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What JLPT levels does Tomodai support?

Tomodai supports all JLPT levels: N5 (Beginner), N4 (Elementary), N3 (Intermediate), N2 (Upper Intermediate), and N1 (Advanced), covering Kanji, Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading, and Listening.

How does the AI Sensei tutor work?

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100 JLPT N5 Vocabulary Words for Beginners

Learning Japanese vocabulary can feel overwhelming. With thousands of Japanese words in circulation, the very first question beginner learners ask is: "Which words should I actually learn first?"

If you are preparing for JLPT N5, the answer is never to memorize endless isolated flashcards. You need vocabulary that immediately empowers you to understand basic sentences, introduce yourself, express daily habits, navigate Tokyo or Kyoto, and understand listening passages.

As outlined by the official JLPT in their N5 Competency Summary, the exam assesses the ability to understand some basic Japanese across kanji orthography, contextual definitions, and daily communication. Neither the Japan Foundation nor JEES publishes a rigid, memorizable vocabulary list. Instead, communicative frameworks like the Japan Foundation's Irodori Japanese Program emphasize using vocabulary functionally in real-world situations. Think of this curated 100-word list as your practical Tomodai foundation: learn the word, see it in context, and immediately use it to produce your own Japanese sentences.

💡

The Golden Rule of N5 Vocabulary

Never study isolated dictionary definitions without full sentence context

Learn Word → Sentence Context → Active Speech

Category 1: People & Family (Words 1–10)

Social Foundation

These foundational nouns allow you to identify yourself, describe your household, talk about friends, and introduce key social relationships.

#	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English Meaning	Part of Speech	Practical Context Sentence
01	私わたし	わたし	Watashi	I; me	Pronoun	私わたしは学生がくせいです。(I am a student.)
02	人ひと	ひと	Hito	Person	Noun	あの人ひとはだれですか。(Who is that person?)
03	男おとこ	おとこ	Otoko	Man; male	Noun	男おとこの人ひとがいます。(There is a man.)
04	女おんな	おんな	Onna	Woman; female	Noun	女おんなの子こがいます。(There is a girl.)
05	子供こども	こども	Kodomo	Child	Noun	子供こどもと遊あそびます。(I play with the child.)
06	友達ともだち	ともだち	Tomodachi	Friend	Noun	友達ともだちと話はなします。(I talk with my friend.)
07	家族かぞく	かぞく	Kazoku	Family	Noun	家族かぞくは四人よにんです。(There are 4 people in my family.)
08	父ちち	ちち	Chichi	My father	Noun	父ちちは会社員かいしゃいんです。(My father is a company employee.)
09	母はは	はは	Haha	My mother	Noun	母ははは優やさしいです。(My mother is kind.)
10	先生せんせい	せんせい	Sensei	Teacher; Doctor	Noun	先生せんせいは日本人にほんじんです。(The teacher is Japanese.)

💡 Ingroup vs. Outgroup Family Etiquette (内うち / 外そと): Use 父 (Chichi) and 母 (Haha) when speaking humbly about your own parents to someone else. When talking politely about someone else's parents, use お父さん (Otōsan) and お母さん (Okāsan).

Category 2: Everyday Verbs (Words 11–25)

The Core Engine

Verbs bring Japanese sentences to life. Practice these in both their dictionary plain form and standard polite 〜ます form:

