Why do JLPT N2 learners confuse 又は with いってまいります?

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 いってまいります 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 いってまいります

Q: What's the difference between 又は and いってまいります?

又は (または) means "or, otherwise" and いってまいります (いってまいります) means "(Lit.) I'll go and come back, 'I'm going, see you later'". Both are formal functional expressions. The rhythmic structure and the 'ma' sound in 又は (または) and まいります can lead to phonetic confusion for learners who are still mastering long polite phrases and conjunctions.

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

又は

または

or, otherwise

expression

いってまいります

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

expression

Theme: General ExpressionsJLPT N2

Why these get confused

Both are formal functional expressions. The rhythmic structure and the 'ma' sound in 又は (または) and まいります can lead to phonetic confusion for learners who are still mastering long polite phrases and conjunctions.

How to tell them apart

Anchor on the meaning, not the form. 又は (or, otherwise) and いってまいります ((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。

いってまいります ((Lit.) I'll go and come back, 'I'm going, see you later')

こちらをお宅にお届けするよう、母から言い付かってまいりました。
「田中先生に頼まれていた資料を持ってまいりました。どういたしましょうか？」「先生は学会です。そこに置いておいてください」

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？

A. or, otherwise (correct)
B. (Lit.) I'll go and come back, 'I'm going, see you later' (distractor)
C. (other plausible meaning)
D. (other plausible meaning)

Drill this pair until it sticks

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 N2 confusion pairs

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Frequently asked

又は vs いってまいります

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

又は

または

or, otherwise

expression

いってまいります

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

expression

Theme: General ExpressionsJLPT N2

Why these get confused

How to tell them apart

Anchor on the meaning, not the form. 又は (or, otherwise) and いってまいります ((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.