By Lymi

Japanese N4 Vocabulary

Practice 284 JLPT N4 Japanese words across 16 topics, picking up where Japanese N5 Vocabulary Practice leaves off. The JLPT has published no official word list since 2010, so every word was checked against the level 3 vocabulary of the pre-2010 Test Content Specifications and widely used N4 study lists. N4-oriented, not an official or complete list.

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JLPT N5 and N4: the format, every deck and its source

  • People and family

    女性

    woman; female

  • At home

    to throw away

    捨てる

  • School and study

    社会

    society; social studies

  • Verb pairs

    to drop; to lose

    落とす

  • Polite Japanese

    お祝い

    celebration; congratulatory gift

What’s inside

See all 284 cards

You start with People and family, and the next section opens as you learn the one before it.

  1. Section 1: People and family

    Start here16 cards

  2. Section 2: Everyday actions

    18 cards

  3. Section 3: Feelings

    17 cards

  4. Section 4: Body and health

    17 cards

  5. Section 5: At home

    17 cards

  6. Section 6: Food and shopping

    16 cards

  7. Section 7: Around town

    18 cards

  8. Section 8: Nature and weather

    16 cards

  9. Section 9: School and study

    17 cards

  10. Section 10: Work and plans

    18 cards

  11. Section 11: Free time and culture

    17 cards

  12. Section 12: Verb pairs

    20 cards

  13. Section 13: Describing things

    18 cards

  14. Section 14: Time words

    17 cards

  15. Section 15: Adverbs and linking words

    18 cards

  16. Section 16: Polite Japanese

    24 cards
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All 284 cards

In the order you learn them, one section at a time.

1People and family16 cards

祖父
grandfather
祖母
grandmother
夫
husband
妻
wife
主人
husband; owner, master
息子
son
娘
daughter; young woman
赤ちゃん
baby
彼
he; boyfriend
彼女
she; girlfriend
僕
I (mostly men and boys)
君
you (to an equal or junior)
男性
man; male
女性
woman; female
先輩
senior (at school or work)
客
guest; customer

2Everyday actions18 cards

思う
to think (have an opinion); to feel
考える
to think about, consider
思い出す
to remember, recall
調べる
to look up, check, investigate
探す
to look for
選ぶ
to choose
伝える
to pass on (a message), tell
手伝う
to help (with a task)
運ぶ
to carry, transport
届ける
to deliver; to hand in
急ぐ
to hurry
間に合う
to be in time; to be enough
遅れる
to be late
戻る
to go back, return
慣れる
to get used to
頑張る
to do one's best, keep going
間違える
to make a mistake; to mix up
迎える
to meet, welcome, pick up

3Feelings17 cards

嬉しい
glad, happy
悲しい
sad
寂しい
lonely; missing someone
恥ずかしい
embarrassed; ashamed; shy
怖い
scary; afraid
おかしい
funny; strange, not right
安心
relief, peace of mind
心配
worry
驚く
to be surprised
怒る
to get angry; to tell off
泣く
to cry
笑う
to laugh; to smile
喜ぶ
to be pleased, delighted
優しい
kind, gentle
真面目
serious, diligent, honest
気持ち
feeling; mood
興味
interest

4Body and health17 cards

具合
condition; how one feels
気分
mood; how one feels
熱
fever; heat
喉
throat
首
neck
腕
arm
背中
back (of the body)
指
finger; toe
髪
hair (on the head)
血
blood
けが
injury
入院
going into hospital
退院
leaving hospital
治る
to get better, heal
太る
to put on weight
痩せる
to lose weight
眠い
sleepy

5At home17 cards

引っ越す
to move (house)
片付ける
to tidy up, put away
住所
address
留守
being out, away from home
布団
futon (bedding on the floor)
畳
tatami mat
押し入れ
built-in cupboard (for futons)
鏡
mirror
暖房
heating
冷房
air conditioning (cooling)
湯
hot water
沸かす
to boil, heat (water)
ごみ
rubbish, trash
捨てる
to throw away
汚れる
to get dirty
起こす
to wake (someone) up; to cause
寝坊
oversleeping; sleepyhead

6Food and shopping16 cards

値段
price
払う
to pay
おつり
change (money back)
レジ
checkout, till
売り場
department (of a shop)
品物
goods, item
店員
shop assistant
足りる
to be enough
包む
to wrap
食事
meal
味
taste, flavour
匂い
smell
苦い
bitter
米
rice (uncooked)
お腹が空く
to get hungry
ごちそう
feast; treat

7Around town18 cards

乗り換える
to change (trains, buses)
急行
express (train)
特急
limited express
空港
airport
駐車場
car park, parking lot
交通
traffic; transport
運転
driving
事故
accident
通る
to pass (through, by)
通り
street, avenue
向かう
to head for; to face
途中
on the way; halfway
空く
to become free, empty
近所
neighbourhood
田舎
the countryside; one's home region
泊まる
to stay (overnight)
神社
Shinto shrine
寺
Buddhist temple

