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Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "調べる", "見直す", "振り返る", "侮る"

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

Japanese Option A

調べる

しらべる (shiraberu)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

見直す

みなおす (minaosu)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

振り返る

ふりかえる (furikaeru)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

侮る

あなどる (anadoru)
N3 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "look" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "調べる", "見直す", "振り返る", "侮る" based on context.
  • 調べる (しらべる (shiraberu) - Level: N4): Maps to "to look up; to check; to investigate" and is used when Used for looking up information.
  • 見直す (みなおす (minaosu) - Level: N3): Maps to "to look over again, to review, to re-examine" and is used when 何かを再度確認したり、改善するために見たりする場合に使う。Used when re-checking something or looking at it again for improvement..
  • 振り返る (ふりかえる (furikaeru) - Level: N3): Maps to "to look back, to turn around; to reflect on (the past)" and is used when Can be used literally.
  • 侮る (あなどる (anadoru) - Level: N3): Maps to "look down on; underestimate; mock; make light of" and is used when Refers to looking down on someone, underestimating their ability, mocking, or making light of a situation/enemy. Often used as 侮れない.
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
Context for "調べる"
辞書で言葉の意味を調べました。
I looked up the meaning of the word in the dictionary.
Context for "見直す"
レポートを提出する前にもう一度見直してください。
Please review your report one more time before submitting it.
Context for "振り返る"
過去を振り返ると、いろいろな思い出が蘇る。
When I look back at the past, many memories revive.
Context for "侮る"
対戦相手のチームを_______ていたせいで、思わぬ大敗を喫してしまいました。
Because we underestimated the opponent team, we suffered an unexpected major defeat.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "辞書で言葉の意味を調べました。" (Meaning: "I looked up the meaning of the word in the dictionary.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "調べる" is correct here because it represents "to look up; to check; to investigate" in the context: "I looked up the meaning of the word in the dictionary.".

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