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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 動物園 | どうぶつえん | noun | zoo | 動物園でパンダを見ました。 | I saw pandas at the zoo. |
| 勘違い | かんちがい | noun | misunderstanding | 名前を勘違いした。 | I misunderstood the name. |
| 勝つ | かつ | verb | win | 試合に勝ちました。 | We won the game. |
| 包む | つつむ | verb | to wrap | プレゼントを紙で包みます。 | I wrap the present in paper. |
| 匙 | さじ | noun | spoon | スープに匙を使います。 | I use a spoon for the soup. |
| 区分 | くぶん | noun | division; classification | この区分はわかりやすいです。 | This classification is easy to understand. |
| 区切る | くぎる | verb | to divide; to separate | 文を二つに区切ってください。 | Please divide the sentence into two parts. |
| 区域 | くいき | noun | area; zone | この区域は車が入れません。 | Cars cannot enter this area. |
| 医学 | いがく | noun | medicine; medical science | 彼は医学を勉強しています。 | He is studying medicine. |
| 医者 | isha | noun | doctor | 医者に行きます。 | I go to the doctor. |
| 十分 | じゅうぶん | adjective | enough; sufficient | 時間は十分あります。 | We have enough time. |
| 卒業 | そつぎょう | noun | graduation | 来年卒業します。 | I will graduate next year. |
| 占う | うらなう | verb | to tell fortunes | 彼女は手相を占う。 | She tells fortunes by palm reading. |
| 危うい | あやうい | adjective | dangerous; risky | あの橋は危ういです。 | That bridge is dangerous. |
| 危険 | きけん | adjective | dangerous | ここは危険です。 | This place is dangerous. |
| 却って | かえって | adverb | on the contrary; rather | 急いだのに、却って遅れました。 | I hurried, but instead I was late. |
| 卸す | おろす | verb | wholesale | 野菜を卸す。 | To wholesale vegetables. |
| 厚かましい | あつかましい | adjective | shameless; cheeky | そんなことを言うなんて厚かましい。 | It's shameless to say such a thing. |
| 原因 | げんいん | noun | cause | 事故の原因を調べます。 | I will investigate the cause of the accident. |
| 原始 | げんし | noun | primitive; original | 原始時代の道具です。 | It is a tool from prehistoric times. |
| 原料 | げんりょう | noun | raw material | この工場は木を原料にします。 | This factory uses wood as raw material. |
| 原理 | げんり | noun | principle | その原理を学びます。 | I learn that principle. |
| 原産 | げんさん | noun | place of origin | この果物の原産地は沖縄です。 | This fruit is from Okinawa. |
| 原稿 | げんこう | noun | manuscript; draft | 原稿を直します。 | I will revise the manuscript. |
| 厳しい | きびしい | adjective | strict; severe | この先生は厳しいです。 | This teacher is strict. |
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.
