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ALL LEVELS・N1–N5
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4,238words (N1–N5 total)
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N1
某
ぼう
A word that vaguely refers to a person, place, or time without specifying the name. It is a formal written word used in a prefix-like manner, as in 「某氏 (a certain Mr. X)」「某社 (a certain company X)」「某月某日 (on a certain date)」. It is used both when one wishes to anonymize intentionally and when the details are not clearly known. It appears frequently in news reports, official documents, and historical writings; in spoken language it is usually replaced with 「ある〜 (some...)」 or 「どこかの〜 (a certain...)」.
AI-generated translation
N4
方
ほう
direction, side. A word that points to one of two things. Used when comparing two things, as in "こちらの方が大きい" (this one is bigger). It can also express direction, as in "駅の方へ歩く" (to walk toward the station). It is often written in kana as "ほう". The same "方" read as "かた" becomes a different word, a polite way of saying "人" (person).
AI-generated translation
N4
貿易
ぼうえき
To buy and sell goods between countries.
AI-generated translation
N1
忘恩
ぼうおん
Refers to forgetting a kindness received and not trying to repay it. It is a formal written word used in expressions like 「忘恩の徒 (an ingrate)」「忘恩の行為 (an act of ingratitude)」, hardly used in everyday modern conversation. Against a background of Confucian and moral values, it is used in contexts that strongly denounce acts that turn one's back on indebtedness. It is a word often seen in literary works, biographies, and historical writings.
AI-generated translation
N1
崩壊
ほうかい
Refers to a building, organization, relationship, or system being broken and losing its original form. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「家庭の崩壊 (the collapse of a family)」「制度が崩壊する (a system collapses)」「ベルリンの壁の崩壊 (the fall of the Berlin Wall)」. It is used both for physical collapse and for abstract disintegration of organizations, nations, human relationships, or order. Rather than a temporary downturn, it expresses a decisive change in which the very structure ceases to be tenable.
AI-generated translation
N1
傍観
ぼうかん
Refers to remaining inactive and merely watching from the sidelines despite being in a position where one ought to be directly involved. Used in expressions like 「事態を傍観する (to look on at events)」「傍観者 (a bystander)」. Rather than neutral "looking", the word often carries a critical implication, pointing to an attitude of inaction in situations where intervention is called for. It appears frequently in contexts that denounce indifference to social problems or incidents.
AI-generated translation
N1
放棄
ほうき
Refers to voluntarily abandoning and not exercising one's rights, responsibilities, or possessions. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「権利を放棄する (to renounce one's rights)」「育児を放棄する (to abandon child-rearing)」「試合を放棄する (to forfeit a match)」. It refers to the intentional act of letting go of a right one holds or a duty one ought to perform, and is widely used in legal, sports, and administrative contexts. It is distinguished from 「喪失 (loss)」 and 「剥奪 (deprivation)」 in that the cause of loss lies in one's own will.
AI-generated translation
N1
暴挙
ぼうきょ
Refers to violent, reckless conduct that ignores common sense and reason. Used in expressions like 「暴挙に出る (to resort to a reckless act)」「許されざる暴挙 (an unpardonable outrage)」. It is a formal word that strongly condemns acts unacceptable in social or moral terms, and is more often used for acts by organizations or states than for private acts of violence by individuals. The style is biased toward news reports, editorials, and protest statements.
AI-generated translation
N1, N2
冒険
ぼうけん
Boldly taking on something with an uncertain outcome despite danger; an adventure. 冒険小説 (adventure novel). Also used for an attempt whose success is uncertain (その計画は冒険だ "that plan is a gamble").
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
方向
ほうこう
direction. Which way something faces. Example: 「駅の方向」 (the direction of the station). Also used to mean the course/policy of something, as in 「話の方向が変わる」 (the direction of the conversation changes).