#	Dictionary Form	Polite (ます) Form	Romaji	English Meaning	Context Sentence
11	行くいく	行いきます	Iku / Ikimasu	To go	学校がっこうへ行いきます。(I go to school.)
12	来るくる	来きます	Kuru / Kimasu	To come	友達ともだちが来きます。(My friend is coming.)
13	帰るかえる	帰かえります	Kaeru / Kaerimasu	To return; go home	家いえに帰かえります。(I go back home.)
14	食べるたべる	食たべます	Taberu / Tabemasu	To eat	パンを食たべます。(I eat bread.)
15	飲むのむ	飲のみます	Nomu / Nomimasu	To drink	水みずを飲のみます。(I drink water.)
16	見るみる	見みます	Miru / Mimasu	To see; watch	テレビを見みます。(I watch television.)
17	聞くきく	聞ききます	Kiku / Kikimasu	To listen; hear; ask	音楽おんがくを聞ききます。(I listen to music.)
18	読むよむ	読よみます	Yomu / Yomimasu	To read	本ほんを読よみます。(I read a book.)
19	書くかく	書かきます	Kaku / Kakimasu	To write	名前なまえを書かきます。(I write my name.)
20	話すはなす	話はなします	Hanasu / Hanashimasu	To speak; talk	日本語にほんごを話はなします。(I speak Japanese.)
21	買うかう	買かいます	Kau / Kaimasu	To buy	パンを買かいます。(I buy bread.)
22	会うあう	会あいます	Au / Aimasu	To meet	友達ともだちに会あいます。(I meet my friend.)
23	寝るねる	寝ねます	Neru / Nemasu	To sleep; go to bed	十時じゅうじに寝ねます。(I go to sleep at 10:00.)
24	起きるおきる	起おきます	Okiru / Okimasu	To wake up; arise	七時しちじに起おきます。(I wake up at 7:00.)
25	勉強べんきょうする	勉強べんきょうします	Benkyō suru / shimasu	To study	日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします。(I study Japanese.)

Category 3: Time & Calendar (Words 26–35)

Temporal Anchors

Time words are essential for describing daily schedules and past/future events. Notice how words like 今日 and 明日 act as adverbial nouns without requiring the particle に:

#	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English Meaning	Context Sentence
26	今日きょう	きょう	Kyō	Today	今日きょうは月曜日げつようびです。(Today is Monday.)
27	明日あした	あした	Ashita	Tomorrow	明日あした学校がっこうへ行いきます。(I will go to school tomorrow.)
28	昨日きのう	きのう	Kinō	Yesterday	昨日きのうは忙いそがしかったです。(I was busy yesterday.)
29	今いま	いま	Ima	Now	今いま、勉強べんきょうします。(I am studying now.)
30	朝あさ	あさ	Asa	Morning	朝あさコーヒーを飲のみます。(I drink coffee in the morning.)
31	昼ひる	ひる	Hiru	Noon; daytime	昼ひるに食たべます。(I eat at noon.)
32	夜よる	よる	Yoru	Night; evening	夜よるテレビを見みます。(I watch TV at night.)
33	時間じかん	じかん	Jikan	Time; hours (duration)	時間じかんがありません。(I do not have time.)
34	毎日まいにち	まいにち	Mainichi	Every day	毎日まいにち勉強べんきょうします。(I study every day.)
35	週しゅう	しゅう	Shū	Week	来週らいしゅう行いきます。(I will go next week.)

Category 4: Places & Locations (Words 36–45)

Spatial Direction

Use these location words with motion particles (へ or に for destinations) and action particles (で for where an event occurs):

#	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English Meaning	Context Sentence
36	家いえ	いえ / うち	Ie / Uchi	House; home	家いえに帰かえります。(I return home.)
37	学校がっこう	がっこう	Gakkō	School	学校がっこうは駅えきの近ちかくです。(The school is near the station.)
38	会社かいしゃ	かいしゃ	Kaisha	Company; office	会社かいしゃへ行いきます。(I go to the office.)
39	駅えき	えき	Eki	Train station	駅えきはどこですか。(Where is the station?)
40	店みせ	みせ	Mise	Shop; store	店みせで買かいます。(I buy it at the store.)
41	病院びょういん	びょういん	Byōin	Hospital; clinic	病院びょういんへ行いきます。(I go to the hospital.)
42	銀行ぎんこう	ぎんこう	Ginkō	Bank	銀行ぎんこうは九時くじからです。(The bank is open from 9:00.)
43	日本にほん	にほん / にっぽん	Nihon	Japan	日本にほんへ行いきたいです。(I want to go to Japan.)
44	国くに	くに	Kuni	Country; homeland	お国くにはどちらですか。(Where are you from?)
45	部屋へや	へや	Heya	Room	部屋へやにいます。(I am in the room.)

