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JLPT N2 Vocabulary
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N2
巻き込む
まきこむ
To draw in the people or things around one and involve them together; to pull someone into a certain situation.
AI-generated translation
N2
紛らわしい
まぎらわしい
A state of being hard to distinguish because things resemble each other and are easily mistaken. It shares the same origin as the verb 「紛れる」 (to become indistinguishable by mixing in with other things), with the original meaning "easily blended in." Used as in 「紛らわしい名前」, 「紛らわしい表現」, 「紛らわしい行為」. Used when appearance, name, expression, or behavior is similar to something else and thus apt to invite misunderstanding. It carries a nuance of treating the cause of misrecognition or confusion as a problem, rather than the neutral "resembling."
AI-generated translation
N2
真心
まごころ
A genuine, sincere feeling of care toward another person. Formed by adding 「真」 to 「心」 to emphasize sincerity from the heart, rather than surface courtesy or calculation. Used as in 「真心を込める」, 「真心からのもてなし」, 「真心が伝わる」. Frequently used in situations involving consideration or kindness toward others, such as customer service, gifts, nursing, and education. Close in meaning to 「誠意」, but 「真心」 emphasizes emotional, inner sincerity, while 「誠意」 emphasizes sincerity as responsibility or response.
AI-generated translation
N2
まさか
まさか
An adverb expressing surprise at an unexpected situation, or the low likelihood of such a possibility. It has a usage expressing surprise when facing an unexpected situation, in forms like 「まさか〜とは」, 「まさか〜ない」, and a usage negating something as impossible, as in 「まさかそんなことはあるまい」. Used in contexts of negative or unexpected surprise, as in 「まさか彼が来るとは」, 「まさか負けるとは思わなかった」. Also used alone as an interjection, 「まさか!」. There is also a usage as a noun referring to an unexpected emergency, as in 「まさかの事態」, 「まさかの時に備える」.
AI-generated translation
N2
摩擦
まさつ
Two objects rubbing against each other; also, conflict arising from a difference in opinion or interests.
AI-generated translation
N2
勝る
まさる
For one's ability, degree, value, or the like to be superior to another's. The character 「勝」 originally means "to win over an opponent," and expresses being in a higher position in a comparison. Used in a comparative context, as in 「他に勝るとも劣らない」, 「経験に勝る教師はない」, and 「百聞は一見に勝る」. It is a verb, but it mostly appears in the set patterns 「AはBに勝る」 and 「AはBより勝る」, within idiomatic constructions describing superiority or inferiority. It can also be written as 「優る」. It has a somewhat formal, written-language feel, and appears frequently in proverb- and maxim-style expressions.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
貧しい
まずしい
poor. Lacking money or goods, making life difficult. Example: 「貧しい家庭」 (a poor family). Also used to mean lacking in substance, as in 「貧しい発想」 (a poor/impoverished idea). The antonym is 「豊か」 (rich/abundant).
AI-generated translation
N2
間近
まぢか
For a time or distance to be right there, close at hand. It is used both for situations where an event is drawing near in time, as in 「試験が間近に迫る」 and 「結婚式が間近だ」, and for being physically close in distance, as in 「山を間近に望む」 and 「間近で見る」. It is often used adverbially, as in 「間近で見る」, 「間近に控える」, and 「間近に迫る」. Note that the reading has a voiced sound after 「ま」, giving 「まぢか」.
AI-generated translation
N2, N5
待つ
まつ
wait. To stay in a place until a person or event arrives.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
全く
まったく
Completely. Example: 「全く同じだ」 (completely the same). When used with a negative, it means "not at all," as in 「全く知らない」 (not know at all).
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
窓口
まどぐち
A place at a government office or bank, etc., where staff deal with customers. Example: 「窓口で手続きする」 (to complete procedures at the counter). Also used to mean the person in charge of receiving inquiries, etc., as in 「相談窓口」 (a consultation counter/contact).
AI-generated translation
N2
纏まる
まとまる
For scattered things to come together and take shape as a whole. Used of opinions, luggage, discussions, or organizations settling into a unified form, as in 「意見がまとまる」(opinions come together), 「話がまとまる」(a deal is settled), 「考えがまとまる」(thoughts are organized), or 「グループとしてまとまる」(to unite as a group). 「纏める」 is used for someone who intentionally gathers things, and 「纏まる」 for what converges into one form of its own accord: 「意見をまとめる」 versus 「意見がまとまる」. Frequently appears in contexts describing a transition from confusion or dispersal to clarity and stability.
