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.
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Choose a practical next step when you are ready.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Reading | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 恥ずかしい | はずかしい | adjective | embarrassed; shy | みんなの前で話すのは恥ずかしい。 | It's embarrassing to speak in front of everyone. |
| 恨み | うらみ | noun | resentment; grudge | 彼に恨みがある。 | I hold a grudge against him. |
| 恨む | うらむ | verb | to resent; to hate | 彼を恨む。 | I resent him. |
| 恩恵 | おんけい | noun | benefit; grace | 自然の恩恵を受ける。 | We receive nature's benefits. |
| 息子 | むすこ | noun | son | 息子は高校生です。 | My son is a high school student. |
| 悔しい | くやしい | adjective | regrettable; frustrating | 負けて悔しいです。 | I'm frustrated that I lost. |
| 悔やむ | くやむ | verb | to regret; to mourn | 彼は失敗を悔やみました。 | He regretted his mistake. |
| 悲しい | かなしい | adjective | sad | 悲しい映画を見ました。 | I watched a sad movie. |
| 惜しい | おしい | adjective | a pity; too bad | もう少しで勝てたのに、惜しい。 | We were so close to winning; what a pity. |
| 意地悪 | いじわる | noun | meanness; teasing | 弟は意地悪をしました。 | My younger brother was mean. |
| 意義 | いぎ | noun | meaning; significance | この言葉の意義は大きいです。 | The meaning of this word is important. |
| 意見 | いけん | noun | opinion; idea | あなたの意見を聞かせてください。 | Please tell me your opinion. |
| 感ずる | かんずる | verb | to feel; to sense | 寒さを感ずる。 | I feel the cold. |
| 感想 | かんそう | noun | impression; thoughts | 映画の感想を書いた。 | I wrote my impressions of the movie. |
| 感激 | かんげき | noun | deep emotion; being moved | その話に感激した。 | I was deeply moved by that story. |
| 慣れる | なれる | verb | to get used to | 新しい仕事に慣れました。 | I got used to my new job. |
| 憧れる | あこがれる | verb | to long for; to admire | 私は先生に憧れている。 | I admire my teacher. |
| 戦争 | せんそう | noun | war | 戦争はこわいです。 | War is scary. |
| 戻る | もどる | verb | to return; to go back | 家に戻ります。 | I go back home. |
| 所々 | ところどころ | adverb | here and there; in places | 道が 所々 ぬれています。 | The road is wet in some places. |
| 扇ぐ | あおぐ | verb | to fan; to wave | うちわで風を扇ぐ。 | I fan myself with a hand fan. |
| 手伝う | てつだう | verb | to help | 母を手伝います。 | I help my mother. |
| 手袋 | てぶくろ | noun | gloves | 寒いので手袋をします。 | I wear gloves because it is cold. |
| 打ち消す | うちけす | verb | to deny; to cancel out | 彼はその話を打ち消した。 | He denied that story. |
| 打つ | うつ | verb | to hit; to strike | ボールを打ちました。 | I hit the ball. |
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.
