You have decided to take the JLPT N5. You open a vocabulary list online and find 800 words staring back at you — no context, no readings for some entries, and no clue which words actually appear in exam questions. Sound familiar?
This guide is built differently. Instead of a flat alphabetical list, every word here is sorted by category so you can learn vocabulary in meaningful groups. Every entry includes the Japanese reading, the English meaning, and — crucially — the particle the word takes or the context in which it naturally appears. Knowing that 食べる（たべる） takes を is just as important as knowing it means “to eat.” That combination is what lets you build real sentences, not just tick boxes on a word list.
Work through one section at a time, use the tables as Anki card sources, and test yourself with the quiz at the end. By the end of this guide you will have a solid, usable N5 vocabulary foundation — not just a memorized list.
| Category | Japanese | Reading | Part of Speech | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noun | 学校 | がっこう | Noun | school |
| Verb | 食べる | たべる | Verb (takes を) | to eat |
| い-adjective | 大きい | おおきい | い-adjective | big, large |
| な-adjective | 元気 | げんき | な-adjective | healthy, energetic |
| Particle | は | wa (written は) | Topic particle | marks the topic of a sentence |
| Time word | 今日 | きょう | Noun / Time expression | today |
| Place word | 駅 | えき | Noun (location) | train station |
| Expression | ありがとうございます | arigatou gozaimasu | Set expression | Thank you (polite) |
| Direction | 右 | みぎ | Noun | right (direction) |
What Is the JLPT N5 Vocabulary Range?
The JLPT N5 is the entry-level tier of Japan’s official Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. The vocabulary range covers approximately 800 words — the core set of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and expressions that appear in basic everyday communication: buying something at a shop, asking for directions, describing how you feel, and talking about your daily schedule.
This does not mean “all the words a beginner needs.” N5 vocabulary is specifically the set that the exam tests. In practice, many everyday words — especially modern loanwords written in katakana — are used by beginners but do not appear on the N5 list because they are considered too informal or too specialized. The N5 list skews toward foundational vocabulary that forms the building blocks of sentences.
How This Guide Is Organized
Rather than listing all 800 words alphabetically, this guide is organized by part of speech and theme:
- Greetings and set expressions
- Core nouns (people, places, objects)
- Core verbs (with particle notes)
- い-adjectives and な-adjectives (in separate tables)
- Numbers, time, and dates
- Place and direction words
- Core particles and grammar words
Studying by category is more effective than studying alphabetically because your brain stores vocabulary in networks, not in alphabetical order. When you learn 駅（えき）, 電車（でんしゃ）, and 切符（きっぷ） together, each word reinforces the others.
The Study Approach That Works
For each word, aim to learn four things:
- The reading — both the hiragana pronunciation and the kanji form (where it exists)
- The meaning — in natural English, not just a dictionary gloss
- One example sentence — so you see the word in use
- The particle it takes — especially for verbs and location nouns
That fourth point is what most vocabulary lists skip — and it is exactly why many learners can recognize a word but still cannot build a sentence with it.
How to Study JLPT N5 Vocabulary
Here is a practical approach that works better than reading down a word list with a highlighter.
Learn by Category, Not Alphabetically
When you learn words in meaningful groups — all the words related to transport, all the words for family members, all the words for daily schedule — you are building vocabulary clusters. Those clusters make it far easier to recall words during a test because one word in the group can trigger the others.
Always Learn the Reading
At N5 level, kanji often appear with furigana (small hiragana written above the character) in the exam. But do not rely on that. Learn the hiragana reading for every word. This has two benefits: you can read the word when furigana is absent, and learning the reading helps the word stick in memory through sound as well as visual shape.
Learn One Example Sentence per Word
Do not just memorize isolated English meanings. For every new word, write (or find) one short sentence using it. 学校（がっこう）に行きます。 — “I go to school.” That sentence teaches you the word, its reading, and that locations after 行く take the particle に. Three things learned from one example.