AI-generated translation
N2
纏める
まとめる
To bring scattered things into one and put them in order. The object is very broad, ranging from physical things to abstract ones: bringing things together, as in 「荷物をまとめる」「髪をまとめる」; bringing thoughts together, as in 「意見をまとめる」「議論をまとめる」; bringing writing together, as in 「論文をまとめる」「報告書をまとめる」; bringing organizations together, as in 「チームをまとめる」. It expresses the act of moving from a chaotic or scattered state to an integrated, well-ordered one.
AI-generated translation
N2
免れる
まぬがれる
To get by without receiving responsibility, punishment, danger, or the like. 「免」 means to permit or to remove, expressing a state of escaping from something originally hard to avoid. Used in situations of slipping out of a disadvantage one would otherwise have received, as in 「処分を免れる」, 「危険を免れる」, 「責任を免れる」, 「死を免れる」. Also read 「まぬかれる」, with both readings used in modern usage. It differs in meaning from 「免じる」 (to relieve from a post, to pardon), which uses the same kanji.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
真似
まね
imitation. To do exactly as another person does. Example: 「先生の発音を真似する」 (to imitate the teacher's pronunciation).
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
招く
まねく
To invite someone as a guest. Example: 「パーティーに招く」 (to invite to a party). Also used to mean causing an undesirable result, as in 「誤解を招く」 (to invite/cause misunderstanding).
AI-generated translation
N2
麻痺
まひ
A state in which the function of nerves or muscles is lost, and sensation or movement becomes impossible. Both 「麻」 and 「痺」 are characters meaning to go numb, together expressing a state in which sensation or movement has been taken away. Medically it refers to a symptom in which part of the body cannot move due to stroke, nerve damage, and the like, used as in 「半身麻痺」, 「顔面麻痺」, 「下肢の麻痺」. Figuratively it is also used to mean that an organization or system stops functioning normally, as in 「交通麻痺」, 「機能麻痺」, 「都市機能の麻痺」. It is also used to mean that sensitivity is dulled by repetition, as in 「感覚が麻痺する」.
AI-generated translation
N2
間引く
まびく
To remove some items from a crowded group in order to improve the growth or efficiency of what remains. It is originally an agricultural term referring to the work of pulling out some seedlings from densely grown vegetables to create space, so that the remaining seedlings can grow larger. Its original meaning is seen in expressions like 「大根を間引く」. From there, it is also used figuratively, as in 「人員を間引く」 and 「運行本数を間引く」, to mean removing part of an overcrowded state in order to make the whole more efficient. It also appears frequently in the context of reducing the number of train or bus services.
AI-generated translation
N2
幻
まぼろし
Something that is seen or sensed even though it does not actually exist. It originally referred to "something that appears as a dream or hallucination but has no substance," used in expressions like 「幻を見る」 and 「目の前に幻が現れる」. From there, its usage extended figuratively to express "something that ended without being realized" or "something lost that can never be obtained again." It appears frequently in contexts describing something extremely rare and hard to obtain, or something whose existence is legendary, as in 「幻のチャンピオン」, 「幻の名作」, 「幻の銘酒」, and 「幻に終わる」.
AI-generated translation
N2
丸暗記
まるあんき
Memorizing sentences, formulas, and the like exactly as they are, without thinking about their meaning or the reasons behind them. Used as in 「公式を丸暗記する」 (to learn a formula by rote), 「教科書を丸暗記する」. The 「丸」 at the front means "whole, entirely," and 「丸写し」 and 「丸覚え」 are formed in the same way. Unlike simply saying 「暗記」, this word is sometimes used with the negative view that the content has not been understood.
AI-generated translation
N2
丸々
まるまる
An adverb meaning "completely, entirely, the whole." It is a reduplicated form that emphasizes the completeness and undiminished nature of an amount or condition. There is a use that indicates that some unit extends in full from beginning to end, as in 「丸々一週間休む」「丸々一冊を読み終える」, and another use that depicts something plump and round, as in 「丸々太った赤ん坊」「丸々と肥える」. The former is adverbial; the latter is used adverbially in the form 「丸々と〜」.
AI-generated translation
N2
稀
まれ
Something that rarely happens, that almost never occurs. Expresses low frequency or rarity, used as in 「稀な現象」, 「稀に見る才能」, 「ごく稀に」, 「稀にしか起こらない」. Used both as an adjectival noun in the form 「稀な〜」 and adverbially in the form 「稀に〜」. Also written 「希」, which is likewise a common spelling. A bookish, somewhat hard word, used in more writing-oriented settings than the everyday 「めったに」. Used for both positive and negative matters, but there are also many usages emphasizing positive evaluation, as in 「稀に見る才能」.
AI-generated translation
N2
満喫
まんきつ
To savor and enjoy something fully, until one is satisfied.
AI-generated translation
N2
満場
まんじょう
Everyone present at the venue. 「満」 means "full," and 「場」 means "that place"; together the word denotes "the state in which the venue is filled with those present," and by extension "all the people there." Used as in 「満場一致」「満場の拍手」「満場が沸く」 in contexts where the entire venue shows a single response. It is a written-language term used in formal settings such as conferences, ceremonies, theaters, and parliaments; it is not used to describe the number of people in everyday conversation.
AI-generated translation
N2
慢性
まんせい
A state in which a symptom or condition continues for a long time and does not readily change. 「慢」 means taking time, dragging on. Originally a medical term, paired with 「急性」 (acute, suddenly occurring), referring to an illness that persists over a long period. Figuratively, it is also used for social phenomena or organizational problems that go unresolved over a long period, as in 「慢性的な人手不足」, 「慢性的な渋滞」, 「慢性の赤字」. Mostly used as the adjectival noun 「慢性的な」, carrying a negative implication.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
満足
まんぞく
satisfaction. A state where one's wishes are fulfilled and the heart is content. Example: 「結果に満足する」 (to be satisfied with the result). The antonym is 「不満」 (dissatisfaction).
AI-generated translation
N2, N5
磨く
みがく
To rub something to make it clean. Example: 「歯を磨く」 (to brush one's teeth).
AI-generated translation
N2
見込み
みこみ
A prediction of how things will turn out in the future, or a possibility one can expect.
AI-generated translation
N2
未熟
みじゅく
A fruit or the like not being fully ripe; also, one's skill or experience not being sufficient.
AI-generated translation
N2
密接
みっせつ
Having a deep connection, a relationship so close that it cannot be separated.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
見つめる
みつめる
To look intently without taking one's eyes away. Example: 「相手の目を見つめる」 (to gaze into the other person's eyes).
AI-generated translation
N2
見通し
みとおし
To see far into the distance; also, to predict how things will unfold in the future.
AI-generated translation
N2
見なす
みなす
To judge or treat something as being so, when in reality it is not. Used in the form 「AをBと見なす」, expressing that while something is objectively A, it is treated as B for purposes of judgment, rules, or convenience. Used as in 「欠席を遅刻と見なす」, 「返答がない場合は同意と見なす」. Frequently appears in contexts such as law, rules, contracts, and academic definitions, a hard word expressing formal equation or legal fiction. It carries the nuance of "treating as such" through artificial judgment, rather than the recognition of fact.
AI-generated translation
N2
見習い
みならい
A beginner learning the trade by watching how seniors work; also that very position or period itself. A noun formed from the conjunctive form of the verb 「見習う」, referring to a stage of vocational training resembling an apprenticeship. Used as in 「見習い職人」「見習い期間」「見習い中の身」. It frequently appears in trades where skills are acquired through hands-on work, such as cooks, carpenters, craftsmen, and nurses. Compared with the general term 「初心者」, it carries a stronger nuance of designating a formal training stage within a specific profession or organization.