AI-generated translation
N1
方策
ほうさく
Refers to concrete methods or means for solving a problem and achieving a goal. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「方策を講じる (to devise measures)」「対応方策 (response measures)」「方策を練る (to work out a plan)」. Compared to the vague 「方法 (method)」, it is a word that includes planning and concreteness, and is used widely in administrative, managerial, and policy contexts. It carries the nuance of presupposing a problem and indicating a prescription-like response to it.
AI-generated translation
N1
忙殺
ぼうさつ
Refers to the state of being so overwhelmed by work or errands that one has no time at all for anything else. As in 「仕事に忙殺される (to be swamped by work)」「雑務に忙殺される日々 (days buried under miscellaneous tasks)」, it is almost always used in the passive form 「忙殺される」, and is a formal word. Active usage is rare; the word expresses a passive situation of being overwhelmed by sheer workload rather than by one's own will. It is used in formal styles such as reports, letters, and newspaper articles.
AI-generated translation
N1
傍若無人
ぼうじゃくぶじん
Refers to behaving as one pleases as if no one were around, lacking consideration for others. It is a four-character idiom used in expressions like 「傍若無人な振る舞い (high-handed conduct)」「傍若無人に振る舞う (to behave as if no one else exists)」. Read in classical Chinese style as 「傍らに人無きが若し (as if there were no one beside one)」, its literal meaning is "as if there were no one beside you". It is used in contexts strongly criticizing an attitude that pays absolutely no regard to those around.
AI-generated translation
N1
呆然
ぼうぜん
Refers to the appearance of standing dazed, with one's mind unable to function, when confronted with an unexpected event or a strong shock. Used in expressions like 「呆然と立ち尽くす (to stand stunned)」「呆然とする (to be stunned)」「呆然自失 (utterly stupefied)」. 「然」 is a suffix expressing a manner, and the word expresses 「a state as if dazed」. It refers to a temporary state of blank-mindedness in which both thought and reaction have come to a halt, caused by surprise, sorrow, loss, despair, and the like.
AI-generated translation
N4
放送
ほうそう
To send a program on TV or radio.
AI-generated translation
N1
忙中
ぼうちゅう
Refers to the midst of being busy. It is a formal word known for the proverb 「忙中閑あり (even in the midst of busyness, there are moments of leisure)」, and is rarely used on its own — it almost always appears as a component of this set phrase. Carrying a classical-Chinese resonance, it is used in formal styles.
AI-generated translation
N3
包丁
ほうちょう
A knife used for cooking. Example: 「包丁で野菜を切る」 (to cut vegetables with a kitchen knife).
AI-generated translation
N1
冒涜
ぼうとく
Refers to defiling and treating with contempt what is sacred, exalted, or worthy of reverence. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「神を冒涜する (to blaspheme against the gods)」「死者への冒涜 (a desecration of the dead)」「芸術の冒涜 (a desecration of art)」. It is used for acts of insulting things that ought to be respected — religious objects, the deceased, art, lofty ideals — and carries a strongly condemnatory implication. It is used frequently in news reports, criticism, and protest statements.
AI-generated translation
N1
放任
ほうにん
Refers to a person who is in a position to manage or guide deliberately refraining from interference and leaving the subject to act freely. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「子供を放任する (to leave a child to themselves)」「自由放任 (laissez-faire)」「放任主義 (a hands-off policy)」. It is used in contexts of education, economic policy, and organizational management, and can be used with either positive or negative evaluation. Because it expresses intentional hands-off behavior, its nuance differs from 「放置 (irresponsible neglect)」, but there are also contexts in which the result is criticized as abandonment of responsibility.
AI-generated translation
N3
豊富
ほうふ
abundant. A state of having a lot, being plentiful. Example: 「経験が豊富だ」 (to have abundant experience), 「豊富な品ぞろえ」 (a wide selection of goods).
