Words for Japanese Basics

学生（がくせい）

student (esp. a university student)

日本人（にほんじん）

Japanese person

アメリカ人（アメリカじん）

American person

貴方（あなた）

you (trad. polite in ref. to someone of equal or lower status, now oft. regarded as rude or distant); {fam} dear, honey (used by wives addressing their husbands)

医者（いしゃ）

doctor, physician

忙しい（いそがしい）

busy, occupied, hectic; restless, hurried, fidgety

車（くるま）

car, automobile, vehicle; wheel, castor, caster

高い（たかい）

high, tall; expensive, high-priced; high (level), above average (in degree, quality, etc.); loud; high-pitched, shrill

鉛筆（えんぴつ）

pencil

安い（やすい）

cheap, inexpensive; calm, peaceful, quiet

寿司（すし）

{food} sushi, range of dishes made with vinegared rice combined with fish, vegetables, egg, etc.

美味しい（おいしい）

good(-tasting), nice, delicious, tasty; attractive (offer, opportunity, etc.), appealing, convenient, favorable, desirable, profitable

今日（きょう）

today, this day

暑い（あつい）

hot, warm, sultry, heated; passionate, impassioned, burning (desire, etc.); on everybody's mind, on the radar, du jour, interested (gaze, etc.)

明日（あした）

tomorrow

土曜日（どようび）

Saturday

試験（しけん）

examination, exam, test; trial, experiment, test

難しい（むずかしい）

difficult, hard, troublesome, complicated, serious (disease, problem, etc.); {euph} impossible, unfeasible; fussy, particular, fastidious, hard to please, displeased; gloomy, glum, sullen, serious (look); {arch} dirty, unclean, filthy, detestable; {arch} unpleasant, uncomfortable, creepy, spooky

親切（しんせつ）

kind, gentle, considerate, generous, friendly, nice

元気（げんき）

lively, full of spirit, energetic, vigorous, vital, spirited; healthy, well, fit, in good health

暇（ひま）

spare time, free time, leisure; time (it takes to do something), time required; time off, leave, vacation, holiday; dismissal, firing, severance, divorce; {adj-na} free, not busy, unoccupied, idle; {adj-na} slow (business), slack, dull; {vs} {vi} {col} to be free, to be not busy, to be available, to be doing nothing

会社員（かいしゃいん）

company employee, office worker, white-collar worker

ハンサム

handsome

此処（ここ）

here, this place; this point, here, now; these past … (e.g. three years), these last … (followed by a duration noun); the next … (e.g. few days), these next … (followed by a duration noun)

有名（ゆうめい）

famous, well-known

此れ（これ）

this, this one (indicating an item near the speaker, the action of the speaker, or the current topic); this person (usu. indicating someone in one's in-group); now, this point (in time); {dated} here; {adv} {form} used to stress the subject of a sentence; {arch} I, me

ペン

pen

部屋（へや）

room, chamber; apartment, flat, pad; {sumo} {abbr} stable

日曜日（にちようび）

Sunday

恋人（こいびと）

lover, sweetheart, boyfriend, girlfriend

大学（だいがく）

university, college; {hist} {abbr} former imperial university of Japan (established under the ritsuryō system for the training of government administrators); the Great Learning (one of the Four Books)

先生（せんせい）

teacher, instructor, master; {hon} sensei, title or form of address for a teacher, master, doctor, lawyer, etc.; {fam} {joc} intimate or teasing form of address; {arch} one's elder (orig. meaning)

カメラ

camera

雑誌（ざっし）

journal, magazine, periodical

其れ（それ）

that, it (indicating an item or person near the listener, the action of the listener, or something on their mind); then, that point (in time), that time; {arch} there (indicating a place near the listener); {arch} you

本（ほん）

book, volume, script; {pref} this, present, current, … in question, … at issue; {pref} main, head, principal; {pref} real, genuine, regular, proper; {ctr} counter for long, cylindrical things, counter for films, TV shows, etc., counter for goals, home runs, etc., counter for telephone calls

彼（あれ）

that, that thing (indicating something distant from both speaker and listener (in space, time or psychologically), or something understood without naming it directly); that person (used to refer to one's equals or inferiors); then, that time; that place (over there); {n} {col} {euph} down there (i.e. one's genitals); {n} {col} {euph} period, menses

日本語（にほんご）

Japanese (language)

辞書（じしょ）

dictionary, lexicon; {arch} letter of resignation

友達（ともだち）

friend, companion

鞄（かばん）

bag, satchel, briefcase, basket

日本（にほん）

Japan

家（いえ）

house, residence, dwelling; family, household; lineage, family name

大きい（おおきい）

big, large, great; loud; extensive, spacious; important, decisive, valuable; older, grown up

狭い（せまい）

narrow, confined, small, cramped; limited, narrow-minded, confining

料理（りょうり）

cooking, cookery, cuisine, meal, food, dish, item on a menu; (easily) dealing with something, handling (well)

中国人（ちゅうごくじん）

Chinese person

お母さん（おかあさん）

{hon} mother, mom, mum, ma; {hon} wife; {pn} {fam} you (of an elderly person older than the speaker), she, her

会社（かいしゃ）

company, corporation, firm; one's workplace

お菓子（おかし）

confections, sweets, candy, cake

優しい（やさしい）

tender, kind, gentle, graceful, affectionate, amiable

母（はは）

{hum} mother

美しい（うつくしい）

beautiful, pretty, lovely, sweet, pure (heart, friendship, etc.)

