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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 電報 | でんぽう | noun | telegram | 昔は電報を送りました。 | People used to send telegrams long ago. |
| 電気 | denki | noun | electricity; light | 電気を消してください。 | Please turn off the light. |
| 電灯 | でんとう | noun | light; lamp | 電灯をつけてください。 | Please turn on the light. |
| 電車 | densha | noun | train | 電車で学校へ行きます。 | I go to school by train. |
| 青白い | あおじろい | adjective | pale; bluish-white | 彼は顔が青白い。 | His face is pale. |
| 静まる | しずまる | verb | to become quiet | 雨が降って、町が静まった。 | It rained, and the town became quiet. |
| 非常に | ひじょうに | adverb | very | 今日は非常に寒い。 | It is very cold today. |
| 音 | おと | noun | sound | 変な音がします。 | I hear a strange sound. |
| 項目 | こうもく | noun | item; topic | 次の項目を見てください。 | Please look at the next item. |
| 預かる | あずかる | verb | to keep; to look after | 友だちのかばんを預かった。 | I kept my friend's bag. |
| 顕微鏡 | けんびきょう | noun | microscope | 顕微鏡で見ます。 | I look at it with a microscope. |
| 風 | kaze | noun | wind | 今日は風が強いです。 | The wind is strong today. |
| 風呂 | furo | noun | bath | 風呂に入ります。 | I take a bath. |
| 飛行場 | ひこうじょう | noun | airport | 飛行場は町の外にある。 | The airport is outside the town. |
| 食事 | しょくじ | noun | meal | いっしょに食事をしましょう。 | Let's have a meal together. |
| 食料品 | しょくりょうひん | noun | food products; groceries | 食料品を買いに行きます。 | I’m going to buy groceries. |
| 飢える | うえる | verb | to starve | 食べ物がなくて飢える。 | I starve because there is no food. |
| 飢饉 | ききん | noun | famine | その国で飢饉が起きた。 | A famine happened in that country. |
| 飽くまで | あくまで | adverb | firmly; to the end | あくまで自分でやります。 | I will do it myself to the end. |
| 飾り | かざり | noun | decoration | 部屋に飾りをつけました。 | I put decorations in the room. |
| 飾る | かざる | verb | decorate | 部屋を花で飾ります。 | I decorate the room with flowers. |
| 首 | くび | noun | neck | 首が少し痛いです。 | My neck hurts a little. |
| 香水 | こうすい | noun | perfume | いい香水ですね。 | That's a nice perfume. |
| 駅 | eki | noun | station | 駅で友だちに会いました。 | I met my friend at the station. |
| 駐車場 | ちゅうしゃじょう | noun | parking lot | 駐車場はあそこです。 | The parking lot is over there. |
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.
