Exams and results
Collocations, Stage 4chunk 5 of 25Work & school
An exam from start to finish: you sit it, get your score, the results come out, you pass or fail.
- shiken o ukerutake an exam
- ten o toruscore, get marks (on a test)
- kekka ga deruthe results come out
- shiken ni ukarupass an exam
- shiken ni ochirufail an exam
Mix-ups The exam is ukeru but the score is toru (never shiken o toru); ukeru (take, with o) and ukaru (pass, with ni) sound alike, and ochiru is ukaru's opposite.
shiken o ukeru
polite shiken o ukemasutake an exam
試験を受ける しけんをうける 試験を受けます
verbukeru 受けるreceive; undergotypical 13% of shiken
trap 'Take' leads to shiken o toru, but toru is for the score you get (ten o toru), a licence, or signing up for a class (jugyou o toru). Exams, tests and interviews are 'undergone': shiken o ukeru.
Said about sitting a test, often when talking about plans: raishuu shiken ukeru. o is often dropped, and interviews take the same verb (mensetsu o ukeru).
raishuu nihongo no shiken ukeru.
I'm taking a Japanese exam next week.
来週日本語の試験受ける。
raishuu nihongo no shiken o ukemasu.
I'm taking a Japanese exam next week.
来週日本語の試験を受けます。
Students often just say ashita tesuto aru (there's a test tomorrow). On its own, ukeru! is slang for 'that's hilarious'.
Same verb: tesuto (test), mensetsu (interview), oodishon (audition), kensa (medical test)Learn alongside: ten o toru, kekka ga deru, shiken ni ukaru, shiken ni ochiru, kekka o dasuMain list: toru (Stage 4)
ten o toru
polite ten o torimasuscore, get marks (on a test)
点を取る てんをとる 点を取ります
verbtoru 取るtake; get, earn (a score, a licence)typical 4% of ten
trap 'Get a hundred' tempts morau, which only fits a mark someone awards you (sensei ni hyakuten moratta). A score you earn on a test is taken: hyakuten totta. This is the toru that English 'take an exam' wrongly points to; the exam itself is shiken o ukeru.
Said about test results, almost always with the number fused to ten: hyakuten totta, ii ten toreta (I managed a good score). Casual speech often drops o, and in sport it means scoring.
suugaku de hyakuten totta!
I got a hundred in maths!
数学で百点取った！
suugaku de hyakuten torimashita!
I got a hundred in maths!
数学で百点取りました！
Asking how it went: nanten datta?
Same verb: manten (full marks), tensuu (score), menkyo (licence), shikaku (qualification)Learn alongside: shiken o ukeru, kekka ga deru, shiken ni ukaru, shiken ni ochiru, kekka o dasuMain list: toru (Stage 4), morau (Stage 2), -eru / -rareru (Stage 2)
kekka ga deru
polite kekka ga demasuthe results come out
結果が出る けっかがでる 結果が出ます
verbderu 出るgo out; appear; come out (be announced or issued)typical 11% of kekka
trap English 'I got my results' makes you the subject. For results being announced, Japanese says the results come out: kekka deta. kekka moratta only fits when a results sheet is handed to you (kenkou shindan no kekka moratta). kekka o dasu means producing results, at work or in sport.
Said while waiting on exam, medical or job-application results: kekka itsu deru? Once they're in it's kekka deta, and not yet is mada detenai. The ga is often kept.
shiken no kekka, mou deta?
Are your exam results out yet?
試験の結果、もう出た？
shiken no kekka wa mou demashita ka?
Have your exam results come out yet?
試験の結果はもう出ましたか？
To ask how it went: kekka dou datta? (polite: kekka wa dou deshita ka?)
Same verb: seiseki (grades), boonasu (bonus), kyoka (permission), shukudai (homework, when it's set)Learn alongside: shiken o ukeru, ten o toru, shiken ni ukaru, shiken ni ochiru, kekka o dasuMain list: deru (Stage 1), dasu (Stage 4), morau (Stage 2), mou (Stage 1), mada (Stage 1)
shiken ni ukaru
polite shiken ni ukarimasupass an exam
試験に受かる しけんにうかる 試験に受かります
verbukaru 受かるpass, get in (be accepted by an exam, school or employer)typical 3% of shiken
trap 'Pass' gives no hint of ukaru, and the exam takes ni, not o (shiken ni ukatta). goukaku shita is just as common in speech, especially for entrance exams, and shiken ni tootta also works.
Said about a result, almost always in the past: shiken ukatta! Casual speech drops ni, and schools and companies work the same way (daigaku ni ukatta).
nihongo no shiken ukatta!
I passed the Japanese exam!
日本語の試験受かった！
nihongo no shiken ni ukarimashita!
I passed the Japanese exam!
日本語の試験に受かりました！
The results come out first (kekka ga deru): kekka deta? ukatta?
Same verb: daigaku (university), mensetsu (interview), kaisha (company), oodishon (audition)Learn alongside: shiken o ukeru, ten o toru, kekka ga deru, shiken ni ochiru, kekka o dasuMain list: toru (Stage 4)
shiken ni ochiru
polite shiken ni ochimasufail an exam
試験に落ちる しけんにおちる 試験に落ちます
verbochiru 落ちるfall, drop (here: fail to get through)typical 16% of shiken
trap 'Fail' points to shippai suru. shiken ni shippai shita is possible, but it means you blew it. For the pass/fail result, you 'fall': shiken ni ochita, or just shiken ochita. The exam takes ni, not o.
Said about a result, usually as ochita or ochichatta (failed, sadly). Also used for schools, interviews and auditions: mensetsu ni ochita.
nihongo no shiken ochichatta.
I failed the Japanese exam, unfortunately.
日本語の試験落ちちゃった。
nihongo no shiken ni ochichaimashita.
I failed the Japanese exam, unfortunately.
日本語の試験に落ちちゃいました。
Before someone's exam, avoid saying ochiru or suberu (slip): it's considered bad luck. Casually, failing is also shiken subetta. The careful polite form is ochite shimaimashita, and failing a course is tan'i o otosu.
Same verb: daigaku (university), mensetsu (interview), kaisha (company), oodishon (audition)Learn alongside: shiken o ukeru, ten o toru, kekka ga deru, shiken ni ukaru, kekka o dasu