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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 宛名 | あてな | noun | address; addressee | 宛名を書いてください。 | Please write the address. |
| 実例 | じつれい | noun | example | 先生が実例をあげた。 | The teacher gave an example. |
| 実力 | じつりょく | noun | real ability | 彼の実力は高い。 | His real ability is high. |
| 実感 | じっかん | noun | real feeling; actual sense | やっと実感がわいてきた。 | I finally started to really feel it. |
| 実物 | じつぶつ | noun | real thing; actual object | 写真より実物のほうがきれいだ。 | The real thing is prettier than the photo. |
| 実用 | じつよう | noun | practical use | この道具は実用的だ。 | This tool is practical. |
| 実績 | じっせき | noun | results; achievements | 彼はいい実績を残した。 | He left good results behind. |
| 実習 | じっしゅう | noun | practical training | 来週、実習があります。 | There is practical training next week. |
| 客 | きゃく | noun | guest; customer | お客が来ました。 | A customer came. |
| 客席 | きゃくせき | noun | audience seats | 客席はもういっぱいです。 | The audience seats are already full. |
| 客間 | きゃくま | noun | guest room | お客さんは客間で休んでいます。 | The guest is resting in the guest room. |
| 宴会 | えんかい | noun | party; banquet | 昨日、会社の宴会がありました。 | There was a company banquet yesterday. |
| 家 | ie | noun | house; home | 家に帰ります。 | I go home. |
| 家 / 部屋 | 家 is home or house, 部屋 is a room. | noun | house / room | 家で 休みます。 | I will rest at home. |
| 家主 | やぬし | noun | landlord; owner of a house | 家主に 連絡します。 | I will contact the landlord. |
| 家内 | かない | noun | wife; one's family | 家内は家にいます。 | My wife is at home. |
| 家屋 | かおく | noun | house; building | 古い家屋が残っています。 | An old house remains. |
| 家族 | kazoku | noun | family | 家族で旅行します。 | We travel as a family. |
| 宿題 | shukudai | noun | homework | 宿題をします。 | I do homework. |
| 寂しい | さびしい | adjective | lonely; sad | 一人で寂しいです。 | I feel lonely by myself. |
| 寄る | よる | verb | stop by; drop in | 帰りに店に寄ります。 | I will stop by the store on the way home. |
| 寒帯 | かんたい | noun | frigid zone | 寒帯はとても寒い。 | The frigid zone is very cold. |
| 寝坊 | ねぼう | noun | oversleeping | 寝坊して学校に遅れた。 | I overslept and was late for school. |
| 寺 | てら | noun | temple | 寺を見学しました。 | I visited the temple. |
| 寺院 | じいん | noun | temple | この寺院は古いです。 | This temple is old. |
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.
