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Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "しごと", "仕事する", "作品", "息が合う"

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

Japanese Option A

しごと

しごと (shigoto)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

仕事する

しごと する (shigoto suru)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

作品

さくひん (sakuhin)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

息が合う

いきがあう (ikigaau)
B2 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "work" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "しごと", "仕事する", "作品", "息が合う" based on context.
  • しごと (しごと (shigoto) - Level: N5): Maps to "work, job" and is used when Refers to employment or tasks. To work is 働きます.
  • 仕事する (しごと する (shigoto suru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to work; to do work" and is used when A very common verb used for performing a job or task, often implying employment. It combines the noun '仕事'.
  • 作品 (さくひん (sakuhin) - Level: N3): Maps to "work (of art, literature, etc.), creation" and is used when Refers to something created by an artist, writer, musician, craftsman, etc., such as a painting, novel, film, or piece of music. It carries a sense of artistic or creative merit..
  • 息が合う (いきがあう (ikigaau) - Level: B2): Maps to "to work well together" and is used when Essential structural term in CEFR B2 vocabulary syllabus..
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
Context for "しごと"
彼は新しい仕事を探しています。
He is looking for a new job.
Context for "仕事する"
私は毎日会社で仕事をします。
I work at the company every day.
Context for "作品"
この美術館には有名な画家の作品がたくさんあります。
This museum has many works by famous painters.
Context for "息が合う"
毎日、日本語を練習するために息が合う。
Every day, I work well together to practice Japanese.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "彼は新しい仕事を探しています。" (Meaning: "He is looking for a new job.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "しごと" is correct here because it represents "work, job" in the context: "He is looking for a new job.".

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