Zizka's JLPT 4-3 Studies

[Zizka]

Ok, so エ now.

リー「ええ、じつはアルバイトがいそがしくて、なかなか読めないです。」

The thing is that I’m really busy with by part time job, I hardly have time to read.

先生「（エ）。それはたいへんですね。」

Ah really, that’s troublesome.

（エ）

１そうですよ ２そうですか ３そうですね ４そうなんです

Here it’s just an old fashioned そうですか, oh really. 先生 just got new information and is reaction to it.

次の

ジョン「先生。」

先生「あっ、ジョンさん、（ア）ですね。元気ですか。」

(ア）１おかえりなさい ２おだいじに ３ひさしぶり ４だいじょうぶ

This is just 3. I didn’t even look into the other choices so much. It’s in the sense of Ahh, John, it’s been a while hasn’t it? Doing good?

ジョン「はい、（イ）。先生もお元気ですか？」

（イ）１おかげさまで ２かしこまりました ３ごめんください ４しつれいします

I suppose John would simply reply ’元気です’ but it’s not there.

１おかげさまで: thankfully…

2 かしこまりました: certainly, when responding to a request. They’re certainly going wild with the keigo lately.

3 ごめんください：is just an apology, doesn’t work here.

4 しつれいします: is just another apology.

So I’d with (1) here.

先生「ええ。いつ日本に来たんですか。」

When did you come back to Japan?

ジョン「火曜日です」

On Tuesday.

先生「そうですか。仕事ですか。」

I see, for work?

(I don’t feel like typing everything anymore )

Yes, but this time since I came with my mom and my older sister, various places (…) I’m thinking.

So here, John is likely doing an action for the benefit of his family, he’s been in Japan before. I think he’s saying he’ll take people somewhere. So it’s just ３つれていってあげたい. He wants to show them around.

[pm215]

@Zizka

My assumption was based on:

@Shannon-8

リーLee, trying to get out of doing boss’ request, to stay and eat with 先生, the boss.

Mmm. I don’t think there’s anything of that here. The teacher is just saying “hey, eat with us”, Lee politely hesitates about taking up the offer, and the teacher says “we’ll enjoy it, it’s not an imposition”. (I also don’t think the teacher student relationship involves getting pressured into doing stuff you’d rather not in the same way the stereotypical Japanese boss/underling relationship does.)

[Zizka]

(I’ve updated my previous post with the answers of the next exercise)

I didn’t actually perceive 先生 to be a boss here but no one was saying anything so I assumed it was correct. I thought it was just a teacher at first.

Anyway, 次の (there’s another, short one, in my previous post):

(I don’t think I’ll be typing some for a while, it’d rather use that time to study grammar. It’s pretty intense going back and forth to type everything).

[pm215]

@Zizka

ジョン「先生。」

All your answers to this one are right; I have nothing to note.

[pm215]

Here’s a transcript of that question. (I didn’t type it, I just gave claude.ai the image and asked it to transcribe it. I checked it for errors.)

(２)（留学生がアルバイトをさがしていて、お店に電話をかける）
留学生「もしもし。あのう、アルバイトをさがしているんですが。」
店の人「そうですか。学生さんですか。」
留学生「はい、留学生です。今、大学で日本語を勉強しているんです。」
店の人「そうですか。うちはウエイターのアルバイトなんですが、けいけんはありますか。」
留学生「ええ、国で（ ア ）。」
店の人「それなら、たぶんだいじょうぶでしょう。一度、店に（ イ ）。」
留学生「はい。いつ（ ウ ）よろしいですか。」
店の人「あしたの午後２時はどうですか。」
留学生「あしたの午後はちょっと用事があるので……。」
店の人「そうですか。じゃあ、あさっての２時に（ エ ）。」
留学生「わかりました。よろしくおねがいします。それではしつれいします。」

（ア）
1 したことがあります
2 してみました
3 しておきました
4 してあります

（イ）
1 行ってくれますか
2 行ってくださいませんか
3 来てもらえますか
4 来てさしあげますか

（ウ）
1 うかがったら
2 いらっしゃったら
3 行ったら
4 来たら

（エ）
1 してあります
2 しましょう
3 していただけますか
4 しません

[Zizka]

Alright, thanks. I’m normally reticent to use AI but I guess this is ok. It’s a good thing we know this exists now so we don’t type anything up in the future either .

