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ALL LEVELS・N1–N5
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4,256words (N1–N5 total)
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N2
方々
ほうぼう
Refers to here and there, in various places. It is a word with both adverbial and nominal uses, used in expressions like 「方々を探す (to search all over)」「方々から苦情が来る (complaints come from all over)」. It expresses the appearance of something being done not in just one location but across many places and directions. Since the same written form is also read 「かたがた (an honorific for plural persons)」, the reading must be distinguished by context.
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
N2
法令
ほうれい
A general term covering laws enacted by the Diet and orders issued by administrative agencies. Used in expressions like 「法令を遵守する (to comply with laws and regulations)」「関連法令 (related laws and regulations)」「法令違反 (violation of laws and regulations)」. It is a formal word that encompasses the constitution, statutes, cabinet orders, ministerial ordinances, and rules, and is used widely in administrative, business, and compliance contexts. Compared to 「法律」, its scope is broader, also covering administrative legislation.
AI-generated translation
N2
捕獲
ほかく
Refers to capturing an animal or a fleeing person. Used in expressions like 「野生の鹿を捕獲する (to capture a wild deer)」「容疑者を捕獲する (to apprehend a suspect)」. The central context is planned capture as part of some operation, such as fishing, hunting, or police activity, and it carries a nuance of placing the target under some form of control. It is a formal word, not used in everyday situations where one would simply say 「捕まえる (to catch)」.
AI-generated translation
N2
保管
ほかん
To keep an item in one's custody and protect it so that it is not damaged or lost.
AI-generated translation
N2
補給
ほきゅう
To replenish and add to something that has run short.
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
N2
補佐
ほさ
Refers to assisting and supporting from the side the duties of someone in a high position or position of responsibility. Used in expressions like 「社長を補佐する (to assist the president)」「補佐役 (an assistant role)」「課長補佐 (assistant section chief)」. It is a formal word expressing an official supporting relationship in duties, and is also used as a title within organizations. Compared to simply 「手伝う (to help)」, it implies a relationship in which responsibility for carrying out duties is shared.
AI-generated translation
N2
保守
ほしゅ
Refers to maintaining and preserving existing states, structures, and equipment without changing them. It encompasses both the technical sense as in 「機械を保守する (to maintain machinery)」「保守点検 (maintenance inspection)」「サーバーの保守 (server maintenance)」, and the political stance of valuing existing values and traditions as in 「保守派 (the conservative faction)」「保守的な考え (conservative thinking)」. In the latter sense it is paired with 「革新」. The meaning shifts greatly depending on context, so it is a word that requires care in interpretation.
AI-generated translation
N2
補充
ほじゅう
To supplement and fill in a part that has become deficient or insufficient.
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
N2
補償
ほしょう
Refers to compensating for damages, disadvantages, or losses with money or the like. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「事故の補償 (compensation for an accident)」「補償金 (compensation money)」「損害補償 (damage compensation)」. It is used in situations where the perpetrator, the state, an insurance company, or the like compensates the injured party for their loss. There is an important distinction in meaning from the homophones 「保証 (to guarantee, taking responsibility)」 and 「保障 (to safeguard a status or condition)」, and the three are strictly distinguished in legal, insurance, and business documents.
AI-generated translation
N2
保証
ほしょう
To vouch that something is correct and certain; also, to take on something with responsibility.
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
N2
舗装
ほそう
Refers to hardening and finishing the surface of roads using asphalt, concrete, and the like. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「道路を舗装する (to pave a road)」「舗装工事 (pavement construction)」「未舗装の道 (an unpaved road)」. It refers to construction work that brings an earthen road to a state convenient for vehicles and pedestrians to use, and is used both in the specialized contexts of civil engineering and construction, and in everyday contexts discussing urban development and road maintenance.
AI-generated translation
N2
補足
ほそく
To later add something to make up for what is lacking.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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).
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
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.
AI-generated translation
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).
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
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).
AI-generated translation
N3
孫
まご
grandchild. The child of one's own child.
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
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」.
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
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」.
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
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
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
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.