Where do you start?

6 105 words in 152 lists — and the question of which come first. Here it is answered by calculation, not by assertion.

The usual answer to this question is a frequency list of Japanese. There is none here: such a list is a compiled work with rights of its own, and this site consists of nothing that was not written for it.

The calculation runs over this site itself. Every Japanese sentence on it — the example sentence of every word, the examples and rules of every grammar topic, the reading texts and whatever else is here — is counted word by word. That shows, for each word, how much of this material it unlocks.

That is less than a frequency list promises and more than it proves. It says nothing about Japanese as a whole. It says how far you get here — and this is the path you take if you learn here.

How much the first words unlock

The first …	cover
100 words	21.0 %
250 words	30.8 %
500 words	38.8 %
1 000 words	46.0 %
2 000 words	51.7 %
4 000 words	55.9 %
6 038 words	58.9 %

The curve flattens early, and that is what this page is really telling you: the first words bring far more than the ones after them. If you are starting from zero, do not start with the specialist lists.

What a Japanese sentence here is made of

from the word lists: 58.9 %
Framework: articles, auxiliaries, conjunctions: 37.6 %
in no list: 3.5 %

The middle figure is the reason this list does not start with an article: articles, auxiliaries and conjunctions make up a large share of all the words on this site and still appear in no vocabulary list. You learn them through grammar, not through flashcards — and ranking them here would mean offering someone an article as their first word. The third figure is the gap this site measures in itself; tools/luecken.py lists it.

The first 500, in order

The number after each word is how often it occurs in the Japanese sentences on this site — occurrences are counted, not sentences. A click takes you to the list it is in.

する

to do

N5 · 711×

この

this (before a noun)

N5 · 656×

ください

please give me

N5 · 489×

手

hand

N5 · 483×

いる

there is (people, animals)

N5 · 351×

下

under; below

N5 · 339×

〜人

counter for people

N5 · 298×

行く

to go

N5 · 291×

〜日

day (of the month)

N5 · 245×

では

well then; right

N5 · 236×

〜本

counter for long, thin things

N5 · 231×

なる

to become

N5 · 224×

指定

designation; specifying

N2 · 210×

差

gap; difference (in amount)

N3 · 204×

見る

to see; to look at; to watch

N5 · 204×

駅

station

N5 · 198×

彼

he; boyfriend

N5 · 197×

前

front; before

N5 · 193×

いい

good

N5 · 182×

私

I; me

N5 · 174×

中

inside; in

N5 · 167×

家

house; home

N5 · 165×

着る

to put on, to wear (shirts, coats, dresses)

N5 · 159×

新しい

new

N5 · 149×

来る

to come

N5 · 144×

出る

to go out; to leave

N5 · 142×

〜度

degree (of temperature)

N5 · 141×

店

shop; restaurant

N5 · 141×

食べる

to eat

N5 · 141×

何

what

N5 · 132×

ある

there is (things); to have

N5 · 131×

会社

company; the office

N5 · 129×

言う

to say

N5 · 128×

雨

rain

N5 · 128×

今日

today

N5 · 125×

担う

to bear; to shoulder (a role)

N2 · 124×

五

five

N5 · 121×

できる

can; to be able to; to be ready

N5 · 120×

その

that (before a noun, near you)

N5 · 117×

友達

friend

N5 · 117×

明日

tomorrow

N5 · 117×

仕事

work; job

N5 · 116×

買う

to buy

N5 · 114×

部屋

room

N5 · 111×

山

mountain

N5 · 110×

子供

child; children

N5 · 109×

西

west

N5 · 106×

〜時

o'clock

N5 · 105×

三

three

N5 · 105×

電車

train

N5 · 105×

一

one

N5 · 103×

使う

to use

N5 · 102×

少し

a little; a few

N5 · 100×

はい

yes

N5 · 99×

会う

to meet; to see (someone)

N5 · 99×

分かる

to understand; to know

N5 · 96×

よく

often; well

N5 · 95×

道

road; way

N5 · 95×

〜年

year (counter and in dates)