人（ひと）

person, someone, somebody; human beings, mankind, man, people, humans; human (Homo sapiens); (other) people, others; character, personality, nature; capable person, competent person, suitable person, right person; adult, grown-up; I, me, one (used when rebuking or criticizing someone)

珈琲（コーヒー）

coffee

明るい（あかるい）

light, well-lit, well-lighted; bright (of a colour), brightly-coloured, brightly-colored; cheerful, bright, spirited, sunny (e.g. disposition); encouraging (for the future of a project, etc.), promising, of fair prospects; familiar (with), knowledgeable (about), well versed (in); fair (e.g. politics), clean, impartial

店員（てんいん）

employee (of a store), shop assistant, clerk, salesperson

野球（やきゅう）

baseball

楽しい（たのしい）

enjoyable, fun, pleasant, happy, delightful

スポーツ

sport, sports

其処（そこ）

there (place relatively near listener); there (place just mentioned), that place; then (of some incident just spoken of), that (of point just raised); {arch} you

広い（ひろい）

spacious, vast, wide

店（みせ）

store, shop, establishment, restaurant

ビル

{abbr} multi-floor building, multi-storey building

いい

good, excellent, fine, nice, pleasant, agreeable; sufficient, enough, ready, prepared; profitable (deal, business offer, etc.), beneficial; OK, all right, fine, no problem

天気（てんき）

weather; fair weather, fine weather

荷物（にもつ）

luggage, baggage, package; burden; payload (of a packet, cell, etc.)

軽い（かるい）

light (i.e. not heavy), feeling light (i.e. offering little resistance, moving easily); light (i.e. of foot), effortless, nimble, agile; non-serious, minor, unimportant, trivial; slight, small, gentle, soft, easy, lighthearted (e.g. joke); easy, simple; indiscriminate

スーツケース

suitcase

猫（ねこ）

cat (esp. the domestic cat, Felis catus); shamisen; geisha; {abbr} wheelbarrow; {abbr} clay bed-warmer; {sl} bottom (submissive partner of a homosexual relationship)

可愛い（かわいい）

cute, adorable, charming, lovely, pretty; dear, precious, darling, pet; innocent, childlike, childish, lovable; dainty, little, tiny

動物（どうぶつ）

animal

父（ちち）

{hum} (one's own) father

歌手（かしゅ）

singer

真面目（まじめ）

serious, earnest, sober, grave; honest, sincere

大切（たいせつ）

important, significant, serious, crucial; precious, valuable, dear, cherished, beloved; careful

簡単（かんたん）

simple, easy, uncomplicated; brief, quick, light

問題（もんだい）

question (e.g. on a test), problem; problem (e.g. societal, political), question, issue, subject (e.g. of research), case, matter; question (i.e. doubt); public discussion, controversy; trouble, problem, inconvenience, difficulty

安全（あんぜん）

safety, security

国（くに）

country, state; region; national government, central government; home (i.e. hometown, home country); {hist} province (of Japan); {arch} land, earth

素敵（すてき）

lovely, wonderful, nice, great, fantastic, superb, cool

公園（こうえん）

(public) park

スーパー

{abbr} supermarket; {abbr} subtitles, telop; {abbr} superheterodyne; {adj-f} super

便利（べんり）

convenient, handy, useful

外（そと）

outside, exterior; the open (air); other place, somewhere else, outside one's group (family, company, etc.)

暗い（くらい）

dark, gloomy, murky; depressed, dispirited, down in the dumps, dark (mood); dark (in colour), dull; ill-boding, dark (e.g. past), suspicious; unlikely (to succeed), hopeless, unpromising; unfamiliar (with), ignorant (of)

漫画（まんが）

cartoon, comic, comic strip, manga

面白い（おもしろい）

interesting, fascinating, intriguing, enthralling; amusing, funny, comical; enjoyable, fun, entertaining, pleasant, agreeable; good, satisfactory, favourable, desirable, encouraging (usu. in the negative)

音楽（おんがく）

music

冬（ふゆ）

winter

寒い（さむい）

cold (e.g. weather); uninteresting (esp. joke), lame, dull, weak, corny

海（うみ）

sea, ocean, waters; beach

アイス

ice; {abbr} ice cream; {abbr} ice pop, ice lolly, popsicle; {adj-f} cold, iced (e.g. iced tea, iced coffee); {sl} ice (stimulant drug); {arch} {col} usurer, usury, loansharking

冷たい（つめたい）

cold (to the touch), chilly, icy, freezing; (emotionally) cold, coldhearted, unfeeling, indifferent, unfriendly, distant

赤ちゃん（あかちゃん）

baby, infant

格好いい（かっこいい）

attractive, good-looking, stylish, cool, smooth, neat, with-it, groovy

勉強（べんきょう）

study; diligence, working hard; experience, lesson (for the future); discount, price reduction

眠い（ねむい）

sleepy, drowsy, somnolent

心配（しんぱい）

worry, concern, anxiety, uneasiness, fear; {dated} care, help, aid, assistance

複雑（ふくざつ）

complex, complicated, intricate, mixed (feelings)