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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 部屋 | heya | noun | room | 部屋を掃除します。 | I clean the room. |
| 部長 | ぶちょう | noun | section manager | 部長に会いました。 | I met the section manager. |
| 都 | と | noun | metropolis; capital | 東京は大きい都です。 | Tokyo is a big metropolis. |
| 都合 | つごう | noun | convenience; circumstances | 都合が悪いです。 | It is inconvenient for me. |
| 酌む | くむ | verb | to pour drinks for someone | 先輩にお酒を酌みました。 | I poured sake for my senior. |
| 配る | くばる | verb | to hand out; to distribute | 先生がプリントを配りました。 | The teacher handed out the handouts. |
| 酒場 | さかば | noun | bar; tavern | 駅の近くに酒場があります。 | There is a bar near the station. |
| 酸性 | さんせい | noun | acidic | この水は酸性です。 | This water is acidic. |
| 重たい | おもたい | adjective | heavy | このかばんは重たい。 | This bag is heavy. |
| 重なる | かさなる | verb | to overlap; to pile up | 予定が 重なりました。 | The schedules overlapped. |
| 重ねる | かさねる | verb | to pile up; to layer | 本を机に重ねる。 | I stack the books on the desk. |
| 重役 | じゅうやく | noun | executive; senior manager | 彼は 会社の 重役です。 | He is an executive at the company. |
| 野菜 | yasai | noun | vegetable | 野菜をもっと食べましょう。 | Let's eat more vegetables. |
| 金魚 | きんぎょ | noun | goldfish | 金魚を二匹飼っています。 | I keep two goldfish. |
| 釘 | くぎ | noun | nail | 釘が壁にささっています。 | A nail is stuck in the wall. |
| 釜 | かま | noun | pot; kettle | 釜でご飯を炊く。 | I cook rice in a pot. |
| 釣る | つる | verb | to fish | 川で魚を釣りました。 | I fished in the river. |
| 鉱物 | こうぶつ | noun | mineral | この石には鉱物が含まれています。 | This stone contains minerals. |
| 銀行 | ginkō | noun | bank | 銀行でお金をおろします。 | I withdraw money at the bank. |
| 銅 | どう | noun | copper | この コインは 銅で できています。 | This coin is made of copper. |
| 錆 | さび | noun | rust | 自転車に錆があります。 | There is rust on the bicycle. |
| 錆びる | さびる | verb | to rust | このドアは錆びています。 | This door is rusted. |
| 鏡 | かがみ | noun | mirror | 鏡で髪を見ます。 | I look at my hair in the mirror. |
| 鐘 | かね | noun | bell | 鐘が鳴りました。 | The bell rang. |
| 鑑賞 | かんしょう | noun | appreciation; viewing | 美術館で絵を鑑賞した。 | I appreciated the paintings at the art museum. |
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.
