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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 捜す | さがす | verb | to search for | 鍵を捜しています。 | I am looking for my keys. |
| 捨てる | すてる | verb | to throw away | 古い雑誌を捨てました。 | I threw away the old magazines. |
| 掃除 | sōji | noun | cleaning | 部屋の掃除をします。 | I clean the room. |
| 掛ける | かける | verb | hang; put on | 壁に絵を掛けます。 | I hang a picture on the wall. |
| 掛け算 | かけざん | noun | multiplication | 掛け算を練習します。 | I practice multiplication. |
| 採点 | さいてん | noun | grading; marking | 先生がテストを採点します。 | The teacher grades the test. |
| 探す | さがす | verb | to look for | 鍵を探しています。 | I am looking for my keys. |
| 探る | さぐる | verb | to investigate; to probe | 原因を探ります。 | I will investigate the cause. |
| 掻く | かく | verb | to scratch | 腕を掻きました。 | I scratched my arm. |
| 揚げる | あげる | verb | to fry | 魚を揚げる。 | Fry the fish. |
| 換気 | かんき | noun | ventilation | 部屋の換気をした。 | I ventilated the room. |
| 揺れる | ゆれる | verb | to shake; to sway | 木が揺れています。 | The tree is shaking. |
| 撮影 | さつえい | noun | filming; photography | 明日、撮影があります。 | There is filming tomorrow. |
| 擦る | こする | verb | to rub | 目を こすらないでください。 | Please do not rub your eyes. |
| 支度 | したく | noun | preparation; getting ready | 出かける支度をします。 | I get ready to go out. |
| 改めて | あらためて | adverb | again; once more | 改めて考えます。 | I will think about it again. |
| 改める | あらためる | verb | to change; to revise | 予定を改めます。 | I will change the plan. |
| 改札 | かいさつ | noun | ticket gate | 改札で切符を見せます。 | Show your ticket at the ticket gate. |
| 改正 | かいせい | noun | revision; amendment | 法律が改正されました。 | The law was revised. |
| 改造 | かいぞう | noun | remodeling; modification | 家を改造しました。 | We remodeled the house. |
| 放送 | ほうそう | noun | broadcast | ニュースを放送しています。 | The news is being broadcast. |
| 政治 | せいじ | noun | politics | 政治に興味があります。 | I’m interested in politics. |
| 故障 | こしょう | noun | breakdown; trouble | 車が故障しました。 | The car broke down. |
| 教わる | おそわる | verb | learn from someone | 先生に日本語を教わった。 | I learned Japanese from my teacher. |
| 教会 | きょうかい | noun | church | 教会で歌いました。 | We sang at the church. |
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.
