You’ve graduated from survival Japanese-ordering ramen, introducing yourself, navigating train stations. Now you’re hungry for more: describing your weekend, explaining why you’re running late, and actually following a simple anime scene without subtitles. That’s N4 territory, and this vocabulary list is built exactly for it. We’ve gathered around 1500 practical words that show up on the JLPT N4 and in everyday life, skipping the obscure terms you’ll never use. It’s vocabulary that earns its keep. Pair these words with JLPT N4 grammar to build fuller sentences.
Ready for a little vocabulary adventure? Scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable JLPT N4 Japanese vocabulary list PDF PDF and the free downloadable printable JLPT N4 Japanese PDF flashcards.
Use this list as a starting point, then keep going in the Yak Yacker Japanese section for more words, phrases, and study-friendly reference pages.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve already locked a few of these N4 words into memory? The quick quiz below will show you what you know and which ones could use a second glance-no pressure, just a friendly check-in.
Keep building your Japanese
Choose a practical next step when you are ready.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Reading | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一生懸命 | いっしょうけんめい | adverb | with all one's effort | 一生懸命勉強しました。 | I studied hard. |
| 丁寧 | ていねい | adjective | polite; careful | 丁寧に話してください。 | Please speak politely. |
| 三日月 | みかづき | noun | crescent moon | 夜に三日月が見えた。 | I saw a crescent moon at night. |
| 三角 | さんかく | noun | triangle | この形は三角です。 | This shape is a triangle. |
| 上る | あがる | verb | to rise; to go up | エレベーターで上がります。 | I go up by elevator. |
| 上下 | じょうげ | noun | up and down; top and bottom | 階段を 上下します。 | I go up and down the stairs. |
| 下げる | さげる | verb | to lower; to put down | 声を下げてください。 | Please lower your voice. |
| 下りる | おりる | verb | get off; go down | バスを下りる。 | Get off the bus. |
| 下る | さがる | verb | to go down; to fall | 階段を下ります。 | I go down the stairs. |
| 下品 | げひん | adjective | vulgar; rude | その 言い方は 下品です。 | That way of speaking is rude. |
| 下宿 | げしゅく | noun | lodging | 東京で下宿しています。 | I am living in lodging in Tokyo. |
| 下旬 | げじゅん | noun | late part of the month | 給料日は下旬です。 | Payday is in the latter part of the month. |
| 下書き | したがき | noun | rough draft | レポートの下書きを書いた。 | I wrote a rough draft of the report. |
| 下水 | げすい | noun | sewage; wastewater | 下水が流れています。 | Wastewater is flowing. |
| 下町 | したまち | noun | old downtown area | 下町を散歩した。 | I took a walk in the old downtown area. |
| 下着 | したぎ | noun | underwear | 下着を洗います。 | I wash my underwear. |
| 下線 | かせん | noun | underline | 大事な言葉に下線を引きます。 | I underline important words. |
| 下車 | げしゃ | noun | getting off | 次の駅で下車します。 | I will get off at the next station. |
| 下降 | かこう | noun | descent; drop | 気温が下降しています。 | The temperature is dropping. |
| 下駄 | げた | noun | geta; wooden sandals | 夏に下駄をはきます。 | I wear geta in summer. |
| 不便 | ふべん | adjective | inconvenient | この駅は少し不便です。 | This station is a little inconvenient. |
| 世界 | せかい | noun | world; society | 世界は広いです。 | The world is big. |
| 世話 | せわ | noun | help; care | 先生に世話になりました。 | I was helped by my teacher. |
| 両方 | りょうほう | noun | both | 両方とも好きです。 | I like both. |
| 中々 | なかなか | adverb | quite; not easily | この本はなかなかおもしろいです。 | This book is quite interesting. |
Free JLPT N4 Japanese Vocabulary PDF and Flashcard Downloads
Grab the purple button for the JLPT N4 Japanese vocabulary list PDF and the teal button for the JLPT N4 Japanese PDF flashcards. Both downloads are 100% free, with no signup required.
