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.
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.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Reading | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 細かい | こまかい | adjective | fine; detailed | 細かい字が読めません。 | I can't read small letters. |
| 紹介 | しょうかい | noun | introduction; presentation | 友だちを紹介します。 | I will introduce my friend. |
| 紺 | こん | noun | navy blue | この服は紺です。 | This clothes is navy blue. |
| 終わり | おわり | noun | end | これで終わりです。 | This is the end. |
| 組み立てる | くみたてる | verb | to assemble; to build | 机を組み立てました。 | I assembled the desk. |
| 組合せ | くみあわせ | noun | combination; pairing | この組み合わせはいいですね。 | This combination is nice. |
| 経度 | けいど | noun | longitude | 経度を地図で見ました。 | I checked the longitude on the map. |
| 経済 | けいざい | noun | economy | 経済のニュースを見ます。 | I watch the news about the economy. |
| 経験 | けいけん | noun | experience | 日本でいい経験をしました。 | I had a good experience in Japan. |
| 絞る | しぼる | verb | to squeeze; to wring | タオルを絞ってください。 | Please wring out the towel. |
| 給与 | きゅうよ | noun | salary; pay | 今月の給与は少し上がりました。 | This month's salary went up a little. |
| 給料 | kyūryō | noun | salary | 給料が上がりました。 | My salary went up. |
| 絵の具 | えのぐ | noun | paint | 絵の具を買いました。 | I bought paint. |
| 絹 | きぬ | noun | silk | この服は絹です。 | This clothes is silk. |
| 継続 | けいぞく | noun | continuation; continuation | 勉強を継続してください。 | Please continue studying. |
| 続く | つづく | verb | to continue | 雨が一日中続きました。 | The rain continued all day. |
| 続ける | つづける | verb | to continue; to keep doing | 毎日日本語を続けています。 | I keep studying Japanese every day. |
| 線 | せん | noun | line | 線を引いてください。 | Please draw a line. |
| 締め切る | しめきる | verb | to close; to shut | 店は6時に締め切ります。 | The store closes at 6. |
| 締切 | しめきり | noun | deadline | 締切は明日です。 | The deadline is tomorrow. |
| 編む | あむ | verb | to knit | マフラーを編みます。 | I knit a scarf. |
| 編物 | あみもの | noun | knitting | 母は編物が好きです。 | My mother likes knitting. |
| 緯度 | いど | noun | latitude | この町の緯度は高い。 | This town is at a high latitude. |
| 練習 | renshū | noun | practice | 毎日練習します。 | I practice every day. |
| 練習 / 復習 | 練習 is practice, 復習 is review. | noun | practice / review | 毎日 復習します。 | I review every day. |
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.
