N5 is the entry-level JLPT exam — roughly 800 words total. These 228 are the ones you’ll encounter constantly. Click any Japanese word to hear it.
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JapanesePod101 — the listening section is where N5 candidates most often drop points. Short daily audio lessons from native speakers are one of the most effective ways to build ear for Japanese at this level. Free access available.
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People & Pronouns#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| 私 | watashi | I / me |
| 僕 | boku | I / me (male, casual) |
| あなた | anata | you |
| 彼 | kare | he / boyfriend |
| 彼女 | kanojo | she / girlfriend |
| 皆 | minna | everyone |
| 人 | hito | person / people |
| 友達 | tomodachi | friend |
| 先生 | sensei | teacher |
| 学生 | gakusei | student |
| 生徒 | seito | pupil / student (school) |
| 子供 | kodomo | child / children |
| 男の人 | otoko no hito | man |
| 女の人 | onna no hito | woman |
| 男の子 | otoko no ko | boy |
| 女の子 | onna no ko | girl |
| 家族 | kazoku | family |
| 父 | chichi | father (my own) |
| 母 | haha | mother (my own) |
| お父さん | otōsan | father (someone else's) |
| お母さん | okāsan | mother (someone else's) |
| 兄 | ani | older brother (my own) |
| 姉 | ane | older sister (my own) |
| 弟 | otōto | younger brother |
| 妹 | imōto | younger sister |
Places#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| 学校 | gakkō | school |
| 大学 | daigaku | university |
| 家 | ie / uchi | house / home |
| 駅 | eki | station |
| 銀行 | ginkō | bank |
| 病院 | byōin | hospital |
| お店 | omise | shop / store |
| スーパー | sūpā | supermarket |
| 図書館 | toshokan | library |
| 公園 | kōen | park |
| 会社 | kaisha | company / office |
| 空港 | kūkō | airport |
| ホテル | hoteru | hotel |
| レストラン | resutoran | restaurant |
| トイレ | toire | toilet / bathroom |
| 部屋 | heya | room |
| 台所 | daidokoro | kitchen |
| 玄関 | genkan | entrance (of a house) |
| 道 | michi | road / way / path |
| 近く | chikaku | nearby / neighbourhood |
Time & Days#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| 今日 | kyō | today |
| 明日 | ashita | tomorrow |
| 昨日 | kinō | yesterday |
| 今 | ima | now |
| 朝 | asa | morning |
| 昼 | hiru | noon / daytime |
| 夜 | yoru | night / evening |
| 今週 | konshū | this week |
| 来週 | raishū | next week |
| 先週 | senshū | last week |
| 今月 | kongetsu | this month |
| 来月 | raigetsu | next month |
| 今年 | kotoshi | this year |
| 来年 | rainen | next year |
| 去年 | kyonen | last year |
| 〜時間 | 〜jikan | hours (duration) |
| 〜分 | 〜fun/pun | minutes (counter) |
| 〜日間 | 〜nichikan | days (duration) |
| 週末 | shūmatsu | weekend |
| 平日 | heijitsu | weekday |
Food & Drink#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| ご飯 | gohan | rice (cooked) / meal |
| パン | pan | bread |
| 肉 | niku | meat |
| 野菜 | yasai | vegetables |
| 果物 | kudamono | fruit |
| 卵 | tamago | egg |
| 牛乳 | gyūnyū | milk |
| 水 | mizu | water |
| お茶 | ocha | tea (green tea) |
| コーヒー | kōhī | coffee |
| ジュース | jūsu | juice |
| お酒 | osake | alcohol / sake |
| ビール | bīru | beer |
| 砂糖 | satō | sugar |
| 塩 | shio | salt |
| 醤油 | shōyu | soy sauce |
| 味噌 | miso | miso (fermented soybean paste) |
| ラーメン | rāmen | ramen noodles |
| 寿司 | sushi | sushi |
| 弁当 | bentō | bento / packed lunch |
Things & Objects#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| 本 | hon | book |
| 新聞 | shinbun | newspaper |
| 雑誌 | zasshi | magazine |
| ペン | pen | pen |
| 鉛筆 | enpitsu | pencil |
| 紙 | kami | paper |
| かばん | kaban | bag |
| 財布 | saifu | wallet |
| 電話 | denwa | telephone |
| 携帯 | keitai | mobile phone |
| 時計 | tokei | clock / watch |
| 眼鏡 | megane | glasses / spectacles |
| 鍵 | kagi | key |
| 傘 | kasa | umbrella |
| 写真 | shashin | photo / photograph |
| 地図 | chizu | map |
| 机 | tsukue | desk |
| 椅子 | isu | chair |
| 窓 | mado | window |
| ドア | doa | door |
| 服 | fuku | clothing / clothes |
| シャツ | shatsu | shirt |
| 靴 | kutsu | shoes |
| 帽子 | bōshi | hat / cap |
| 電車 | densha | train / electric train |
| バス | basu | bus |
| 車 | kuruma | car |
| 自転車 | jitensha | bicycle |