A foreign student is looking for a job, he calls a store.

Hello, I’m looking for job.

Is that so. Are you a student?

Yes, I’m a foreign student. I’m studying Japanese at university at the moment.

Oh really. Do you have experience being a waiter in your homecountry?

ア

Yes. I’ve done it before.

3 is out, to do in advance. At a glance, I can tell it’s 1したことがあります because た＋ごとがある means ‘to have done before’.

店の人「それなら、たぶんだいじょうぶでしょう。一度、店に（ イ ）。」

In this case, it should be ok. Can you come to the store once?

エ

（イ）
1 行ってくれますか
2 行ってくださいませんか
3 来てもらえますか
4 来てさしあげますか

It’s not 4) speaker isn’t giving anything. The student visiting the store would benefit the speaker, in this case the restaurant manager. So it’s do with 3).

留学生「はい。いつ（ ウ ）よろしいですか。」

Yes, when would be good?

店の人「あしたの午後２時はどうですか。」

How about tomorrow at 2?

ウ

（ウ）
1 うかがったら
2 いらっしゃったら
3 行ったら
4 来たら

I would imagine this is some keigo since he’s talking to his potential boss. So I’d simple go with 2. I know it’s not 3 or 4 as they’re not keigo. I’ve never seen 1 before. I thought maybe it was the keigo of 来る but I looked it up in the dictionary and it’s not the case.

留学生「あしたの午後はちょっと用事があるので……。」

I’ve got something tomorrow afternoon…
店の人「そうですか。じゃあ、あさっての２時に（ エ ）。」

Oh I see. Well, at 2 in two days then.

エ

（エ）
1 してあります
2 しましょう
3 していただけますか
4 しません

I’m thinking 3 since it’s the only one asking a question. BUT it’s also keigo which would be odd. いただく fits because it’s もらう but it shouldn’t be keigo. So I’m going to go with 2 although this one is riskier.

[Shannon-8]

Ooh, sorry to be confusing… I was lumping together boss/sensei as “gotta raise these up with Keigo” in my grammar treatment… (I guess I gotta keep customer/client in that Keigo “superior” role, as well… Oh yeah, and older people, I guess?

@pm215

(２)（留学生がアルバイトをさがしていて、お店に電話をかける）
…etc

The exercise, with my interpretation interspersed

(２)（留学生がアルバイトをさがしていて、お店に電話をかける）(An exchange student is looking for a part-time job, and phones a restaurant)
留学生「もしもし。あのう、アルバイトをさがしているんですが。」“Hello. Um… I’m looking for a part-time job, however…”
店の人「そうですか。学生さんですか。」"Is that so? Are you a student?
留学生「はい、留学生です。今、大学で日本語を勉強しているんです。」“Yes, I’m an exchange student. I’m studying Japanese at the University now.”
店の人「そうですか。うちはウエイターのアルバイトなんですが、けいけんはありますか。」“Is that so? We have part-time work as a waiter, but do you have experience?”
留学生「ええ、国で（ ア ）。」"Yes, in my country
（ア）
1 したことがありますI’ve done it before
2 してみました I tried it
3 しておきました I did it (in preparation/advance)
4 してあります I did it (in preparation for a something in particular)
I choose 1 here…

