Episode 3 – Learn Essential N5 Vocabulary (About 100 Must-Know Words)

2025年12月25日 2025年12月25日

MAEDA

Learning basic vocabulary is one of the fastest ways to improve your Japanese.
Even if you don’t understand grammar perfectly yet, knowing key words will help you read signs, understand simple conversations, and build confidence.

In this episode, we will learn around 100 essential JLPT N5 words, grouped by theme, with simple memory tips for beginners.

1. Numbers & Counting (1–10)

いち (ichi) – one
に (ni) – two
さん (san) – three
し / よん (shi / yon) – four
ご (go) – five
ろく (roku) – six
なな / しち (nana / shichi) – seven
はち (hachi) – eight
きゅう / く (kyuu / ku) – nine
じゅう (juu) – ten

Memory tip:
Japanese numbers sound a bit like short, sharp beats. Try saying them rhythmically:
ichi, ni, san — shi, go, roku — shichi, hachi, kyuu, juu.

2. Daily Life Essentials

みず (mizu) – water
ごはん (gohan) – rice / meal
おちゃ (ocha) – tea
みせ (mise) – shop
いえ (ie) – house
へや (heya) – room
みち (michi) – road
かさ (kasa) – umbrella
くるま (kuruma) – car
でんしゃ (densha) – train

Memory tip:
Connect each word to an image.
For example, kasa (umbrella) sounds like “castle”—imagine a castle with many umbrellas.

3. Basic Verbs (Very Important!)

たべる (taberu) – to eat
のむ (nomu) – to drink
いく (iku) – to go
くる (kuru) – to come
みる (miru) – to see / watch
きく (kiku) – to listen
はなす (hanasu) – to speak
よむ (yomu) – to read
かく (kaku) – to write
する (suru) – to do

Memory tip:
Group verbs by action:

Mouth actions → 食べる / 飲む
Movement → 行く / 来る
Eyes → 見る
Ears → 聞く

This helps you remember faster.

4. Places

がっこう (gakkou) – school
きっさてん (kissaten) – café
えき (eki) – station
こうえん (kouen) – park
びょういん (byouin) – hospital
レストラン (resutoran) – restaurant
スーパー (suupaa) – supermarket

Memory tip:
Make simple sentences:

Gakkou e ikimasu. (I go to school.)
Kouen ni ikimasu. (I go to the park.)
The repetition helps more than memorizing.

5. People & Family

ひと (hito) – person
かぞく (kazoku) – family
おとうさん (otousan) – father
おかあさん (okaasan) – mother
こども (kodomo) – child
ともだち (tomodachi) – friend
せんせい (sensei) – teacher

Memory tip:
Use real relationships.
Imagine your own mother when you say okaasan, your father for otousan, etc.

6. Time Words

きょう (kyou) – today
あした (ashita) – tomorrow
きのう (kinou) – yesterday
いま (ima) – now
あとで (atode) – later
まいにち (mainichi) – every day
まいしゅう (maishuu) – every week

Memory tip:
Practice using these in your daily schedule.
Example:
Ashita, watashi wa kaimono o shimasu.
“Tomorrow, I will go shopping.”

7. Common Adjectives

おおきい (ookii) – big
ちいさい (chiisai) – small
あたらしい (atarashii) – new
ふるい (furui) – old
たかい (takai) – tall / expensive
やすい (yasui) – cheap
あつい (atsui) – hot
さむい (samui) – cold

Memory tip:
Use opposites:

big ↔ small
new ↔ old
hot ↔ cold

Your brain remembers pairs more easily.

How to Learn These Words Efficiently

Here is a simple, beginner-friendly method:

1. Study 10 words per day

Don’t try to memorize all 100 at once.
10 per day = 10 days to master the list.

2. Use the words that same day

Make 1–2 example sentences (even very simple ones).

3. Speak the words out loud

Saying a word makes it easier to remember.

4. Review before sleeping

Memory becomes stronger during sleep.

Conclusion

These 100 essential words will give you a strong foundation for JLPT N5.
Once you know them, reading and listening will become much easier, and you will feel real progress.

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