N5 · 94×

今

now

N5 · 94×

泣く

to cry

N4 · 94×

上

on; above; top

N5 · 92×

夜

night; evening

N5 · 92×

時間

time; hour

N5 · 92×

入る

to go in; to enter

N5 · 91×

町

town; part of a city

N5 · 91×

先生

teacher

N5 · 90×

書く

to write

N5 · 90×

会議

meeting

N4 · 87×

読む

to read

N5 · 87×

多い

many; a lot

N5 · 85×

毎日

every day

N5 · 85×

着く

to arrive

N4 · 85×

もらう

to receive; to get

N4 · 84×

父

father (my own)

N5 · 84×

〜個

counter for small objects

N5 · 83×

出す

to take out; to send; to hand in

N5 · 83×

彼女

she; girlfriend

N5 · 83×

旅行

trip; travel

N5 · 83×

高い

high; tall; expensive

N5 · 83×

十

ten

N5 · 82×

安い

cheap

N5 · 82×

目

eye

N5 · 81×

飲む

to drink

N5 · 81×

聞く

to listen; to hear; to ask

N5 · 80×

朝

morning

N5 · 79×

作る

to make

N5 · 78×

話す

to speak; to talk

N5 · 78×

閉まる

to close (of a shop, a door)

N5 · 76×

寝る

to go to bed; to sleep

N5 · 75×

まだ

still; (with a negative) not yet

N5 · 72×

近く

nearby; the neighbourhood of

N5 · 72×

くれる

to give (to me or my side)

N4 · 71×

取る

to take; to pass (something)

N5 · 71×

母

mother (my own)

N5 · 71×

歩く

to walk

N5 · 70×

二

two

N5 · 69×

都市

city

N3 · 69×

もう

already; (with a negative) no longer

N5 · 67×

好き

liked; to like

N5 · 67×

絵

picture; painting; drawing

N5 · 67×

料理

cooking; dish; cuisine

N5 · 65×

置く

to put; to place

N5 · 65×

車

car

N5 · 65×

方

direction; side

N5 · 64×

海

sea

N5 · 64×

入れる

to put in

N5 · 63×

早い

early

N5 · 63×

夏

summer

N5 · 62×

家族

family

N5 · 62×

持つ

to hold; to carry; to have

N5 · 62×

昨日

yesterday

N5 · 62×

思う

to think (have an opinion)

N4 · 61×

日本語

Japanese (the language)

N5 · 61×

間

between

N5 · 60×

借りる

to borrow

N4 · 59×

割れる

to break; to crack (of glass, a plate)

N3 · 59×

背

height (of a person); back

N5 · 59×

しまう

to put away

N4 · 58×

兄

older brother (my own)

N5 · 58×

北

north

N5 · 58×

多く

many; much; a large part

N3 · 58×

帰る

to go home; to return

N5 · 58×

毎朝

every morning

N5 · 58×

水

water (not hot)

N5 · 58×

〜たち

plural suffix for people

N5 · 57×

〜後

after; later

N4 · 57×

働く

to work

N5 · 57×

古い

old (of things)

N5 · 57×

誰

who

N5 · 57×

鳩

pigeon; dove

N3 · 57×

写真

photo; photograph

N5 · 56×

降る

to fall (of rain or snow)

N5 · 56×

電話

telephone; phone call

N5 · 56×

弟

younger brother

N5 · 55×

過ぎる

to pass; to go past

N4 · 55×

つける

to turn on

N5 · 54×

あの

um; excuse me (to get attention)

N5 · 53×

映画

film

N5 · 53×

自分

oneself; myself

N5 · 53×

起きる

to get up; to wake up

N5 · 53×

問題

question (in a test); problem

N5 · 52×

ここ

here

N5 · 51×

週末

weekend

N5 · 51×

すぐ

at once; soon; close by

N4 · 50×

名前

name

N5 · 50×

大切

important; precious

N5 · 50×

待つ

to wait

N5 · 49×

東

east

N5 · 49×

休み

holiday; day off; break

N5 · 48×

始める

to begin (something)

