Learning high-frequency words first maximizes comprehension per hour of study. The top 500 words cover ~70% of casual speech; the top 2,000 cover ~90% of most general text.
Top Verbs by Frequency
| Rank |
Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 1 |
する |
する |
suru |
to do |
N5 |
| 2 |
ある |
ある |
aru |
to exist/have (inanimate) |
N5 |
| 3 |
いる |
いる |
iru |
to exist/be (animate) |
N5 |
| 4 |
言う |
いう |
iu |
to say |
N5 |
| 5 |
行く |
いく |
iku |
to go |
N5 |
| 6 |
見る |
みる |
miru |
to see; to look |
N5 |
| 7 |
来る |
くる |
kuru |
to come |
N5 |
| 8 |
なる |
なる |
naru |
to become |
N4 |
| 9 |
思う |
おもう |
omou |
to think; to feel |
N5 |
| 10 |
知る |
しる |
shiru |
to know; to learn |
N5 |
| 11 |
話す |
はなす |
hanasu |
to speak; to talk |
N5 |
| 12 |
出る |
でる |
deru |
to exit; to leave; to appear |
N4 |
| 13 |
使う |
つかう |
tsukau |
to use |
N4 |
| 14 |
入る |
はいる |
hairu |
to enter |
N5 |
| 15 |
聞く |
きく |
kiku |
to listen; to ask |
N5 |
| 16 |
作る |
つくる |
tsukuru |
to make; to create |
N4 |
| 17 |
持つ |
もつ |
motsu |
to hold; to have |
N4 |
| 18 |
食べる |
たべる |
taberu |
to eat |
N5 |
| 19 |
受ける |
うける |
ukeru |
to receive; to take (exam) |
N3 |
| 20 |
読む |
よむ |
yomu |
to read |
N5 |
| 21 |
書く |
かく |
kaku |
to write |
N5 |
| 22 |
買う |
かう |
kau |
to buy |
N5 |
| 23 |
帰る |
かえる |
kaeru |
to return; to go back |
N5 |
| 24 |
始まる |
はじまる |
hajimaru |
to begin (intrans.) |
N4 |
| 25 |
終わる |
おわる |
owaru |
to end; to finish |
N4 |
| 26 |
起きる |
おきる |
okiru |
to wake up; to occur |
N4 |
| 27 |
待つ |
まつ |
matsu |
to wait |
N5 |
| 28 |
教える |
おしえる |
oshieru |
to teach; to tell |
N4 |
| 29 |
考える |
かんがえる |
kangaeru |
to think; to consider |
N4 |
| 30 |
感じる |
かんじる |
kanjiru |
to feel; to sense |
N3 |
Top Nouns by Frequency
| Rank |
Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 1 |
人 |
ひと |
hito |
person; people |
N5 |
| 2 |
こと |
こと |
koto |
thing; fact; matter |
N5 |
| 3 |
日本 |
にほん |
Nihon |
Japan |
N5 |
| 4 |
もの |
もの |
mono |
thing; object |
N5 |
| 5 |
時 |
とき |
toki |
time; moment |
N5 |
| 6 |
中 |
なか |
naka |
inside; middle |
N5 |
| 7 |
今 |
いま |
ima |
now |
N5 |
| 8 |
日 |
ひ |
hi |
day; sun |
N5 |
| 9 |
年 |
とし/ねん |
toshi/nen |
year |
N5 |
| 10 |
話 |
はなし |
hanashi |
story; talk |
N5 |
| 11 |
方 |
かた/ほう |
kata/hou |
person (polite); direction |
N4 |
| 12 |
気 |
き |
ki |
spirit; energy; feeling |
N5 |
| 13 |
仕事 |
しごと |
shigoto |
work; job |
N5 |
| 14 |
問題 |
もんだい |
mondai |
problem; question |
N4 |
| 15 |
場合 |
ばあい |
baai |
case; situation |
N3 |
| 16 |
社会 |
しゃかい |
shakai |
society |
N3 |
| 17 |
国 |
くに |
kuni |
country |
N5 |
| 18 |
自分 |
じぶん |
jibun |
oneself |
N4 |
| 19 |
場所 |
ばしょ |
basho |
place; location |
N4 |
| 20 |
生活 |
せいかつ |
seikatsu |
daily life; living |
N4 |
| 21 |
方法 |
ほうほう |
houhou |
method; way |
N3 |
| 22 |
意味 |
いみ |
imi |
meaning |
N4 |
| 23 |
関係 |
かんけい |
kankei |
relationship; connection |
N3 |
| 24 |
理由 |
りゆう |
riyuu |
reason |
N3 |
| 25 |
結果 |
けっか |
kekka |
result; outcome |
N3 |
Top Adjectives by Frequency
| Rank |
Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
Type |
JLPT |
| 1 |
いい/良い |
いい/よい |
ii/yoi |
good |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 2 |
大きい |
おおきい |
ookii |
big; large |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 3 |
小さい |
ちいさい |
chiisai |
small |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 4 |
多い |
おおい |
ooi |
many; much |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 5 |
少ない |
すくない |
sukunai |
few; little |
i-adj |
N4 |
| 6 |
