ALL LEVELS・N1–N5

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4,238words (N1–N5 total)

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Filtered by N1・N2・N4 · 366words Clear filters

N2 没頭ぼっとう

Refers to becoming so absorbed in one thing that one disregards everything else. Used in expressions like 「研究に没頭する (to immerse oneself in research)」「執筆に没頭する (to be absorbed in writing)」. Its original meaning is 「頭を没する (to sink one's head into)」, expressing the state of being so deeply engaged that even one's head is submerged. It is used for objects one actively engages with, such as work, creative activity, or hobbies, and often carries a positive evaluation.

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N1 没落ぼつらく

Refers to a family, nation, or organization that once flourished losing its status, wealth, and power, and falling into decline. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「名家が没落する (a noble family falls into ruin)」「没落貴族 (the fallen aristocracy)」. Rather than a temporary downturn, it expresses a decisive decline involving the loss of social standing, and often implies an irreversible change. It is frequently used in historical writings and literary works.

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N4 ほとんどほとんど

Not all, but very close to it. Example: 「しゅくだいはほとんどおわった」 (the homework is almost finished). When used together with 「〜ない」, it expresses that the amount or the number of times is very small. Examples: 「お金がほとんどない」 (to have almost no money), 「ほとんど話さない」 (to hardly speak).

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N4 褒めるほめる

To find something good in someone and say so.

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N1 本意ほんい

Refers to the true intention or feeling that one desires from the bottom of one's heart. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「本意ではない (it is not my true intention)」「本意を遂げる (to fulfill one's true wish)」. It expresses the genuine inner wish, not the surface words or the result of compromise. It is often used in the form 「本意ではないが (although it is not my true intention)」 as a preface when accepting a conclusion that differs from one's wishes. There is a tendency for 「本心」 to point to the emotional side and 「本意」 to point to the volitional, intentional side.

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N1 翻意ほんい

Refers to changing a thought or decision that one has once made. Used in expressions like 「翻意を促す (to urge someone to reconsider)」「翻意する (to change one's mind)」. It is a formal word used primarily in contexts where one tries to persuade a person who has announced resignation, retirement, withdrawal, or cancellation to retract that decision. It is hardly used in everyday conversation and is biased toward the style of news reports and official statements.

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N2 本腰ほんごし

Refers to the posture of settling oneself in and tackling something in earnest. Used idiomatically as 「本腰を入れる (to put one's lower back into something — i.e., to get serious)」, it describes a situation in which one revises a previously halfhearted or sideline approach and begins to engage seriously. It is an expression rooted in bodily sensation: 「腰 (the lower back/hips)」 is the center of the body, and the steadiness of the hips reflects the seriousness of one's commitment. It is a relatively casual word that can be used even in everyday conversation.

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N2 本心ほんしん

Refers to the true feelings or thoughts hidden deep in one's heart. Used in expressions like 「本心を打ち明ける (to reveal one's true feelings)」「本心を隠す (to conceal one's true feelings)」. It refers to the genuine emotion that lies behind the attitude or statements one shows on the surface. It is nearly synonymous with 「本音」, but while 「本音」 is more colloquial and casual, 「本心」 is used in a somewhat more formal, harder-edged context.

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N2 本筋ほんすじ

Refers to the main current, the central core of a conversation, discussion, or story. Used in expressions like 「議論が本筋から外れる (the discussion strays from the main point)」「話を本筋に戻す (to bring the conversation back to the main thread)」. As opposed to side-tracks or peripheral details, it refers to the original theme or main axis that should be addressed. It is frequently used in contexts of organizing the flow of meetings and discussions, and in discussions of story structure. Compared to 「本論」, it is more colloquial and used practically in the setting of meeting facilitation.

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N2 本音ほんね

Refers to what one truly thinks in one's heart, as opposed to one's 「建前 (tatemae, official public stance)」. Used in expressions like 「本音を漏らす (to let slip one's true feelings)」「本音と建前 (one's true feelings and one's public stance)」「本音で話す (to speak frankly)」. As a concept paired with 「建前 (the public statements valued in Japanese society)」, it refers to honest feelings that are hard to express publicly. More colloquial than 「本心」, it is used widely in everyday conversation, workplace chatter, and contexts that discuss human relationships.

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N1 本末転倒ほんまつてんとう

Refers to mistaking the essential parts of a matter for trivial ones. It is a four-character idiom that critically describes a state in which means have been substituted for ends, or in which priorities of importance have been reversed. Used in expressions like 「本末転倒な議論 (an argument that puts the cart before the horse)」「健康のためのダイエットで体を壊しては本末転倒だ (ruining one's health on a diet for one's health is putting the cart before the horse)」. 「本」 means the root or essence, 「末」 means the branches or tip, and the word expresses that this relationship has been 「転倒 (inverted)」.

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N1 本望ほんもう

Refers to the feeling of satisfaction that comes when a long-cherished wish is fulfilled. Used in expressions like 「本望を遂げる (to achieve one's heart's desire)」「これで本望だ (this is enough to satisfy me)」. It is a formal word expressing the sense of fulfillment when a long-held wish or a determined goal is achieved, and is often used for great wishes worth even risking one's life for. There is also an idiomatic expression like 「死んでも本望 (it would be worth dying for)」, indicating a resolve that accepts even sacrifice.

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N4 翻訳ほんやく

To convert the language of one country into the language of another.

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N2, N3 ぼんやりぼんやり

A state in which the shape of something, a memory, or the like is not clear. 「遠くの山がぼんやり見える」 (the distant mountains look hazy). It also describes a state of thinking about nothing, with one's attention directed nowhere in particular. 「授業中にぼんやりする」 (to space out during class), 「ぼんやりしていて駅を乗り過ごした」 (I was spacing out and missed my station).

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N1 凡庸ぼんよう

Refers to something mediocre, lacking any distinguishing features, and unremarkable. Used in expressions like 「凡庸な作品 (a mediocre work)」「凡庸な人物 (a mediocre person)」. It is a formal na-adjective used by an evaluator to describe an object as having no notable qualities in terms of talent, personality, or quality. Compared to simply saying 「普通 (ordinary)」, this word carries a stronger negative, critical undertone, and is frequently used in critical or commentary-style writing. Its antonym is 「非凡 (extraordinary)」.

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N1 翻弄ほんろう

Refers to being tossed about as if being toyed with by some other force, regardless of one's own will. As in 「波に翻弄される (to be tossed about by the waves)」「運命に翻弄される (to be played with by fate)」「相手の戦術に翻弄される (to be confounded by the opponent's tactics)」, it is normally used in the passive form. It is a written-language word expressing situations of being swayed by great irresistible forces, such as the power of nature, fate, the intentions of the strong, or emotions.

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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.