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Quintuple VS

Synonym Boundary: "明らかな", "明確な", "明確", "はっきりした", "明瞭"

All represent the core concept "clear", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

明らかな

あきらかな (akiraka na)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

明確な

めいかくな (meikaku na)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

明確

めいかく (meikaku)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

はっきりした

はっきりした (hakkirishita)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option E

明瞭

めいりょう (meiryou)
N2 / CEFR

Quintuple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "clear" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "明らかな", "明確な", "明確", "はっきりした", "明瞭" based on context.
  • 明らかな (あきらかな (akiraka na) - Level: N3): Maps to "clear, obvious, evident" and is used when Used to describe something that is easy to see, understand, or prove..
  • 明確な (めいかくな (meikaku na) - Level: N3): Maps to "clear, precise, definite" and is used when 形容動詞.
  • 明確 (めいかく (meikaku) - Level: N3): Maps to "clear, precise, definite" and is used when 物事がはっきりしていて、あいまいさがない状態を表します。「明確にする」や「明確な目標」のように使われます。.
  • はっきりした (はっきりした (hakkirishita) - Level: N3): Maps to "clear, distinct, definite" and is used when Often used to describe something that is easy to understand, well-defined, or stated clearly. Can also be used for feelings or thoughts..
  • 明瞭 (めいりょう (meiryou) - Level: N2): Maps to "clear, distinct, plain, explicit" and is used when Describes something that is easy to understand, hear, or see because it lacks ambiguity or haziness. Often used as 明瞭な.
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
Context for "明らかな"
彼の言葉には明らかな嘘があった。
There was a clear lie in his words.
Context for "明確な"
彼の指示はいつも明確なので、迷うことがない。
His instructions are always clear, so I never get confused.
Context for "明確"
彼の説明はとても明確で分かりやすかった。
His explanation was very clear and easy to understand.
Context for "はっきりした"
彼の説明はとてもはっきりしていたので、よく理解できました。
His explanation was very clear, so I understood it well.
Context for "明瞭"
彼の説明は非常に明瞭で分かりやすかった。
His explanation was very clear and easy to understand.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "彼の言葉には ___ 嘘があった。" (Meaning: "There was a clear lie in his words.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "明らかな" is correct here because it represents "clear, obvious, evident" in the context: "There was a clear lie in his words.".

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