N4 · 48×

学校

school

N5 · 48×

日曜日

Sunday

N5 · 48×

走る

to run

N5 · 48×

増える

to increase; to grow in number

N4 · 47×

説明

explanation

N4 · 47×

長い

long

N5 · 47×

窓

window

N5 · 46×

終わる

to end; to finish

N5 · 46×

言葉

word; language

N5 · 46×

試験

exam; test

N4 · 46×

〜月

month (in month names)

N5 · 45×

住む

to live (somewhere)

N5 · 45×

たくさん

a lot; many

N5 · 44×

外

outside

N5 · 44×

薬

medicine

N5 · 44×

難しい

difficult

N5 · 44×

とても

very

N5 · 43×

公園

park

N5 · 43×

大学

university

N5 · 43×

寒い

cold (weather)

N5 · 43×

見える

to be visible; can see

N4 · 43×

送る

to send

N4 · 43×

一番

most; best; number one

N5 · 42×

休む

to rest; to take time off

N5 · 42×

出かける

to go out (somewhere)

N4 · 42×

荷物

luggage; baggage; parcel

N4 · 42×

一人

one person; alone

N5 · 41×

初めて

for the first time

N4 · 41×

大きい

big; large

N5 · 41×

姉

older sister (my own)

N5 · 41×

柄

pattern (on cloth)

N3 · 41×

祖母

grandmother (my own)

N4 · 41×

箱

box

N5 · 41×

画家

painter (artist)

N3 · 40×

試合

match; game

N4 · 40×

みんな

everyone; all

N5 · 39×

来週

next week

N5 · 39×

野菜

vegetable(s)

N5 · 39×

忙しい

busy

N5 · 38×

次

N5 · 38×

計画

plan; project

N4 · 38×

おいしい

delicious; tasty

N5 · 37×

同じ

same

N5 · 37×

静か

quiet

N5 · 37×

すみません

excuse me; sorry; thank you

N5 · 36×

コーヒー

coffee

N5 · 36×

乗る

to get on; to ride

N5 · 36×

亡くなる

to die; to pass away

N4 · 36×

意見

opinion; view

N4 · 36×

授業

class; lesson

N4 · 36×

最後

the last; the end

N4 · 36×

遅れる

to be late

N4 · 36×

銀行

bank

N5 · 36×

〜回

times (how often)

N5 · 35×

よって

therefore; accordingly

N2 · 35×

バス

bus

N5 · 35×

一つ

one (thing)

N5 · 35×

一度

once; one time

N4 · 35×

予定

plans; schedule

N4 · 35×

川

river

N5 · 35×

来月

next month

N5 · 35×

鼻

nose

N5 · 35×

事故

accident

N4 · 34×

冬

winter

N5 · 34×

学生

student

N5 · 34×

少ない

few; little

N5 · 34×

強い

strong

N5 · 34×

降りる

to get off

N5 · 34×

〜分

minute(s)

N5 · 33×

うち

home; my place

N5 · 33×

かける

to put on (glasses); to hang

N5 · 33×

これ

this (one, near me)

N5 · 33×

変わる

to change (by itself)

N4 · 33×

必要

necessary; needed

N4 · 33×

教える

to teach; to tell

N5 · 33×

猫

cat

N5 · 33×

祖父

grandfather (my own)

N4 · 33×

雪

snow

N5 · 33×

どこ

where

N5 · 32×

二人

two people

N5 · 32×

決める

to decide; to fix

N4 · 32×

続ける

to continue (something)

N4 · 32×

靴

shoes

N5 · 32×

いたす

to do (humble)

N4 · 31×

いただく

to receive (humble)

N4 · 31×

さす

to put up (an umbrella)

N4 · 31×

ドア

door

N5 · 31×

値段

price

N4 · 31×

分ける

to divide; to sort; to share

N4 · 31×

犬

dog

N5 · 31×

病院

hospital; doctor's surgery

N5 · 31×

結果

result; outcome

N3 · 31×

部長

head of department

N4 · 31×

開く

to open (of a shop, a door)

N5 · 31×

魚

fish

N5 · 31×

あまり

not very; not much (with a negative)

N5 · 30×

傘

umbrella

N5 · 30×

工場

factory; plant

N3 · 30×

忘れる

to forget; to leave behind

N5 · 30×

暑い

hot (weather)

N5 · 30×