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ALL LEVELS・N1–N5
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4,238words (N1–N5 total)
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N3
発達
はったつ
Growing into a more complete state. Example: 「筋肉が発達する」 (muscles develop), 「交通が発達した町」 (a town with developed transportation). While 「発展」 tends to refer to growth in scale, 「発達」 more often refers to improvement in function or ability.
AI-generated translation
N1
抜擢
ばってき
Refers to specially selecting someone from many people and promoting them to an important position or role. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「主役に抜擢される (to be picked for a leading role)」「若手を抜擢する (to promote a junior)」「異例の抜擢 (an extraordinary promotion)」. 「抜」 means to pull out, 「擢」 also means to pull out and promote; the two stacked characters emphasize "carefully selecting and elevating". It expresses a special appointment that bypasses seniority, used widely in personnel matters, entertainment, and sports.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
発展
はってん
When the momentum of something grows and it becomes bigger or more active. Example: 「経済の発展」 (economic development), 「町が発展する」 (a town develops).
AI-generated translation
N3
発売
はつばい
To put a product on sale. Example: 「新商品を発売する」 (to release a new product).
AI-generated translation
N3
発表
はっぴょう
To announce something widely to many people. Example: 「研究発表」 (research presentation), 「合格発表」 (announcement of exam results).
AI-generated translation
N1
発奮
はっぷん
Refers to receiving stimulus and strongly summoning up one's spirit. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「叱られて発奮する (to be roused by being scolded)」「敗戦を機に発奮する (to be roused on the occasion of a defeat)」「発奮を促す (to spur on)」. 「発」 means to start, 「奮」 means to enliven one's spirit; together they express "to summon up one's spirit". It expresses the appearance of using failure, criticism, or chagrin as a trigger to surpass one's former self and move to action, used widely in contexts of encouragement, sports, and academics.
AI-generated translation
N1
抜本的
ばっぽんてき
Refers to changing something greatly from its very root. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「抜本的な改革 (radical reform)」「抜本的に見直す (to review fundamentally)」「抜本的な対策 (drastic measures)」. 「抜本」 means to pull out the roots, expressing the stance of going into the cause itself to change things, rather than superficial symptomatic treatment. Note the pronunciation: it is 「ばっぽんてき」 with the small 「っ」, not 「ばつほんてき」. It is used widely in contexts that discuss reforms in policy, management, and systems.
AI-generated translation
N1
発露
はつろ
Refers to emotions or one's true nature, kept hidden within, coming out into the open. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「愛情の発露 (an outpouring of affection)」「本心の発露 (a manifestation of one's true feelings)」「自然な発露 (a natural outpouring)」. 「発」 means to appear, 「露」 means to reveal; together they express "to emerge from within". Rather than deliberate expression, it refers to the appearance of suppressed things welling forth naturally, and is used widely in contexts of psychology, literature, and aesthetic theory.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
派手
はで
A manner in which colors or behavior stand out and are showy. Example: 「派手な服」 (flashy clothes). The antonym is 「地味」 (plain/subdued).
AI-generated translation
N1
罵倒
ばとう
Refers to abusing another party with violent words. Used in expressions like 「罵倒を浴びせる (to heap abuse upon someone)」「罵倒する (to revile)」「罵倒の限りを尽くす (to exhaust all forms of abuse)」. 「罵」 means to revile, 「倒」 adds the sense of "thoroughly"; together they express "to revile violently". It is used in scenes of hurling strong anger or contempt at another, with a more emotional and aggressive nuance than 「叱責」「批判」. It appears frequently in contexts of confrontations on SNS, Diet debates, and personal conflicts.
AI-generated translation
N2
歯止め
はどめ
Refers to the function of stopping the progress or worsening of something. Used in expressions like 「価格上昇に歯止めをかける (to put a brake on rising prices)」「歯止めが利かない (the brakes do not work)」「歯止めを失う (to lose all check)」. It is a derivative usage from the original meaning of a device that stops the motion of a wheel, established as a metaphor for restraint and control. It is mostly used in the forms 「歯止めをかける」「歯止めが利く／利かない」, used widely in scenes of curbing undesirable movements in the economy, society, or organizations.
