JLPT N5 Vocabulary List

100 essential words you must know for JLPT N5. These form the foundation of all Japanese communication — master them before moving to N4.

Words~800

This list100 core

Study time4–6 weeks

LevelAbsolute beginner

Showing 97 of 97 words

Word	Reading	Romaji	Meaning	Type
私	わたし	watashi	I, me	pronoun
人	ひと	hito	person, people	noun
日本	にほん	nihon	Japan	noun
食べる	たべる	taberu	to eat	verb
飲む	のむ	nomu	to drink	verb
行く	いく	iku	to go	verb
来る	くる	kuru	to come	verb
見る	みる	miru	to see, watch	verb
聞く	きく	kiku	to listen, ask	verb
話す	はなす	hanasu	to speak	verb
読む	よむ	yomu	to read	verb
書く	かく	kaku	to write	verb
買う	かう	kau	to buy	verb
売る	うる	uru	to sell	verb
大きい	おおきい	ookii	big, large	adj-i
小さい	ちいさい	chiisai	small, little	adj-i
新しい	あたらしい	atarashii	new	adj-i
古い	ふるい	furui	old (object)	adj-i
高い	たかい	takai	tall, expensive	adj-i
安い	やすい	yasui	cheap, inexpensive	adj-i
早い	はやい	hayai	fast, early	adj-i
遅い	おそい	osoi	slow, late	adj-i
好き	すき	suki	like, favourite	adj-na
嫌い	きらい	kirai	dislike	adj-na
元気	げんき	genki	healthy, energetic	adj-na
今日	きょう	kyou	today	noun
明日	あした	ashita	tomorrow	noun
昨日	きのう	kinou	yesterday	noun
今	いま	ima	now	noun
時間	じかん	jikan	time, hours	noun
学校	がっこう	gakkou	school	noun
先生	せんせい	sensei	teacher	noun
学生	がくせい	gakusei	student	noun
友達	ともだち	tomodachi	friend	noun
家族	かぞく	kazoku	family	noun
父	ちち	chichi	father (own)	noun
母	はは	haha	mother (own)	noun
電車	でんしゃ	densha	train	noun
駅	えき	eki	station	noun
病院	びょういん	byouin	hospital	noun
店	みせ	mise	shop, store	noun
会社	かいしゃ	kaisha	company, office	noun
仕事	しごと	shigoto	work, job	noun
水	みず	mizu	water	noun
食べ物	たべもの	tabemono	food	noun
飲み物	のみもの	nomimono	drink, beverage	noun
お金	おかね	okane	money	noun
時計	とけい	tokei	clock, watch	noun
電話	でんわ	denwa	phone	noun
本	ほん	hon	book	noun
語	ご	go	language	noun
名前	なまえ	namae	name	noun
住所	じゅうしょ	juusho	address	noun
いつ	いつ	itsu	when	pronoun
どこ	どこ	doko	where	pronoun
だれ	だれ	dare	who	pronoun
なに	なに	nani	what	pronoun
どれ	どれ	dore	which one	pronoun
ある	ある	aru	to exist (inanimate)	verb
いる	いる	iru	to exist (animate)	verb
する	する	suru	to do	verb
なる	なる	naru	to become	verb
わかる	わかる	wakaru	to understand	verb
知る	しる	shiru	to know	verb
帰る	かえる	kaeru	to return home	verb
起きる	おきる	okiru	to wake up	verb
寝る	ねる	neru	to sleep	verb
入る	はいる	hairu	to enter	verb
出る	でる	deru	to exit, leave	verb
会う	あう	au	to meet	verb
使う	つかう	tsukau	to use	verb
待つ	まつ	matsu	to wait	verb
思う	おもう	omou	to think, feel	verb
言う	いう	iu	to say	verb
右	みぎ	migi	right (direction)	noun
左	ひだり	hidari	left (direction)	noun
上	うえ	ue	above, up	noun
下	した	shita	below, down	noun
前	まえ	mae	front, before	noun
後ろ	うしろ	ushiro	behind, back	noun
中	なか	naka	inside, middle	noun
外	そと	soto	outside	noun
毎日	まいにち	mainichi	every day	adv
毎週	まいしゅう	maishuu	every week	adv
もう	もう	mou	already, anymore	adv
まだ	まだ	mada	still, not yet	adv
また	また	mata	again	adv
とても	とても	totemo	very	adv
あまり	あまり	amari	not very (+ negative)	adv
よく	よく	yoku	often, well	adv
少し	すこし	sukoshi	a little	adv
たくさん	たくさん	takusan	many, a lot	adv
ください	ください	kudasai	please give me	expression
ありがとう	ありがとう	arigatou	thank you	expression
すみません	すみません	sumimasen	excuse me, sorry	expression
はじめまして	はじめまして	hajimemashite	nice to meet you	expression
よろしく	よろしく	yoroshiku	please treat me well	expression

How to Study N5 Vocabulary

The JLPT N5 vocabulary list contains approximately 800 words, but this list of 100 covers the highest-frequency items that appear most often in practice tests and real-life conversation. Focus on these first.

The most effective study method for vocabulary is spaced repetition. Use a flashcard app (Anki is free and excellent) to create a deck with these words. Aim to review 20–30 new cards per day and keep up with reviews. At this rate, you can cover all 100 words in about a week, with strong retention after another 3–4 weeks of review.

Learn words in context, not isolation — always see them in a sentence
Prioritise verbs and adjectives first — they appear everywhere
Learn both the kanji and hiragana reading together from day one
Review older cards daily — even 5 minutes of review prevents forgetting
Group words by category (food, places, time) for faster recall
Look for cognates — many N5 words appear in common phrases you've heard

Check Your N5 Writing for Errors

Writing practice is the fastest way to lock in vocabulary. ZISTICA MOJIIQ analyses your Japanese sentences and corrects mistakes in real time — free.

Check My Japanese →N5 overview