Japanese vocabulary
6105 words in 152 lists, sorted by topic and each with an example sentence in which it really occurs. Everything on this page can also be practised — you can be quizzed on each list on its own or on all of them together.
Why these words in particular — the yardstick is further down.
The 152 lists
By topic and not by alphabet: words that occur together are easier to learn together. Practise the words of one situation in one round and afterwards you have a situation in your head, not three separate words.
152 cards side by side would be a shelf, not an overview. So they sit under their 19 categories — if you are looking for an area rather than a list, moving house, seeing a doctor, starting a job, you jump straight there. Each category can also be practised as a whole.
The scaffolding24 lists · 964 words
The words without which no sentence stands.
N5This, that and question wordsPointing at things, places and directions, and asking who, what, where, when, why and how much.40 wordsN5Numbers, money and counting thingsTwo sets of numbers, prices in yen, and the counters that Japanese puts after every number.41 wordsN5Telling the time and the calendarHours and minutes, the days of the week, months and dates, and the words for today, tomorrow and every week.40 wordsN5Basic verbsThe verbs a first conversation cannot do without.41 wordsN5Basic adjectivesDescribing things and people: size, price, age, likes and dislikes.41 wordsN5Adverbs, time words and linking wordsHow much, how often, already and not yet, and the words that join sentences.40 wordsN5Colours, shapes and sizesColour words, simple shapes and the adjectives of size and weight.41 wordsN4Time and frequencyRecently, next year, every morning, once in a while — and being on time.40 wordsN4Verbs of movementWalking, getting on and off, crossing, turning, arriving and coming back.40 wordsN4Everyday adverbsBy all means, probably, surely, hardly, at last — the words that set the tone of a sentence.40 wordsN3More everyday verbsCommon verbs beyond the basics, for changes, choices and dealing with people.40 wordsN3Adverbs of attitudeAdverbs that show surprise, effort, certainty and resignation.40 wordsN3Time and changePeriods, stages, before and after, and the words for how things develop.40 wordsN5Counting thingsCounters in use: the sounds that change, the days of the month, and asking how many.40 wordsN5Directions and positionWhere things are and how to get there: beside, between, the far end and the second corner.40 wordsN3More i-adjectivesAdjectives for texture, temperature, sound and judgement, beyond the basics.40 wordsN3More na-adjectivesWords for what is important, fair, vivid or wasteful, with na before a noun.40 wordsN3Verb pairs: doing it and it happeningOne verb for doing something to a thing, one for the thing changing by itself.40 wordsN3Quantities and degreesHow much, how many, how far: amounts, limits and words of degree.40 wordsN3Connectors and sentence openersThe words that link one sentence to the next: adding, contrasting, explaining, moving on.40 wordsN2i-adjectives for sharper descriptionThe i-adjectives that make a description more exact, more vivid or more formal.40 wordsN2na-adjectives for exact judgementThe na-adjectives that judge a plan, a price, a manner or a situation precisely.40 wordsN2Everyday verbs at N2The exact verbs for what hands do, what things do when they go wrong, and how people treat each other.40 wordsN2Time, frequency and sequenceHow often something happens, when in the month or year, and what comes just before or after.40 words
Politeness, favours and manners6 lists · 240 words
The set phrases, the direction of a favour and the rules nobody writes down.
N5Greetings and set phrasesWhat is said on meeting and parting, before and after a meal, and on leaving the house and coming back.40 wordsN4Giving, receiving and favoursPresents, souvenirs, thanks, lending and borrowing, and asking for help.40 wordsN3Rules and mannersWhat is allowed, what is not, and the unwritten rules of behaving in public.40 wordsN3Talking and being understoodConversation, misunderstanding, polite language and saying what you mean.40 wordsN2Polite language at workThe humble and honorific words used with clients, visitors and senior colleagues.40 wordsN3Polite expressionsRespectful verbs, polite words for other people, and the phrases of everyday courtesy.40 words
People and feelings9 lists · 361 words
Family, friendship, character and feeling — at more than one resolution.
N5People and the familyFamily members — yours and other people's — friends, children, and the words for talking about people.41 wordsN4FeelingsBeing happy, sad, lonely, worried, relieved, angry and surprised.40 wordsN3RelationshipsFriends, partners and neighbours: meeting people, falling out and making up.40 wordsN3PersonalityForty words for what a person is like, from kind and honest to stubborn and cheeky.40 wordsN3Feelings, more finelyFrustration, nostalgia, envy, embarrassment and relief: the feelings that need more than happy and sad.40 wordsN3Feelings in set phrasesFixed expressions for moods and attitudes, many of them built on one small word for the mind.40 wordsN2Psychology and the mindMemory, motivation, self-image and the words for how the mind works.40 wordsN2Character and conductWords for what people are like and how they behave towards others.40 wordsN2Feelings, finer shadesThe words for resentment, pride, regret and longing that everyday speech leaves blurred.40 words
Home and daily life10 lists · 404 words
The rooms, the chores, the clothes and the flat itself.