Category 5: Food & Daily Life (Words 46–55)

Dining & Sustenance

In Japan, dining is one of the most practical and frequent communication scenarios you will encounter:

#	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English Meaning	Context Sentence
46	ご飯ごはん	ごはん	Gohan	Cooked rice; meal	ご飯ごはんを食たべます。(I eat a meal.)
47	水みず	みず	Mizu	Water (cold/fresh)	水みずをください。(Water, please.)
48	お茶ちゃ	おちゃ	Ocha	Tea (green tea)	お茶ちゃを飲のみます。(I drink green tea.)
49	食べ物たべもの	たべもの	Tabemono	Food	美味おいしい食たべ物ものです。(It is delicious food.)
50	飲み物のみもの	のみもの	Nomimono	Drink; beverage	飲のみ物ものを買かいます。(I buy a beverage.)
51	朝ご飯あさごはん	あさごはん	Asagohan	Breakfast	朝ご飯あさごはんを食たべます。(I eat breakfast.)
52	昼ご飯ひるごはん	ひるごはん	Hirugohan	Lunch	一緒いっしょに昼ご飯ひるごはんを食たべましょう。(Let's eat lunch together.)
53	晩ご飯ばんごはん	ばんごはん	Bangohan	Dinner; evening meal	晩ご飯ばんごはんは何なにですか。(What is for dinner?)
54	魚さかな	さかな	Sakana	Fish	魚さかなが好すきです。(I like fish.)
55	肉にく	にく	Niku	Meat	肉にくを食たべません。(I do not eat meat.)

Category 6: Common いi-Adjectives (Words 56–65)

Descriptive Power

Adjectives modify nouns directly (e.g., 大きい犬 = big dog) or finish sentences as predicates (e.g., 今日は暑いです = today is hot). Pay special attention to the irregular adjective いい (good), which inflects as よくない in the negative!

#	Adjective	Hiragana	Romaji	English Meaning	Opposite Word	Context Sentence
56	大きいおおきい	おおきい	Ōkii	Big; large	小さいちいさい	大おおきい犬いぬです。(It is a big dog.)
57	小さいちいさい	ちいさい	Chiisai	Small; little	大きいおおきい	小ちいさい部屋へやです。(It is a small room.)
58	新しいあたらしい	あたらしい	Atarashii	New; fresh	古いふるい	新あたらしい本ほんです。(It is a new book.)
59	古いふるい	ふるい	Furui	Old (for things)	新しいあたらしい	古ふるい車くるまです。(It is an old car.)
60	いいii / 良いよい	いい / よい	Ii / Yoi	Good; fine	悪いわるい	天気てんきがいいです。(The weather is good.)
61	悪いわるい	わるい	Warui	Bad; poor	いいii	気分きぶんが悪わるいです。(I feel unwell.)
62	暑いあつい	あつい	Atsui	Hot (climate/weather)	寒いさむい	今日きょうは暑あついです。(It is hot today.)
63	寒いさむい	さむい	Samui	Cold (climate/weather)	暑いあつい	冬ふゆは寒さむいです。(Winter is cold.)
64	忙しいいそがしい	いそがしい	Isogashii	Busy	暇ひま (Free)	今週こんしゅうは忙いそがしいです。(I am busy this week.)
65	難しいむずかしい	むずかしい	Muzukashii	Difficult; hard	易しいやさしい (Easy)	日本語にほんごは難むずかしいです。(Japanese is difficult.)

Category 7: Physical Objects (Words 66–75)

Tangible Nouns

In everyday conversations and listening passages, you constantly encounter objects around the room, bags, vehicles, and everyday tools:

#	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English Meaning	Context Sentence
66	本ほん	ほん	Hon	Book	本ほんを読よみます。(I read a book.)
67	電話でんわ	でんわ	Denwa	Phone; telephone call	電話でんわをかけます。(I make a phone call.)
68	車くるま	くるま	Kuruma	Car; vehicle	車くるまで行いきます。(I go by car.)
69	電車でんしゃ	でんしゃ	Densha	Train	電車でんしゃに乗のります。(I ride the train.)
70	鞄かばん	かばん	Kaban	Bag; briefcase	鞄かばんの中なかにあります。(It is inside the bag.)
71	傘かさ	かさ	Kasa	Umbrella	傘かさを持もちます。(I carry an umbrella.)
72	時計とけい	とけい	Tokei	Clock; watch	時計とけいを見みます。(I look at the clock.)
73	写真しゃしん	しゃしん	Shashin	Photograph	写真しゃしんを撮とります。(I take a photograph.)
74	名前なまえ	なまえ	Namae	Name	名前なまえを書かきます。(I write my name.)
75	お金かね	おかね	Okane	Money	お金かねがあります。(I have money.)

