N5 · 40 words

Daily routine

Getting up, washing, going out and coming home, told in order.

A day in Japanese is told with the time first and the verb last: 七時(しちじ)過(す)ぎに起(お)きて、顔(かお)を洗(あら)います. Several verbs here come in pairs, one for what happens and one for what somebody does to it — 起(お)きる and 起(お)こす, 消(き)える and 消(け)す — and English often uses the same verb for both. Some habits are so ordinary that they have a word of their own: 昼寝(ひるね), 早起(はやお)き. Home in speech is often うち — うちに帰(かえ)る — and at the door the shoes come off and the スリッパ go on.

The words

Verb (8)

かかるto take (time or money)VerbN5

駅(えき)まで歩(ある)いて五分(ごふん)かかります。It takes five minutes to walk to the station.

起こすto wake (somebody) upVerbN4

毎朝(まいあさ)、母(はは)が私(わたし)を起(お)こします。Every morning my mother wakes me up.

Getting up yourself is 起(お)きる.

眠るto sleep; to be asleepVerbN4

赤(あか)ちゃんがよく眠(ねむ)っています。The baby is sound asleep.

寝(ね)る is going to bed; 眠(ねむ)る is actually sleeping.

締めるto tie; to fastenVerbN4

会社(かいしゃ)に行(い)く日(ひ)はネクタイを締(し)めます。On days I go to the office I wear a tie.

For ties and belts. 閉(し)める, to close, sounds the same.

消えるto go out (of a light); to disappearVerbN5

部屋(へや)の電気(でんき)が消(き)えています。The light in the room is off.

A light goes out by itself with 消(き)える; switching it off is 消(け)す.

無くすto loseVerbN4

駅(えき)で財布(さいふ)を無(な)くしました。I lost my wallet at the station.

Often written in kana: なくす.

吸うto breathe in; to smokeVerbN5

ここでたばこを吸(す)わないでください。Please do not smoke here.

並べるto line up; to set outVerbN5

テーブルにお皿(さら)を並(なら)べてください。Please set the plates out on the table.

This list belongs to Home and daily life — ten lists and 404 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.