N5At homeRooms, furniture, the things that switch on and off, and the verbs of an ordinary day at home.40 wordsN5Clothes and belongingsWhat you wear, what you carry, and the verbs for putting each on.42 wordsN4HouseworkCleaning, washing, tidying up and taking out the rubbish.40 wordsN3Renting and livingFinding a flat, signing for it, living in it and moving out again.42 wordsN5Kitchen and tablewarePlates, cups and cutlery, and the dishes you will order at the table.40 wordsN5Daily routineGetting up, washing, going out and coming home, told in order.40 wordsN3Everyday actionsThe verbs and habits of an ordinary day, from dropping things to locking up.40 wordsN3Housework and repairsTools, small repairs and keeping a home in order.40 wordsN2Everyday nouns at N2The nouns of ordinary household and neighbourhood life that a first course never gets round to.40 wordsN2Building, renovation and propertyHow a house is designed, built, repaired, pulled down and paid for.40 words
Food and drink6 lists · 242 words
The table, the kitchen, the restaurant and the field the food came from.
N5Food and drinkMeals, everyday food, drinks, tastes and what is on the table.40 wordsN4CookingThe kitchen, what is in it, and what happens to food before it reaches the table.40 wordsN3Food cultureJapanese dishes, seasonings, eating out and how people talk about taste.41 wordsN2Farming, fishing and the food supplyFrom the field and the harbour to the label on the packet.41 wordsN3Cooking methodsHow a recipe cuts, heats, seasons and measures.40 wordsN2Cooking, flavour and textureThe words of recipes, cookery programmes and talk about how food tastes.40 words
Shopping, money and services7 lists · 280 words
The till, the department store, the bank and the bill.
N4ShoppingBuying, paying and the phrases heard at every till.40 wordsN4At the department storeFloors, departments, trying things on, discounts, paying and having it wrapped.40 wordsN3Post office and bankLetters, parcels and stamps, and opening an account and taking money out.40 wordsN3Money in daily lifePay, rent, bills and savings: where the money comes from and where it goes.40 wordsN3Shops and servicesDeliveries, repairs, fees, queues and the signs on shop doors.40 wordsN3Clothes, looks and styleSleeves, fabrics and patterns, hair and make-up, and the words for how someone looks.40 wordsN2Grooming, skin care and clothesLooking after skin and hair, and the finer points of how clothes are made and worn.40 words
Getting around and going away10 lists · 401 words
The station, the street, the trip and the city around it.
N5Places in townThe station, the bank, the post office, the shops — and the words for the doors you go in and out of.40 wordsN5Getting aroundTrains, buses and bicycles, left and right, near and far, and the words for where one thing is in relation to another.39 wordsN4Travel and hotelsBooking, luggage, airports and somewhere to stay the night.40 wordsN3Traffic and accidentsRoads, signals, rules of the road and what is said when something goes wrong.42 wordsN3Sightseeing and tripsSights, day trips, hot springs and the words in a travel brochure.40 wordsN2City lifeCommuting, crowds, neighbourhoods and the last train home.40 wordsN3When a trip goes wrongLost things, thieves, cancelled trains, full hotels and asking for help.40 wordsN3Commuting and public transportPasses, platforms, delays and the words of a daily train journey.40 wordsN2Transport, freight and deliveryHow goods are packed, sent, tracked and delivered, and how timetables go wrong.40 wordsN2Tourism and travel planningBooking rooms and tours, travel costs and seasons, and the words travel writing uses.40 words
The body and health7 lists · 281 words
From where it hurts to what the doctor writes down.
N5The body and feeling unwellParts of the body, saying where it hurts, colds and medicine.40 wordsN4At the doctor'sSymptoms, injuries, going into hospital and what the doctor says.40 wordsN3Health and the bodyOrgans, measurements, sleep and the small complaints people talk about every day.41 wordsN2Medicine and treatmentDiagnosis, treatment, infection and the language of the hospital.40 wordsN3Body movements and postureHow the body bends, reaches, holds and leans, and the parts that do it.40 wordsN3Illness and injuryEveryday ailments, small injuries and what is done about them at home.40 wordsN2The body and health, in more detailOrgans, symptoms and check-ups: the words of health articles and the doctor’s explanation.40 words
Nature, weather and the land10 lists · 401 words
The seasons, the forecast, the landscape and what to do when the ground shakes.
