Study practical Japanese
Prioritise useful expressions, vocabulary, sentence patterns and comprehension for real-life situations.
Explore the guideJFT-BASIC PREPARATION
Prepare practical Japanese for the JFT-Basic exam.
Build the Japanese you need for everyday situations with focused grammar, vocabulary, listening and reading practice.
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01 / Your learning path
Make practical Japanese part of your routine
Train reading and listening
Practise understanding short messages, instructions and everyday Japanese while improving speed and accuracy.
Explore the guideConnect study to work goals
Use the same Japanese foundations for JFT-Basic preparation and broader workplace-focused learning.
Explore the guidePUBLIC MINI-LESSON / EVERYDAY INFORMATION
Use a notice to make a practical decision
This original reading activity combines a small timetable with a message. It is additional Japanese practice, not an official JFT-Basic question or a substitute for the test’s listening component.
The bus-stop notice
| Service | Departure | Arrival |
|---|---|---|
| １便 | 9:10 | 9:25 |
| ２便 | 9:30 | 9:45 |
| ３便 | 9:50 | 10:05 |
市役所で１０時に会いましょう。１０分前までに来てください。入口で待っています。
Vocabulary: 市役所（しやくしょ） = city hall; 入口（いりぐち） = entrance; 待っています（まっています） = am waiting / will be waiting in this context.
- By what time should you arrive?
- What is the latest bus in the table that gets you there in time?
- Where will the other person wait?
Show the decisions and explanations
- By 9:50. １０分前までに means “by ten minutes before” the 10:00 meeting.
- The 9:30 departure, arriving at 9:45. The 9:50 departure is a tempting distractor, but 9:50 is its departure time; it reaches city hall at 10:05. This exercise assumes the displayed timetable and no further walk.
- At the entrance: 入口で. The sentence asks for more than simply reaching the neighbourhood.
Ask when a detail is unclear
すみません、市役所に行きたいんですが、どのバスですか。
“Excuse me, I’d like to go to city hall. Which bus is it?”
もう一度、ゆっくりお願いします。
“Once more, slowly, please.” This is a useful repair phrase when you miss the answer. Do not pretend to understand a destination or an instruction that you have not caught.
Try changing the destination to 病院（びょういん）, hospital, while keeping the request polite. Then make the request without looking at the example.
Possible answer
すみません、病院に行きたいんですが、どのバスですか。
Only the destination changed. に still connects that destination to 行きたい, “want to go”.
Turn reading into a balanced study session
Read one notice, solve its practical task, then listen to a related real conversation. The Japan Foundation’s Irodori Starter includes transport and daily-life lessons with audio. Record whether the difficulty was a word, a time expression or following speech; choose your next activity from that evidence.
Use the JFT-Basic preparation guide for study planning and the official JFT-Basic website for current test information. A practice answer or this activity’s result does not establish eligibility for a job or residence status.
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Frequently asked questions
What is JFT-Basic practice useful for?
It helps learners build practical Japanese communication skills used in everyday situations and exam preparation.
Can I start JFT-Basic study as a beginner?
Yes, but beginners should first build a foundation in kana, vocabulary and basic grammar.
Does JFT-Basic study overlap with JLPT?
Yes. Grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening foundations overlap, although the exams have different purposes and formats.