AI-generated translation
N3
離す
はなす
To separate attached things and create a gap between them. Example: 「手を離す」 (to let go of one's hand), 「机を離して置く」 (to place desks apart). Note the distinction from the same-sounding word 「放す」 (to release something one was holding). 「離す」 is used when a person creates the gap, while 「離れる」 is used when the gap opens on its own: compare 「手を離す」 with 「手が離れる」.
AI-generated translation
N1
華々しい
はなばなしい
Refers to an appearance so brilliant and lustrous as to catch the eye. Used in expressions like 「華々しい活躍 (a brilliant performance)」「華々しいデビュー (a spectacular debut)」「華々しい成功 (a spectacular success)」. As a reduplicated form stacking the character 「華」, it expresses an appearance that is conspicuous, dazzling, and visually fine. It is mostly used as positive praise, but depending on context can take on nuances of "too flashy" or "lacking substance". It is used widely in sports, entertainment, and historical writing.
AI-generated translation
N3
花火
はなび
fireworks. Something launched into the night sky using gunpowder to create patterns of light. Example: 「花火大会」 (fireworks festival).
AI-generated translation
N3
離れる
はなれる
To become distant. To leave a place. Example: 「駅から離れた家」 (a house far from the station), 「故郷を離れる」 (to leave one's hometown). 「離れる」 is used when the gap opens on its own, while 「離す」 is used when a person creates it: compare 「手が離れる」 with 「手を離す」.
AI-generated translation
N3
羽
はね
The part of a bird or an insect used for flying in the sky. Also the feathers that cover a bird's body. For example, 「羽を広げる」. When counting birds and rabbits it is read 「わ」, and is used as in 「二羽（にわ）」.
AI-generated translation
N1
撥ねる
はねる
Refers to forcefully flicking or splashing something away. Used in expressions like 「車が水を撥ねる (a car splashes water)」「不良品を撥ねる (to reject defective products)」「税金を撥ねる (to skim off taxes)」. In addition to physically splashing, it has the sense of "excluding what does not meet standards" in screening, and the sense of taking a portion of profit, as in 「上前を撥ねる (to skim off a cut)」. It is a verb whose meaning branches widely depending on context, and there are several kanji forms such as 「跳ねる」 and 「刎ねる」, distinguished by meaning.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
幅
はば
width. The length across something. Example: 「道の幅」 (the width of a road). Also used to mean breadth of range, as in 「幅広い知識」 (broad knowledge).
AI-generated translation
N1
はばかる
はばかる
Means to hold back or be reserved out of consideration. A stiff word used as in 「人目をはばかる」, 「世間をはばかる」, and 「はばかりながら申し上げる」, describing restraining one's actions or speech out of concern for how others see them. 「はばかりながら」 is a humble set phrase used as a preface. In the proverb 「憎まれっ子世にはばかる」 (the disliked thrive in the world), it is used in an older, different sense of "to spread, to flourish." In kanji it is written 「憚る」, but it is more often written in hiragana.
AI-generated translation
N1
派閥
はばつ
Refers to small groups formed by people who share interests or ways of thinking within large organizations such as political parties or companies. Used in expressions like 「派閥争い (factional struggle)」「派閥に属する (to belong to a faction)」「派閥を超えて (across factions)」. 「派」 means branch, 「閥」 means clique or group; together they express "a divided group". It is mostly accompanied by negative connotations, used widely in contexts that critically describe factional confrontation and personnel struggles within organizations. It is a word frequently encountered in news reports about politics and large corporations.
AI-generated translation
N2
阻む
はばむ
Refers to blocking something that is trying to advance and not allowing it to proceed further. Used in expressions like 「行く手を阻む (to block one's way)」「進出を阻む (to block an advance)」「優勝を阻む (to block a championship)」. It is used broadly, from physical obstruction of a path to scenes in which abstract realization is hindered, such as plans, advances, or achievements, expressing the sense of halting partway a movement toward a goal or success. It appears frequently in diverse contexts such as sports, business, and geographical description.
AI-generated translation
N1
はびこる
はびこる
Refers to plants or harmful things spreading vigorously. Used in expressions like 「悪習がはびこる (bad customs run rampant)」「不正がはびこる (corruption runs rampant)」「雑草がはびこる (weeds spread)」. It is a derivative usage from the original sense of weeds growing thickly over a whole area, and in modern usage is widely used in situations where undesirable things — vices, corruption, misinformation, harmful forces — gain in power. It carries a negative evaluation, used in contexts criticizing situations where what ought to be kept in check is not being kept in check.
AI-generated translation
N1
羽振り
はぶり
Refers to one's clout in the world or one's economic prosperity. Used in expressions like 「羽振りがいい (to be prosperous)」「羽振りを利かせる (to throw one's weight around)」「羽振りのいい商売人 (a prosperous merchant)」. It is a derivative usage from the image of a bird flapping its wings, established as a metaphor for the appearance of being economically well-off and full of momentum. It is mostly used in the form 「羽振りがいい」, appearing frequently in contexts that describe a flush of cash and great social influence.
AI-generated translation
N1
刃向かう
はむかう
Refers to standing up against and going against a powerful opponent. Used in expressions like 「権力に刃向かう (to defy power)」「親に刃向かう (to defy one's parents)」「刃向かう者は許さない (those who defy will not be forgiven)」. It is a derivative expression from the original sense of literally pointing a blade at the other party, used in scenes of resisting a great existence above oneself. Rather than physical attack, it is a word expressing the structure in which the lower party in a hierarchy of position or power opposes the upper party.
AI-generated translation
N1
羽目
はめ
Refers to a troublesome situation or unfavorable position. Used in expressions like 「羽目になる (to find oneself in a tight spot)」「羽目に陥る (to fall into a predicament)」「面倒な羽目になった (one ended up in a troublesome situation)」. There is the noun use expressing a situation in which one finds oneself as an unwanted result, and the idiomatic use 「羽目を外す (to go too far, to let loose)」 expressing "appropriate limits". The 「羽目」 in the latter is originally a kind of part of a horse's bit, and the sense "to lose moderation" was established from the idea that, once removed, the horse runs wild.
AI-generated translation
N3
場面
ばめん
scene. The state of the place where something is happening. Example: 「感動的な場面」 (a moving scene). Also used to refer to a segment of a movie or play.
AI-generated translation
N2
破門
はもん
Refers to expelling a disciple or follower from a master-disciple relationship or a religious order. Used in expressions like 「師匠から破門される (to be expelled by one's master)」「破門状 (a letter of expulsion)」「破門に処する (to mete out expulsion)」. 「破」 means to break, 「門」 means the master's gate or sect; together they express "expelling from the gate". Originally a word concerning master-disciple relationships in Buddhism, martial arts, and traditional arts, it refers to the severe punishment of stripping away one's status as a disciple. In modern usage it is often encountered in contexts of the entertainment world and traditional performing arts.
AI-generated translation
N2
早々
はやばや
The manner of getting something done earlier than usual. Mostly used in the form "早々と", as in "早々と帰り支度を始める" or "早々と売り切れる". The same "早々" read as "そうそう" attaches to a noun, as in "新年早々" or "開店早々", and is a different word expressing that something happens right after that point.
AI-generated translation
N3
流行る
はやる
To become widely popular with many people. Example: 「このアプリが流行っている」 (this app is popular). Also used when a disease spreads widely, as in 「インフルエンザが流行る」 (the flu is spreading). In written language, 「流行（りゅうこう）する」 is also used.
AI-generated translation
N2
腹立たしい
はらだたしい
Refers to the appearance of feeling anger and unpleasantness. It is an adjective used in expressions like 「腹立たしい言い方 (an irritating way of putting it)」「腹立たしい思いをする (to feel resentful)」「実に腹立たしい (truly infuriating)」. It expresses strong dissatisfaction or anger at the words, actions, or situation of another party, and is the adjective form of 「腹が立つ」. It is usable widely in everyday conversation and can express a wide range of intensity, from mild annoyance to strong anger.
AI-generated translation
N3
針
はり
needle. A thin, pointed tool used for sewing or injections. Example: 「針と糸」 (needle and thread). Also broadly refers to thin, pointed objects such as a clock's hands or a fishing hook.
AI-generated translation
N1
張り合い
はりあい
Refers to the sense of worthwhileness and feedback when one tackles something. Used in expressions like 「張り合いのある仕事 (a rewarding job)」「張り合いがない (there is no satisfaction in it)」「張り合いを失う (to lose one's drive)」. It is a daily-use word expressing emotional fulfillment and the sense that one's effort is worthwhile, used in contexts that positively evaluate a state of having purpose and motivation. It is a different word from 「張り合い (rivalry)」, which also derives from 「張り合う」, and the meanings are distinguished by context.
AI-generated translation
N1
張り詰める
はりつめる
Refers to feelings or atmosphere being so tense that they are pulled tight. Used in expressions like 「神経を張り詰める (to keep one's nerves taut)」「張り詰めた空気 (a taut atmosphere)」「張り詰めた糸のような心 (a mind taut as a stretched string)」. It is a derivative usage from the sense of something being stretched tight across a surface, established as a metaphor for a psychological state with no slack or for the tension of a scene. Its focus is on prolonged high tension, indicating a sustained state of concentration rather than a momentary surprise or fear.
AI-generated translation
N1
破廉恥
はれんち
Refers to behavior that lacks restraint and does not regard shame as shame. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「破廉恥な行為 (a shameless act)」「破廉恥極まりない (utterly shameless)」「破廉恥漢 (a shameless scoundrel)」. 「廉」 means a heart that is pure and upright, 「恥」 means the sense of shame; the original sense is "to break (disregard) these". It is an old-fashioned expression used in contexts that strongly condemn morally inexcusable speech or behavior, especially violations of sexual or financial morality.
AI-generated translation
N2
反映
はんえい
The influence of one thing appearing in another.
AI-generated translation
N1
反旗
はんき
Refers to the posture of rebellion against a ruler or superior. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「反旗を翻す (to raise the banner of revolt)」「反旗を掲げる (to hoist the banner of rebellion)」. It originally meant to raise a flag indicating the intention to revolt, and in modern usage is most often used as the idiom 「反旗を翻す」, used in scenes of clearly declaring rebellion against an entity one had previously been following. It is used in contexts that discuss political confrontation, organizational strife, and historical rebellions.
AI-generated translation
N1
煩雑
はんざつ
Refers to the appearance of a matter being complicated and laborious. Used in expressions like 「煩雑な手続き (cumbersome procedures)」「業務が煩雑だ (the work is intricate)」「煩雑な事務作業 (complicated clerical work)」. 「煩」 means troublesome, 「雑」 means tangled; together they express "a state of being troublesome and tangled". Rather than mere complexity, it focuses on the burden and bothersomeness for the one handling it, used widely in evaluations of administrative procedures, clerical work, and regulations.
AI-generated translation
N1
半信半疑
はんしんはんぎ
Refers to a state of half-belief, half-doubt. It is a four-character idiom expressing the hesitant feeling of being unable to judge whether a story is true or false. Used in expressions like 「半信半疑で話を聞く (to listen with half-belief)」「半信半疑のまま試す (to try while remaining doubtful)」「半信半疑だった (was half in doubt)」. It expresses the intermediate psychological state of being unable to fully trust, yet unable to dismiss outright. It is an established expression used in everyday conversation, novels, and news reports.
AI-generated translation
N1
反芻
はんすう
Refers to animals such as cows bringing food they have once swallowed back into the mouth to chew again. By extension, it refers to thoughts or words being repeatedly recalled. Used in expressions like 「言葉を反芻する (to ruminate on a word)」「教訓を反芻する (to ruminate on a lesson)」「会話を反芻する (to replay a conversation in one's mind)」. It is a metaphor derived from the zoological term, expressing the act of savoring memories, emotions, or knowledge over and over in the mind. It is widely used in contexts of book impressions, recollection, and meditation.
AI-generated translation
N3
反省
はんせい
To reflect on one's own words and actions and think about what was wrong. Example: 「反省して謝る」 (to reflect and apologize).
AI-generated translation
N1
判然
はんぜん
Refers to the appearance of a matter becoming clearly understood. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「原因が判然としない (the cause is not clear)」「判然たる証拠 (clear evidence)」. 「判」 means to distinguish or clarify, 「然」 is a suffix indicating manner; together they express "a state of being clearly distinguished". It is mostly used in the negative form 「判然としない」, appearing widely in contexts that describe ambiguous, indeterminate situations. The style is biased toward news reports, official documents, and analysis.
AI-generated translation
N3
判断
はんだん
judgment. To think about something and decide. Example: 「状況を判断する」 (to judge the situation).
AI-generated translation
N3
犯人
はんにん
A person who has committed a crime. Example: 「犯人を捕まえる」 (to catch the criminal).
AI-generated translation
N3
販売
はんばい
To sell goods. Example: 「チケットを販売する」 (to sell tickets). A more formal, business-oriented way of saying 「売る」 (to sell).
AI-generated translation
N1
反駁
はんばく
Refers to refuting and denying another's opinion or claim by providing grounds. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「論文に反駁する (to rebut a paper)」「反駁の余地がない (there is no room for rebuttal)」「鋭く反駁する (to rebut sharply)」. 「反」 means to oppose, 「駁」 means to argue down; together they express "to argue back and refute". Rather than mere opposition, it carries the nuance of rebutting the other party's claim with supporting reasons, used in discussion, academic, and legal contexts.
AI-generated translation
N2, N5
半分
はんぶん
half. One of the two equal parts into which a whole is divided. 「ケーキを半分に切る」「半分だけたべる」. 「半」 also means half, but it attaches to numbers or times, as in 「三時半」「一個半」, and is not used by itself.
AI-generated translation
N1
繁忙
はんぼう
Refers to work and the like being extremely busy. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「繁忙期 (a busy season)」「繁忙な日々 (busy days)」「繁忙を極める (to be extremely busy)」. 「繁」 means abundant or thriving, 「忙」 means busy; together they express "a state in which busyness is at its peak". It is mostly used in the form 「繁忙期」, as a noun referring to a time when workload concentrates in a particular industry. It is widely used in business and economic contexts, while in everyday conversation 「忙しい」 is the common form.
AI-generated translation
N2
汎用
はんよう
Refers to not being limited to a single use, but being usable broadly for various purposes. Used in expressions like 「汎用性が高い (highly versatile)」「汎用品 (general-purpose goods)」「汎用エンジン (a general-purpose engine)」. 「汎」 means widely spreading, 「用」 means to use; together they express "usable widely". As the antonym of 「専用 (dedicated)」, it is used in contexts evaluating versatility and a wide range of applicability not limited to special purposes, used widely in technology, industry, and IT.
AI-generated translation
N1
氾濫
はんらん
Refers to river water overflowing and spreading. By extension, it refers to a state in which things or information are so abundant that they overflow. Used in expressions like 「川が氾濫する (a river floods)」「情報が氾濫する (information floods)」「商品が氾濫する (goods are flooding the market)」. Both 「氾」 and 「濫」 mean water overflowing, forming a compound that stacks two characters to emphasize meaning. From the physical sense of flooding, it has extended in modern usage to metaphorical uses for information, goods, buzzwords, and the like spreading excessively, used widely in media and criticism contexts.
AI-generated translation
N2
反論
はんろん
To argue back against another person's opinion from an opposing standpoint.
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.