Pay Attention to Particles
Japanese particles are small words that show the grammatical role of each noun in a sentence. They are not optional decoration — leaving one out or using the wrong one changes the meaning or makes the sentence unnatural. The verb tables in this guide include particle notes for exactly this reason.
Review with Quizzes
Reading vocabulary passively is not enough. Use Anki or a similar spaced-repetition system with cards that test you on: reading the kanji, recalling the meaning from the reading, and completing a sentence with the correct particle. The quiz at the end of this article gives you a model for the kinds of questions that appear on the actual N5 exam.
JLPT N5 Greetings and Basic Expressions
These expressions are tested directly in the N5 exam — especially in the listening section, where you need to recognize them instantly. They are also the first Japanese you will use in real life, so learn them as complete fixed phrases rather than breaking them down word by word.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | Hello / Good afternoon | Daytime greeting (roughly 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.) |
| おはようございます | ohayou gozaimasu | Good morning (polite) | Casual form: おはよう; use polite form with teachers, strangers |
| こんばんは | konbanwa | Good evening | Used from dusk onward |
| ありがとうございます | arigatou gozaimasu | Thank you (polite) | Casual form: ありがとう; always safe to use the polite form |
| すみません | sumimasen | Excuse me / I am sorry | Used to get attention, apologize, or express mild regret |
| お願いします | onegaishimasu | Please (requesting something) | Add after a request: コーヒーをお願いします (A coffee, please) |
| はい | hai | Yes | Also used to acknowledge someone speaking to you |
| いいえ | iie | No | Direct; Japanese speakers often soften refusals with ちょっと… instead |
| どうぞ | douzo | Please (offering something) / Go ahead | Used when offering something, holding a door, or giving permission |
| さようなら | sayounara | Goodbye (formal, lasting) | Implies you will not see the person again soon; use またね for casual goodbyes |
| またね | mata ne | See you later (casual) | Informal; use with friends; not suitable for teachers or strangers |
| よろしくお願いします | yoroshiku onegaishimasu | Nice to meet you / Please treat me well | Said when meeting someone new or starting a collaborative task |
JLPT N5 Nouns
Nouns make up the largest portion of the N5 vocabulary list. The following table covers 20 of the most important N5 nouns, grouped loosely by theme. Key example sentences appear below the table for the nouns that require the most care with particles.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Common Particle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人 | ひと | person, people | が (subject) / を (object) |
| 友達 | ともだち | friend(s) | と (with) / が (subject) |
| 家 | いえ / うち | house / home | に (location/destination) / で (action location) |
| 学校 | がっこう | school | に (going to) / で (at school) |
| 先生 | せんせい | teacher | が (subject) / に (direction of speech) |
| 学生 | がくせい | student | が (subject) |
| 本 | ほん | book | を (object of reading/buying) |
| 水 | みず | water | を (object of drinking) |
| ご飯 | ごはん | rice / a meal | を (object of eating) |
| 電車 | でんしゃ | train | で (means of transport) / に (boarding) |
| 駅 | えき | train station | に (going to) / で (at station) |
| 道 | みち | road, street, way | を (along which you walk) |
| 部屋 | へや | room | に (into) / で (in the room) |
| 車 | くるま | car | で (by car) |
| 時間 | じかん | time, duration | が (subject) / を (time spent) |
| 仕事 | しごと | work, job | が (subject) / を (do work) |
| 電話 | でんわ | telephone, phone call | で (by phone) / を (make a call) |
| 名前 | なまえ | name | は (topic) |
| 国 | くに | country | から (from) / に (in) |
| お金 | おかね | money | が (subject: have money) / を (object: spend money) |
Example Sentences for Key Nouns
学校（がっこう）に行きます。
I go to school.
Note: destination uses に.
電車（でんしゃ）で大学（だいがく）に行きます。
I go to university by train.
Note: means of transport uses で; destination uses に.
友達（ともだち）と映画（えいが）を見ます。
I watch a movie with my friend.
Note: “together with” uses と.
時間（じかん）がありません。
I don’t have time.
Note: existence/possession of a thing uses が + あります/ありません.
