Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "わかります" vs "卒業"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
わかります
わかります (wakarimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
卒業
そつぎょう (sotsugyō)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both わかります and 卒業 are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
わかります (わかります (wakarimasu)) represents "to understand" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of わかる. Indicates comprehension. Often used with particle が..
On the other hand, 卒業 (そつぎょう (sotsugyō)) translates to "graduation" (Level: N4) and is used for The act of completing a course of study at a school or university. Used with する. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "わかります"
英語がわかります。
I understand English.
Bilingual Sentence for "卒業"
姉は来年、大学を卒業します。
My older sister will graduate from university next year.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "英語が ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "I understand English.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "わかります" fits here because it represents "to understand" in the context: "I understand English.".