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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 氏名 | しめい | noun | full name | 氏名を書いてください。 | Please write your full name. |
| 気 | き | noun | feeling; mood | 今日は気がいいです。 | I'm in a good mood today. |
| 気を付ける | きをつける | expression | to be careful | 車に気を付けてください。 | Please be careful of cars. |
| 気体 | きたい | noun | gas | 空気は気体です。 | Air is a gas. |
| 気分 | きぶん | noun | feeling; mood | 気分が悪いです。 | I feel sick. |
| 気圧 | きあつ | noun | air pressure | 気圧が下がった。 | The air pressure dropped. |
| 気持ち | きもち | noun | feeling; mood | 気持ちがいいです。 | It feels good. |
| 気配 | けはい | noun | sign; feeling that something is there | 人の 気配が します。 | I sense someone's presence. |
| 水泳 | すいえい | noun | swimming | 私は水泳が好きです。 | I like swimming. |
| 水道 | すいどう | noun | water supply; water service | 水道が止まりました。 | The water supply stopped. |
| 汚す | よごす | verb | to dirty | 服を 汚しました。 | I dirtied my clothes. |
| 汚れる | よごれる | verb | to get dirty | 服が汚れました。 | My clothes got dirty. |
| 汲む | くむ | verb | to draw water | 井戸から水を汲みました。 | I drew water from the well. |
| 決して | けっして | adverb | never | 決してあきらめません。 | I will never give up. |
| 決める | きめる | verb | to decide | 明日行くと決めました。 | I decided to go tomorrow. |
| 決る | きまる | verb | to be decided | 予定が決まりました。 | The schedule was decided. |
| 汽車 | きしゃ | noun | train | 汽車が駅に着きました。 | The train arrived at the station. |
| 沸かす | わかす | verb | boil something | お湯を沸かします。 | I boil water. |
| 沸く | わく | verb | boil | お湯が沸きました。 | The water boiled. |
| 治める | おさめる | verb | govern; rule | 国を治める。 | To govern a country. |
| 治る | なおる | verb | to heal; to get better | 風邪が治りました。 | My cold got better. |
| 泊まる | とまる | verb | to stay overnight | 友だちの家に泊まります。 | I will stay overnight at my friend's house. |
| 法律 | ほうりつ | noun | law | 法律を守ってください。 | Please follow the law. |
| 泣く | なく | verb | to cry | 赤ちゃんが泣いています。 | The baby is crying. |
| 泥棒 | どろぼう | noun | thief | 泥棒が家に入りました。 | A thief entered the house. |
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.