JLPT N5 Verbs
Verbs are the engine of Japanese sentences. At N5 level, verbs are tested in the polite present/future form (〜ます), the polite negative (〜ません), and sometimes the past form (〜ました). The most important thing a vocabulary list can tell you about each verb — beyond its meaning — is which particle it takes. That information is included in the table below.
| Dictionary Form | Reading | English | Key Particle(s) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| する | する | to do | を (for compound verbs: 勉強をする) | 宿題（しゅくだい）をします。 — I do homework. |
| ある | ある | to exist (non-living) | が (subject) / に (location) | 机（つくえ）の上（うえ）に本（ほん）があります。 — There is a book on the desk. |
| いる | いる | to exist (living beings) | が (subject) / に (location) | 部屋（へや）に猫（ねこ）がいます。 — There is a cat in the room. |
| 行く | いく | to go | に / へ (destination) | 学校（がっこう）に行きます。 — I go to school. |
| 来る | くる | to come | に / へ (destination) | 友達（ともだち）が来ます。 — My friend is coming. |
| 帰る | かえる | to return, go home | に (destination: home) | うちに帰ります。 — I return home. |
| 食べる | たべる | to eat | を (object) | ご飯（ごはん）を食べます。 — I eat rice. |
| 飲む | のむ | to drink | を (object) | 水（みず）を飲みます。 — I drink water. |
| 見る | みる | to see, watch | を (object) | テレビを見ます。 — I watch TV. |
| 聞く | きく | to listen, ask | を (object: music) / に (ask someone) | 音楽（おんがく）を聞きます。 — I listen to music. |
| 話す | はなす | to speak, talk | を (language) / と (with whom) | 日本語（にほんご）を話します。 — I speak Japanese. |
| 読む | よむ | to read | を (object) | 本（ほん）を読みます。 — I read a book. |
| 書く | かく | to write | を (object) / に (surface written on) | 手紙（てがみ）を書きます。 — I write a letter. |
| 買う | かう | to buy | を (object) / で (at a place) | コンビニでパンを買います。 — I buy bread at the convenience store. |
| 起きる | おきる | to wake up, get up | に (time) | 毎朝（まいあさ）７時（じ）に起きます。 — I wake up at 7 every morning. |
| 寝る | ねる | to sleep, go to bed | に (time) | １１時（じ）に寝ます。 — I go to bed at 11 o’clock. |
| 働く | はたらく | to work | で (at a place) / に (for an organization) | 会社（かいしゃ）で働きます。 — I work at a company. |
| 勉強する | べんきょうする | to study | を (subject studied) | 日本語（にほんご）を勉強します。 — I study Japanese. |
YukaI keep mixing up に and で after location nouns. How do I know which one to use with verbs?
ReiGood question! Think of it this way: に is for destination or direction — where you are going TO. で is for the location where an action takes place — where something is being DONE. So you go TO school (学校に行く) but you eat lunch AT school (学校で昼ご飯を食べる). Same location word, two different particles, two different meanings.
JLPT N5 Adjectives (い and な)
Japanese adjectives come in two types: い-adjectives (which end in い and conjugate on their own) and な-adjectives (which need な when placed before a noun and だ/です after a noun). Both types are tested at N5, and knowing which type a word belongs to is part of what the exam checks.
い-Adjectives
Formation note: い-adjectives conjugate directly. Remove い and add くない for negative, かった for past, くなかった for past negative. Example: 大きい → 大きくない (not big) → 大きかった (was big).
