Why N5 Vocabulary Is Your Foundation
JLPT N5 is the entry level, and its ~800 vocabulary words cover the most common Japanese you’ll encounter daily. Master these and you can have basic conversations, read simple texts, and understand beginner media. This article covers the 100 highest-frequency N5 words organized by category.
Time Words (必須：時間)
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いま | ima | now |
| きょう | kyou | today |
| あした | ashita | tomorrow |
| きのう | kinou | yesterday |
| まいにち | mainichi | every day |
| ことし | kotoshi | this year |
| らいねん | rainen | next year |
| あさ | asa | morning |
| ひる | hiru | noon / daytime |
| よる | yoru | evening / night |
People and Family
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ひと | hito | person |
| ともだち | tomodachi | friend |
| せんせい | sensei | teacher |
| がくせい | gakusei | student |
| こども | kodomo | child |
| おとこ | otoko | man / male |
| おんな | onna | woman / female |
Places
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| うち / いえ | uchi / ie | house / home |
| がっこう | gakkou | school |
| えき | eki | station |
| みせ | mise | shop / store |
| びょういん | byouin | hospital |
| こうえん | kouen | park |
| スーパー | suupaa | supermarket |
Common Verbs
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| たべる | taberu | to eat |
| のむ | nomu | to drink |
| みる | miru | to see / watch |
| きく | kiku | to listen / hear / ask |
| いく | iku | to go |
| くる | kuru | to come |
| かえる | kaeru | to return home |
| よむ | yomu | to read |
| かく | kaku | to write |
| はなす | hanasu | to speak |
| きる | kiru | to wear / put on |
| ねる | neru | to sleep |
| おきる | okiru | to wake up / get up |
| かう | kau | to buy |
| する | suru | to do |
Common Adjectives
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| おおきい | ookii | big |
| ちいさい | chiisai | small |
| たかい | takai | tall / expensive |
| やすい | yasui | cheap / easy |
| あたらしい | atarashii | new |
| ふるい | furui | old (things, not people) |
| いい / よい | ii / yoi | good |
| わるい | warui | bad |
| たのしい | tanoshii | fun |
| むずかしい | muzukashii | difficult |
| やさしい | yasashii | easy / kind |
| おいしい | oishii | delicious |
Study Tip: Build Sentences Immediately
Don’t study vocabulary in isolation. After learning each word, make one sentence using it. Use patterns you already know: 「〜がすきです、〜はおおきいです、〜をたべます。」The more you connect new words to patterns you know, the faster they stick.
Yuka & Rei Build N5 Vocabulary Together
See how these words come alive in a real exchange between Yuka and Rei. Pay attention to how they explain — and occasionally correct — each other. That back-and-forth is exactly how language learning works.
YukaRei, I’m starting my N5 prep and there are so many words. Where do I even begin?
ReiStart with time words — they appear in almost every sentence. いま (now), きょう (today), あした (tomorrow). Once these are automatic, everything flows faster.
YukaI know those! But I always mix up きのう and せんしゅう. They feel similar somehow.
Reiきのう is yesterday — one day back. せんしゅう is last week — seven days back. Pair them with their opposites: あした / らいしゅう. Learning them as pairs makes them stick.
YukaAnd for the test — should I memorise kanji at N5 level or focus on hiragana?
ReiN5 kanji set is only about 100 characters — very manageable. Learn the most frequent ones like 日、月、水、人、上、下. But the reading section is mainly hiragana, so don’t stress about kanji until you’ve got the core vocab solid.
5 Practice Sentences — Read These Aloud
Speak each sentence at least three times. Hearing your own voice say these words is the fastest route to natural recall.
- いまなんじですか？ごごさんじです。
What time is it now? It’s 3 pm. - きょうはがっこうにいきません。
I’m not going to school today. - あしたのあさ、なんじにおきますか？
What time will you wake up tomorrow morning? - せんしゅうのにちようびにえいがをみました。
I watched a movie last Sunday. - ことしのなつは、にほんにいきたいです。
This summer, I want to go to Japan.
Your Turn! Leave Your Sentence in the Comments
The best way to memorise vocabulary is to produce it yourself. Pick 2–3 words from this article and write your own sentences — about your daily life, your hometown, your work, anything.
Leave your sentences in the comments below. Other learners will read them, and you might inspire someone else’s learning journey. Log in to keep your comment history — our most active contributors appear in the Top Commenters ranking in the sidebar!
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