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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 個所 | かしょ | noun | place; section | この個所を読んでください。 | Please read this section. |
| 倍 | ばい | noun | times; fold | 去年の倍になった。 | It became twice as much as last year. |
| 倒れる | たおれる | verb | fall down; collapse | 木が倒れました。 | The tree fell down. |
| 値段 | nedan | noun | price | この服の値段は高いです。 | The price of this clothes is high. |
| 偉い | えらい | adjective | great; admirable | あの先生はとても偉いです。 | That teacher is very admirable. |
| 偶数 | ぐうすう | noun | even number | 2は偶数です。 | Two is an even number. |
| 傑作 | けっさく | noun | masterpiece | この映画は傑作です。 | This movie is a masterpiece. |
| 催促 | さいそく | noun | reminder; urging | 友だちに催促しました。 | I reminded my friend. |
| 傾く | かたむく | verb | to lean; to tilt | 木が 風で 傾きました。 | The tree tilted in the wind. |
| 僕 | ぼく | pronoun | I; me | 僕は学生です。 | I am a student. |
| 儀式 | ぎしき | noun | ceremony; ritual | 卒業式は大切な儀式です。 | A graduation ceremony is an important ritual. |
| 億 | おく | noun | 100 million | 1億円は大きな金額です。 | 100 million yen is a large amount of money. |
| 優しい | やさしい | adjective | kind; gentle | あの先生は優しいです。 | That teacher is kind. |
| 元気 | genki | adjective | healthy; energetic | 今日は元気です。 | I feel fine today. |
| 先生 | sensei | noun | teacher | 先生は教室にいます。 | The teacher is in the classroom. |
| 先程 | さきほど | adverb | a little while ago | 先程、電話がありました。 | There was a phone call a little while ago. |
| 先輩 | せんぱい | noun | senior; upperclassman | 先輩に聞きました。 | I asked my senior. |
| 先週 | senshū | noun | last week | 先週は忙しかったです。 | I was busy last week. |
| 光 | ひかり | noun | light | 朝の光がきれいだ。 | The morning light is beautiful. |
| 光る | ひかる | verb | to shine | 星が光っている。 | The stars are shining. |
| 光線 | こうせん | noun | light beam; ray of light | 光線が窓から入ります。 | A beam of light comes in through the window. |
| 児童 | じどう | noun | children | 児童が校庭で遊んでいる。 | The children are playing in the schoolyard. |
| 入れ物 | いれもの | noun | container; case | 水を入れ物に入れた。 | I put water in the container. |
| 入学 | にゅうがく | noun | entrance to school; enrollment | 来年、大学に入学します。 | I will enter university next year. |
| 入院 | にゅういん | noun | hospitalization | 父は入院しています。 | My father is in the hospital. |
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.