店の人「それなら、たぶんだいじょうぶでしょう。一度、店に（ イ ）。」“In that case, it’s probably OK. Once, to the store (イ).”
Nb. This is store owner talking (polite strangers, but not higher status; so ていねい not そんけいご and certainly not けんじょうご)
（イ）
1 行ってくれますか *will you go (as a favor you give to me) *
2 行ってくださいませんか won’t you go (as a favor I receive from you; そんけいご raising status)
3 来てもらえますか will you come (as a favor received by me, ていねい)
4 来てさしあげますか will you come (as a favor humbly given from me to you けんじょうご)
I think it’s between 1 and 3, but choose 3 because I think the correct Verb is 来る rather than 行く …

留学生「はい。いつ（ ウ ）よろしいですか。」"Yes. (ウ) when is good?
（ウ）
1 うかがったら if I visited (humble けんじょうご)
2 いらっしゃったら if I came/went (honorific, raising status of Verb doerそんけいご)
3 行ったら *if I went (standard)
4 来たら *if I came (standard)
I choose 1, because I think it’s appropriate for a job-seeker to be humble…

店の人「あしたの午後２時はどうですか。」"How is tomorrow at 2pm?
留学生「あしたの午後はちょっと用事があるので……。」Tomorrow afternoon, because I have a little errand…
店の人「そうですか。じゃあ、あさっての２時に（ エ ）。」“Is that so? Well then, the day after tomorrow at 2 o’clock (エ).”
留学生「わかりました。よろしくおねがいします。それではしつれいします。」"I got it. Please treat me kindly. And so excuse me, I must be going.

（エ）
1 してあります
2 しましょう
3 していただけますか
4 しません
I have to re read all of this, still. Would you use てある for a verb like 行く/来る? I thought it was more for certain tasks like writing a letter or leaving a key
This is the shop owner talking to the job hunter, so would not use the humbling いただく… Anyway, I choose the simple number 2.

[pm215]

on アルバイト, for Zizka

Right on the other three questions. On this one, it’s a “pick the right keigo verb” and as you say you didn’t know it:

@Zizka

留学生「はい。いつ（ ウ ）よろしいですか。」
（ウ）
1 うかがったら
2 いらっしゃったら
3 行ったら
4 来たら

I would imagine this is some keigo since he’s talking to his potential boss. So I’d simple go with 2. I know it’s not 3 or 4 as they’re not keigo. I’ve never seen 1 before. I thought maybe it was the keigo of 来る but I looked it up in the dictionary and it’s not the case.

いらっしゃる means 行く or 来る or いる, but it’s used when the person doing the action is high status relative to the speaker (it’s the “respectful language” type, 尊敬語).

伺う has several senses (it’s often used for “to ask” and “to listen”) but the one we want here is “to call on someone; to call at a place; to pay a visit”. This too is keigo, but this is the “humble language” type (謙譲語) that you use for describing your own actions when talking to somebody higher status.

Here it’s the student talking to the employer about an action the student is going to do, so we want the humble form: 1 うかがったら.

[pm215]

@Zizka

Alright, thanks. I’m normally reticent to use AI but I guess this is ok.

Yes, me too. I tend to stick with situations where I can straightforwardly check that it got it right, like this task.

[Zizka]

@Shannon-8

留学生「もしもし。あのう、アルバイトをさがしているんですが。」“Hello. Um… I’m looking for a part-time job, however…”

So this is one thing I do in my translations as well but I’m under the impression that it’s not really ‘however’. I mean, I think が is more in the sense of implying something that you don’t want to say directly as opposed to however. I’d say, perhaps mistakenly, that’s it’s a colloquial thing, a polite marker, a non-direct marker. There’s no real opposition here in this convo when you think about it. This is why, this time, I omitted it. I feel like that without it’s too direct and with it, it doesn’t mean however. It’d say it’s a nuance that exist only in Japanese and can’t be integrated wholesale in English.

Same thing with そうですか, I don’t think really think is that so? I think it’s just a way to react to something. It’s hard to put into words but I think it’s just a colloquial reactive expression when you’re presented with new information. It’s essentially just I see come to think about it.

