Minna no Nihongo Elementary 1: Lesson 12 vocabulary review

雨 is a noun; 雨が降る describes rain falling.

北海道 is ほっかいどう; do not add 県 to the name.

Place the comparison standard before より; the item being evaluated is usually the は topic.

夏 is なつ; 夏休み means the summer holiday.

一番 modifies an adjective; use で to state the comparison group.

Holding a party is パーティーをする; attending can be パーティーに行く.

ずっと strengthens a difference in comparisons; elsewhere it can mean continuously.

空港 is くうこう; preserve both long vowels.

Use どちら for two choices; どれ usually selects among three or more items.

速い describes speed; early is also はやい but written 早い.

早い concerns timing; use 速い for a train's travel speed.

遅い can mean late or slow; choose the English meaning from context.

海で泳ぐ uses で for the swimming location; 海岸 is the coastline.

どちらも includes both of two choices, not all of a group of three or more.

天麩羅 is commonly written 天ぷら and names a batter-fried dish.

祇園祭 is ぎおんまつり, the name of a festival in Kyoto.

Say this when returning home or to your base; the usual reply is お帰りなさい.

Say this to someone returning, unlike いらっしゃいませ for welcoming shop customers.

祭り can mean a traditional festival or celebration, not necessarily a temple fair.

Here すごい人 describes an impressive crowd, not a particular impressive person.

疲れました can describe being tired now after an activity, not only a past state that has ended.

雪 is a noun; snow falling is 雪が降る.

世界 is せかい; 世界中 means throughout the world.

天気 means current weather conditions; long-term climate is usually 気候.

涼しい usually suggests pleasant coolness; unpleasant cold is 寒い.

冬 is ふゆ; 冬休み is a winter holiday or break.

暖かい often describes weather or a warm feeling; warm food usually uses 温かい.

温かい commonly describes warm drinks, food, or objects; weather usually uses 暖かい.

Usually say 店が多い; use 多くの店 rather than 多い店 to mean many shops.

人が多い describes a large number of people; 混んでいる emphasizes crowding.

簡単 is a な adjective; 簡単な料理 can mean a dish that is easy to prepare.

曇り is a weather noun; 曇る means become cloudy.

辛い as からい means spicy; as つらい it often means painful or distressing.

Staying is ホテルに泊まる, not ホテルを泊まる.

重い describes weight and can also figuratively describe serious responsibility or illness.

牛肉 is ぎゅうにく, not うしにく.

鶏肉 is とりにく; a live chicken is usually 鶏, にわとり.

豚肉 is ぶたにく; meat as food is not counted like a live animal.

香港 is read ホンコン in Japanese.

The ポール ending contains a long vowel; keep the ー in spelling and speech.

Use から for the reference point; 近く is the noun-like form meaning nearby.

甘い describes a sweet taste and can figuratively mean overly lenient.

春 is はる; each of the four seasons has its own fixed reading.

秋 is あき; 秋の紅葉 means autumn foliage.

初めて means doing something for the first time; 初めまして is a first-meeting greeting.

お寿司 adds a polite prefix; the basic word is 寿司.

Here 生花 means いけばな, the art of flower arranging, commonly written 生け花.

レモン is the usual katakana spelling rather than a kanji form.

紅葉 as もみじ can refer to maple leaves; こうよう emphasizes leaves changing color.

Weight contrasts use 軽い and 重い; easy or simple does not automatically mean 軽い.

少ない commonly follows a が phrase; 少しの can modify a noun.

少ない means a small number, not a complete absence of people.

Use から for the reference point; 遠く is the noun-like expression for a distant place.

刺身 is usually sliced raw fish or seafood, distinct from sushi with vinegared rice.

すき焼き is sukiyaki, commonly cooked with meat and vegetables.

In a choice, ～がいい expresses a preference rather than merely judging quality.

季節 is きせつ; the four seasons are 春, 夏, 秋, and 冬.