ALL LEVELS・N1–N5

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4,238words (N1–N5 total)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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)」.

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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)」.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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).

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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.

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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).

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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」.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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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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).

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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.

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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).

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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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N3 本気ほんき

A serious attitude, not a joke. Example: 「本気で怒る」 (to get seriously angry).

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N3 本人ほんにん

The person themselves. Example: 「本人に確認する」 (to confirm with the person themselves).

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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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N3 本物ほんもの

The real thing, not a fake. Example: 「本物のダイヤ」 (a real diamond). The antonym is 「にせ物」 (a fake).

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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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N3 迷子まいご

A child who has lost their way or been separated from a parent and doesn't know where they are. Example: 「迷子になる」 (to get lost). The reading 「まいご」 is a special reading.

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N3 任せるまかせる

entrust. To have someone else do a job or make a decision. Example: 「仕事を任せる」 (to entrust a job to someone).

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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.

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N3 巻くまく

To wrap or roll something around, turning it in a circular motion. Example: 「マフラーを巻く」 (to wrap a scarf around oneself), 「ねじを巻く」 (to wind a screw/spring).

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N3 孫まご

grandchild. The child of one's own child.

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N3 混ざるまざる

For different things to become mixed together. Example: 「絵の具が混ざる」 (paints mix together). 「混ざる」 is used when things mix on their own, while 「混ぜる」 is used when a person mixes them: compare 「絵の具が混ざる」 with 「絵の具を混ぜる」. When it means joining a group of people, it can also be written 「交ざる」.

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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.

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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.

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N3, N5 まずいまずい

A state of tasting bad. The antonym is 「おいしい」 (delicious).

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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).

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N3 混ぜるまぜる

To combine different things together. To stir something to make it uniform. Example: 「卵と砂糖を混ぜる」 (to mix eggs and sugar). 「混ぜる」 is used when a person mixes things, while 「混ざる」 is used when they mix on their own: compare 「絵の具を混ぜる」 with 「絵の具が混ざる」.

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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.