@Shannon-8

留学生「はい。いつ（ ウ ）よろしいですか。」"Yes. (ウ) when is good?
（ウ）
1 うかがったら if I visited (humble けんじょうご)
2 いらっしゃったら if I came/went (honorific, raising status of Verb doerそんけいご)
3 行ったら *if I went (standard)
4 来たら *if I came (standard)
I choose 1, because I think it’s appropriate for a job-seeker to be humble…

So this is related to what pm was saying actually.

@pm215

いらっしゃる means 行く or 来る or いる, but it’s used when the person doing the action is high status relative to the speaker (it’s the “respectful language” type, 尊敬語).

I don’t know what Shannon calls そんけいご, I’ve never heard of it. I think it might be an N3 thing. I’m about 99% certain it’s not in genki unless it’s in chapter 21 to 23? 尊敬語 which you also bring up I mean. I’m under the impression this might be an N3 thing. I suppose I could look into it but it doesn’t seem like a priority.

So いらっしゃうったら here, is if you consider the person doing the action of going of higher status. So it’d be weird for a job hunter to self-describe that way, thus the wrong answer. I would imagine it’s always something you use to describe other people anyway as it’d probably be a bit pretentious to use it about yourself.

[Zizka]

So I tried claude.ai but then it asked me to give permission for my personal data and I was like How about no? My real reaction wasn’t forum appropriate, let’s put it that way. So if you want to run this pm215, that’d be awesome. I’ve used other online websites but the formatting is all over the place:

Summary

(1)
かえ
今日はとても天気がよくて、あつい日だった。 学校の帰りに日本人の友だちに海に
とうきょう
よこはま
行こうと言われたので、みんなで海に行った。 東京にはきれいな海がないので、横浜まで
「
おんかく
行った。3時間ぐらいかかったが、車の中では日本の音楽を聞いたり、 友だちと日本語で 話をしたりして楽しかった。 海に着いてから海に入ろうとしたが、水がつめたかったので 入るのをやめた。 新しいことばも教えてもらった。 いちばんおもしろかったことばは
いえ
あわ
いえ
いえ
おも
「海の家」だ。 さいしょわたしは 「海の家」 はだれかの家だと思っていた。 でも、そこは夏の
しょくじ
間だけ海にあって、 海におよぎに来た人が、休んだり食事をしたりするところだそうだ。
え
いえ
なつ
今は5月だからまだ海の家はないが、 今年の夏は、みんなでいろいろな海の家に行こうと 話した。
いえ
【質問1】 「海の家」 はどんなところですか。
しょくじ
1 海に来た人がとまった)、食事をしたりするところ
2 海に来た人があそんだり、 およいだりするところ
はん
3 海に来た人が休んだり、ご飯を食べたりするところ
おんがく
4 海に来た人が音楽を聞いたり、話をしたりするところ

次の

In the second sentence, there’s the 帰りに thing we saw that other time:

@Myria

In this case, 取り is not a noun, just the verb stem used in the phrase Vstemに行く / Vstemに来る, “to go do X”
水を買いに行きます。 Going to buy water
映画を見に（映画館に）行きます。 Going to (the cinema to) watch a movie

…only this time I think it really is a noun since に is followed by a noun, not a verb.

@Myria

Yes, there are many compound nouns that end in 取り, that is true. I can think of things like 湿気取り、塵取り、書き取り. But there are also many grammatical structures that simply call for the verb stem I’d just be careful to automatically interpret a verb stem as a noun, although it can work as a noun too in many cases, yes.

帰り: return, coming back;

Today’s weather was really good, it was a hot day. Since my Japanese friend who returned to school said they wanted to go to the sea, we all went there together.

I’m not 100% on the first part 学校の帰りに日本人の友だち. I assume it’s just one long relative clause for 友達.

