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ALL LEVELS・N1–N5
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4,238words (N1–N5 total)
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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.
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
N5
本
ほん
book. Something with letters or pictures on it, made to be read. It is also used as a word for counting long, thin things such as pencils and bottles. いっぽん・にほん・さんぼん・よんほん・ごほん・ろっぽん・ななほん・はっぽん・きゅうほん・じゅっぽん, and 「なんぼん」. For 1, 6, 8 and 10 it becomes 「ぽん」, and for 3 and 「なん」 it becomes 「ぼん」.
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
N5
本棚
ほんだな
A shelf for storing books.
AI-generated translation
N5
本当
ほんとう
Being true, not a lie. Example: 「本当ですか」 (is that true?).
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
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)」.
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
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).
AI-generated translation
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)」.
AI-generated translation
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.
AI-generated translation
N5
枚
まい
counter for flat things. A word for counting thin, flat things such as paper, shirts, and plates. いちまい・にまい・さんまい…じゅうまい, 「なんまい」. The sound does not change with the number.
AI-generated translation
N5
毎朝
まいあさ
every morning. Every day's morning.
AI-generated translation
N5
毎週
まいしゅう
every week. Every week.
AI-generated translation
N5
毎月
まいつき
Every month. Also read 「まいげつ」.
AI-generated translation
N5
毎年
まいとし
Every year. Also read 「まいねん」.
AI-generated translation
N5
毎日
まいにち
every day. Every day.
AI-generated translation
N5
毎晩
まいばん
Every night.
AI-generated translation
N5
前
まえ
before. Being earlier in place or time. The antonym is 「後ろ」 (behind) or 「後」 (after).
AI-generated translation
N4, N5
曲がる
まがる
turn. To no longer be straight. Also used when turning on a road. Example: 「右に曲がる」 (to turn right).
AI-generated translation
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
N1
紛れる
まぎれる
To become mixed in with other things and indistinguishable from them. The basic meaning is to blend into a crowd or darkness so as not to stand out, as in 「人混みに紛れる」(to get lost in a crowd) or 「闇に紛れる」(to slip away under cover of darkness). Extended use: 「気が紛れる」means that one's attention is drawn to something else, easing an unpleasant feeling or sadness. This second sense is close in nuance to distraction or relief, and frequently appears in contexts where worry or grief is alleviated through another activity.
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
N1
交える
まじえる
To bring in and mix different elements or people into a setting. 「交」 originally means "to come and go with one another," expressing the action of bringing something else into a single place and making it coexist. It takes as its object speech, emotions, words, people, and so on, as in 「冗談を交える」, 「私情を交えない」, 「言葉を交える」, 「老若男女を交えて」. 「言葉を交える」 is close to 「話を交わす」, and 「砲火を交える」 is close to 「戦いを交わす」, both idiomatic usages. 「交える」 is used when a person intentionally mixes something in, while 「交わる」 expresses things coming into contact and becoming involved with each other of their own accord.
AI-generated translation
N1
交わる
まじわる
To come into contact or become intermingled with something separate; also, to associate with others. The literal meaning covers physical intersection or contact, as in 「線が交わる」(lines intersect) or 「川と川が交わる」(rivers meet). The social meaning refers to forming relationships, as in 「友と交わる」(to associate with friends) or 「他人と交わる」(to mingle with others). 「交える」 is used when a person intentionally mixes something in, while 「交わる」 expresses things coming into contact and becoming involved with each other of their own accord. A somewhat formal, written-register word used across both geometric and interpersonal contexts.
AI-generated translation
N3, N5
まずい
まずい
A state of tasting bad. The antonym is 「おいしい」 (delicious).
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
N3, N5
また
また
Again. The state in which the same thing happens once more. 「また来てください」(please come again), 「またあした」(see you tomorrow). It is a different word from the similar word 「まだ」(the state of not being finished).
AI-generated translation
N1
またがる
またがる
To get on top of something with one's legs spread on either side. Derived from 「股(また)」, expressing the action of spreading both legs apart over an object. It has a literal usage expressing physical action, as in 「馬にまたがる」, 「自転車にまたがる」, and a figurative usage meaning to extend over multiple domains, regions, or periods, as in 「両県にまたがる山脈」, 「複数の分野にまたがる研究」, 「三日間にまたがる会議」. The latter expresses that a range does not fit within a single frame but spreads across several.
AI-generated translation
N5
町
まち
town. A place where many people live.
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
N1
末期
まっき
A period close to the end of an era or matter. 「末」 means the end, 「期」 means a period. Refers to the final stage of some division, as in 「江戸時代末期」, 「平安末期」, 「末期癌」, 「末期的状況」. Its objects are wide-ranging—history, illness, social conditions—and it is a bookish, hard word. Note that reading the same kanji as 「まつご」 gives the meaning "deathbed, the moment of death," used as in 「末期の水」, 「末期の言葉」. Note that the reading and meaning diverge by context.
AI-generated translation
N1
真っ向
まっこう
The front, the head-on direction. 「真っ」 is an emphatic prefix and 「向」 means direction, together expressing "directly in front." Mostly used adverbially in the form 「真っ向から」 to express facing or confronting something head-on, as in 「真っ向から反対する」, 「真っ向から否定する」, 「真っ向勝負」, 「真っ向対立」, in contexts describing an attitude of meeting matters directly without detour. It carries the nuance of confronting directly, excluding avoidance or compromise.
AI-generated translation
N4, N5
真っ直ぐ
まっすぐ
A state of being like a single straight line, without bending. Example: 「まっすぐな道」 (a straight road).
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
N1
真っ只中
まっただなか
The very center of a matter, or the midst of its most intense moment. 「真っ」 is an intensifying prefix, and 「只中」 originally means "right in the middle," referring to the very heart of something. Used as in 「議論の真っ只中」「嵐の真っ只中」「戦乱の真っ只中」 for both spatial center (the middle of a crowd, for instance) and temporal center (the period when an event is at its peak). It mostly appears in contexts emphasizing being in the thick of an intensely unfolding situation.
AI-generated translation
N1
全う
まっとう
The act of fulfilling a duty or role completely to the very end. Originally from the same source as 「全(まった)く」, meaning "completely, without anything missing." Used as a suru-verb in the form 「全うする」, as in 「責務を全うする」, 「役目を全うする」, 「天寿を全うする」, in contexts of carrying out duties, jobs, or one's lifespan to completion without abandoning them midway. A formal, hard word that is bookish and used in formal settings. It is a different word from the adjective 「真っ当(まっとう)な」 (meaning serious and proper).
AI-generated translation
N5
窓
まど
window. An opening made in a wall for light and air to enter.
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
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.