With school math problems, the text matters just as well as creating and solving a numerical equation. But understanding the logic behind wording can be challenging for students, and their parents, too!
Twitter user @nao_p_on shared a picture of her son’s elementary school test earlier this week, and a buzz ensued. Her son scored 95 out of 100, losing five points for one tiny mistake. He got the correct answer (32), but the proper formula was “8×4” and not “4×8.” Mom also joked she’d take it up with Japan’s highest authority if she had to.
Many shared their frustration at what appears to be vague instruction. However, some teachers said the instructor was just following their training, i.e., educating children to read problems and infer the proper order.
Mom vs math
朝、息子のランドセルからぴらりと出てきたテスト。95点。納得がいかず悔しくて出せなかったらしい。
【問】4人の子供に8枚ずつシールを配るには何枚シールが必要か。
【解】
☓4×8=32枚
○8×4=32枚
大丈夫、母さんも納得いかない。
おはようございます。
最高裁までいく。
In other words, you understand, are convinced or agree because it’s consistent with what you believe in.
“This morning, my son’s test popped out of his school bag. 95 points. He was so frustrated that it seemed he couldn’t take it out.
[Question]
How many stickers do you need to distribute so that each of the four children gets eight stickers?
[Solution]
☓ (wrong) 4×8 = 32 stickers
○ (correct) 8×4 = 32 stickers
It’s okay. Mom doesn’t understand it either.
Good morning.
We’re going to the Supreme Court.”
Express ‘convinced’ in Japanese
The JLPT N3 verb and phrase “納得する” is convenient to express your agreement in a conversation. It conveys the acceptance of other people’s thoughts, views and actions, compared to your own. In other words, you understand, are convinced or agree because it’s consistent with what you believe in.
Here are some examples:
- のいかない: An unconvincing story, a story that doesn’t add up
- をいてする: “I’ll be convinced when I hear the explanation.”
- のにはできない: “I’m not convinced by your opinion.”
- このについては、はできるがはできない: “I understand this case, but I’m not convinced.”
- そのでがするかどうかてい: “Let me know if that explanation makes sense to him.”
理解する, which means ‘to understand.’
It’s important to note that 納得する is different than the verb 理解する, which means “to understand.” The second one refers to correctly (or objectively) perceiving a situation regardless of your system of belief.
For example:
- のができた: “I was able to understand the math formulas.”
- をするのにがかかった: “It took me a while to understand the current situation.”
- はのをした: “I understood his feelings.”
Vocabulary
朝 asa Morning 息子 musuko Son ランドセル randoseru Schoolbag (for elementary students) ぴらり pirari With a flutter 点 ten Point 納得がいかず nattoku ikazu Unable to accept …らしい rashii It seems, it appears… 問 mon Problem 解 kai Solution, explanation 枚 mai Counter for flat things 配る kubaru Distribute 必要 hitsuyou Necessary 最高裁 saikousai Supreme Court