Since there are no beautiful sea in Tokyo, we went all the way to Yokohama. The drive there was three hours so (inside the car) we listened to Japanese music and I spoke to Japanese to my friends and it was fun. When we arrived at the sea, we wanted to go in but the water was cold so we stopped going in (we started to go in the water but stopped as it was too cold). I was also taught some new vocabulary. The most interesting vocabulary was 「海の家」. At first, I thought 海の家 meant the house of someone. However, just in the summer time (this is just in the summer time)…

I think 夏の間 means summer time, during the summer. In the following sentence we’re back with the およぎに来た structure. Which I previously talked about in this message.

The people who want to go swimming in the water, a place to rest and prepare meal…

So this is really rough. I know it’s a ～たり～たりする. So things like resting and preparing food. Let’s try again:

A place only in the summer at sea where people who like to swim and like to rest and prepare food.

Because it’s now it’s still May and there are no 海の家, this summer, I wanted to go to various 海の家.

I know there’s a と話した at the end but I don’t know how to word it so I left it out.

[Shannon-8]

@Zizka

non-direct marker

I like this idea… It’s really like identifying the politeness level. It’s something that is clear from the language (like もらう or いただく) but there isn’t really a translation for it… So I think I’m just gonna put my notes in parentheses, as in “が ていねい request for assistance”…

The above 問題

[quote=“Zizka, post:593, topic:73160”]

[/quote]3.

Shannon's Interpretation and Analysis

As for today, the weather is very nice, and hot. When I returned home from school, my Japanese friend to Ocean to let’s go because it was said, everybody で went to the ocean. In Tokyo, because there isn’t a beautiful ocean, everyone went to Yokohama. It took about 3 hours, but in the car we can do things like listen to Japanese music and chat in Japanese with friends, so it was enjoyable. When we arrived at the sea, I tried to go into the ocean, but the water was cold so I quit going in. I was taught some new words. The most fun word was “sea house”. At first, I thought that “sea house” was somebody’s house. But they only meet there during the summer and it appears that people who go to the ocean to swim do things there like rest and have meals. Now it’s May and that’s why there aren’t any beach houses yet, but they says that this summer, everybody will go to various “sea houses”.

I’m a bit confused by the use of みんなで at two places in the paragraph.
In these sentences listed by Reverso Contexto link, みんなで is used where I might have tried to use みんなと…

If I hadn’t seen the photo of the tiny “clothes-changing houses”, I wouldn’t have had any idea what they might have meant. But they do sound like the cabanas that one can rent for the day beside the swimming pool at fancy hotels…
But I don’t think they’re meant for staying overnight 泊まる (とまる). They said it was for resting and eating, so I don’t think they would say swimming… Ah, I see that I’m overthinking, because choice 3 is resting and eating, like in the text. And why couldn’t one be listening to music and talking there? Anyway 3…

問題2
1 says Tokyo, so it’s wrong.
2. says 車 instead of 電車…(Did I read that wrong?) Yes.
3 and 4 the 海の家 weren’t set up yet…

[Alvinael]

Hi! I hope you don’t mind me joining in as well to try and figure out some of these study texts!

@Zizka

今は5月だからまだ海の家はないが、 今年の夏は、みんなでいろいろな海の家に行こうと 話した。

My take on the と話した was more like… ‘Because it’s May now, there aren’t any beach huts** yet. But in summer this year, (my friend - speaker omitted?) said that everyone will go off to various beach huts’

Or… Maybe it’s the みんな who said it? I’m not sure about the で after みんな. Everyone said let’s go to lots of different beach huts in the summer?

(I’m not very good at this!)

**I’m imagining these are like beach huts from the context? Like I’m thinking about the tiny ones that are popular here in the UK, though they are available all year long I believe

I might be totally wrong but that’s what comes to mind

[Zizka]

Of course you’re welcome!

Could be but out of curiosity, I google 海の家 (after doing the exercise) and nothing of the sort comes up in Google images. Which makes me doubtful.

@Alvinael

Or… Maybe it’s the みんな who said it? I’m not sure about the で after みんな. Everyone said let’s go to lots of different beach huts in the summer?