| Japanese | Reading | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| いい / よい | ii / yoi | good | この本（ほん）はいいです。 — This book is good. |
| 悪い | わるい | bad | 天気（てんき）が悪いです。 — The weather is bad. |
| 大きい | おおきい | big, large | 大きい犬（いぬ）がいます。 — There is a large dog. |
| 小さい | ちいさい | small, little | 小さい部屋（へや）です。 — It is a small room. |
| 高い | たかい | tall / expensive | このかばんは高いです。 — This bag is expensive. |
| 安い | やすい | cheap, inexpensive | このスーパーは安いです。 — This supermarket is cheap. |
| 新しい | あたらしい | new | 新しい本（ほん）を買いました。 — I bought a new book. |
| 古い | ふるい | old (objects, not people) | 古い車（くるま）があります。 — There is an old car. |
| 暑い | あつい | hot (weather / air temperature) | 今日（きょう）は暑いです。 — It is hot today. |
| 寒い | さむい | cold (weather) | 冬（ふゆ）は寒いです。 — Winter is cold. |
| おいしい | おいしい | delicious, tasty | このラーメンはおいしいです。 — This ramen is delicious. |
| 難しい | むずかしい | difficult | 日本語（にほんご）は難しいですか。 — Is Japanese difficult? |
| 易しい / やさしい | やさしい | easy / kind, gentle | この問題（もんだい）は易しいです。 — This question is easy. |
| 楽しい | たのしい | fun, enjoyable | 日本語（にほんご）の勉強（べんきょう）は楽しいです。 — Studying Japanese is fun. |
な-Adjectives
Formation note: な-adjectives use な before a noun (元気な人 — a healthy person) and だ/です after a noun (元気です — I am healthy). Negative: ではありません or じゃない. Past: でした.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 好き | すき | liked, fond of | 日本語（にほんご）が好きです。 — I like Japanese. |
| 嫌い | きらい | disliked | にんじんが嫌いです。 — I dislike carrots. |
| 上手 | じょうず | skilled, good at | 料理（りょうり）が上手です。 — (She) is good at cooking. |
| 下手 | へた | not skilled, poor at | 歌（うた）が下手です。 — (He) is not good at singing. |
| 有名 | ゆうめい | famous | この映画（えいが）は有名です。 — This film is famous. |
| 元気 | げんき | healthy, energetic, well | 元気ですか。 — How are you? / Are you well? |
| 大丈夫 | だいじょうぶ | okay, all right, fine | 大丈夫ですか。 — Are you okay? |
| きれい | きれい | beautiful, clean, pretty | きれいな部屋（へや）です。 — It is a beautiful room. |
| 静か | しずか | quiet, calm | 図書館（としょかん）は静かです。 — The library is quiet. |
| 便利 | べんり | convenient, handy | このアプリは便利です。 — This app is convenient. |
| 賑やか | にぎやか | lively, bustling | 渋谷（しぶや）は賑やかです。 — Shibuya is lively. |
| 親切 | しんせつ | kind, helpful | 親切な人（ひと）です。 — She is a kind person. |
YukaWait — きれい ends in い, so why is it a な-adjective? Shouldn’t all words ending in い be い-adjectives?
ReiGreat catch — this trips up a lot of learners! きれい looks like an い-adjective, but it is actually a な-adjective. The い at the end is not the grammatical い ending — it is just part of the word きれい (written 綺麗 in kanji). A few other な-adjectives also end in the sound “i”: 嫌い (きらい) and 有名 (ゆうめい, ending in “ei”). The safest rule: unless you have confirmed a word is an い-adjective, check before assuming. When in doubt, try adding な before a noun — if it sounds right, it is probably a な-adjective.
