JLPT N5 Japanese Vocabulary Study Guide

Overview of the JLPT N5 Vocabulary List

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N5 level focuses on basic Japanese language skills. This study guide covers a total of $673$ basic words, which are categorized to be easy to learn and easy to test by oneself. Audio material is included to assist with pronunciation. The vocabulary presented here is sourced from nihongolibrary.com and covers the foundational building blocks of the language, ranging from nouns (めいし) and verbs (どうし) to adjectives and adverbs.

Personal Identity and Roles

The vocabulary for individuals and their professional roles includes the following terms: 私 (I/me), 私達 (we/us), 貴方 (you), 人 (person), 方 (person/direction), 人 (person), and 皆さん (everyone). Other social roles and occupations mentioned are 友だち (friend), 先生 (teacher), 教師 (instructor), 学生 (student), 会社員 (company employee), 銀行員 (bank employee), and 医者 (doctor).

Identity-related questions and basic identifiers include 誰 (who), 何歳 (how old), 何時 (what time), and 何 (what). Regarding the marital status and specific titles for family members or others, the list includes 独身 (single), ご主人 (husband - someone else's), 主人 (husband - one's own), 奥さん (wife - someone else's), and 家内 (wife - one's own).

Household Objects and Physical Items

The materials and objects found in daily life (もの) are categorized extensively. These include 本 (book), 新聞 (newspaper), 雑誌 (magazine), 鉛筆 (pencil), 鞄 (bag), 辞書 (dictionary), 手帳 (notebook/planner), 名刺 (business card), 鍵 (key), 時計 (watch/clock), 傘 (umbrella), 車 (car), 机 (desk), and 椅子 (chair). Other physical items are 切手 (stamp), 葉書 (postcard), 手紙 (letter), 映画 (movie), 電話 (telephone), 靴 (shoes), 眼鏡 (glasses), and 帽子 (hat).

Additional items for study and home include 宿題 (homework), 写真 (photograph), 野球 (baseball), 絵 (picture/painting), 冷蔵庫 (refrigerator), 棚 (shelf), 窓 (window), 消しゴム (eraser), 薬 (medicine), 上着 (jacket/coat), 下着 (underwear), 鋏 (scissors), 紙 (paper), and 花 (flower). Travel and financial items include 荷物 (baggage/luggage), お金 (money), 切符 (ticket), and お土産 (souvenir). Miscellaneous household and office goods include 封筒 (envelope), 電池 (battery), 箱 (box), 機械 (machine), 故障 (breakdown/out of order), and 字 (character/letter).

Food, Beverages, and Sustenance

Beverages (のみもの) include 水 (water), お茶 (tea), 紅茶 (black tea), 牛乳 (milk), and お酒 (alcohol). Food items (たべもの) consist of 卵 (egg), 肉 (meat), 魚 (fish), 野菜 (vegetables), and 果物 (fruit). Other related items include お菓子 (sweets/snacks), 弁当 (boxed lunch), 塩 (salt), 砂糖 (sugar), 林檎 (apple), and 蜜柑 (mandarin orange).

Meals are categorized by the time of day: ご飯 (meal/rice), 朝ご飯 (breakfast), 昼ご飯 (lunch), and 晩ご飯 (dinner). Dining preferences and orders are represented by terms like 注文 (order) and 定食 (set meal).

Family Structures and Relational Terms

The transcript provides terms for family (Fami ly – かぞく) which include お父さん (father), お母さん (mother), お兄さん (older brother), お姉さん (older sister), 弟 (younger brother), and 妹 (younger sister). Specific relational terms also include 夫 (husband), 妻 (wife), 子供 (child), お祖父さん/お爺さん (grandfather), お祖母さん/お婆さん (grandmother), 両親 (parents), and 兄弟 (siblings). Formal references to one's own family include 父 (father), 母 (mother), 姉 (older sister), and 兄 (older brother).

Locations, Places, and Natural Environments

General places (ばしょ) include 大学 (university), 学校 (school), 公園 (park), 病院 (hospital), お店 (shop), 部屋 (room), 教室 (classroom), 会社 (company), 山 (mountain), and 町 (town). Institutional locations include 銀行 (bank), 郵便局 (post office), 図書館 (library), 美術館 (museum), 駅 (station), 大使館 (embassy), 喫茶店 (coffee shop), and 本屋 (bookstore). Outdoor and recreational spaces include 庭 (garden), 川 (river), 駐車場 (parking lot), 空港 (airport), 海 (sea), 乗り場 (boarding area/platform), お寺 (temple), and 神社 (shrine).

Administrative and work locations consist of 市役所 (city hall), 食堂 (cafeteria), 事務所 (office), 会議室 (conference room), 受付 (reception), 地下 (basement), 床屋 (barbershop), and 歯医者 (dentist). The concepts of home, surrounding areas, and administrative divisions are covered by 寮 (dormitory), 田舎 (countryside), 住所 (address), and 県 (prefecture). Natural elements and environmental concepts include 木 (tree), 世界 (world), 外国 (foreign country), and 道 (road).