Category 8: Question Words (Words 76–83)

Inquiry & Interaction

You cannot initiate a conversation or survive in a Japanese store without question words. Notice how question sentences in Japanese simply attach the final particle か (ka) without changing word order!

#	Question Word	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning	Sample Question
76	何なに / なん	なに / なん	Nani / Nan	What	これは何なんですか。(What is this?)
77	誰だれ	だれ	Dare	Who	あの人ひとは誰だれですか。(Who is that person?)
78	どこ	どこ	Doko	Where	駅えきはどこですか。(Where is the station?)
79	いつ	いつ	Itsu	When	いつ行いきますか。(When will you go?)
80	どうして	どうして	Dōshite	Why	どうして勉強べんきょうしますか。(Why do you study?)
81	どれ	どれ	Dore	Which one (stands alone)	あなたの傘かさはどれですか。(Which one is your umbrella?)
82	どの	どの	Dono	Which (+ noun)	どの本ほんですか。(Which book is it?)
83	いくつ	いくつ	Ikutsu	How many; how old	いくつありますか。(How many are there?)

Category 9: School, Work & Routines (Words 84–93)

Occupations & Hobbies

#	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English Meaning	Context Sentence
84	学生がくせい	がくせい	Gakusei	Student	私わたしは学生がくせいです。(I am a student.)
85	仕事しごと	しごと	Shigoto	Work; job	仕事しごとがあります。(I have work.)
86	会社員かいしゃいん	かいしゃいん	Kaishain	Company employee	会社員かいしゃいんです。(I am a company employee.)
87	日本語にほんご	にほんご	Nihongo	Japanese language	日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします。(I study Japanese.)
88	英語えいご	えいご	Eigo	English language	英語えいごがわかります。(I understand English.)
89	音楽おんがく	おんがく	Ongaku	Music	音楽おんがくを聞ききます。(I listen to music.)
90	映画えいが	えいが	Eiga	Movie; film	映画えいがを見みます。(I watch a movie.)
91	手紙てがみ	てがみ	Tegami	Letter	手紙てがみを書かきます。(I write a letter.)
92	休みやすみ	やすみ	Yasumi	Rest; day off; holiday	明日あしたは休やすみです。(Tomorrow is a day off.)
93	散歩さんぽ	さんぽ	Sanpo	Walk; stroll	散歩さんぽをします。(I take a walk.)

Category 10: Demonstratives & Existence (Words 94–100)

Ko-So-A-Do System

These final seven words are the architectural pillars of Japanese syntax:

#	Word	Hiragana	Romaji	Category	English Meaning	Context Sentence
94	これ	これ	Kore	Pronoun (Near speaker)	This	これは本ほんです。(This is a book.)
95	それ	それ	Sore	Pronoun (Near listener)	That	それは何なんですか。(What is that?)
96	あれ	あれ	Are	Pronoun (Distant from both)	That over there	あれは学校がっこうです。(That over there is a school.)
97	ここ	ここ	Koko	Place (Near speaker)	Here	ここは駅えきです。(Here is the station.)
98	そこ	そこ	Soko	Place (Near listener)	There	そこにあります。(It is there.)
99	あるaru (ありますarimasu)	ある	Aru / Arimasu	Existence Verb	To exist (Inanimate)	本ほんがあります。(There is a book.)
100	いるiru (いますimasu)	いる	Iru / Imasu	Existence Verb	To exist (Animate)	先生せんせいがいます。(There is a teacher.)

Critical N5 Vocabulary Distinctions

Avoid Exam Traps

Trap 1: Existence ある vs いる

ある (Inanimate): Used exclusively for inanimate objects, furniture, plants, books, and abstract concepts. (本があります).

いる (Animate): Used exclusively for living people, pets, and moving animals. (猫がいます / 先生がいます).

Trap 2: Demonstratives どれ vs どの

どれ (Pronoun): Stands completely alone without a following noun. (どれですか。 = Which one is it?).

どの (Determiner): Must attach directly before a noun. (どの本ですか。 = Which book is it?). Never say dore hon!

