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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| かまう | かまう | verb | mind; care about | そんなことはかまいません。 | I don't mind such a thing. |
| ガム | ガム | noun | gum | ガムをかんでいる。 | I am chewing gum. |
| かゆい | かゆい | adjective | itchy | 虫に刺されてかゆい。 | It itches because I was bitten by an insect. |
| カラー | カラー | noun | color | この服はきれいなカラーだ。 | This clothes has a nice color. |
| からかう | からかう | verb | to tease; to make fun of | 弟をからかう。 | I tease my younger brother. |
| ガラス | ガラス | noun | glass | ガラスが割れました。 | The glass broke. |
| かるた | かるた | noun | Japanese playing cards | 正月にかるたをした。 | We played karuta at New Year. |
| カロリー | カロリー | noun | calorie | この料理はカロリーが高い。 | This dish is high in calories. |
| かわいがる | かわいがる | verb | to dote on; to spoil lovingly | 祖母は孫をかわいがる。 | My grandmother dotes on her grandchild. |
| きっかけ | きっかけ | noun | chance; trigger; opportunity | 日本語を勉強するきっかけになりました。 | It became the trigger for me to study Japanese. |
| ぎっしり | ぎっしり | adverb | packed tightly | 箱に本がぎっしり入っています。 | The box is packed full of books. |
| きっと | きっと | adverb | surely; probably | きっと来ます。 | He will surely come. |
| ギャング | ギャング | noun | gang | その映画にはギャングが出てきます。 | A gang appears in that movie. |
| キャンパス | キャンパス | noun | campus | キャンパスはとても広いです。 | The campus is very large. |
| クーラー | クーラー | noun | air conditioner | クーラーをつけてください。 | Please turn on the air conditioner. |
| くしゃみ | くしゃみ | noun | sneeze | 大きなくしゃみが出ました。 | I let out a big sneeze. |
| くださる | くださる | verb | to give | 先生が本をくださいました。 | The teacher gave me a book. |
| くたびれる | くたびれる | verb | to get tired | 今日は少しくたびれました。 | I got a little tired today. |
| くだらない | くだらない | adjective | boring; worthless | そんなくだらない話はやめて。 | Stop that silly talk. |
| くっつく | くっつく | verb | to stick together; to cling to | 子どもが母親にくっついています。 | The child is clinging to their mother. |
| くっつける | くっつける | verb | to stick; to attach | 写真を壁にくっつけました。 | I attached the photo to the wall. |
| くどい | くどい | adjective | long-winded; tedious | 彼の話はくどいです。 | His talk is long-winded. |
| クリーニング | クリーニング | noun | dry cleaning | このコートをクリーニングに出します。 | I'll send this coat to the dry cleaner. |
| くるむ | くるむ | verb | to wrap up | プレゼントを紙でくるみました。 | I wrapped the present in paper. |
| くれぐれも | くれぐれも | adverb | earnestly; sincerely | くれぐれも気をつけてください。 | Please be very careful. |
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.