I don’t know who said it either. I don’t think it’s みんな since で, to me, indicates the manner. We want to visit various 海の家 together. Not sure, though.

質問１＆２

It’s also what the first question is about:

I’d say 3 here since it’s word for word in the text but it could be a trap.

It’s not 1, the text specifically says there is no beautiful sea in Tokyo.

2 is true but I don’t think it’s the point of the story.

I don’t think it’s 4. Narrator just learned the new vocabulary, they didn’t actually experience it.

3 Did a lot of swimming at the sea… But they didn’t swim, the water was too cold. They didn’t go to 海の家 either, see 4 above.

So I’d go with 2 even though it’s not the whole thing, it’s just one of the thing they did.

[pm215]

@Zizka

So this is one thing I do in my translations as well but I’m under the impression that it’s not really ‘however’.

Yes; it’s a polite hesitation and softening.

@Zizka

@pm215

いらっしゃる means 行く or 来る or いる, but it’s used when the person doing the action is high status relative to the speaker (it’s the “respectful language” type, 尊敬語).

I don’t know what Shannon calls そんけいご, I’ve never heard of it. I think it might be an N3 thing. I’m about 99% certain it’s not in genki unless it’s in chapter 21 to 23? 尊敬語 which you also bring up I mean. I’m under the impression this might be an N3 thing. I suppose I could look into it but it doesn’t seem like a priority.

Are you going to study keigo at all for the test? If yes, then you need to know that it comes in three types (verbs that say the person doing the verb is high status; verbs that say the person doing the verb is low status; verbs and forms that are just generally polite to the person being spoken to). Otherwise you will be perpetually confused about, for example, why the answer to a question like this is not いらっしゃる. You do not, of course, have to learn the specific Japanese grammar words that are the names for the categories – I put them in here as well as the English language gloss, because I don’t know if the resources you’re using might use them. (For instance Minna no Nihongo uses the Japanese terms, and the bunpro page for the N4 grammar structure お〜する calls it “humble speech” but if you click on that term the popup will tell you that they are referring to 謙譲語. ) There will not be a level of the JLPT that tests one of these categories but not the rest – they are all one overall “keigo” thing, because if you’re using the respectful verbs for the other person you need to use the humble verbs for your own actions, or there will be a weird formality level mismatch.

[Zizka]

Alright, gotcha.

訳すの

This morning, since I had to get up at 6, I was already up at 7h30. In order to get to school, it’s ten minutes to the train station by bike and from there I also need to take the train for 30 minutes. I leave home at 8 but I still have 10 minutes in advance before the first hour of class (this is a shaky take).

---

Ok so I find the next sentence kind of complicated, especially because I’m not too sure about the previous sentence. There’s a long string of ‘not only’ し.

I misunderstood. They were 10 minutes late, it’s not do in advance here, it’s just 遅れた. For some reason I confused with おく. 遅れる「おく・れる」

I leave at 8 but I’m still 10 minutes late for the first hour of class. Because I was late, not only was the teacher angry but because I was in a rush to get ready I forgot my homework so it was a terrible day I thought.

When I returned home, because my grandmother was carrying luggage which looked heavy, I carried it for her. She said thank you… she bought me a cake. After I returned home and said that, the host family mother congratulated me.

A great deal of things happened today and since I’m tired, I’ll go to bed early as tomorrow I want to get early I think.

答え

Answers

I’m fairly sure 質問１ is a trap because I doubt it’s so simple as being 8 but I can’t spot what the trap is. I’d go with 1 8時.

As for 2, お礼に（おれいに）means it’s nothing, which I don’t think works here since it’s the granny speaking.

おみやげ/お土産 is souvenir, so I’d say that’s off.

I thought お祝い was celebration but it can also be a gift. So I think that’s the answer, お祝いに sort of through a process of elimination. みまい is to visit someone.

As for 3, Which one one those explanations about the test are accurate.

