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Why JLPT N1 learners mix up 染める (そめる, “to dye; to colour”) and 教習 (きょうしゅう, “training, instruction”).
Both 染める (to dye) and 教習 (instruction) involve a methodical process of 'application'-applying color to fabric versus applying knowledge to a student. The complex kanji 染 and 教 can also visually overwhelm learners.
On JLPT N1, this pair shows up as a vocabulary meaning question. You see one word and pick its English equivalent from four options — one of which will be the other word in this pair, chosen as a distractor precisely because of the overlap.
Reading the explanation is step one. Targeted practice is what actually moves a confusion pair out of your weak list. Free, no signup needed to try.
Practice N1 confusion pairsSpot a mistake in this explanation? Email us. Explanations are AI-generated and human-reviewed; corrections welcome.