Trap 3: Direction 行く vs 来る

行く (Iku): Movement away from the speaker's current location toward a destination. (学校へ行きます).

来る (Kuru): Movement directed toward the speaker's current perspective. (友達が来ます = My friend comes here).

If You Only Have Time for 20 Words

First 48-Hour Sprint

If you are in your first week of Japanese study, master these 20 versatile words first. They allow you to assemble dozens of practical everyday sentences immediately:

私 (わたし)I; me

人 (ひと)Person

友達 (ともだち)Friend

今日 (きょう)Today

明日 (あした)Tomorrow

行く (いく)To go

来る (くる)To come

食べる (たべる)To eat

飲む (のむ)To drink

見る (みる)To see/watch

話す (はなす)To speak

日本語 (にほんご)Japanese

学校 (がっこう)School

家 (いえ)House/home

水 (みず)Water

何 (なに)What

誰 (だれ)Who

どこWhere

これThis

ある / いるTo exist

5 Real-Life Mini Dialogues

Vocabulary in Motion

1. Introductions & Names Core Nouns

Person A:

お名前なまえは何なんですか。

Onamae wa nan desu ka?

"What is your name?"

Person B:

私わたしはアキラです。

Watashi wa Akira desu.

"I am Akira."

2. Asking for Directions & Movement Where & Going

Traveler:

どこへ行いきますか。

Doko e ikimasu ka?

"Where are you going?"

Local:

学校がっこうへ行いきます。

Gakkō e ikimasu.

"I am going to school."

3. Convenience Store & Shopping Buying Things

Friend:

何なにを買かいますか。

Nani o kaimasu ka?

"What are you buying?"

Shopper:

水みずを買かいます。

Mizu o kaimasu.

"I am buying water."

4. Ordering Refreshments at a Cafe Drinks

Customer:

お茶ちゃをください。

Ocha o kudasai.

"Green tea, please."

Staff:

はい、かしこまりました。

Hai, kashikomarimashita.

"Certainly."

5. Talking About Daily Habits Habitual Action

Person A:

毎日まいにち何なにをしますか。

Mainichi nani o shimasu ka?

"What do you do every day?"

Person B:

日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします。

Nihongo o benkyō shimasu.

"I study Japanese."

7 Proven Ways to Remember Japanese Vocabulary

Cognitive Science

1

Cluster by Thematic Situation

Never study isolated dictionary pages (e.g. mizu, then kaisha, then neko). Group by situation: food, office, travel, or family.

2

Always Learn in Full Sentences

Instead of taberu = eat, memorize 朝ご飯を食べます (I eat breakfast). Particles and usage wire together into muscle memory.

3

Apply Spaced Repetition (SRS)

Review words at expanding intervals: Day 1 → Day 2 → Day 4 → Day 7 → Day 14. This catches memory right as forgetting begins.

4

Vocalize and Shadow Aloud

Silent reading is passive recognition. Speaking engages your articulators, vocal cords, and auditory cortex simultaneously.

5

Write 3 Original Sentences Daily

Take 3 new words every morning and write short statements about your actual life, breakfast, or schedule in Japanese.

6

Attach Sensory Images, Not English

When learning 水みず, visualize an icy glass of crystal-clear water rather than reading the English letters "w-a-t-e-r".

7

Practice Active Conversational Retrieval

Point to objects on your desk and ask yourself: これは何ですか。 Then answer aloud immediately: これは本です。 Active production builds fluency 5x faster than flashcard swiping.

9 Common Beginner Vocabulary Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1

English-Only Rote Memorization

Wrong: Memorizing *taberu = eat* without particles.
Fix: Always pair verbs with their natural object particle: 〜を食べます.

Mistake 2

Permanent Romaji Crutch

Wrong: Reading Romaji spellings for months.
Fix: Ditch Romaji by week 2 to wire natural Japanese sounds and Kana literacy.

Mistake 3

Confusing ある with いる

Wrong: Saying *Sensei ga arimasu*.
Fix: Use いる for living people and animals; ある for inanimate things.

Mistake 4

Ignoring Parts of Speech

Wrong: Treating noun 勉強 like verb 勉強する.
Fix: Identify whether a word is an いi-adjective, noun, or verb form.