1 is wrong. The host mother wasn’t angry, the teacher was.

2 is wrong, the person wasn’t late because they were in a rush to prepare their work either.

3 Here it says おばあさんにててだってもらったので. I’m not sure もらうis right in this context… hmm… This is wrong.

4 This is 100% right.

[Zizka]

次の

[Myria]

This is all regarding the text about being late to class.

Question 1

@Zizka

I leave home at 8

I’d be careful with the tense here. This whole text is in past tense, so it describes today’s experience only, instead of a habitual everyday thing.
８時に家を出た
“I left the house at 8”

@Zizka

I can’t spot what the trap is.

@Zizka

I leave at 8 but I’m still 10 minutes late for the first hour of class.

This question has you doing some math.

The speaker leaves home at 8, as you correctly interpreted.
They also describe their way to school and how long it takes them.
You have to calculate when they arrive at school.
You also correctly identified that they were 10 minutes late to class.
Maybe these hints will help you figure out when they arrived at school and when the class started.

Comments on your translation

@Zizka

This morning, since I had to get up at 6, I was already up at 7h30.

This translation feels really off in English.
のに is the “although” meaning here.
And your translation of the second half is also not quite correct.
Pay attention to the 起きたら and what the もう is describing.

My translation would be:

This morning, even though I had to wake up at 6, when I woke up (起きたら), it was already (もう) 7:30.

More translation comments

@Zizka

my grandmother

おばあさん is not always “my grandmother”. It can also be used more generally to describe an old lady.

@Zizka

the host family mother congratulated me.

Tiny thing: I think rather than “congratulated”, a better word would be “praised”.

The long sentence, broken down (with Kanji)

授業に遅れたので、先生に怒られたし、急いで準備したので、宿題も忘れたし、嫌な日だと思った。
Broken down, cutting the sentence up where the し are:
授業に遅れたので、先生に怒られた
Translation: I was late to class, so the teacher got mad at me. (し = reason 1)

急いで準備したので、宿題も忘れた
Translation: I was in a hurry when preparing (to leave home), so I forgot my homework (し = reason 2)

嫌な日だと思った。
Translation: Because of these two reasons, I thought the day was really unpleasant.

You translated it really well

Question 2

@Zizka

お礼に（おれいに）means it’s nothing

Did you check out the headword that jisho spit out with the “It’s nothing” translation? It’s a completely different expression

お礼, looked up on its own:

The other options you interpreted quite well:

お祝い is a celebration, so this would be like a birthday gift or a gift to celebrate a specific event.
お土産 is a souvenir, a gift you give someone after you’ve traveled somewhere.
お見舞い means to visit someone in the hospital, it can also mean “gift you give someone when they are in the hospital”. So, not fitting.
お礼 is “thanks, gratitude”, so here in this context “as a token/sign of gratitude”

They are checking to see if you know the context of these gift-related words and whether you can use them correctly.

Question 3

@Zizka

おばあさんにててだってもらったので

Very well identified that 手伝ってもらった is wrong here. This would flip the situation and mean “The old lady / grandmother helped me, (therefore I said ‘thanks’)”.
The correct “verb” out of もらう・くれる・あげる would be 手伝ってあげる = to do someone the favor of helping them. (as seen in the correct answer)

[Shannon-8]

Hi, Alvinael, it’s so nice to see you over here!

Shannon's interpretation of 問題2

…This morning at 6 o’clock I had to wake up, and that’s if I wake up (??) already it was 7:30. (??). Going to school, going to the train station by bicycle it’s 10 minutes, from there, riding the train takes another 30 minutes. I left the house at 8 o’clock, but I ended up being ten whole minutes late for first hour class. Because I was late for class, the teacher got mad and because I was in a hurry getting ready, I also ended up forgetting my homework, and I thought it was a horrible day.
…When I returned home, grandmother (an old woman) was carrying some heavy-looking luggage, so I helped her. Grandmother said “thank you” and (質問2) bought me a cake.
I went back home, and when I told that story, the host family Mother praised me.
…Today, various things happened, and I got tired, and that’s why I went to bed early, and thought that I will wake up early tomorrow.