Nature & Weather#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| 天気 | tenki | weather |
| 晴れ | hare | sunny / clear sky |
| 雨 | ame | rain |
| 雪 | yuki | snow |
| 曇り | kumori | cloudy |
| 風 | kaze | wind |
| 山 | yama | mountain |
| 川 | kawa | river |
| 海 | umi | sea / ocean |
| 花 | hana | flower |
| 木 | ki | tree / wood |
| 空 | sora | sky |
| 猫 | neko | cat |
| 犬 | inu | dog |
| 鳥 | tori | bird |
| 魚 | sakana | fish |
Common Adjectives#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| 大きい | ōkii | big / large |
| 小さい | chiisai | small / little |
| 高い | takai | tall / expensive |
| 低い | hikui | low / short (height) |
| 長い | nagai | long |
| 短い | mijikai | short (length) |
| 新しい | atarashii | new |
| 古い | furui | old (things) |
| 良い | ii / yoi | good |
| 悪い | warui | bad |
| 暑い | atsui | hot (weather) |
| 寒い | samui | cold (weather) |
| 熱い | atsui | hot (to touch) |
| 冷たい | tsumetai | cold (to touch) |
| 広い | hiroi | wide / spacious |
| 狭い | semai | narrow / small (space) |
| 多い | ōi | many / a lot |
| 少ない | sukunai | few / not many |
| 難しい | muzukashii | difficult |
| 易しい | yasashii | easy |
| 面白い | omoshiroi | interesting / funny |
| つまらない | tsumaranai | boring / dull |
| きれい | kirei | pretty / clean |
| 有名 | yūmei | famous |
| 便利 | benri | convenient |
| 大切 | taisetsu | important / precious |
| 大丈夫 | daijōbu | OK / all right / no problem |
| 好き | suki | like / fond of |
| 嫌い | kirai | dislike |
| 上手 | jōzu | skilled / good at |
| 下手 | heta | unskilled / bad at |
Essential Verbs#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| 食べる | taberu | to eat |
| 飲む | nomu | to drink |
| 行く | iku | to go |
| 来る | kuru | to come |
| 帰る | kaeru | to return / go home |
| 見る | miru | to see / look / watch |
| 聞く | kiku | to listen / hear / ask |
| 話す | hanasu | to speak / talk |
| 読む | yomu | to read |
| 書く | kaku | to write |
| 買う | kau | to buy |
| 売る | uru | to sell |
| 使う | tsukau | to use |
| 作る | tsukuru | to make / create |
| 持つ | motsu | to hold / have / carry |
| 待つ | matsu | to wait |
| 起きる | okiru | to wake up / get up |
| 寝る | neru | to sleep / go to bed |
| 休む | yasumu | to rest / take a day off |
| 働く | hataraku | to work |
| 勉強する | benkyō suru | to study |
| 教える | oshieru | to teach / tell |
| 習う | narau | to learn / take lessons |
| わかる | wakaru | to understand |
| 知る | shiru | to know / find out |
| 入る | hairu | to enter / go in |
| 出る | deru | to exit / leave / appear |
| 開ける | akeru | to open (something) |
| 閉める | shimeru | to close (something) |
| 乗る | noru | to ride / get on |
| 降りる | oriru | to get off / descend |
| 会う | au | to meet |
| 見せる | miseru | to show |
| あげる | ageru | to give (to others) |
| もらう | morau | to receive |
| 貸す | kasu | to lend |
| 借りる | kariru | to borrow |
| 始まる | hajimaru | to begin (intransitive) |
| 終わる | owaru | to end / finish (intransitive) |
| いる | iru | to be / exist (animate) |
| ある | aru | to be / exist (inanimate) |
Adverbs & Connectors#
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| また | mata | again / also |
| もう | mō | already / anymore |
| まだ | mada | still / not yet |
| もっと | motto | more |
| ちょっと | chotto | a little / just a moment |
| 少し | sukoshi | a little / a bit |
| とても | totemo | very / extremely |
| あまり | amari | not very (+ negative) |
| 全然 | zenzen | not at all (+ negative) |
| いつも | itsumo | always / usually |
| 時々 | tokidoki | sometimes |
| よく | yoku | often / well |
| たいてい | taitei | usually / mostly |
| だいたい | daitai | approximately / mostly |
| はじめて | hajimete | for the first time |
| 一人で | hitori de | alone / by oneself |
| 一緒に | issho ni | together |
| すぐ | sugu | immediately / soon / nearby |
| ゆっくり | yukkuri | slowly / leisurely |
| はやく | hayaku | quickly / soon / early |
| もちろん | mochiron | of course |
| たぶん | tabun | probably / perhaps |
| だから | dakara | therefore / so |
| でも | demo | but / however |
| そして | soshite | and then / and |
| それから | sorekara | and then / after that |
| では | dewa | well then / in that case |
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