AI-generated translation
N1
彷彿
ほうふつ
Refers to the appearance of vividly coming to mind, or the appearance of so resembling something as to bring it to mind. It is a formal word used most often in expressions like 「彷彿させる (to evoke)」「彷彿たる思い (a hazily evocative feeling)」, especially in the form 「〜を彷彿させる」. It expresses the sensation that a past person, event, or scene is vividly revived through something in the present, and appears frequently in literary and critical contexts.
AI-generated translation
N1
方便
ほうべん
Refers to an expedient, temporary means used to achieve a goal. It is originally a Buddhist term referring to the various staged methods of teaching used to guide people to the truth, but today, as represented by the idiom 「うそも方便 (even a lie can be a means to an end)」, it is used to mean a means that is not the main path but is used out of necessity to achieve a goal. It is used in contexts indicating that something is a means that is not one's true intention, as in 「方便として (as a means)」「方便にすぎない (nothing more than a means)」.
AI-generated translation
N1
放免
ほうめん
Refers to releasing someone being held in custody and setting them free. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「容疑者を放免する (to release a suspect)」「無罪放免 (acquittal and release)」. It refers to the public act of release from a state of confinement such as arrest or detention, and is widely used in legal and criminal contexts. There is also a metaphorical use expressing release from obligation or burden, as in 「ようやく仕事から放免された (at last released from work)」.
AI-generated translation
N3
訪問
ほうもん
visit. To visit a person's home or a place. Example: 「家庭訪問」 (a home visit).
AI-generated translation
N1
包容
ほうよう
Refers to embracing another person with a broad heart, including their flaws and mistakes. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「包容力のある人 (a person of broad-minded tolerance)」「包容して受け入れる (to embrace and accept)」. It expresses generosity and largeness of spirit, and is used in a positive sense in evaluating character. Both 「包」 and 「容」 mean "to wrap up and receive", forming a compound that stacks two characters to emphasize meaning. It is used frequently in contexts discussing business and human relationships.
AI-generated translation
N1
崩落
ほうらく
Refers to earth and sand, rocks, or parts of buildings collapsing and falling down. Used in expressions like 「土砂崩落 (a landslide)」「天井が崩落する (the ceiling collapses)」「橋が崩落する (a bridge collapses)」. Whereas 「崩壊」 refers broadly to a state in which something ceases to hold together, 「崩落」 focuses on the physical process of falling downward. It also has a metaphorical economic usage as in 「相場の崩落 (a collapse of market prices)」, expressing a sudden drop.
AI-generated translation
N1
暴落
ぼうらく
Refers to a sharp and large drop in stock prices, commodity prices, or market prices within a short period. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「株価が暴落する (stock prices crash)」「不動産価格の暴落 (a crash in real estate prices)」, appearing frequently in economic and financial contexts, with the antonym 「暴騰」. Unlike a mere 「値下がり (price decline)」, this word expresses a sudden, large-scale collapse of market prices, and is often discussed in connection with market turmoil or economic crises.
AI-generated translation
N4
法律
ほうりつ
law. Rules decided by a country that must be followed.
AI-generated translation
N1
飽和
ほうわ
Refers to a state of being so full that there is no more room to accept anything. Used in expressions like 「市場が飽和する (the market becomes saturated)」「飽和状態 (saturated state)」「飽和点に達する (to reach the saturation point)」. Originally a chemistry term denoting a state in which a liquid has dissolved a substance to its maximum, the meaning has shifted to metaphorically express situations such as markets, demand, capacity, or information volume having reached their limit. It is a formal word used frequently in economic and social contexts.
AI-generated translation
N1
墓穴
ぼけつ
Refers to a hole for burying the dead. However, in modern Japanese it is almost always used as the idiom 「墓穴を掘る (to dig one's own grave)」, expressing the idea of bringing oneself into a tight spot through one's own careless words or actions. Used in expressions like 「不用意な発言で墓穴を掘る (to dig one's own grave with a careless remark)」「弁解しようとして墓穴を掘った (one ended up digging one's own grave while trying to make excuses)」. The contexts in which it is used in its literal sense are limited, and the metaphorical usage overwhelmingly dominates in everyday conversation and news reports.
