Vocabulary
Japanese vocabulary organized by frequency and topic: top frequency words, thematic word lists by subject (family, food, numbers, time, body, travel, work, nature).
Japanese vocabulary is organized here by frequency (high-impact words for general comprehension) and by thematic topic (for situational fluency). Choose the section most relevant to your current study goals.
Vocabulary by Section
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Frequency Lists | Top words by corpus frequency — maximum ROI |
| Thematic Vocabulary | Words grouped by topic for situational use |
How Much Vocabulary Do You Need?
| Goal | Vocabulary size |
|---|---|
| Tourist survival | ~500–800 words |
| JLPT N5 | ~800 words |
| JLPT N4 | ~1,500 words |
| JLPT N3 | ~3,750 words |
| JLPT N2 | ~6,000 words |
| JLPT N1 | ~10,000 words |
| Read a novel comfortably | ~15,000 words |
| Native adult level | ~30,000–50,000 words |
The Three Layers of Japanese Vocabulary
Wago (和語) — Native Japanese
- Usually written in hiragana or with kun'yomi kanji
- Core everyday vocabulary: body, nature, emotions, basic actions
- Examples: 水 (みず, water), 山 (やま, mountain), 食べる (たべる, eat), うれしい (happy)
Kango (漢語) — Sino-Japanese
- Written in kanji using on'yomi readings
- ~60% of dictionary vocabulary; academic, formal, technical
- Examples: 経済 (けいざい, economy), 科学 (かがく, science), 社会 (しゃかい, society)
Gairaigo (外来語) — Foreign Loanwords
- Written in katakana; mostly from English
- Technology, food, pop culture, modern lifestyle
- Examples: テレビ (terebi, TV), パソコン (pasokon, PC), アニメ (anime)
Vocabulary Learning Principles
- SRS is non-negotiable: Anki with daily reviews is the most efficient retention method
- Frequency-first: Core 2K → Core 6K → sentence mining gives the best coverage
- Context over isolation: Example sentences create stronger memories than single-word cards
- Kanji + reading together: Always learn the kanji form alongside the reading; don't rely on romaji
- Encounter multiple times: New words need ~7–10 exposures in different contexts to fully internalize
Thematic Vocabulary
| Topic | Link | Key vocab focus |
|---|---|---|
| Family | family | おかあさん、おとうさん、きょうだい |
| Food | food | たべもの、りょうり、レストラン |
| Numbers | numbers | いち〜じゅう、カウンター |
| Time | time | じかん、ようび、つき、とし |
| Body | body | からだ、あたま、て、あし |
| Travel | travel | こうつう、しゅくはく、かんこう |
| Work | work | しごと、かいしゃ、しょくぎょう |
| Nature | nature | しぜん、てんき、どうしょくぶつ |
特別な (とくべつな) — Japanese Vocabulary
特別な (とくべつな / tokubetsu na): special. N4 level Japanese vocabulary.