N5Weather and seasonsRain, sun, heat and cold, and the four seasons of the year.40 wordsN4Nature and animalsMountains, rivers and forests, the animals in them and the plants that grow there.40 wordsN4Weather and natural hazardsThe forecast, temperatures, storms, typhoons, earthquakes and power cuts.40 wordsN3The environmentPollution, resources, recycling and the climate, and what people do about them.40 wordsN3Landscape and geographyIslands, coasts, valleys, regions and the words for the land around you.40 wordsN2Disasters and safetyPreparing for a disaster, getting through it and rebuilding afterwards.41 wordsN3Weather and climateForecast words, the rainy season, heat, cold and the sky between them.40 wordsN3Animals and plantsMore animals, the parts of a plant, and what living things do.40 wordsN2Nature and the environmentEcology, pollution and conservation: the words of environmental reports and the news.40 wordsN2Landforms, the globe and climateThe words of maps, geography lessons and the weather report on the news.40 words
Free time, plans and sport7 lists · 281 words
Hobbies, invitations, matches and the results.
N5Free timeHobbies, music, films, games and days off.40 wordsN4Making plansInviting, accepting, turning down and arranging where and when to meet.40 wordsN4Sport and gamesMatches, players, winning and losing, training and the sports people play.40 wordsN2Competition and resultsTournaments, finals, records and the people on the bench.41 wordsN3Hobbies, crafts and musicKnitting and sewing, model-making, painting, board games and playing an instrument.40 wordsN3Keeping fitWarming up, working out, swimming strokes, aching muscles and the sports people play for fun.40 wordsN2Film, music and show businessWords for films, concerts, comedy and the people who make them.40 words
Tradition, culture and belief5 lists · 204 words
The calendar of the year, the shrine and the temple, and the arts.
N4Customs and eventsNew Year, summer festivals, weddings and the other dates the year is organised around.40 wordsN3Tradition and cultureShrines and temples, traditional arts, the Japanese room and the habits passed down with them.40 wordsN2Arts and literatureNovels and poems, paintings and sculpture, concerts and the stage.42 wordsN2Religion and thoughtShrines and temples, faith and doubt, right and wrong.42 wordsN3Family milestonesBirths, weddings, moving house, caring for parents and the family members each event brings.40 words
School, university and research5 lists · 204 words
The classroom, the lecture hall, the exam and the paper.
N5School and studyThe classroom, the things on the desk and the verbs of learning.41 wordsN4University lifeLectures, exams, credits, majors, clubs and student life.41 wordsN3The education systemFrom nursery to the end of school: stages, subjects, marks and exams.41 wordsN2Higher education and researchDegrees, papers, conferences and the people who supervise them.41 wordsN3School lifeThe school day, its ceremonies, clubs and tests, below university.40 words
Work and careers9 lists · 356 words
The job, the office, the career and the e-mail.
N4Jobs and workWhat people do for a living, and the first words of working life.36 wordsN4Work and the officeMeetings, documents, overtime and the people above and below you.40 wordsN3OccupationsWho does what for a living, from lawyer and nurse to carpenter and voice actor.40 wordsN3Working lifeFinding a job, changing it, leaving it, and the kinds of work in between.40 wordsN2Companies and careersHow a company is organised, how people join it and how they move up.40 wordsN2Business e-mails and lettersThe words and fixed phrases of e-mails, letters and documents at work.40 wordsN2Pay, conditions and careers at workSalaries, leave, appraisals, ranks and the ways people leave a job.40 wordsN2Meetings, negotiating and decidingHow proposals are made, argued over, agreed or turned down.40 wordsN2Contracts, forms and proceduresThe words on a contract, an application form and the paperwork around them.40 words
The economy, industry and finance3 lists · 121 words
Growth, the factory, the share price and the yen.
The state, the law and the ward office6 lists · 240 words
The counter, the form, the court and parliament.
N4At the ward officeRegistering an address, filling in forms, seals, insurance and the residence card.40 wordsN2Politics and parliamentParties, parliament, elections and the language of policy.40 wordsN2Law and crimeCrimes, the police investigation, the courtroom and the verdict.40 wordsN2International affairsTreaties, conflicts, aid and the words the foreign news is written in.40 wordsN2Local government and public servicesThe council, its offices and notices, local taxes and the life of a neighbourhood.40 wordsN2Family, childcare and welfareNurseries and parental leave, care for older people, and the words of family support.40 words
Society, the news and history6 lists · 241 words
What the news reports, what people argue about, and what came before.
