N2 is the level required for most Japanese university admissions and many professional jobs in Japan. You’ll encounter ~6,000 words, formal grammar structures, newspaper-level vocabulary, and abstract academic terms. Click any Japanese word to hear it.
Verbs
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 反映する | hanei suru | to reflect / mirror |
| 示す | shimesu | to show / indicate |
| 認める | mitomeru | to recognise / admit |
| 求める | motomeru | to demand / seek |
| 述べる | noberu | to state / mention |
| 導く | michibiku | to lead / guide |
| 判断する | handan suru | to judge / determine |
| 確認する | kakunin suru | to confirm / verify |
| 実現する | jitsugen suru | to realise / achieve |
| 解決する | kaiketsu suru | to solve / resolve |
| 失う | ushinau | to lose |
| 含む | fukumu | to contain / include |
| 主張する | shuchou suru | to insist / claim |
| 提案する | teian suru | to propose / suggest |
| 指摘する | shiteki suru | to point out |
| 促す | unagasu | to urge / encourage |
| 従う | shitagau | to follow / obey |
| 比較する | hikaku suru | to compare |
| 依頼する | irai suru | to request / commission |
| 承認する | shounin suru | to approve / sanction |
Nouns
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 義務 | gimu | obligation / duty |
| 権利 | kenri | right / entitlement |
| 責任 | sekinin | responsibility |
| 優先 | yuusen | priority |
| 条件 | jouken | condition / requirement |
| 基準 | kijun | standard / criterion |
| 範囲 | hani | range / scope |
| 限界 | genkai | limit / boundary |
| 過程 | katei | process / course |
| 目標 | mokuhyou | goal / target |
| 方針 | houshin | policy / direction |
| 背景 | haikei | background / context |
| 状況 | joukyou | situation / circumstances |
| 内容 | naiyou | content / substance |
| 対象 | taishou | target / subject |
| 手段 | shudan | means / method |
| 課題 | kadai | task / challenge |
| 傾向 | keikou | tendency / trend |
| 影響 | eikyou | influence / effect |
| 前提 | zentei | premise / prerequisite |
| 促進 | sokushin | promotion / acceleration |
| 矛盾 | mujun | contradiction |
| 概念 | gainen | concept / notion |
| 妥協 | dakyou | compromise |
| 批判 | hihan | criticism |
Na-adjectives
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 積極的な | sekkyokuteki na | proactive / positive |
| 消極的な | shoukyokuteki na | passive / negative |
| 合理的な | gouriteki na | rational / logical |
| 効率的な | kouritsuteki na | efficient |
| 具体的な | gutaiteki na | concrete / specific |
| 抽象的な | chuushouteki na | abstract |
| 客観的な | kyakukanteki na | objective |
| 主観的な | shukanteki na | subjective |
| 根本的な | konponteki na | fundamental |
| 妥当な | datou na | appropriate / valid |
Connectives & Adverbs
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| したがって | shitagatte | therefore / consequently |
| ところが | tokoro ga | however / but (unexpected result) |
| さらに | sara ni | furthermore / moreover |
| むしろ | mushiro | rather / instead |
| ただし | tadashi | however / provided that |
| なお | nao | in addition / furthermore |
| すなわち | sunawachi | namely / that is to say |
| いわば | iwaba | so to speak / as it were |
Key N2 Grammar Patterns
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜にもかかわらず | despite ~ / in spite of | 雨にもかかわらず行った。I went despite the rain. |
| 〜に対して | towards ~ / in contrast to | 彼の意見に対して反論した。I argued against his opinion. |
| 〜に関して | regarding ~ / concerning | この件に関して説明します。I’ll explain regarding this matter. |
| 〜によって | by ~ / depending on | 人によって意見が違う。Opinions differ depending on the person. |
| 〜に基づいて | based on ~ | データに基づいて判断する。Judge based on the data. |
| 〜わけだ | that’s why / it means that | 練習したわけだから上手なはずだ。That’s why you should be good. |
| 〜わけではない | it doesn’t mean that | 嫌いなわけではない。It doesn’t mean I dislike it. |
| 〜に過ぎない | nothing more than / merely | それは噂に過ぎない。It’s nothing more than a rumour. |
| 〜ざるを得ない | cannot help but / have no choice | 認めざるを得ない。I have no choice but to admit it. |
| 〜かねない | might / there’s a risk of | 事故になりかねない。It could lead to an accident. |
| 〜というより | rather than saying ~ | 好きというより必要だ。It’s not so much that I like it — I need it. |
| 〜に従って | in accordance with / as ~ | 計画に従って進めた。We proceeded in accordance with the plan. |