JLPT N5 Numbers, Time, and Date Words
Time expressions are some of the most practical vocabulary at N5 level — they appear in the listening section, in reading passages, and in everyday conversation. Pay special attention to reading changes: Japanese time and date words often have irregular or multiple readings depending on how they are combined.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 朝 | あさ | morning | 朝ご飯（あさごはん）= breakfast |
| 昼 | ひる | noon, daytime | 昼ご飯（ひるごはん）= lunch |
| 夜 | よる | evening, night | 夜ご飯（よるごはん）= dinner (casual) |
| 今日 | きょう | today | Irregular reading — not “こんにち” |
| 明日 | あした / あす | tomorrow | あした is most common in speech; あす is more formal |
| 昨日 | きのう | yesterday | Irregular reading — not “さくじつ” (formal written) |
| 今週 | こんしゅう | this week | — |
| 来週 | らいしゅう | next week | 先週（せんしゅう）= last week |
| 今年 | ことし | this year | Irregular — not “こんねん” |
| 来年 | らいねん | next year | 去年（きょねん）= last year |
| 〜時 | 〜じ | o’clock | １時（いちじ）, ２時（にじ）… 9時（くじ）is irregular |
| 〜分 | 〜ふん / 〜ぷん | minute(s) | 1分（いっぷん）, 3分（さんぷん）, 6分（ろっぷん）— pronunciation changes |
| 半 | はん | half (as in half past) | ３時半（さんじはん）= 3:30 |
| 今 | いま | now | 今（いま）何時（なんじ）ですか。 — What time is it now? |
| 〜月 | 〜がつ / 〜づき | month number | １月（いちがつ）= January; 六月（ろくがつ）= June |
| 〜日 | 〜にち / 〜か | date, day of month | １日（ついたち）, ２日（ふつか）, ３日（みっか）are irregular; 14日（じゅうよっか）, 20日（はつか）, 24日（にじゅうよっか）also irregular |
| 曜日 | ようび | day of the week | 月（げつ）火（か）水（すい）木（もく）金（きん）土（ど）日（にち）+ ようび |
Example sentences:
今日（きょう）は何曜日（なんようび）ですか。
What day is today?
授業（じゅぎょう）は９時（くじ）に始まります（はじまります）。
Class starts at 9 o’clock.
３時半（さんじはん）に待（ま）ち合（あ）わせましょう。
Let’s meet at 3:30.
JLPT N5 Place and Direction Words
Place and direction words are tested heavily in the N5 listening section — questions often describe where something is and ask you to pick the matching picture. These words also form the backbone of giving and receiving directions in real life.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ここ | koko | here (near speaker) | ここに座（すわ）ってください。 — Please sit here. |
| そこ | soko | there (near listener) | そこに鍵（かぎ）があります。 — The key is there (near you). |
| あそこ | asoko | over there (far from both) | あそこがトイレです。 — The restroom is over there. |
| 上 | うえ | above, on top of | 机（つくえ）の上（うえ）に本（ほん）があります。 — There is a book on the desk. |
| 下 | した | below, under | 椅子（いす）の下（した）に猫（ねこ）がいます。 — There is a cat under the chair. |
| 中 | なか | inside, within | かばんの中（なか）に財布（さいふ）があります。 — My wallet is in the bag. |
| 外 | そと | outside | 外（そと）は寒いです。 — It is cold outside. |
| 前 | まえ | in front of, before | 駅（えき）の前（まえ）で待（ま）っています。 — I am waiting in front of the station. |
| 後ろ | うしろ | behind, back | 後ろ（うしろ）の席（せき）に座（すわ）っています。 — I am sitting in the back seat. |
| 右 | みぎ | right | 右（みぎ）に曲（ま）がってください。 — Please turn right. |
| 左 | ひだり | left | 左（ひだり）の建物（たてもの）です。 — It is the building on the left. |
| 近く | ちかく | near, nearby | 駅（えき）の近く（ちかく）に住（す）んでいます。 — I live near the station. |
| 遠く | とおく | far, in the distance | 学校（がっこう）は遠く（とおく）にあります。 — The school is far away. |
| 隣 | となり | next door, adjacent | 隣（となり）の部屋（へや）は静か（しずか）です。 — The room next door is quiet. |
Particle tip: When describing where something is, use に with ある/いる: 本（ほん）は机（つくえ）の上（うえ）に あります。 When describing where an action takes place, use で: 外（そと）で遊（あそ）びます。 (I play outside.)
JLPT N5 Particles and Grammar Words
Particles are short words — most are one or two hiragana characters — that attach to nouns and tell you the grammatical role of each word in the sentence. At N5 level, you need to know the 12 core particles well enough to choose the correct one in a fill-in-the-blank question. This table gives you the key function of each particle and one example sentence.
