガーガー

    Fox sound = コンコン

    Ribbit (Frog) = ケロケロ

    Neigh (Horse) = ヒヒーン

    Oo oo aa aa (Monkey) = ウッキー

    Squeak (Mouse) = チューチュー

    Hoo (Owl) = ホーホー

    Oink (Pig) = ブーブー

    Cock-a-doodle-doo (Rooster) = コケコッコー

    Baa (Sheep) = メーメー

  • Other katakana words of similar difficulty will be used in competition in addition to the samples given below.

    Level 1 competitors should know basic shorter katakana words. Some examples are given below.

    • Juice: ジュース

    • Tennis: テニス

    • Department store: デパート

    • Television/TV: テレビ

    • Camera: カメラ

    • Pizza: ピザ

    • America: アメリカ

    • Beach: ビーチ

  • Below are the given categories and topics for 2024. Helpful resources are listed for each sub-category.

    Events, Art & Culture from the Showa Era: Competitors should know major events, figures, cultural discoveries, literature, art, etc.

    Geography: Eight main regions of Japan

    Society & Daily Life: Aisatsu (greetings), national celebrations, public holidays, annual events, etc.

    Popular Culture: Anime, manga, movies, pop stars, movie stars & famous sports figures

    Current Events: Events in Japanese politics, society, economics, and international relations from the past 6 months

    Other Useful Websites:

  • Click here for Level 1 Grammar Accuracy Study Guide

 

This study guide is made up of links from other websites that have provided thorough explanations and helpful practice!

Thank you to the following websites for providing the information in our study guide: