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ALL LEVELS・N1–N5
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4,256words (N1–N5 total)
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Filtered by N2・N4・N5
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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
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
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
N4
褒める
ほめる
To find something good in someone and say so.
AI-generated translation
N4, 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
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
N4
翻訳
ほんやく
To convert the language of one country into the language of another.
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
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.