Mistake 5

Learning 100 Words in 1 Day

Wrong: Binging huge lists that vanish in 48 hours.
Fix: Learn 10–15 words per day with active review of yesterday's set.

Mistake 6

Never Reviewing Past Words

Wrong: Constant novelty without consolidation.
Fix: Spend the first 5 minutes of every session reviewing older words.

Mistake 7

Ignoring Audio & Pronunciation

Wrong: Studying in pure silence.
Fix: Listen to native recordings and match mora timing beats.

Mistake 8

Pure Passive Recognition

Wrong: Just looking at the front and back of cards.
Fix: Cover the answer and force your brain to produce the Japanese word aloud.

Mistake 9

Treating Kanji in Total Isolation

Wrong: Memorizing 500 kanji shapes as abstract art.
Fix: Learn Kanji embedded in real vocabulary words like 学校がっこう.

20-Question JLPT N5 Vocabulary Self-Check

Interactive Test

Test your recall without checking the tables above. Click each card to reveal the authentic answer:

Q1: Meaning of 学校? ▼

School (がっこう / Gakkō)

Q2: Meaning of 水? ▼

Water (みず / Mizu)

Q3: Meaning of 友達? ▼

Friend (ともだち / Tomodachi)

Q4: Meaning of 昨日? ▼

Yesterday (きのう / Kinō)

Q5: Meaning of 食べる? ▼

To eat (たべる / Taberu)

Q6: How to say "Book"? ▼

本 (ほん / Hon)

Q7: How to say "Today"? ▼

今日 (きょう / Kyō)

Q8: How to say "To go"? ▼

行く (いく / Iku)

Q9: "Where is station?" ▼

駅はどこですか。(どこ)

Q10: "I drink water" ▼

水を飲みます。(飲みます)

Q11: "This is a book" ▼

これは本です。(これ)

Q12: "There is a book" ▼

本があります。(あります)

Q13: "There is a teacher" ▼

先生がいます。(います)

Q14: Daily Japanese study ▼

毎日日本語を勉強します。

Q15: "I eat breakfast" ▼

朝ご飯を食べます。

Q16: Opposite of 大きい? ▼

小さい (ちいさい / Chiisai)

Q17: Opposite of 暑い? ▼

寒い (さむい / Samui)

Q18: Which one (alone)? ▼

どれ (Dore)

Q19: "My father is employee" ▼

父は会社員です。

Q20: "I talk with friend" ▼

友達と話します。

The 7-Day N5 Vocabulary Mastery Plan

Structured Sprint

Day	Word Target	Daily Focus & Thematic Category	Active Production Task
Day 1	Words 1–15	People, Family & Core Motion Verbs	Introduce yourself and state where you go daily.
Day 2	Words 16–30	Everyday Action Verbs & Time Markers	Write 3 sentences about what you do in the morning/night.
Day 3	Words 31–45	Time Units & Key Location Nouns	Pair locations with へ行きます and に帰ります.
Day 4	Words 46–60	Food, Meals & Describing Objects (いi-adj)	Describe what you ate for lunch using adjectives.
Day 5	Words 61–75	Adjectives & Physical Objects/Transport	Describe 3 items in your room using 大きい / 新しい.
Day 6	Words 76–100	Questions, Demonstratives (これ・それ) & Existence	Ask and answer 5 questions using 何, どこ, and だれ.
Day 7	Complete Review	Full 100-Word Audit & Diagnostic Drill	Complete the 20-question self-check and log all missed items.

50 High-Frequency Words for JLPT Exam Week

Fast Audit

1. 私 (わたし)

2. 人 (ひと)

3. 友達 (ともだち)

4. 家族 (かぞく)

5. 先生 (せんせい)

6. 行く (いく)

7. 来る (くる)

8. 帰る (かえる)

9. 食べる (たべる)

10. 飲む (のむ)

11. 見る (みる)

12. 聞く (きく)

13. 読む (よむ)

14. 書く (かく)

15. 話す (はなす)

16. 今日 (きょう)

17. 明日 (あした)

18. 昨日 (きのう)

19. 今 (いま)

20. 朝 (あさ)

21. 家 (いえ)

22. 学校 (がっこう)

23. 会社 (かいしゃ)

24. 駅 (えき)

25. 店 (みせ)

