10 Suffixes You Must Know for the JLPT N2

10 suffixes you must know for the JLPT N2

1. ~風 (~ふう) – Appeared 3 times in the JLPT N2 (2012, 2015, 2017)

Meaning: ~ style, ~ flavour

– Used to describe the style or appearance of something judged purely from the outside.

Examples:
– 和風 (わふう): Japanese style

– この辺りはヨーロッパ風の家が多くて、日本だとは思えない。(12/2015)
There are many European-style houses in this area, so it can't be called Japanese.

2. ~流 (~りゅう) – Appeared 2 times in the JLPT N2 (2012, 2019)

Meaning: ~ system, ~ way of doing things, ~ school, ~ trend

– Used to indicate the way of doing things or the characteristic of a group of people / a school.

Examples:
– 日本流 (にほんりゅう): Japanese way, Japanese school

– 茶道流 (さどうりゅう): school of tea ceremony

– 彼はアメリカ流のビジネスで成功した。: He succeeded with American-style business.

Note: ~流 = ~式 both indicate a system / way of doing things, but:
+ ~式: refers to a recent way of doing things (the last few years)
+ ~流: a way of doing things handed down for a long time (part of history and custom – from 10 to over 100 years)

3. ~状 (~じょう) – Appeared 1 time in the JLPT N2 (2015)

Meaning 1: ~ card: this suffix is used for cards / invitations

Examples:
– 招待状 (しょうたいじょう): invitation card

– 年賀状 (ねんがじょう): New Year's card

Meaning 2: ~ form, ~ state: this suffix describes the condition or form of a thing or matter.

Examples:
– 症状 (しょうじょう): symptom

– 現状 (げんじょう): current state

– クリーム状になるまで混ぜてください。: Please stir until it becomes creamy.

4. ~率 (~りつ) – Appeared 2 times in the JLPT N2 (2010, 2015)

Meaning: rate, ratio

– Indicates a percentage or the degree of something.

Examples:
– 合格率 (ごうかくりつ): pass rate

– 今回の実験の成功率は高いと言われている。(T12/2015)
The success rate of this experiment is thought to be very high.

5. ~色 (~しょく) – Appeared 2 times in the JLPT N2 (2012, 2019)

Meaning: ~ colour, ~ flavour

– Used to indicate a characteristic colour / the atmosphere of something

Examples:
– 国際色 (こくさいしょく): international flavour

– この歌の歌詞は政治色が強いように感じられる。
The lyrics of this song have a strong political colour to them.

Note: ~色 is usually followed by 豊か／濃い／強い

6. ~性 (~せい) – Appeared 1 time in the JLPT N2 (2014)

Meaning: ~ -ness, ~ -ity

– This suffix expresses the nature or characteristic of something.

Examples:
– 安全性 (あんぜんせい): safety

– この器具は使い方を間違えると、けがをする危険性がある。(T12/2014)
If you use this tool incorrectly, there is a risk of injury.

7. ~賃 (~ちん) – Appeared 1 time in the JLPT N2 (2014)

Meaning: ~ fare, ~ fee

– Used to indicate a fee paid for a service or for something you rent and use (that is not your own)

Examples:
– 運賃 (うんちん): fare

– 理想の家賃はいくら？: What is the ideal rent?

– 大きな図書館に行きたいが、遠いのでけっこう電車賃がかかる。(T7/2014)
I want to go to the big library, but it's far away, so the train fare is quite expensive.

8. ~観 (~かん) – Appeared 1 time in the JLPT N2 (2016)

Meaning: view of ~, outlook on ~

– This suffix expresses a viewpoint or attitude towards something.

Examples:
– 人生観 (じんせいかん): outlook on life

– 価値観 (かちかん): values

– 男女の結婚観の違いについて調べた。(T12/2016)
I looked into the difference between men's and women's views on marriage.

9. ~沿い (~ぞい) – Appeared 1 time in the JLPT N2 (2014)

Meaning: along ~

– Indicates being along the length of a road, river or something else.

Examples:
– 川沿い (かわぞい): along the river

– 道沿い (みちぞい): along the road

– ここから駅で行くなら、線路沿いの道を行くのが一番速いですよ。(T7/2014)
If you go to the station from here, the road along the railway is the fastest.

10. ~界 (~かい) – Appeared 1 time in the JLPT N2 (2011)

Meaning: the world of ~, the ~ field

– Used to indicate a field or a specific circle / specialty.

Examples:
– 芸能界 (げいのうかい): the entertainment world, show business

– 自然界 (しぜんかい): the natural world

– 彼は医学界ではかなり知られた存在だ。(T7/2011)
He is fairly well known in medical circles.

See also:
Prefixes and Suffixes That Appeared in the JLPT N2 (2010–2025)
100 JLPT N2–N1 Compound Verbs