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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
N1
眼差し
まなざし
The look in one's eyes or the gaze when looking at something. 「眼」 means the eye, 「差し」 means to direct light or a gaze, together expressing "a gaze directed from the eyes." Its characteristic is that it implies not just the direction of the gaze but the emotion or attitude carried in it. Used in contexts expressing a gaze accompanied by emotion, as in 「優しい眼差し」, 「鋭い眼差し」, 「冷たい眼差し」, 「温かい眼差し」. A word with a bookish, literary ring, frequently appearing in descriptions of people and psychology.
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
N1
間延び
まのび
A state in which actions, speech, or timing lack snap and feel slack and dull. 「間」 refers to a pause or break in time or action; 「延び」 means stretching out; together the word describes "a state in which the breaks are dragged out limply." Used as in 「間延びした顔」「間延びした話し方」「間延びしたメロディ」 in contexts that critically evaluate a lack of tension and tautness. It is commonly used for things in which rhythm and crispness are at issue, such as speech arts, music, facial expressions, and writing.
AI-generated translation
N1
まばゆい
まばゆい
Describes light so bright you can hardly keep your eyes open. Used as in 「まばゆい朝日」, 「まばゆい光」, and 「まばゆいばかりの白さ」. Also often used figuratively, as in 「まばゆいばかりの才能」 and 「まばゆいばかりの美しさ」, for something so striking it captivates the eye. Close in meaning to 「まぶしい」, but 「まばゆい」 has a more literary, formal ring. In kanji it is written 「眩い」 or 「目映い」, but it is also often written in hiragana.
AI-generated translation
N1
まばら
まばら
A state in which things or people are scattered here and there, with low density. Expresses a sparse state of something that ought to gather or be continuous, as in 「まばらに生えた木々」, 「客足がまばら」, 「観客はまばらだった」. Basically refers to a state where gaps are visually conspicuous, used for people, things, vegetation, hair, and so on. Also written 「疎ら」 in kanji, but the hiragana spelling is common. Often used with a negative, lonely nuance.
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
N1
瞼
まぶた
The part of skin that covers the eye. It protects the eyeball and carries out the actions of blinking and closing the eyes. Used as in 「瞼を閉じる」, 「瞼が腫れる」, 「瞼が重い」. Also used in compound forms such as 「上瞼」, 「下瞼」, 「一重瞼」, 「二重瞼」. Figuratively, it is also used in contexts of visually recalling memories or recollections, as in 「瞼に焼き付く」, 「瞼に浮かぶ」. Also written 「目蓋」, but the spelling 「瞼」 is common.
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
N1
繭
まゆ
A covering of thread that the larva of a silkworm or the like makes around itself before metamorphosis. To protect itself until it becomes an adult (a moth), the larva wraps its body in thread spun from its mouth. The silkworm's cocoon is the raw material for silk thread and has historically played a central role as a material in the silk-reeling industry. Used as in 「繭を作る」, 「繭から糸を取る」, 「白い繭」. There is also a figurative usage expressing a state shut off from the outside, as in 「繭にこもる」.
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
N1
丸腰
まるごし
The state of not carrying any weapon. Originally meaning "not having a sword at one's hip," derived from the historical background that for a samurai, carrying a sword was called 「腰に差す」. In modern Japanese, beyond the literal sense of being unarmed, it is used figuratively for "facing a matter with no preparation or countermeasures." Used as in 「丸腰で交渉に臨む」「丸腰の状態で警察に出頭する」. It carries the nuance of confronting a situation defenselessly, with nothing to shield oneself.
AI-generated translation
N1
丸っきり
まるっきり
An adverb meaning "completely / entirely," accompanied by a following negative or negative content. 「丸」 expresses complete or whole, and 「っきり」 is a suffix-like element adding emphasis. Used as in 「丸っきり知らない」, 「丸っきり違う」, 「丸っきり駄目だ」, emphasizing that the degree of something is complete. A somewhat colloquial and slangy word; in writing 「全く」 or 「全然」 are more often chosen. Also written 「丸きり」, 「まるきり」.
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
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.