Personal and social life: people, home and leisure
Describe familiar people and places, and explain preferences with a relevant reason.
Exam scope and assessment notes
This is an original mapped starter, not the recommended full course of about 130 guided learning hours. All Japanese examples, translations, grammar explanations, kanji groupings, listening scripts and pronunciation aids require review by a qualified Japanese-language teacher before publication is described as complete. Browser speech is supplemental, not Cambridge audio. Speaking rehearsal and writing feedback are formative and do not reproduce a live examiner or award official marks. The linked vocabulary workbook has not been reconciled word by word.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which approach gives the most reliable Japanese response?
What you will learn
- Talk about yourself, family, friends, home, clothing, hobbies and sport.
- Distinguish a stated detail from a preference.
Describe a familiar setting
「家族と住んでいます。休みの日に友だちとテニスをします。」 means “I live with my family. On days off, I play tennis with a friend.” The particle と can mark a companion.
Use words for rooms, clothes, colours and activities in context. A person's preference is not a fact about everyone.
Give a reason for an opinion
「音楽を聞くのが好きです。楽しいからです。」 means “I like listening to music because it is fun.” The pattern and naturalness should be checked by a Japanese specialist.
A passage may mention several people and activities. Match each person to the correct action before answering.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
What is the difference between 着ています and 好きです?
Worked example
Read 「姉は赤いシャツを着ています。弟は青いシャツが好きです。」 Which colour does the older sister wear, and which does the younger brother like?
Show the worked solution
- Identify each family word.
- Match 着ています with the person wearing the shirt.
- Keep 好き separate from the clothing detail.
Answer The older sister wears a red shirt; the younger brother likes blue shirts. The text does not say what he is wearing.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Describe a friend, one item of clothing and a hobby in two linked Japanese sentences.
Give me a hint
Say who the person is, then give clothing and activity.
Compare my reasoning
- Introduce the friend.
- Describe an item and colour.
- Add a hobby and reason.
Model answer: 「友だちは青いシャツを着ています。音楽を聞くのが好きです。楽しいからです。」 The example is original and needs specialist review.
Look for these in your work
- Identifies the person
- Includes clothing and colour
- Gives activity and reason
Read 「土曜日に家で映画を見ました。日曜日は公園でサッカーをしました。」 What did the writer do on each day?
Give me a hint
Use day markers and verbs to keep events separate.
Compare my reasoning
- Match 土曜日 with the first action.
- Match 日曜日 with the second.
- Keep each location with its event.
On Saturday the writer watched a film at home. On Sunday they played football in a park.
Look for these in your work
- Matches days correctly
- Reports both activities
- Keeps locations attached
Two siblings share a study room. Suggest a fair plan for the desk and explain why it suits both.
Give me a hint
Offer an arrangement, then connect it to a practical reason.
Compare my reasoning
- Name a time or turn-taking plan.
- Say what each person can do.
- Give a reason linked to shared use.
One possible response is 「午前は姉が机を使い、午後は弟が使います。二人とも勉強できるからです。」 (“My sister uses the desk in the morning and my brother in the afternoon, so both can study.”) Review the Japanese before publication.
Look for these in your work
- Gives a workable arrangement
- Includes both people
- Explains the reason
Common mistakes
- Mixing up who wears or likes an item
- Treating a preference as universal
- Adding a reason not in the passage
What can you explain now?
What is the difference between 着ています and 好きです?
Compare with the explanation
One reports wearing; the other expresses liking
The verbs describe different relationships to the clothing.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
Explain one idea from memory, answer the checkpoint, and name a Japanese form or reading that needs checking.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.