8Nature and weather16 cards

季節
season
天気予報
weather forecast
台風
typhoon
地震
earthquake
火事
fire (a building on fire)
揺れる
to shake, sway
止む
to stop (rain, wind)
冷える
to get cold, chill
空気
air; atmosphere
雲
cloud
星
star
月
moon; month
石
stone
葉
leaf
虫
insect, bug
島
island

9School and study17 cards

試験
exam
答え
answer
点
point, mark; dot
復習
review (of past lessons)
予習
preparing for a lesson
文法
grammar
発音
pronunciation
会話
conversation
専門
speciality, field, major
研究
research
数学
mathematics
歴史
history
社会
society; social studies
入学
starting school or university
卒業
graduation
高校
high school
規則
rule, regulation

10Work and plans18 cards

予定
plan, schedule
都合
convenience, circumstances
用事
errand, something to do
約束
promise; arrangement to meet
予約
reservation, booking
準備
preparation
連絡
contact, getting in touch
相談
talking over, asking advice
会議
meeting
経験
experience
計画
plan (worked out)
アルバイト
part-time job
社長
company president
部長
department head
課長
section chief
公務員
civil servant
受付
reception (desk)
事務所
office

11Free time and culture17 cards

趣味
hobby
楽しみ
pleasure; something to look forward to
楽しむ
to enjoy
遊び
play; fun
番組
programme (TV, radio)
漫画
manga, comics
小説
novel
試合
match, game (sport)
水泳
swimming
釣る
to fish, catch (a fish)
踊る
to dance
花見
cherry-blossom viewing
お祭り
festival
着物
kimono
美術館
art museum, gallery
動物園
zoo
景色
scenery, view

12Verb pairs20 cards

集まる
to gather, come together
集める
to collect, gather (something)
決まる
to be decided
決める
to decide
変わる
to change (by itself)
変える
to change (something)
壊れる
to break (down)
壊す
to break (something)
落ちる
to fall, drop
落とす
to drop; to lose
見つかる
to be found
見つける
to find
続く
to continue (by itself)
続ける
to continue (something)
直る
to be fixed, repaired
直す
to fix; to correct
下がる
to go down, drop
下げる
to lower
焼ける
to be grilled or baked; to burn
焼く
to grill, bake, roast

13Describing things18 cards

必要
necessary
大事
important, precious
特別
special
普通
ordinary, usual
十分
enough, plenty
無理
impossible; too much
だめ
no good; not allowed
丁寧
polite; careful, thorough
不便
inconvenient
変
strange, odd
珍しい
rare, unusual
素晴らしい
wonderful, splendid
美しい
beautiful
正しい
correct, right
危険
danger; dangerous
安全
safe; safety
固い
hard, stiff
柔らかい
soft, tender

14Time words17 cards

最近
recently; these days
この間
the other day
このごろ
these days, lately
今度
next time; this time
さっき
a moment ago
もうすぐ
soon, any time now
そろそろ
it's about time
しばらく
for a while
最初
the first; the beginning
最後
the last; the end
将来
future (someone's)
昔
long ago; the old days
今夜
tonight
昼間
daytime
たまに
once in a while
急に
suddenly
やっと
at last, finally

15Adverbs and linking words18 cards

必ず
without fail, always
きっと
surely, I'm sure
決して
never, by no means
全然
not at all
なかなか
quite; (not) easily
ずいぶん
very, considerably
だいぶ
a lot, considerably
特に
especially
たいてい
usually; mostly
ほとんど
almost all; hardly (with a negative)
はっきり
clearly
もちろん
of course
やっぱり
as expected; after all
なるべく
as far as possible
もし
if
例えば
for example
それに
besides, what's more
または
or

16Polite Japanese24 cards

いらっしゃる
to be, go, come (honorific)
おっしゃる
to say (honorific)
召し上がる
to eat, drink (honorific)
ご覧になる
to see, look (honorific)
なさる
to do (honorific)
くださる
to give me (honorific)
参る
to go, come (humble)
申す
to say, be called (humble)
いたす
to do (humble)
いただく
to receive (humble); to eat, drink
伺う
to visit; to ask (humble)
拝見
looking, seeing (humble)
差し上げる
to give (humble)
くれる
to give (to me or my side)
もらう
to receive, get
やる
to give (to a junior, animal, plant); to do
お土産
souvenir, gift from a trip
お祝い
celebration; congratulatory gift
お礼
thanks; thank-you gift
遠慮
holding back, restraint
お邪魔します
sorry to intrude
おかげさまで
thanks to you (I'm well)
かしこまりました
certainly (said by staff)
お大事に
get well soon, take care

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Polite Japanese

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Published September 28, 2026