AI-generated translation
N3
保険
ほけん
insurance. A system in which people contribute money in preparation for illness or accidents, and receive payment when in trouble. Example: 「保険に入る」 (to take out insurance).
AI-generated translation
N4
星
ほし
star. A shining point seen in the night sky.
AI-generated translation
N3
募集
ぼしゅう
To widely gather people or works. Example: 「アルバイトを募集する」 (to recruit part-time workers).
AI-generated translation
N1
保身
ほしん
Refers to trying to protect one's own position, standing, and personal safety while evading responsibility and danger. Used in expressions like 「保身を図る (to seek to protect oneself)」「保身に走る (to resort to self-preservation)」「保身的な態度 (a self-protective attitude)」. It is a formal word used frequently in critical contexts pointing to an attitude of evading one's organizational responsibilities and seeking only to secure one's own safe position. It appears often in discussions of political and corporate scandals.
AI-generated translation
N3
干す
ほす
To expose something to sunlight or wind to remove moisture. Example: 「洗濯物を干す」 (to hang out laundry to dry).
AI-generated translation
N1
母性
ぼせい
Refers to qualities one has as a mother, or the instinctive tendency to cherish and protect one's child. Used in expressions like 「母性愛 (maternal love)」「母性本能 (maternal instinct)」「母性が芽生える (maternal feelings begin to grow)」. It is also a word used in psychological and sociological contexts, but in recent years there has been criticism of the view that takes this as something unique to women, and usage is shifting. Its conceptual counterpart is 「父性」.
AI-generated translation
N3
保存
ほぞん
To keep something in its current state. Example: 「食品を保存する」 (to preserve food). Also used for computer data, as in 「ファイルを保存する」 (to save a file).
AI-generated translation
N1
母胎
ぼたい
Refers to inside the mother's body, the womb. From there, by extension, it is used metaphorically for the organization or foundation that gives birth to something. It is a formal word used both in the physical sense, as in 「母胎から離れる (to leave the mother's body)」, and in the metaphorical sense, as in 「文化の母胎 (the matrix of culture)」「会社の母胎となった研究所 (the research institute that served as the matrix of the company)」. In the metaphorical sense, it often refers to the organization or environment that was the origin and starting point of what is now a developed form.
AI-generated translation
N1
没収
ぼっしゅう
Refers to the act of forcibly taking away someone's property by authority based on law or regulation. Used in expressions like 「財産を没収する (to confiscate property)」「違反者から免許を没収する (to revoke a violator's license)」「カードを没収される (to have one's card confiscated)」. Unlike private 「取り上げ (taking away)」, its distinctive feature is that it accompanies the exercise of public authority, and it is a formal word used in legal, sports, and customs contexts.
AI-generated translation
N3
ほっと
ほっと
A state of feeling relieved as tension eases. Example: 「無事と聞いてほっとした」 (felt relieved to hear they were safe).
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
N3
歩道
ほどう
sidewalk. A path for pedestrians to walk on. Example: 「横断歩道」 (crosswalk). The word with the opposite meaning is 「車道」 (the roadway for vehicles).
AI-generated translation
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).
AI-generated translation
N3
骨
ほね
bone. The hard part that supports the body. 「骨が折れる」 means "to break a bone" (injury), but also idiomatically means something is a lot of trouble.
AI-generated translation
N4
褒める
ほめる
To find something good in someone and say so.
AI-generated translation
N3
掘る
ほる
dig. To make a hole in the ground. To take something out from inside the earth. Example: 「穴を掘る」 (to dig a hole), 「いもを掘る」 (to dig up potatoes).
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
N3
本気
ほんき
A serious attitude, not a joke. Example: 「本気で怒る」 (to get seriously angry).
AI-generated translation
N3
本人
ほんにん
The person themselves. Example: 「本人に確認する」 (to confirm with the person themselves).
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.