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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 工芸 | こうげい | noun | craft; industrial art | 工芸を習っています。 | I am learning crafts. |
| 左 | hidari | noun | left | 左へ行きます。 | I go to the left. |
| 差し上げる | さしあげる | verb | to give (humble) | 先生に本を差し上げます。 | I will give the teacher a book. |
| 差し引き | さしひき | noun | balance; difference | 差し引きで千円残りました。 | After balancing it out, 1,000 yen remained. |
| 差し支え | さしつかえ | noun | trouble; inconvenience | 明日は差し支えがあります。 | I have a conflict tomorrow. |
| 市 | し | noun | city | この市は大きいです。 | This city is big. |
| 市民 | しみん | noun | citizen | 市民が集まりました。 | The citizens gathered. |
| 布団 | ふとん | noun | futon | 布団で寝ます。 | I sleep on a futon. |
| 席 | せき | noun | seat | 席に座ってください。 | Please sit in your seat. |
| 帰す | かえす | verb | to return; send back | 本を友だちに帰す。 | I return the book to my friend. |
| 帰り | かえり | noun | way home; return trip | 帰りに買い物をします。 | I will shop on the way home. |
| 幾分 | いくぶん | adverb | somewhat; a little | 今日は幾分寒いです。 | It is somewhat cold today. |
| 店 | mise | noun | store | あの店は有名です。 | That store is famous. |
| 店員 | てんいん | noun | store clerk | 店員に聞きました。 | I asked the store clerk. |
| 座布団 | ざぶとん | noun | cushion | 座布団に座ってください。 | Please sit on the cushion. |
| 座敷 | ざしき | noun | Japanese-style room | 座敷でお茶を飲みました。 | We drank tea in the Japanese-style room. |
| 延長 | えんちょう | noun | extension; prolongation | 試合は延長になりました。 | The game went into overtime. |
| 建てる | たてる | verb | build | 家を建てます。 | I build a house. |
| 引き出し | ひきだし | noun | drawer | 引き出しにペンがあります。 | There is a pen in the drawer. |
| 引き出す | ひきだす | verb | to pull out | 財布を引き出した。 | I pulled out my wallet. |
| 引っ越す | ひっこす | verb | to move house | 来月、引っ越します。 | I will move next month. |
| 引力 | いんりょく | noun | gravity; attraction | 引力で物が落ちる。 | Things fall because of gravity. |
| 弱点 | じゃくてん | noun | weak point | 彼の弱点は、すぐあきらめることです。 | His weak point is that he gives up quickly. |
| 強化 | きょうか | noun | strengthening; reinforcement | チームの強化が必要です。 | The team needs strengthening. |
| 強引 | ごういん | adjective | forceful; pushy | 彼は強引に進めました。 | He pushed ahead forcefully. |
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.
