予選

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 予選 (よせん) is a noun for the preliminary competition used to select participants for a later round.
• Basic usage: 大会の予選を通過する treats the qualifier as a stage advanced from, while 明日の予選に備える treats the next day’s preliminary round as an event prepared for.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Stage crossed and event prepared for
  • In 予選を通過する, を marks the competitive stage crossed; in 予選に備える, に marks the event prepared for. The qualifier is not the agent doing the preparation.