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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 回数 | かいすう | noun | number of times | 回数を数えてください。 | Please count the number of times. |
| 回数券 | かいすうけん | noun | coupon ticket | 回数券を買いました。 | I bought a coupon ticket. |
| 回答 | かいとう | noun | reply; response | メールに回答しました。 | I replied to the email. |
| 回転 | かいてん | noun | rotation; turning | 車輪が回転しています。 | The wheel is turning. |
| 固い | かたい | adjective | hard; firm | このパンは固いです。 | This bread is hard. |
| 固まる | かたまる | verb | to harden; to solidify | 寒さで土が固まる。 | The soil hardens because of the cold. |
| 国王 | こくおう | noun | king | その国の国王が来日しました。 | The king of that country visited Japan. |
| 国立 | こくりつ | adjective | national | ここは国立の公園です。 | This is a national park. |
| 国籍 | こくせき | noun | nationality | あなたの国籍は何ですか。 | What is your nationality? |
| 国際 | こくさい | noun | international | 国際ニュースを読みます。 | I read international news. |
| 園芸 | えんげい | noun | gardening | 父は園芸が好きです。 | My father likes gardening. |
| 圧縮 | あっしゅく | noun | compression | データを圧縮した。 | I compressed the data. |
| 在る | ある | verb | to exist; to be | 机の上に本があります。 | There is a book on the desk. |
| 在学 | ざいがく | noun | enrolled in school | 今、大学に在学しています。 | I am currently enrolled in university. |
| 地味 | じみ | adjective | plain; simple | 彼女の服は地味だ。 | Her clothes are plain. |
| 地理 | ちり | noun | geography | 地理の授業はおもしろいです。 | Geography class is interesting. |
| 地盤 | じばん | noun | ground base; foundation | この建物は地盤が強い。 | This building has a strong foundation. |
| 地震 | じしん | noun | earthquake | 地震がありました。 | There was an earthquake. |
| 坂 | さか | noun | slope | この坂は長いです。 | This slope is long. |
| 垣根 | かきね | noun | hedge; fence | 垣根のそばに花があります。 | There are flowers by the hedge. |
| 埋める | うめる | verb | to bury; to fill in | 穴を土で埋める。 | I fill the hole with dirt. |
| 執筆 | しっぴつ | noun | writing; authorship | 彼は本の執筆を続けている。 | He continues writing books. |
| 基地 | きち | noun | base; military base | その島に基地があります。 | There is a base on that island. |
| 基準 | きじゅん | noun | standard; criterion | 合格の基準は高いです。 | The passing standard is high. |
| 基盤 | きばん | noun | foundation; base | この町は工業の基盤が強いです。 | This town has a strong industrial foundation. |
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.