Note: Each particle has an in-depth article on JPyokoso. This table is a quick-reference overview. Follow the internal links at the end of this article for full explanations.
| Particle | Reading | Core Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| は | wa | Topic marker — introduces what the sentence is about | わたしは学生（がくせい）です。 — I am a student. |
| が | ga | Subject marker — identifies who does or experiences something | 猫（ねこ）がいます。 — There is a cat. |
| を | o | Direct object marker — the thing acted upon | りんごを食（た）べます。 — I eat an apple. |
| に | ni | Destination, time point, location of existence | 東京（とうきょう）に行きます。 — I go to Tokyo. |
| で | de | Location of action, means or method | 図書館（としょかん）で勉強（べんきょう）します。 — I study at the library. |
| へ | e (written へ) | Direction of movement (similar to に) | 学校（がっこう）へ行きます。 — I head toward school. |
| と | to | “And” (connecting nouns) / “with” (together with a person) | 友達（ともだち）と映画（えいが）を見ます。 — I watch a film with my friend. |
| も | mo | “Also / too” — extends the topic or subject | わたしも学生（がくせい）です。 — I am also a student. |
| から | kara | From (starting point of time, place, or reason) | ９時（くじ）から始（はじ）まります。 — It starts from 9 o’clock. |
| まで | made | Until, up to (end point of time or place) | ５時（ごじ）まで働（はたら）きます。 — I work until 5 o’clock. |
| ね | ne | Sentence-final: “right?” — seeking confirmation or shared feeling | いい天気（てんき）ですね。 — Nice weather, isn’t it? |
| よ | yo | Sentence-final: “you know” — asserting or informing | これはおいしいよ！ — This is delicious, I’m telling you! |
Common JLPT N5 Vocabulary Mistakes
Even when you know all the words on the list, several pairs of N5 vocabulary words cause consistent errors in exam questions and in real conversation. Here are the six most important ones to nail down.
1. いる vs ある — Animate vs Inanimate Existence
いる is used for living things (people, animals). ある is used for non-living things (objects, places, events).
✅ 犬（いぬ）がいます。 — There is a dog. (living)
✅ 本（ほん）があります。 — There is a book. (non-living)
❌ 犬（いぬ）があります。 — WRONG
2. 行く vs 来る — Direction Perspective
行く（いく） means “to go” — away from your current location. 来る（くる） means “to come” — toward your current location or the listener’s location. In English, both can sometimes translate as “come” depending on context, which causes confusion.
If someone calls and asks “are you coming to the party?” — from the speaker’s location at the party, you would say 行きます (I am going), not 来ます.
3. 暑い vs 熱い — Hot Weather vs Hot Objects
Both are written as あつい and mean “hot,” but they use different kanji and apply to different things:
暑い（あつい） — hot weather / air temperature: 今日（きょう）は暑いです。 (It is hot today.)
熱い（あつい） — physically hot to the touch: このお茶（ちゃ）は熱いです。 (This tea is hot.)
4. 好き vs 欲しい — Liking vs Wanting
好き（すき） means you like something (ongoing feeling): 犬（いぬ）が好きです。 (I like dogs.)
欲しい（ほしい） means you want something right now: 新（あたら）しいパソコンが欲しいです。 (I want a new computer.)
Both use the particle が before the object, which makes them easy to confuse in grammar questions.
5. Forgetting Particles After Vocabulary
A very common error at N5 level is writing the right verb and the right noun but omitting or swapping the particle. Always check: does the verb take を (action on an object), に (destination or time), or で (location of action)?
6. 大きい vs 大きな — The い vs な Form of the Same Word
大きい is the standard い-adjective form (used predicatively and attributively).
大きな is a prenominal-only form (used only directly before a noun). Both mean “big.”
大きい犬（いぬ） and 大きな犬 both mean “a big dog.” However, 大きいです ✅ and 大きなです ❌ — you cannot use 大きな after です. The same pattern applies to 小さい / 小さな.
YukaThe いる vs ある thing was something I messed up for weeks. I kept saying ねこがあります and everyone looked at me strangely!
