Why do JLPT N2 learners confuse 又は with いってきます?

Both words occupy adjacent semantic territory, which is exactly why the JLPT uses them as distractors for each other on multiple-choice items. The fastest way to stop confusing them is to study them as a pair, write a one-sentence contrast in your own words, and drill the pair specifically rather than each word in isolation.

Is 又は or いってきます more common on JLPT N2?

Both appear in the JLPT N2 curriculum and either may show up on a given exam. Don't try to predict which one the test will choose — learn to distinguish them and you'll be safe regardless. Both belong to the General Expressions theme of N2 vocabulary.

How do I practice this confusion pair?

Free option: visit /try and pick a confusion drill. Paid option: none — JLPT Mastery is free during launch. Whichever route you take, the engine specifically re-tests pairs you've gotten wrong rather than rotating through general vocabulary review.

JLPT N2 · Upper Intermediate · Meaning confusion

又は vs いってきます

Q: What's the difference between 又は and いってきます?

又は (または) means "or, otherwise" and いってきます (いってきます) means "(Lit.) I'll go and come back, 'I'm going, see you later'". Both are common functional phrases. A learner might confuse the conjunction 又は (または) with the daily greeting いってきます because both are set expressions often heard in formal or transitional social contexts.

Why JLPT N2 learners mix up 又は (または, “or, otherwise”) and いってきます (いってきます, “(Lit.) I'll go and come back, 'I'm going, see you later'”).

又は

または

or, otherwise

expression

いってきます

(Lit.) I'll go and come back, 'I'm going, see you later'

expression

Theme: General ExpressionsJLPT N2

Why these get confused

Both are common functional phrases. A learner might confuse the conjunction 又は (または) with the daily greeting いってきます because both are set expressions often heard in formal or transitional social contexts.

How to tell them apart

Anchor on the meaning, not the form. 又は (or, otherwise) and いってきます ((Lit.) I'll go and come back, 'I'm going, see you later') live in adjacent semantic territory. Memorize the boundary, not just each word.
Read the example sentences below. Seeing each word in its natural context builds a faster lookup than studying the dictionary form alone.

In a sentence

又は (or, otherwise)

一日または二日ください。
一日または二日ください。

いってきます ((Lit.) I'll go and come back, 'I'm going, see you later')

「いってきます」「いってらっしゃい」
「いってきます」「いってらっしゃい」

How JLPT tests this pair

On JLPT N2, 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.

Sample item

「又は」の意味は？