JLPT N5 is where real Japanese starts. You’ve nailed the kana, and now you’re ready for words that actually do useful work-ordering food, talking about your day, asking simple questions. This list packs roughly 800 practical N5 words you’ll meet on the exam and in daily chats, not dusty textbook fillers.
Every entry gives you a straightforward meaning and a natural example sentence, so you see how the word behaves in the wild-not just a lonely translation. Audio playback is baked right in, because your ears need practice just as much as your eyes. Tap, listen, repeat.
Ready to give your Japanese study a little boost? Scroll all the way to the bottom for the free printable JLPT N5 Japanese vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable JLPT N5 Japanese flashcards—nice, tidy, and perfect for quick review.
Want more than one list? Browse our Japanese section for more Yak Yacker study pages, printable lists, and quiz-friendly review material.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve already memorised a few N5 words? Give the quiz a quick spin-it’s a low‑stress way to spot which ones still need a second look.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Reading | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 誕生日 | たんじょうび | noun | birthday | 今日は母の誕生日です。 | Today is my mother's birthday. | |
| 誤る | あやまる | verb | to make a mistake | 名前を誤る。 | I make a mistake with the name. | |
| 読む | よむ | verb | to read | 本を読みます。 | I read a book. | |
| 誰 | だれ | question word | who | あの人は誰ですか。 | Who is that person? | |
| 誰 | だれか | pronoun | someone | 誰か来ました。 | Someone came. | |
| 諦め | あきらめ | noun | giving up | 彼は諦めが早い。 | He gives up easily. | |
| 警官 | けいかん | noun | police officer | 警官がいます。 | There is a police officer. | |
| 豚肉 | ぶたにく | noun | pork | 豚肉を食べます。 | I eat pork. | |
| 財布 | さいふ | noun | wallet | 財布を忘れました。 | I forgot my wallet. | |
| 貴女 | あなた | pronoun | you | あなたは元気ですか。 | Are you well? | |
| 買い物 | かいもの | noun | shopping | 買い物に行きます。 | I go shopping. | |
| 買う | かう | verb | buy | 本を買います。 | I buy a book. | |
| 貸す | かす | verb | to lend | 友だちに本を貸します。 | I lend a book to my friend. | |
| 貼る | はる | verb | to stick; to paste | ポスターを壁に貼ります。 | I put a poster on the wall. | |
| 賑やか | にぎやか | adjective | busy; lively | この町は賑やかです。 | This town is lively. | |
| 質問 | しつもん | noun | question | 質問があります。 | I have a question. | |
| 赤 | あか | noun | red | 赤が見えます。 | I can see red. | |
| 赤い | あかい | adjective | red | 赤い花があります。 | There are red flowers. | |
| 赤ちゃん | あかちゃん | noun | baby | 赤ちゃんが寝ています。 | The baby is sleeping. | |
| 赤らむ | あからむ | verb | to redden; to blush | 彼の顔が赤らみました。 | His face reddened. | |
| 赤字 | あかじ | noun | deficit; in the red | 会社は赤字です。 | The company is in the red. | |
| 走る | はしる | verb | to run | 子どもが走っています。 | The child is running. | |
| 起きる | おきる | verb | wake up | 毎朝6時に起きます。 | I wake up at 6 every morning. | |
| 足 | あし | noun | leg; foot | 足が痛いです。 | My leg hurts. | |
| 跡継ぎ | あとつぎ | noun | heir; successor | 彼は店の跡継ぎだ。 | He is the shop's successor. |
Free JLPT N5 Japanese Vocabulary List PDF and Flashcards
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