JLPT Reading Expressions: Quick Guide

Have you ever felt that you understood the sentences in a JLPT reading passage, but still chose the wrong answer at the end?

You can follow each sentence. The vocabulary is not extremely difficult. And yet, you misunderstand what the writer really wants to say. In such cases, expressions like 「つまり」, 「要するに」, and 「言い換えれば」 are often overlooked.

These expressions are not just simple connecting words. Rather, they are like signs placed by the writer to say, “This part is important.” Whether you can understand these signals correctly can make a big difference in your reading accuracy.

Especially in JLPT reading, it is not always necessary to understand every small detail perfectly. What matters more is the ability to grasp the flow of the passage and understand what the writer is ultimately trying to say. This is where awareness of paraphrase expressions becomes very useful.

In this article, we will organize the differences between 「つまり」, 「要するに」, and 「言い換えれば」, and explain how to read each one in reading passages.

What you should know first

These three expressions are all used to summarize or restate something that has already been written. In that general sense, they are similar.

However, their roles are slightly different.

「つまり」 is often used to summarize the previous explanation and present a conclusion or main point.

「要するに」 is often used when the writer wants to compress detailed explanations and say, “The important point is this.”

「言い換えれば」 is used when the writer restates the previous idea from another angle. Rather than introducing a conclusion, it often functions as a rephrasing to make the idea easier to understand.

Once you can see these differences, it becomes easier to judge whether a sentence is a summary, a core point, or simply a rephrased version of the same idea.

The role of 「つまり」

「つまり」 is often used when the writer wants to say, “In other words, this is what it means,” after presenting some information.

In a passage, it often appears after several lines of explanation and helps guide the reader. It feels as if the writer gathers scattered information and makes the meaning clearer.

Example sentence

「彼は毎日遅くまで働き、休日もほとんど休んでいない。つまり、かなり無理をしている状態だ。」

He works until late every day and hardly rests even on holidays. In other words, he is pushing himself too hard.

In this case, the part after 「つまり」 summarizes several pieces of information written before it.

How to read 「つまり」 in reading passages

When you see 「つまり」, there is a high possibility that the sentence after it contains the writer’s summary. Especially when many examples or explanations come before it, the sentence after 「つまり」 is often close to the correct answer in a reading question.

However, it is not always the final conclusion of the whole passage. Sometimes it is only a small summary within one paragraph. Therefore, it is important to judge whether it is the conclusion of the entire passage or just a summary of that part.

Features of 「つまり」

1. It summarizes the previous content.
2. It is often used to organize a conclusion or key point.
3. It tells the reader, “This part is important.”
4. It often becomes an important sentence related to the question.

The role of 「要するに」

「要するに」 is used when the writer wants to say, “There have been various details, but the important point is this.”

It is close to 「つまり」, but 「要するに」 has a stronger feeling of narrowing things down to the core. Even if many things have been written before it, this expression strongly gathers them into one central point.

Example sentence

「新しい制度には長所も短所もあるし、すぐにすべての問題が解決するわけでもない。要するに、運用のしかたが成功の鍵になる。」

The new system has both advantages and disadvantages, and it will not solve every problem immediately. In short, how it is operated will be the key to success.

Here, several points appear in the first part, but after 「要するに」, the writer narrows them down to the most important point.

How to read 「要するに」 in reading passages

When 「要するに」 appears, the sentence after it is usually very important. This is because the writer often uses it after giving various explanations to say, “This is the point I really want you to understand.”

In reading questions, some answer choices may pull you toward small details from the earlier part of the passage. However, if you correctly read the sentence after 「要するに」, you can grasp the central idea without being distracted by details.

Features of 「要するに」

1. It organizes detailed explanations and brings out the core point.
2. It has a strong feeling of “the most important thing is this.”
3. It is often closely connected to the writer’s main claim.
4. It often becomes the basis for the correct answer.

The role of 「言い換えれば」

「言い換えれば」 is used when the writer restates what was said before in a different expression.

The important point is that the sentence after 「言い換えれば」 is not always a conclusion. Rather, it is often used to say the same content from another angle in order to make it easier to understand.

Example sentence

「失敗を恐れて何もしない人は、経験を積む機会を失っている。言い換えれば、何もしないこと自体が大きな損失になる。」

People who do nothing because they fear failure are losing opportunities to gain experience. In other words, doing nothing itself becomes a major loss.

Here, the sentence before and the sentence after 「言い換えれば」 point in almost the same direction. The second sentence restates the idea in a clearer and easier-to-understand way.

How to read 「言い換えれば」 in reading passages

When you see 「言い換えれば」, it is more natural to think, “The same idea is being expressed in different words,” rather than “New information has appeared.”