高い |
たかい |
takai |
high; expensive; tall |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 7 |
安い |
やすい |
yasui |
cheap |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 8 |
新しい |
あたらしい |
atarashii |
new |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 9 |
古い |
ふるい |
furui |
old (things) |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 10 |
長い |
ながい |
nagai |
long |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 11 |
短い |
みじかい |
mijikai |
short |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 12 |
早い/速い |
はやい |
hayai |
early / fast |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 13 |
遅い |
おそい |
osoi |
late; slow |
i-adj |
N5 |
| 14 |
難しい |
むずかしい |
muzukashii |
difficult |
i-adj |
N4 |
| 15 |
簡単 |
かんたん |
kantan |
easy; simple |
na-adj |
N4 |
| 16 |
大切 |
たいせつ |
taisetsu |
important; precious |
na-adj |
N4 |
| 17 |
便利 |
べんり |
benri |
convenient |
na-adj |
N4 |
| 18 |
必要 |
ひつよう |
hitsuyou |
necessary |
na-adj |
N3 |
| 19 |
重要 |
じゅうよう |
juuyou |
important; significant |
na-adj |
N2 |
| 20 |
様々 |
さまざま |
samazama |
various; diverse |
na-adj |
N3 |
Top Adverbs and Connectors
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| でも |
でも |
demo |
but; however (sentence start) |
N5 |
| そして |
そして |
soshite |
and then; and so |
N5 |
| また |
また |
mata |
again; also |
N5 |
| もう |
もう |
mou |
already; anymore |
N5 |
| まだ |
まだ |
mada |
still; not yet |
N5 |
| とても |
とても |
totemo |
very; extremely |
N5 |
| 少し |
すこし |
sukoshi |
a little; a bit |
N5 |
| だいぶ |
だいぶ |
daibu |
considerably; quite |
N4 |
| かなり |
かなり |
kanari |
quite; fairly; considerably |
N3 |
| たとえば |
たとえば |
tatoeba |
for example |
N3 |
| しかし |
しかし |
shikashi |
however; but (formal) |
N3 |
| だから |
だから |
dakara |
therefore; so |
N4 |
| つまり |
つまり |
tsumari |
in other words; that is to say |
N2 |
| したがって |
したがって |
shitagatte |
therefore; accordingly |
N2 |
| むしろ |
むしろ |
mushiro |
rather; instead |
N2 |
| 一方 |
いっぽう |
ippou |
on the other hand; meanwhile |
N2 |
| 確かに |
たしかに |
tashikani |
certainly; indeed |
N2 |
| 必ずしも |
かならずしも |
kanarazu shimo |
not necessarily |
N2 |
| いわゆる |
いわゆる |
iwayuru |
so-called |
N2 |
| 概して |
がいして |
gaishite |
generally; as a rule |
N1 |
High-Frequency Expressions
These multi-word expressions appear constantly in Japanese:
| Expression |
Reading |
English |
| ありがとうございます |
ありがとうございます |
Thank you very much |
| すみません |
すみません |
Excuse me; I'm sorry |
| よろしくお願いします |
よろしくおねがいします |
Please treat me well; I look forward to working with you |
| お疲れ様です |
おつかれさまです |
You've worked hard; good work |
| いただきます |
いただきます |
(said before eating; "I humbly receive") |
| ごちそうさまでした |
ごちそうさまでした |
(said after eating; "thank you for the meal") |
| お邪魔します |
おじゃまします |
Excuse me for intruding (when entering someone's home) |
| よかった |
よかった |
Great; I'm glad; that's good |
| そうですね |
そうですね |
That's right; I see; indeed |
| なるほど |
なるほど |
I see; I understand; indeed |
| 大丈夫 |
だいじょうぶ |
It's OK; I'm fine; no problem |
| 気をつけて |
きをつけて |
Be careful; take care (farewell) |
| お先に失礼します |
おさきにしつれいします |
Excuse me for leaving first (work farewell) |
Frequency List Resources
| Resource |
URL |
Best for |
| Core 2K/6K/10K Anki decks |
AnkiWeb |
Pre-made frequency decks with audio |
| JPDB.io |
jpdb.io |
Frequency from specific media (anime/manga/games) |
| Wordfreq |
pypi.org/project/wordfreq |
Python library for Japanese frequency data |
| NINJAL corpus |
ninjal.ac.jp |
Academic Japanese frequency research |