26. ご飯 (ごはん)

27. 水 (みず)

28. お茶 (おちゃ)

29. 食べ物 (たべもの)

30. 魚 (さかな)

31. 大きい (おおきい)

32. 小さい (ちいさい)

33. 新しい (あたらしい)

34. 古い (ふるい)

35. いい (よい)

36. 本 (ほん)

37. 車 (くるま)

38. 電車 (でんしゃ)

39. 名前 (なまえ)

40. お金 (おかね)

41. 何 (なに)

42. 誰 (だれ)

43. どこ

44. いつ

45. どうして

46. これ

47. それ

48. あれ

49. ある (あります)

50. いる (います)

Frequently Asked Questions

Expert Clarifications

1. How many vocabulary words do you need for JLPT N5? ▼

While historical estimates suggest approximately 600 to 800 words, the official JLPT does not publish a fixed, mandatory word count. Focus on mastering high-frequency words across core topics (family, food, travel, daily routines) rather than obsessing over an exact numerical quota.

2. Is there an official JLPT N5 vocabulary list? ▼

No. The Japan Foundation and JEES do not release fixed test content specification lists for any level. As documented on the Official JLPT FAQ, the exam evaluates functional communicative competence rather than testing a memorized list. Any "official list" claiming otherwise is an unofficial compilation based on past test papers and beginner textbooks.

3. Should I learn Kanji together with vocabulary? ▼

Yes! Learning Kanji embedded inside meaningful vocabulary words (e.g. learning 学校がっこう rather than memorizing 学 and 校 in isolation) is significantly faster and directly trains the Kanji reading section of the JLPT exam.

4. What is the difference between ある (aru) and いる (iru)? ▼

Both mean "to exist" or "there is." ある is used exclusively for non-living objects (本ほんがあります = there is a book), while いる is used for animate beings such as humans and pets (猫ねこがいます = there is a cat).

5. Is vocabulary alone enough to pass JLPT N5? ▼

No. The N5 exam tests three balanced areas: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Kanji), Language Knowledge (Grammar) + Reading, and Listening. You must clear sectional minimums in all areas, so pair vocabulary study with grammar and daily listening drills.

6. How many words should I study every day? ▼

A sustainable target is 10 to 15 new words per day, combined with active review of previous sets. Memorizing 10 words you can use in real sentences is 100x more valuable than memorizing 50 words you forget by tomorrow.

Key Takeaways: Building Your Vocabulary Engine

Summary

Core Learning Principles:

Cluster by Context: Study thematic groups (food, people, verbs) rather than alphabetical lists.
Sentence Binding: Always learn words bound to their core particles (〜へ行く, 〜を飲む).
Animate vs. Inanimate: Never mix up ある (objects) and いる (people/animals).

Retention Strategy:

Spaced Retrieval: Review on Days 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 using active recall.
Ditch Romaji: Shift fully to Kana and foundational Kanji to prevent pronunciation interference.
Output Daily: Write 3 original sentences every single morning about your routine.

Related Tomodai Lessons & Guides

Curriculum Roadmap

JLPT N5 Study Guide & Roadmap → Master exam format, scoring rules, and structured 8-week timelines. JLPT Explained: N5 to N1 Guide → Comprehensive breakdown of all five test levels, scoring, and registration. How to Learn Japanese (2026 Guide) → Complete roadmap for self-studying from zero to conversational ability. Japanese Pronunciation Guide → Master the 5 pure vowels, mora timing, small っ, and pitch patterns. Hiragana Guide & Chart → Read and write the foundational phonetic alphabet without relying on Romaji. Katakana Guide & Chart → Learn the angular syllabary for loanwords, menu items, and foreign names. Japanese Alphabet Explained → Understand how Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji intertwine in sentences. Japanese Numbers 1 to 1000 → Master the modular decimal system behind prices, time, and quantities. Days, Months & Dates Guide → Learn calendar formulas, irregular day readings (ついたち, ふつか), and weekdays. 50 Essential Japanese Greetings → Practice natural social phrases, politeness levels, and daily dialogue starters. Achieving Your Japanese Goal → Proven mindset habits and consistency systems for long-term retention. Free Japanese Placement Test → Assess your current Japanese level and receive a personalized study trajectory.

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