Why do JLPT N4 learners confuse できるだけ with 不便?

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 できるだけ or 不便 more common on JLPT N4?

Both appear in the JLPT N4 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 Emotions & Adjectives theme of N4 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 N4 · Elementary · Meaning confusion

できるだけ vs 不便

Q: What's the difference between できるだけ and 不便?

できるだけ (できるだけ) means "if at all possible, as much as possible" and 不便 (ふべん) means "inconvenience". A learner might confuse these when discussing constraints. Both 'できるだけ' (as much as possible) and '不便' (inconvenient) often appear in conversations about trying to manage difficult or limited situations.

Why JLPT N4 learners mix up できるだけ (できるだけ, “if at all possible, as much as possible”) and 不便 (ふべん, “inconvenience”).

できるだけ

if at all possible, as much as possible

na-adjective

不便

ふべん

inconvenience

na-adjective

Theme: Emotions & AdjectivesJLPT N4

Why these get confused

A learner might confuse these when discussing constraints. Both 'できるだけ' (as much as possible) and '不便' (inconvenient) often appear in conversations about trying to manage difficult or limited situations.

How to tell them apart

Anchor on the meaning, not the form. できるだけ (if at all possible, as much as possible) and 不便 (inconvenience) 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

できるだけ (if at all possible, as much as possible)

できるだけ早くね。
できるだけ早く来ます。

不便 (inconvenience)

電話がないのは不便だ。
ご不便をおかけして申し訳ありません。

How JLPT tests this pair

On JLPT N4, 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

「できるだけ」の意味は？

A. if at all possible, as much as possible (correct)
B. inconvenience (distractor)
C. (other plausible meaning)
D. (other plausible meaning)

Drill this pair until it sticks

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Practice N4 confusion pairs

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Meaning confusion · Emotions & Adjectives

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Meaning confusion · Emotions & Adjectives

できるだけ vs 丁寧

Effort and quality are often linked. A learner might confuse the adverbial phrase 'as much as possible' (できるだけ) with the adjective for 'careful/polite' (丁寧) when describing how work is done.

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Meaning confusion · Emotions & Adjectives

簡単 vs 不便

Both are common na-adjectives used for situational evaluation. One is positive ('simple' - kantan) and the other is negative ('inconvenient' - fuben), leading to confusion among beginners.

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Meaning confusion · Emotions & Adjectives

楽しみ vs 不便

These na-adjectives evaluate situations. A learner might mix up the positive 'pleasure' of an event with the negative 'inconvenience' of a logistical situation when describing experiences.

See explanation →

Meaning confusion · Emotions & Adjectives

無理 vs 不便

Both express negative situational evaluations. Learners often mix up 'impossible/unreasonable' (muri) with 'inconvenient' (fuben) when a situation is not going according to plan.

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Frequently asked

できるだけ vs 不便

Why JLPT N4 learners mix up できるだけ (できるだけ, “if at all possible, as much as possible”) and 不便 (ふべん, “inconvenience”).

できるだけ

if at all possible, as much as possible

na-adjective

不便

ふべん

inconvenience

na-adjective

Theme: Emotions & AdjectivesJLPT N4

Why these get confused

How to tell them apart

Anchor on the meaning, not the form. できるだけ (if at all possible, as much as possible) and 不便 (inconvenience) 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.