Therefore, when reading answer choices, it is important to check whether the meaning matches, even if the wording is different. In JLPT reading, being able to recognize this kind of paraphrase often directly leads to the correct answer.

Features of 「言い換えれば」

1. It restates the previous content in different words.
2. It strongly helps the reader understand the idea.
3. It is not necessarily a new conclusion.
4. It is good practice for checking whether different words express the same meaning.

Organizing the three expressions by feeling

If you try to memorize the differences too mechanically, you may become confused. In that case, it is useful to remember the basic feeling first.

「つまり」 means a summary of the previous content.

「要するに」 means the core point among those ideas.

「言い換えれば」 means restating the same idea in different words.

Just keeping these three feelings in mind can change the way you see reading passages.

Comparing them through examples

Even with the same topic, the function of the sentence changes depending on which expression is used.

Example

「この町では若者が減っている。店の数も減り、学校の統廃合も進んでいる。つまり、地域全体の活気が弱くなっている。」

In this town, the number of young people is decreasing. The number of shops is also decreasing, and schools are being merged or closed. In other words, the energy of the whole area is becoming weaker.

In this case, 「つまり」 summarizes the previous information.

「この町では若者が減っている。経済、教育、地域活動のすべてに影響が出ている。要するに、人口減少への対策が急務なのだ。」

In this town, the number of young people is decreasing. This is affecting the economy, education, and local activities. In short, measures against population decline are urgently needed.

In this case, 「要するに」 brings out the core point.

「この町では若者が減っている。言い換えれば、このままでは地域の将来を支える人が足りなくなるということだ。」

In this town, the number of young people is decreasing. To put it another way, if things continue like this, there will not be enough people to support the future of the area.

In this case, 「言い換えれば」 presents the same problem in another expression.

All three are similar, but their functions are not the same. Once you can see this difference, the structure of the passage becomes easier to understand.

How to use these expressions to choose the correct answer in JLPT

In reading, it is not enough to simply know the meanings of these expressions. What matters is how you use them while reading.

1. Read as if you are marking important points

When 「つまり」, 「要するに」, or 「言い換えれば」 appears, mark it mentally. This is a place where the writer is organizing the content.

2. Look at the sentence before and after together

These expressions cannot always be understood by reading only the part after them. You need to see what came before and how it was summarized or restated.

3. Become stronger at recognizing paraphrases in answer choices

In reading questions, the wording from the passage does not always appear exactly as it is. In fact, it is often changed slightly. Therefore, it is important not to decide too quickly that something is different just because the words are different.

4. Distinguish between “summary” and “new information”

Especially with 「言い換えれば」, the sentence after it is often not a new opinion, but a restatement. On the other hand, 「要するに」 often brings you closer to the writer’s core point. If you are aware of this difference, you are less likely to be misled by answer choices.

Common mistakes made by learners

A common mistake is treating 「つまり」, 「要するに」, and 「言い換えれば」 as if they were all the same.

It is true that all of them connect parts of a text. However, if you think of all of them only as “summary expressions,” you will miss the subtle differences.

Another common mistake is assuming that the sentence after 「言い換えれば」 is a new claim. In reality, it often says the same thing as before in another form. If you misunderstand it as new information, the flow of the passage may look different from what it really is.

It is also dangerous to read lightly over the sentence after 「要するに」. The reason the writer has explained so much up to that point may be that they want to place the core idea in that one sentence.

What learners who struggle with reading should pay attention to

Learners who struggle with reading often spend too much energy following each sentence one by one, and as a result, they lose sight of the flow of the whole passage.

But in JLPT reading, the winner is not always the person who understands every sentence perfectly. The stronger reader is the person who can identify which parts are important.

When you see 「つまり」, pay attention to the summary.

When you see 「要するに」, suspect that the core point is coming.

When you see 「言い換えれば」, be aware that the same idea is being restated.

If you can read in this way, the passage will look very different.

For more reading connectors, see the guide to Japanese connection expressions that improve JLPT reading. Connection Expressions That Improve JLPT Reading

Summary

「つまり」, 「要するに」, and 「言い換えれば」 are all important paraphrase expressions in reading, but their functions are slightly different.

「つまり」 summarizes the previous content.

「要するに」 shows the core point among the previous ideas.

「言い換えれば」 restates the previous content in different words.

Once you understand these differences, it becomes easier to see where the key point of the passage is and where the writer’s main message is located.

In reading, it is not necessary to read every sentence with the same weight. What matters is finding the important sentence. These paraphrase expressions are hints that the writer gives you.

RJT helps learners study these easily overlooked reading points through clear examples and explanations.

https://rapid-jt.com/