ReiHa — that is one of the most common beginner slips, and the fix is quick once you have the rule: living things use いる, non-living things use ある. The tricky edge case is plants — they are living, but in Japanese grammar they use ある because they cannot move on their own. Once you learn that exception, the rule is almost completely reliable for N5-level vocabulary.
6-Week JLPT N5 Vocabulary Study Plan
This plan assumes you study 30–45 minutes per day. Adjust the pace to your schedule — the most important thing is consistent daily review, not the number of new words you add each session. Spaced repetition (Anki or a similar app) is strongly recommended alongside this plan.
| Week | Focus Category | Target Words | Review Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Greetings + Core Nouns | 12 expressions + 20 nouns (from this guide’s tables) | Flashcards: Japanese side → English meaning. Say each word aloud. |
| Week 2 | Core Verbs + Particles | 18 verbs with particle notes | Write one full sentence per verb. Focus on に vs で distinction. |
| Week 3 | Adjectives (い and な) | 14 い-adjectives + 12 な-adjectives | Practice negative and past forms. Flashcards: English → Japanese. |
| Week 4 | Time / Date + Place / Direction Words | 17 time words + 14 place/direction words | Describe your daily schedule using time words. Draw a room and label positions. |
| Week 5 | Full Review + Quiz | All categories reviewed together | Take the Quick Quiz below. Identify weak spots. Re-read common mistakes section. |
| Week 6 | Weak-Point Review + Mock Test | Focus on words missed in Week 5 | Practice with N5-style fill-in-the-blank sentences. Take a timed mock vocabulary section. |
One rule for all six weeks: Every time you add a new word to your flashcard deck, include a full sentence — not just the word and its translation. The sentence is what makes the vocabulary stick.
Which N5 vocabulary category do you find hardest — verbs and particles, adjective types, or time expressions? Or maybe the いる vs ある distinction? Leave a comment below and let us know how you are approaching your N5 vocabulary study. Your question might help other readers who are working through the same challenge.
Quick Quiz: Test Your N5 Vocabulary
These five questions are modeled on the question formats used in the actual JLPT N5 vocabulary section. Try each one before checking the answer.
Question 1 — Reading Identification
What is the correct reading of 昨日?
A) さくじつ B) きのう C) きょう D) こんにち
Answer: B — きのう. This is an irregular reading. さくじつ exists but is formal/written Japanese, not standard N5 speech. きょう means “today”; こんにち is not a standalone word.
Question 2 — Meaning Matching
Which word means “convenient” or “handy”?
A) 静か（しずか） B) 便利（べんり） C) 有名（ゆうめい） D) 元気（げんき）
Answer: B — 便利（べんり）. 静か = quiet; 有名 = famous; 元気 = healthy/well.
Question 3 — Particle Fill-in
Choose the correct particle: 図書館（としょかん）_____ 本（ほん）を読（よ）みます。
A) に B) を C) が D) で
Answer: D — で. The action of reading takes place at the library, so the location particle で is correct. に would indicate destination (going to the library), not where the action happens.
Question 4 — Sentence Completion
Choose the correct word: この映画（えいが）は_____ ですか。とても_____ です！
A) おいしい B) 暑い（あつい） C) 楽しい（たのしい） D) 寒い（さむい）
Answer: C — 楽しい（たのしい）. “Is this film…?” “It is very fun/enjoyable!” おいしい (delicious) applies to food; 暑い (hot) applies to weather or temperature; 寒い (cold) applies to weather.
Question 5 — Adjective Type (い vs な)
Which of these is a な-adjective?
A) 楽しい（たのしい） B) きれい C) 高い（たかい） D) 古い（ふるい）
Answer: B — きれい. Despite ending in the sound “i,” きれい is a な-adjective. You say きれいな部屋（へや）, not ❌きれい部屋 or ❌きれいい部屋. The other three options are all い-adjectives that conjugate normally.
Keep Learning
Ready to go further? These JPyokoso guides connect directly to what you have been studying in this article.