N3The newsForty words for following an ordinary news bulletin: who governs, who was elected, what happened and where.40 wordsN3Society and the people in itGenerations, neighbourhoods, rights and duties — the words for how people live together.40 wordsN3The mediaTelevision, newspapers, magazines and the internet: who makes it, who watches it and what people say about it.40 wordsN2Social issuesThe problems a society argues about, and the words for what is done about them.40 wordsN2The pressHow newspapers report, announce, survey and sometimes get it wrong.40 wordsN2HistoryEras, rulers, wars and the traces they left behind.41 words
Technology, science and energy8 lists · 321 words
The phone, the machine, the laboratory and the power station.
N4Phone and internetCalling, messaging, looking things up and the devices you do it all on.40 wordsN3TechnologyMachines, devices and software, and the words for using them and fixing them.41 wordsN2ScienceExperiments and theories, atoms and cells, planets and gravity.40 wordsN2Energy and resourcesPower stations, fuels, mining and the effort to use less.40 wordsN3The internet and social mediaAccounts, posts, notifications and the everyday handling of phones and apps.40 wordsN2Online life and internet culturePosting, streaming, reviews, privacy and the darker side of the web.40 wordsN2IT, software and dataNetworks, security, files and the words of everyday computing.40 wordsN2Statistics, data and figuresHow figures, surveys and graphs are described, with every number invented.40 words
Thinking and arguing7 lists · 281 words
Reasons, results, opinions — and the words that carry an essay.
N3Abstract basicsThe words for reasons, results, parts, kinds and degrees that every explanation needs.40 wordsN3Opinions and reasonsAgreeing, disagreeing, giving grounds and drawing conclusions.41 wordsN2Abstract nounsThe nouns that carry an argument in reports, essays and the news.40 wordsN2Formal verbsThe verbs of reports, notices, meetings and the news.40 wordsN2Adverbs for careful speech and writingThe adverbs that make a statement more exact, more formal or more pointed.40 wordsN2Verbs for thinking, changing and relatingThe verbs that say how people judge, how things change and how one thing bears on another.40 wordsN2Conjunctions and discourse markersThe formal linking words of articles, notices, speeches and careful argument.40 words
How Japanese builds its words7 lists · 282 words
Sound words, kanji compounds, compound verbs, idioms and loanwords.
N3Sound and mimetic wordsThe sound and mimetic words Japanese uses for feelings, textures, weather and the way things move.40 wordsN3Everyday two-kanji compoundsCommon nouns of action that turn into verbs with suru, from preparing to confirming.40 wordsN2Mimetic words, the next stepHow tired, how full, how careful: states said in a sound.41 wordsN2Compound verbsTwo verbs joined into one, with a meaning of their own.40 wordsN2Set phrases, idioms and proverbsFixed expressions that a grown-up speaker reaches for.40 wordsN2Katakana words for work and the newsBorrowed words that look familiar and have often moved on.41 wordsN2Kanji compounds that take するTwo-kanji action nouns from reports, notices and the news, used with する.40 words
Why these words in particular
Every vocabulary site claims to have the most important words. Hardly any says how it measures that. Here it is, because without a yardstick “important” is just another word for “what occurred to us”.
The yardstick of this list is not frequency in texts but reach in everyday life: how many situations do you get through if you know this word and not the other? That is why a word you will be asked about at the doctor’s is here and a formal linking word that you can paraphrase is not, even if both are about as common in texts.
In practice that means four rules, which applied to every single word:
- It occurs in a situation everyone has. Shopping, being ill, asking the way, making plans, filling in a form. Specialist vocabulary is not here, however common it is in its field.
- It cannot be paraphrased in two words. A word you can easily talk your way around belongs on a higher level than one you cannot.
- It has an example sentence that explains something. A word without a sentence is a line in a dictionary. Every word here stands in a sentence in which it really occurs — not in one that merely mentions it.
- It appears exactly once. A word turning up in two lists sounds harmless and is not: work through both and you think you are further along than you are. The build checks that.
The selection is therefore a decision of this project, not a measurement. It is reasoned, documented and open to challenge — which is more than a number without a source could offer.
The levels
Every word carries the level from which you need it. An A1 word is not easier to say than a B2 word — it just comes up earlier. So the question is not how hard a word is but from when on you cannot manage without it: a long word everyone needs sits on A1, a short one you can do without for years sits right at the top.
The right-hand column is the yardstick. It is here so that the levels can be checked rather than taken on trust — and because a level without its question would only be a label.
| Level | Words | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| N5 | 754 | Would you need this word in your first week in Japan — in a shop, at the station, introducing yourself? |
| N4 | 926 | Does this word come up all the time in daily life — work, shopping, making plans, the weather? |
| N3 | 2123 | Do you need this word to talk about more than the bare necessities — feelings, reasons, plans, the news? |
| N2 | 2302 | Does the word carry a specialist field or a stance — or is it the sharper version of a word you already have? |
Practise all 6105 words
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