Personal & Public Identities
What this unit covers
The topics below follow the published Japanese Lang course framework for Unit 2. Japanese Lang publishes no per-unit weighting, so there is no percentage to chase here.
Lessons in this unit
- Particles を / に / で14 min · 3 objectivesUse を (o) to mark the direct object of a verb · Use に (ni) for destination, time, and indirect object · Use で (de) for the location of an action and the means used
- Plain Form vs. Polite Form13 min · 3 objectivesDistinguish the polite (です／ます) style from the plain (dictionary) style · Convert between plain and polite verb forms · Choose the appropriate register for a given social situation
Every term in Unit 2
All 22 terms we publish for Personal & Public Identities, with definitions. Reading them through is the fastest way to find the ones you cannot define — then drill those in cram mode until you can produce them without the prompt.
- 自分 (じぶん)
- Oneself. 自分らしさ is individuality or being true to oneself, a common essay theme.
- 性格 (せいかく)
- Personality. 明るい cheerful, まじめ serious, おとなしい quiet, 積極的 proactive, 消極的 reserved.
- 夢 (ゆめ)
- Dream, both while sleeping and as an aspiration. 将来の夢 is the standard phrase for a future goal.
- 将来 (しょうらい)
- The future, of a person or society. 将来の計画, 将来性. Distinguish from 未来, which is more abstract and distant.
- individuality 個性 (こせい)
- Individuality, distinctive character. 個性を大切にする — to value individuality; a frequent topic in essays about education.
- 責任 (せきにん)
- Responsibility. 責任を持つ / 責任がある — to bear responsibility.
- 努力 (どりょく)
- Effort. 努力する; 努力が実る — for effort to bear fruit. Culturally weighted and useful in essays about achievement.
- 我慢 (がまん)
- Endurance, self-restraint, putting up with something. Carries positive value in Japanese in a way its English glosses do not.
- 遠慮 (えんりょ)
- Reserve, holding back out of consideration. ご遠慮ください is the polite way to say "please refrain".
- 本音 (ほんね) と建前 (たてまえ)
- True feelings against the socially expected position. A frequently cited pair for discussing communication, and a strong presentation topic.
- 伝統 (でんとう) と現代 (げんだい)
- Tradition and the contemporary. 伝統を守る to preserve; 現代的 modern. The tension between them is a recurring prompt.
- 方言 (ほうげん)
- Dialect. 関西弁 Kansai dialect is the best-known; 標準語 is standard Japanese. A concrete example of regional identity.
- ひらがな・カタカナ・漢字
- Hiragana for grammar and native words, katakana for loanwords and emphasis, kanji for content words. Writing a native word in katakana signals emphasis or foreignness.
- 音読み and 訓読み
- On-reading is the Sino-Japanese reading, used mostly in compounds; kun-reading is the native reading, used for standalone words. 山 is やま alone but さん in 富士山.
- 〜と思います / 〜と思っています
- と思います states a present opinion; と思っています suggests a held, ongoing view. The plain form goes before と.
- 〜でしょう / 〜かもしれません
- でしょう expresses probability, かもしれません mere possibility. でしょう with rising intonation seeks agreement.
- 〜はずです / 〜わけです
- はず expresses expectation based on reason; わけ expresses a conclusion that follows naturally. だから疲れているわけです — that is why he is tired.
- 〜ようになる / 〜ことにする / 〜ことになる
- ようになる a change in ability or habit; ことにする a decision you make; ことになる a decision made for you or an outcome that arises.
- 〜そうです: hearsay vs appearance
- Plain form + そうです is hearsay; verb stem or adjective stem + そうです is appearance. 雨が降るそうです I hear it will rain; 雨が降りそうです it looks like rain.
- 〜らしい / 〜みたい / 〜ようだ
- らしい reports what seems true from evidence; みたい is colloquial resemblance; ようだ is the formal equivalent. Register differs sharply.
- 敬語 in self-introduction
- 田中と申します is humble for 田中です; ご紹介いただきます. The speaking task rewards correct humble forms about yourself.
- 意見を述べる
- 私の考えでは、〜と思います。確かに〜が、しかし〜。Acknowledging the other side before disagreeing is expected in Japanese argumentation.
What examiners penalize here
- Particle choice is graded in both writing and speaking. Build muscle memory by learning verbs together with the particle they take: 〜に行く (ni iku, “go to”), 〜を食べる (o taberu, “eat”), 〜で会う (de au, “meet at”). Storing verb + particle as a unit prevents most particle errors.
- On AP tasks, register is scored. The interpersonal email reply and formal speech generally call for です／ます; a casual message to a friend may use plain form. Read the prompt for cues about who the audience is, and keep your chosen register consistent to the end.
Practice Japanese Lang
Our practice bank is drawn from across the whole course rather than filtered to one unit, which is closer to how the exam asks anyway — it will not tell you which unit a question is testing.
Questions about this unit
How much of the AP Japanese Language & Culture exam is Unit 2?
The Japanese Lang course framework does not publish a per-unit weighting, so there is no percentage to quote for Unit 2 and anyone who gives you one is guessing. Spread your time by where your own errors are instead.
What topics are covered in Japanese Lang Unit 2?
Personal & Public Identities covers Identity, Values, Heroes and Self. We publish 22 terms with definitions for this unit, all of them on this page.
How should I study Japanese Lang Unit 2?
Read the 2 lessons below first — about 25 minutes — then drill the 22 terms in cram mode until you can produce each definition from memory rather than just recognize it. Recognition is what makes a unit feel finished when it is not. Finish with practice questions and read the explanation for every one you get right by elimination as well as the ones you miss.
All 6 units of AP Japanese Language & Culture
Unit names, topics and exam weights follow the published College Board course framework for AP Japanese Language & Culture. AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which does not endorse this site.