One of the requirements to pass the N-400 interview is to understand and speak English. During the naturalization interview, the adjudicating officer may ask questions about the applicant’s Form N-400 Application for Naturalization.
Here is an example:
- Officer: Have you EVER claimed to be a U.S. citizen (in writing or in any other way)?
- Applicant: No.
- Officer: What does “Claim to be a U.S. citizen” mean?
- Applicant: To tell someone I’m a U.S. citizen when I’m not.
Occasionally, officers may request applicants to provide definitions of words or phrases from the Form N-400 to ensure that the applicant understood what they filled out. There are 125 vocabulary words that are most frequently asked in the N-400 application.
| Word/Phrase | Explanation |
| Freedom of speech | The right to express any opinions in public. |
| Vote | To elect new leaders. |
| Religion | Like Hindu, Buda, Catholic. |
| Claim to be a U.S. citizen | To tell someone I’m a U.S. citizen when I’m not. |
| Non-resident | Not a U.S. resident. |
| Owe taxes | To owe the government money. |
| Over due | Past the deadline. |
| File a tax return | To send tax paper work to the government. |
| The communist party/communism | Like the government of China or North Korea. |
| Totalitarian party | One-party government under a dictatorship. |
| Terrorism | Violence against people. |
| Terrorist organization | An organization that uses violence against people. |
| Genocide | To kill a whole nation or race. |
| Torture | To hurt someone for confession. |
| Jail/prison | A place where prisoners are kept. |
| Crime | Like illegal activities. |
| Offense | Violation of the law. |
| Cited | Like getting a violation ticket. |
| Arrested | To be taken to jail. |
| Convicted | Found guilty under the law. |
| Hereditary titles/Inherited titles | Like king or queen. |
| Title of nobility/Order of nobility | Like king or queen. |
| Disability | Like people who are blind or deaf. |
| Legally incompetent | Like having mental problems. |
| Mental institution | A hospital for people with mental (health) problems. |
| Weapon | Like gun or knife. |
| Bear arms | To carry a gun. |
| Oath of Allegiance | A promise to be loyal to the United States. |
| Allegiance | A loyalty. |
| Habitual drunkard | A person who gets drunk regularly. |
| Illegal drugs/Narcotics | Like heroin or cocaine. |
| Prostitute | Someone who has sex for money. |
| Court-martialed | To go to a military court. |
| Register | To sign up. |
| Owe | To have a debt. |
| Member of | Person belonging to a group. |
| Advocate | To support. |
| Overthrow | To defeat. |
| Persecute | To abuse. |
| Nazi government | The party under hitler. |
| Kill | To cause death. |
| Forcing sexual contact | Have sexual contact with someone when they don’t want. |
| Military unit | A group of people serving in the army. |
| Paramilitary unit | A group of people who act like a military group. |
| Police unit | A group of police officer. |
| Self-defense unit | A group of people that protect a place using weapon. |
| Vigilante unit | A group of people who act like the police. |
| Rebel group | A group of people who fight against the government. |
| Guerrialla group | A group of people who use weapons to attack the military or government. |
| Militia | An army of people, not part of the official military. |
| Insurgent organization | A group that use weapons and fight against a government. |
| Prison camp | A jail or prison for enemy soldier. |
| Detention facility | A place where people are forced to stay. |
| Labor camp | A place where people forced to work. |
| Combat | Like fighting. |
| Commit | To engage in something. |
| Detained | Keep someone in jail. |
| Charged | Accused of. |
| Alternative sentencing | A different way to punish someone. |
| Rehabilitative program | A program that restores someone to health. |
| Suspended sentence | Delaying of a sentence. |
| Smuggled | To move something illegaly into or out of a country. |
| Immigration benefit | Thing like visa, green card or citizenship. |
| Gamble illegally | Any type of gambling that is specifically prohibited by state law. |
| Pay alimony | To pay money to your ex spouse after divorce. |
| Misrepresentation | Something that is not true. |
| Public benefit | Like food stamp. |
| FALSE | Not true. |
| Fraudulen/Misleading | To make people believe a lie. |
| Lie | To say something not true. |
| Removed/exclude/deported | Sent back to the original country. |
| Ordered | An instruction to do something. |
| Rescission | Government cancels someone green card. |
| U.S. armed forces | U.S. military. |
| Discharge | Released. |
| Alien | A person from other country. |
| Draft | Join U.S. military when you become 18-26 years old. |
| Exemption | Special permission not to do something. |
| Deserted | Left the army without permission. |
| Constitution | The supreme law. |
| Noncombatant service | Like an army doctor. |
| Work of national importance | Tasks that are important to a nation. |
| Civilian | A person who is not in the military. |
| Involve | To take part in. |
| Associate | To have a connection. |
| S.S. military unit | An army under the nazi government. |
| Extermination camp | A place to keep people before killing them. |
| Transit camp | A place to keep people such as refugees temporarily. |
| Concentration camp | A place to keep political prisoners during the war. |
| Participate | To be part of. |
| Recruit | To find new people to join the armed forces. |
| Conscript | To require someone to join the army. |
| Enlist | To sign up. |
| Diversion | A different program to avoid jail time. |
| Deferred prosecution or deferred adjudication | Legal agreement that allows alternative sentencing. |
| Withheld adjudication | Like a second chance. |
| Sentence | A punishment under the law. |
| Parole | Allow to leave the prison early due to good behavior. |
| Probation | You report to an officer regularly instead of jail time. |
| Controlled substances | Legal drugs that can be bought with a prescription but with restrictions. |
| Procure | To find someone for sex. |
| Dependent | A person who is relying on another person financially. |
| Admission into the U.S. | The right to enter the U.S. |
| Deportation proceedings | Process to removing a person. |
| Give up | To quit. |
| Country of nationality | My country of nationality is Vietnam. |
| Fail | Not to pass. |
| National origin | Where I’m from. |
| Threaten | To warn to hurt someone. |
| Assisted in committing | To help someone to break the law. |
| Attempted to commit | To try to break the law. |
| Pending | Waiting to happen. |
| Spouse | Husband or wife. |
| Marital status | Like being married, single or divorced. |
| Widowed | Lose one’s spouse through death. |
| Divorced | Legally stop being married. |
| Single | Not married now and never married before. |
| Serve | To work. |
| Sealed | Enclosed. |
| Expunged/cleared | Removed. |
| Disclose the information | To reveal the information. |
| D.U.I | Driving under influence. |
| Obtain | To get something. |
| Station | Like a base. |
| Freedom of speech | The righ to speech freely. |
| Avoid being drafted | To prevent from being selected. |
| Club | Like a group. |
| Traffic violation | Like speeding ticket. |
| Rape | To force someone to have sex. |