· 7 lists · 282 words
Sound words, idioms and loanwords
Sound words, kanji compounds, compound verbs, idioms, katakana words.
What holds these lists together
This category has no counterpart in English, because these are not subjects but kinds of word. Japanese has a large stock of sound and mimetic words that describe not only noises but states and feelings: わくわくis excited anticipationいらいらirritationぴかぴかsomething that gleams Verbs can be joined: 書き直す is to write again, 食べ過ぎる to eat too much, and the second verb carries what English puts in an adverb. Nouns made of kanji become verbs with する, and loanwords in katakana have often moved away from the English they came from. Each of these is a pattern learned once and then met in every other list.
The seven lists
Spread across the levels
The category runs across the levels — it is an area, not a difficulty. If you practise it, you can also choose a level at the top of the practice page and then get only the part that sits there.
| Level | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|
| N4 | 9 | 3 % |
| N3 | 85 | 30 % |
| N2 | 188 | 67 % |
Practise this category
Multiple choice and gaps, across all seven lists and all 282 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.