Expressions of Time, Temporal Context, and Holidays

Time-related terms (じかん) include 今日 (today), 昨日 (yesterday), 明日 (tomorrow), 朝 (morning), 昼 (noon/daytime), and 夜 (night). Period-specific words include 先週 (last week), 今週 (this week), 来週 (next week), 先月 (last month), 今月 (this month), 来月 (next month), 去年 (last year), 今年 (this year), and 来年 (next year).

Specific temporal intervals and recurring times include 一昨日 (day before yesterday), 明後日 (day after tomorrow), 今朝 (this morning), 今晩 (this evening), 昨晩 (last night), 毎朝 (every morning), 毎晩 (every evening), 毎日 (every day), and 昼休み (lunch break). The system for the days of the week is 月曜日 (Monday), 火曜日 (Tuesday), 水曜日 (Wednesday), 木曜日 (Thursday), 金曜日 (Friday), 土曜日 (Saturday), 日曜日 (Sunday), and several queries such as 何曜日 (which day of the week) and 週末 (weekend).

Seasons and holidays include 季節 (seasons), 春 (spring), 夏 (summer), 秋 (autumn), 冬 (winter), 祭り (festival), 正月 (New Year), and お花見 (cherry blossom viewing). Other time-related nouns include 誕生日 (birthday), 時間 (time), 用事 (business/errand), and 約束 (promise/appointment).

Quantitative Adverbs and Frequency Terms

Frecuency (frequency) and quantity adverbs involve the following: 大抵 (usually), 時々 (sometimes), 全然 (never/not at all), 一緒に (together), 早く (early/fast), 特に (especially), and 皆で (all together). Other adverbs including degree and logic are 本当に (really), 自分で (by oneself), 最近 (recently), この間 (the other day), 次に (next), 後で (later), 多分 (perhaps), 一人で (alone), 一度 (once), 一度も (never once), 何回も (many times), 暫く (for a while), 勿論 (of course), and 頃 (about/around).

Regarding quantity and logic, terms include 結構 (fine/sufficient), 実は (as a matter of fact), 初めて (for the first time), 他に (besides/other), 同じ (same), and 全部で (in total).

Comprehensive List of Adjectives

Adjectives are split into two categories: い-Adjectives and な-adjectives.

The い-Adjectives are as follows: 大きい (big), 小さい (small), 難しい (difficult), 易しい (easy), 優しい (kind), 暑い (hot - weather), 熱い (hot - objects), 寒い (cold - weather), 冷たい (cold - objects), 新しい (new), 古い (old), 高い (expensive/high), 安い (cheap), 低い (low), 楽しい (fun), 良い (good), 悪い (bad), 面白い (interesting), 忙しい (busy), 美味しい (delicious), 近い (near), 遠い (far), 速い (fast), 早い (early), 遅い (slow/late), 多い (many), 少ない (few), 暖かい/温かい (warm), 涼しい (cool), 甘い (sweet), 辛い (spicy), 重い (heavy), 軽い (light), 広い (wide), 狭い (narrow), 若い (young), 長い (long), 短い (short), 危ない (dangerous), 痛い (painful), 眠い (sleepy), 強い (strong), 弱い (weak), 寂しい (lonely), 明るい (bright), and 暗い (dark). Combined forms include 背が高い (tall), 頭が良い (smart), 調子が良い (good condition), 調子が悪い (bad condition), and 体に良い (good for the body).

The な-adjectives are as follows: 元気 (healthy/energetic), 親切 (kind), 綺麗 (beautiful/clean), 有名 (famous), 賑やか (busy/lively), 静か (quiet), 暇 (free time), 便利 (convenient), 好き (like), 嫌い (dislike), 上手 (skillful), 下手 (unskillful), 無理 (impossible), 不便 (inconvenient), 無駄 (wasteful), 大切 (important), 大丈夫 (okay), 色々 (various), 簡単 (easy), and 大変 (difficult/hard).

The Verb System (Group 1, Group 5, and Irregular)

Verbs are categorized by the transcript into Group 1, Group 5, and Irregular verbs.

Verbs group 1 include: 食べる (to eat), 寝る (to sleep), 起きる (to wake up), 見る (to see), 考える (to think), 降りる (to get off), 見える (to be visible), 聞こえる (to be audible), 教える (to teach), 着る (to wear), 変える (to change), 出る (to leave/go out), 調べる (to investigate), 始める (to start), 捨てる (to throw away), 生まれる (to be born), 借りる (to borrow), 閉める (to close), 止める (to stop), 開ける (to open), 迎える (to welcome), 疲れる (to get tired), 点ける (to turn on), 負ける (to lose), 覚える (to remember), 渡りる (to cross), 辞める (to quit/resign), 止める (to stop), and (めがねを)かける (to put on glasses/wear glasses), 入れる (to put in), and 慣れる (to get used to).

