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AP Japanese — Language and Culture flashcards

10 of 79 cards free to study here · 8 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys

Vocabulary for AP Japanese reading, listening and writing, grouped by the six course themes used through 2025–26, plus keigo pairs and email and letter formulas, and the customs (お盆, 年賀状, 七五三) behind questions on cultural practices and perspectives. Every word shows its reading.

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Learn deck · part of AP Japanese Language and Culture · written against: College Board AP Japanese Language and Culture Course and Exam Description: the decks follow the six themes of the CED used through 2025–26; the revised CED takes effect in fall 2026 (six thematic units, first revised exam May 2027). Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. 祖父母（そふぼ）
    grandparents

    夏休みは毎年、祖父母の家で過ごします。 — Every summer vacation I stay at my grandparents' house.
    Families and Communities
  2. 親戚（しんせき）
    relatives, extended family

    お正月には親戚がみんな集まります。 — At New Year all our relatives get together.
    Families and Communities
  3. 性格（せいかく）
    personality, character

    姉は明るい性格で、だれとでもすぐ友だちになれます。 — My older sister has a cheerful personality and makes friends with anyone quickly.
    Personal and Public Identities
  4. 個性（こせい）
    individuality, what makes a person distinctive

    制服があっても、髪型で個性を出す学生もいます。 — Even with uniforms, some students show their individuality through their hairstyle.
    Personal and Public Identities
  5. 芸術（げいじゅつ）
    art, the arts

    京都は芸術と文化の町として知られています。 — Kyoto is known as a city of art and culture.
    Beauty and Aesthetics
  6. 技術（ぎじゅつ）
    technology; technique, skill

    新しい技術のおかげで、遠くの人とも顔を見て話せます。 — Thanks to new technology, we can talk face to face even with people far away.
    Science and Technology
  7. 生活（せいかつ）
    daily life, way of living (する-verb: to live)

    日本の高校生の生活について調べました。 — I researched the daily life of Japanese high school students.
    Contemporary Life
  8. 環境（かんきょう）
    environment; surroundings

    環境を守るために、買い物にはマイバッグを使っています。 — To protect the environment, I take my own bag when I go shopping.
    Global Challenges
  9. 伺う（うかがう）
    (humble) to visit; to ask; to hear — used for your own actions toward a superior

    明日の午後、先生の研究室に伺ってもよろしいでしょうか。 — Would it be all right if I came to your office tomorrow afternoon?

    Watch out: It honors the person visited, asked or heard from, so never use it for what the listener does when the listener is the one you are honoring, such as a customer.
    Keigo and Register
  10. お盆（おぼん）
    Obon, the summer festival honoring the spirits of ancestors

    お盆には家族で祖父母のお墓参りに行きます。 — At Obon my family visits our grandparents' grave.

    Example: In most regions it falls in mid-August; some areas keep it in July.
    Cultural Practices

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Topic outline follows the six themes of the College Board's AP Japanese Language and Culture Course and Exam Description in use through 2025–26 (the AP name is used nominatively; no course or exam text reproduced). The revised course framework takes effect in fall 2026, with the first revised exam, given in Bluebook, in May 2027.
  • Readings, meanings and keigo usage checked against Daijirin (Sanseido), Digital Daijisen (Shogakukan), Nihon Kokugo Daijiten and JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), with kanji and readings against the Agency for Cultural Affairs' jōyō kanji table (2010); customs checked against Japan Post (年賀状), the Association of Shinto Shrines (七五三) and the Nipponica encyclopedia (Shogakukan) (reference only; no text copied). Most words go beyond the JLPT N5 and N4 decks; a few, such as the keigo verbs 伺う, ご覧になる and 拝見する, also appear in the JLPT N4 decks. All example sentences are original.

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