N2 表記: Precision Among a Thousand Kanji
問題2（5 items）at N2 is a same-reading, same-shape battlefield: with 1,000+ kanji in play, nearly every common reading has multiple kanji candidates, and phonetic components make LOOK-alikes SOUND alike on purpose. The method survives from N3 — meaning-first, component-check second — but the discrimination sets get denser. This chapter maps them.
1. Component Families (Same Sound, Different Radical)
These sets share their phonetic component (so the reading won't help) and differ only in the semantic radical — the radical IS the answer:
| Family | Members | Radical logic |
|---|---|---|
| コウ 冓 | 講義／構造／購入 | 言 lectures, 木 builds, 貝 buys |
| フク 复 | 復習／複雑／腹 | 彳 repeats, 衤 layers, ⺼ body |
| セイ 青 | 清潔／晴天／精神／請求 | 氵 pure water, 日 clear sky, 米 refined spirit, 言 request |
| ソク 則 | 規則／側面／測定 | 刂 rule, 亻 side-person, 氵 measure water |
| カ 化 | 変化／花／貨物／靴 | plain change, 艹 flower, 貝 goods, 革 leather shoe |
| ハン 反 | 反対／坂道／板／販売／飯 | plain anti-, 土 slope, 木 board, 貝 sell, 食 rice |
| ホウ／ボウ 方 | 方法／訪問／放送（ホウ）／防止（ボウ） | plain direction, 言 visit, 攵 release, 阝 defend (the odd one out: ボウ) |
| セキ 責 | 責任／成績／積極 | plain duty, 糸 results, 禾 accumulate |
Study move: when you learn any kanji with a phonetic component, immediately list its siblings and tag each with its radical's meaning. Five minutes per family inoculates permanently.
2. Homophones at N2 (Same Reading, Choose by Meaning)
| Reading | Candidates | Split |
|---|---|---|
| やぶれる | 破れる／敗れる | tears (paper) / is defeated (match) |
| おさめる | 収める／納める／治める／修める | obtain-store / pay-deliver / govern / cultivate(学問) |
| あつい | 暑い／熱い／厚い | weather / touch / thick — still tested! |
| かたい | 硬い／固い／堅い | hard-material / firm-fixed / solid-reliable |
| うつす | 写す／移す／映す | copy / relocate / project-reflect |
| はかる | 測る／量る／計る／図る | measure-length / weigh / time-count / attempt-plan |
| たつ | 立つ／建つ／経つ／絶つ | stand / be built / (time) passes / sever |
| あける | 開ける／空ける／明ける | open / vacate / (night/year) ends |
| まざる | 混ざる／交ざる | blend (liquids/crowds) / mingle (distinct items) |
| そなえる | 備える／供える | prepare-equip / offer (to altar) |
3. Okurigana at N2
| Reading | Correct | Wrong bait |
|---|---|---|
| あらためる | 改める | 改ためる ✗ |
| うけたまわる | 承る | 承わる ✗（six beats, ONE okurigana!） |
| いきおい | 勢い | 勢おい ✗ |
| おぎなう | 補う | 補なう ✗ |
| ことなる | 異なる | 異る ✗ |
| さいわい | 幸い | 幸わい ✗ |
| もっとも | 最も | 最とも ✗ |
| すこやか | 健やか | 健か ✗ |
承る（うけたまわる）is the poster child: a six-beat humble verb writing five beats inside the kanji. Business-mail Japanese in one character.
4. How the Exam Tests This — Worked Examples
大学で経済学をおさめた。
① 収めた ② 納めた ③ 治めた ④ 修めた → ④: cultivating scholarship = 修める. Taxes take 納, victories take 収, countries take 治 — the four おさめる split by object.
新しいビルのこうぞうを調べる。
① 講造 ② 構造 ③ 購造 ④ 稿造 → ②: structure is BUILT (木). Same-sound siblings fill every option — radical logic or nothing.
Strategy
- Meaning first (what does the sentence's word DO?), then radical check on the differing component.
- For homophones, ask the OBJECT: taxes? victories? scholarship? — the object selects the kanji.
- Reconstruct before scanning options; N2's options are engineered to all "look right."
Summary & Key Takeaways
- N2 表記 = component families (same sound by design — the radical decides) + rich homophone sets (おさめる×4, はかる×4, かたい×3) + long-word okurigana (承る, 改める).
- Learn phonetic families as sets with radical tags; learn homophones by their OBJECTS.
- Reconstruct-then-verify; the danger zone is one radical per option.