Verbs group 5 include: 書く (to write), 話す (to speak), 読む (to read), 飲む (to drink), 聞く (to listen), 行く (to go), 働く (to work), 帰る (to return), 買う (to buy), 取る (to take), 撮る (to take a photo), 会う (to meet), 吸う (to smoke/breathe), 分かる (to understand), 送る (to send), 貸す (to lend), 切る (to cut), 習う (to learn), 乗る (to ride), 手伝う (to help), 見せる (to show), 忘れる (to forget), 出かける (to go out), 知る (to know), 住む (to live), 泳ぐ (to swim), 休む (to rest), 作る (to make), 売る (to sell), 押す (to push), 言う (to say), 払う (to pay), 遊ぶ (to play), 洗う (to wash), 歌う (to sing), 待つ (to wait), (シャワーを)浴びる (to take a shower - note: transcript groups 浴びる here), 思い出す (to remember/recall), 持って来る (to bring), 歩く (to walk), 出す (to take out), 入る (to enter), 思う (to think), 引く (to pull), 履く (to wear shoes/pants), 直す (to repair/correct), 脱ぐ (to take off clothes), 持って行く (to take), 着く (to arrive), 勝つ (to win), 役に立つ (to be useful), 返す (to return something), 触る (to touch), 要る (to need), 消す (to turn off), 持つ (to hold), 呼ぶ (to call), 降る (to fall/rain), 急ぐ (to hurry), 曲がる (to turn), 被る (to put on a hat), 泊まる (to stay over), 弾く (to play an instrument), 頑張る (to do one's best), 使う (to use), 置く (to put/place), 立つ (to stand), and 座る (to sit).

Irregular verbs include: 来る (to come), 勉強する (to study), 料理する (to cook), 散歩する (to take a walk), 掃除する (to clean), 洗濯する (to do laundry), 練習する (to practice), 紹介する (to introduce), 引越しする (to move house), 案内する (to guide), 説明する (to explain), 運転する (to drive), 予約する (to reserve), 結婚する (to marry), 買い物する (to shop), 食事する (to have a meal), 留学する (to study abroad), 心配する (to worry), 修理する (to repair), 残業する (to work overtime), and 出張する (to go on a business trip).

Physical Body Parts and Health-Related Vocabulary

Parts of the body (Nouns – めいし) include: 顔 (face), 目 (eye), 耳 (ear), 口 (mouth), 歯 (tooth), お腹 (stomach), 足 (leg/foot), 体 (body), 頭 (head), 髪 (hair), 手 (hand), and 喉 (throat). Related concepts include 健康 and 調子 (condition), and specific conditions like 風邪 (cold), 熱 (fever), and 病気 (illness).

Transportation, Directions, and Prepositions

Modes of transport include 飛行機 (airplane), 自動車 (automobile), 電車 (train), 地下鉄 (subway), 船 (ship), 自転車 (bicycle), タクシー (taxi), and the phrase 歩いて (on foot). The Shinkansen is specifically identified as 新幹線.

Prepositions (ぜんちし) and spatial relations are summarized as follows: 上 (up/on), 下 (down/under), 前 (before/front), 後ろ (after/back), 右 (right), 左 (left), 中 (inside), 外 (outside), 隣 (next to), 近く (near), and 間 (between). Navigational and structural terms include 時刻表 (timetable), 交差点 (intersection), 信号 (traffic light), 角 (corner), 階段 (stairs), 橋 (bridge), and 交通 (traffic).

Abstract Concepts, Occupations, and Miscellaneous Nouns

Economic and political terms include 円 (Yen), 金額 (amount of money), 物価 (prices), 経済 (economy), 首相 (Prime Minister), 大統領 (President), 政治 (politics), and 国際 (international). Organizational and social nouns include 会社 (company), 会議 (meeting), 意見 (opinion), 社長 (company president), 転勤 (job transfer), 家賃 (rent), 独身 (single), 禁煙 (no smoking), and 事務所 (office).

Other abstract nouns and situational terms include 音楽 (music), 歌 (song), 料理 (cooking), 試験 (examination), 高校 (high school), 趣味 (hobby), 美術 (art), 釣り (fishing), 準備 (preparation), 速達 (express delivery), 書留 (registered mail), 航空便 (airmail), 船便 (sea mail), お釣り (change), 現金 (cash), 資料 (materials/data), 問題 (problem/question), 答え (answer), 休み (holiday/rest), 試合 (match/game), 動物 (animal), 馬 (horse), 生活 (life), 仕事 (work), 和室 (Japanese-style room), 布団 (futon), 音 (sound), 押し入れ (closet), 暗証番号 (PIN), 確認 (confirmation), 登録 (registration), 事 (thing/matter), 言葉 (word), 話 (talk/story), 意味 (meaning), and 日記 (diary).

Colors and Descriptive Adverbs

Colors (いろ) in the N5 vocabulary list are identified as: 赤い (red), 青い (blue), 黄色い (yellow), 黒い (black), 白い (white), and 緑 (green). The concept of demonstratives is mentioned as "Demterminative demonstrative pronuns" and "Determinative demostrative adjectives". Finally, adverbs that specify direction or wholeness include 真っ直ぐ (straight ahead) and 全部で (in total).