Nb. Confirmation on Conditional Verbたら being used for “when/after I Verbed”
…Tofugu on たら
…ことがある (irregular Godan Verb … After past-tense Verb {for something} to have occurred; to have done {something}; {for something} to happen in occasion)
…Tofugu ~よう Volitional form expressing one’s will to Verb.

(質問1) Left the house at 8am, 40 min to school, 10 minutes late for class. So class began at (2).
(質問2) 3
.1. お祝いに (おいわいに in celebration)
.2. お土産に (おみやげに as a gift)
.3. お礼に (おれいに in gratitude)
.4. お見舞いに (おみまいに for recovery, sympathy and well-wishing)
(質問3) 4
Ooh, tricky #3 switched あげる to もらう

Shannon's Interp of Reading 1, 母のたんじょう日

…Yesterday, to buy Mom’s birthday present, together with little sister I went to the department store. Last week, little sister had broken mother’s watch, and that’s why we decided that the present is a watch. In addition to the watch, we also bought flowers and a card. As for the card, it wasn’t only my and little sister’s messages, dad also wrote one.
(Nb. The choice of もらう here seems odd to me…I guess that I am receiving the favor of 父 also writing a message. Google says “I also had my father write”… In English I might have said “I also got my father to write”. Geez! That sounds “Causative” to me!
Re-reading the Tofugu on Causative article, with attention to もらう )
… As for dad, every year on Mom’s birthday he makes dishes of various countries. This year, he is saying that he will make Korean food. Little sister and I are thinking that we will make a cake for her. I researched how to make a cake on the Internet. I’ve never made one before, but it’s not very difficult, so I think we’ll do OK. Probably mom will also be quite happy for me.

質問1. Why did they choose a watch as a present?
.1. Because Mom broke her clock.
.2. Because Mom broke little sister’s clock
.3. Because Mom made little sister break her clock.
.4. Because Mom’s clock was broken by little sister
I think it’s 4, but I’m still not 100% clear on these させる versus される forms…

質問2.
.1. I went shopping with Mom and little sis at a department store
.2. Dad also wrote a message on the card
.3. Dad is making Korean food every year.
.4. I’m worried about whether or not I can make the cake well.
I think it’s 2…

Myria, thank you for taking the time to write out nice, easy to read explanations!

Edit to add: This morning, I found this Kanshudo on いただく good for me to read. It is slowly sinking in

Re-reading Japanese grammar articles is like meditation for me… It’s a slow process, but each time, something in my mind gets unlocked, as pieces of understanding dawn. It’s like "unblocking chakra"ね

[Zizka]

Alright, let’s fix some mistakes. I won’t go quote for quote Myria’s message but:

Ok, it’s not a habit, it was a specific day.

This one is a bit 恥ずかしい… since it was fairly simple! They leave home at 8, it then takes them 10 min by bike and 30 by train. Which makes it 8:40. They’re then 10 min late so the answer is ２. 8時半 of course.

@Myria

This translation feels really off in English.

This is without checking your answer. Let’s give it another shot.

This morning I had to get up at 6 but I woke up at 7:30.

This is probably off as well since I’m not using もう… No wait, I know!

This morning I had to get however it was already 7h30 when I woke up.

This is it let’s compare… yes. Ok for old woman and 褒める.

I leave at 8 but I’m still 10 minutes late for the first hour of class. Because I was late, not only was the teacher angry but because I was in a rush to get ready I forgot my homework so it was a terrible day I thought.

Ok we’re fairly similar. Ok for お礼, it means thanks, gratitude.

---

By the way, could we get some confirmation regarding 海の家？

Was my translation accurate？

Is 海の家 some kind of summer hangout spot for swimmers?

Who is speaking at the end?