AI-generated translation
N2
峰
みね
The raised part near the top of a mountain. Refers to the highest part of a mountain or the ridge running along the crest. Used as in 「山の峰」, 「峰々が連なる」, 「峰を越える」. A word frequently appearing in mountain and climbing contexts; whereas 「山頂」 refers to the pinpoint summit, 「峰」 refers broadly to the high area around and including the summit. Figuratively, the back of a sword blade (the side opposite the edge) is also called 「峰」, used as in 「峰打ち」. A word with a bookish, literary ring.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
実る
みのる
For a plant to bear fruit. Example: 「稲が実る」 (rice ripens). Also used to mean a good result coming about, as in 「努力が実る」 (effort bears fruit).
AI-generated translation
N2
見晴らし
みはらし
The ability to look out far and wide from an elevated place; also the scenery that comes into view at such a time. 「晴らす」 means to clear away things that obstruct, representing a state in which the view is opened up and one can see into the distance. Used as in 「見晴らしの良い場所」「見晴らしが利く」「見晴らし台」. It often appears in contexts that evaluate the view from a building, terrain, or tourist spot. The meaning is close to 「眺め」, but 「見晴らし」 places greater emphasis on the breadth and distance of the view.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
見本
みほん
sample. A model or example shown for reference. Example: 「商品の見本」 (a product sample).
AI-generated translation
N2
見物
みもの
Something worth seeing, something entertaining to watch. Often said with the expectation that it will be interesting to watch, as in "今年の決勝戦は見物だ" or "彼の慌てぶりは見物だった". The same "見物" read as "けんぶつ" is a different word meaning to go and see something rare or famous.
AI-generated translation
N2
魅了
みりょう
To attract a person's heart strongly and make them enthralled. 「魅」 means to captivate the heart, 「了」 means to do completely, together expressing a state of completely capturing the heart. Used for objects evaluated positively, such as beauty, talent, performance, or character, used in both active and passive forms as in 「観客を魅了する」, 「歌声に魅了される」. Close in meaning to 「魅惑」, but 「魅了」 differs in having little nuance of allure or temptation, used as pure admiration.
AI-generated translation
N2, N5
見る
みる
See; look. Perceiving things with the eyes.
AI-generated translation
N2
未練
みれん
The state of being unable to give up, with one's heart still lingering. It refers to a condition in which one's feelings or attachments toward a lost person, thing, or chance remain. 「練」 carries the sense of "kneading or refining over and over," expressing a heart that cannot cut itself away from the past. Used as in 「未練がある」「未練を残す」「未練を断ち切る」「未練たらしい」. It frequently appears in contexts where a matter should already be settled — heartbreak, leaving a job, defeat — but the heart is drawn back to it.
AI-generated translation
N2
無我夢中
むがむちゅう
A state of being so completely absorbed in something that one forgets oneself. A four-character compound combining 「無我」 (forgetting oneself) and 「夢中」 (being engrossed as if in a dream), doubling words of the same import to emphasize the degree of absorption. Used as in 「無我夢中で逃げる」, 「無我夢中で取り組む」, 「無我夢中になって戦う」. Used both in situations of being desperate in a crisis and in situations of forgetting oneself out of enjoyment or excitement, expressing a state of being concentrated on one thing to the point of having no room to consider oneself.
AI-generated translation
N2
報いる
むくいる
To give a fitting return for an action one has received.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
向ける
むける
To turn a face or object toward a certain direction. Example: 「カメラを向ける」 (to point a camera). Also used to mean directing one's feelings or attention that way, as in 「注意を向ける」 (to direct one's attention). 「向ける」 is used when a person turns a face or object that way, while 「向く」 is used when one's face or body turns that way: compare 「顔を右に向ける」 with 「右を向く」.
AI-generated translation
N2
無効
むこう
Having no effect or validity.
AI-generated translation
N2, N5
向こう
むこう
The far side, as seen from oneself. Example: 「川の向こう」 (the far side of the river).
AI-generated translation
N2
蒸し暑い
むしあつい
Hot with a lot of humidity. Example: 「蒸し暑い夜」 (a humid, sultry night).
AI-generated translation
N2
矛盾
むじゅん
Two things not being consistent with each other and conflicting.
AI-generated translation
N2, N5
難しい
むずかしい
difficult. Not able to be done easily. The antonym is 「易しい」 (easy).
AI-generated translation
Vocabulary data on this site is based on the JMdict/EDICT project (© Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, CC BY-SA 4.0). JLPT level classification is our own assessment using AI (Claude) and is not an official JLPT standard.