JLPT N4 vocabulary list: 666 words

The 666 new words of JLPT N4, about CEFR level A2. With the words of the easier levels that makes 1,376 words in all. Listen to each word, see how it is written stroke by stroke and download the list as an Anki deck.

JLPT N4 Anki deckAll 666 words of JLPT N4 as two-sided cards.

#	Japanese	Reading	English
1	踏む	ふむfumu	to step on, to tread on
2	～区	～く～ku	~ district, ~ ward, ~ borough
3	すっと	すっとsutto	straight, quickly
4	盗む	ぬすむnusumu	to steal; to rob
5	大抵	たいていtaitei	generally, usually
6	とうとう	とうとうtoutou	finally, at last
7	ガソリン	ガソリンgasorin	gasoline, petrol
8	鳴る	なるnaru	to sound, to ring (v.i.)
9	しっかり	しっかりshikkari	firmly, steady
10	生きる	いきるikiru	to live
11	苦い	にがいnigai	bitter
12	沸く	わくwaku	to boil, to grow hot
13	意見	いけんiken	opinion, view, idea
14	やはり; やっぱり	やはり; やっぱりyahari; yappari	as I thought, absolutely
15	漫画	まんがmanga	comic (book), cartoon
16	ステレオ	ステレオsutereo	stereo
17	医学	いがくigaku	medical science
18	テキスト	テキストtekisuto	text; text book
19	～月	～つき～tsuki	month
20	折る	おるoru	to snap, to break; to bend
21	～会	～かい～kai	~ meeting
22	うかがう	うかがうukagau	to ask
23	聞こえる	きこえるkikoeru	to be heard, to be audible
24	僕	ぼくboku	I (used by men towards those of equal or lower status)
25	必ず	かならずkanarazu	surely, certainly
26	壊す	こわすkowasu	to break, to break down
27	怒る	おこるokoru	to get angry; to scold angrily
28	床屋	とこやtokoya	barber's (shop)
29	オートバイ	オートバイōtobai	motorcycle (lit: auto-bi(ke))
30	運動	うんどうするundousuru	exercise
31	止む	やむyamu	to cease, to stop
32	もし	もしmoshi	if
33	表	おもてomote	surface; front; outside
34	大学生	だいがくせいdaigakusei	college student, university student
35	運転手	うんてんしゅuntenshu	driver (by occupation)
36	予習	よしゅうyoshuu	preparation of lessons (for class)
37	心配	しんぱいするshinpaisuru	worry, concern
38	別	べつbetsu	distinction, different
39	非常に	ひじょうにhijouni	extremely; very
40	お宅	おたくotaku	(someone else's) house; home -- polite word for 家 (いえ) --
41	柔らかい	やわらかいyawarakai	soft (in reference to texture), tender
42	拾う	ひろうhirou	to pick up (something), to find
43	～ございます	～ございます～gozaimasu	to be (polite), to exist
44	気	きki	spirit, mood
45	比べる	くらべるkuraberu	to compare
46	ほとんど	ほとんどhotondo	mostly, almost
47	つもり	つもりtsumori	intention, plan
48	郊外	こうがいkougai	suburb, outskirts
49	だめ	だめdame	useless, no good, hopeless
50	売り場	うりばuriba	place where things are sold
51	正月	しょうがつshougatsu	New Year, New Year's Day
52	規則	きそくkisoku	rule, regulation
53	うん	うんun	yes (informal), all right (ok)
54	発音	はつおんhatsuon	pronunciation
55	焼く	やくyaku	to bake, to grill
56	屋上	おくじょうokujou	rooftop
57	失礼	しつれいshitsurei	discourtesy, impoliteness; Excuse me
58	ごみ	ごみgomi	trash, garbage
59	アフリカ	アフリカafurika	Africa
60	点	てんten	mark, score, grade; point, dot
61	一生懸命	いっしょうけんめいisshoukenmei	very hard (as in "to work hard"), with utmost effort
62	今度	こんどkondo	now, this time, near future, one of these days, next time
63	機会	きかいkikai	chance, opportunity
64	建てる	たてるtateru	to build
65	複雑	ふくざつfukuzatsu	complexity, complication
66	彼	かれkare	he, boyfriend
67	いらっしゃる	いらっしゃるirassharu	-- honorific expression for いく, くる, and いる --
68	布団	ふとんfuton	futon
69	大事	だいじdaiji	important, valuable, serious matter
70	贈り物	おくりものokurimono	a gift; a present
71	泥棒	どろぼうdorobou	thief; burglar
72	～製	～せい～sei	made in ~
73	注意	ちゅういchuui	caution, attention
74	台風	たいふうtaifuu	typhoon
75	日	ひhi	sun, sunshine, day
76	～軒	～けん～ken	counter for houses
77	そう	そうsou	really, (is that) so; yes, right
78	通る	とおるtooru	to pass (by), to go through
79	過ぎる	すぎるsugiru	to exceed, to go beyond
80	レポート; リポート	レポート; リポートrepōto; ripōto	report
81	葉	はha	leaf
82	必要	ひつようhitsuyou	necessary
83	課長	かちょうkachou	section manager
84	地震	じしんjishin	earthquake
85	すると	するとsuruto	and, then
86	止める	やめるyameru	to end, to stop
87	ガラス	ガラスgarasu	glass, pane
88	～学部	～がくぶ～gakubu	department of a university
89	厳しい	きびしいkibishii	hard; rigorous; strict
90	エスカレーター	エスカレーターesukarētā	escalator
91	人口	じんこうjinkou	population
92	月	つきtsuki	moon
93	絹	きぬkinu	silk
94	ちっとも	ちっともchittomo	not at all (neg. verb)
95	深い	ふかいfukai	deep, profound
96	壊れる	こわれるkowareru	to be broken, to break
97	揺れる	ゆれるyureru	to shake, to sway
98	落る	おちるochiru	to fall, to drop
99	できるだけ	できるだけdekirudake	if at all possible, as much as possible
100	悲しい	かなしいkanashii	sad, sorrowful

Other JLPT levels

JLPT N5 JLPT N3 JLPT N2 JLPT N1

Questions about JLPT N4

How many words are in JLPT N4?

This list holds 666 words for JLPT N4. Each level builds on the easier ones, so the full vocabulary up to JLPT N4 is 1,376 words.

Is this the official JLPT list?

No. The JLPT organisers have not published official vocabulary lists since 2010. This is a community list (by Jonathan Waller) that is widely used to study for each level: a good guide, not a guarantee of what the exam asks.

How should I study the JLPT N4 words?

Listen to each word and say it aloud, write the characters with the stroke guide, then review them as an Anki deck so you see each word again just before you would forget it.

Word lists: JLPT vocabulary lists by Jonathan Waller (tanos.co.uk, CC BY), through the open-anki-jlpt-decks project (MIT licence). The JLPT organisers do not publish official vocabulary lists, so these are community lists widely used for study. Vietnamese meanings are machine translations. Heylangs is not affiliated with the JLPT.