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ALL LEVELS・N1–N5
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4,238words (N1–N5 total)
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N1
白眉
はくび
Refers to something especially superior among many. It is a formal, literary word used in expressions like 「作品の白眉 (the masterpiece of one's work)」「白眉と言うべき出来栄え (an accomplishment that may be called the highlight)」「白眉をなす (to constitute the highlight)」. It originates from a Chinese classical anecdote in which, among the five Ma brothers of Shu, the eldest with white eyebrows was the most outstanding. It is used in contexts of literary criticism and work evaluation as a formal expression for an outstanding masterpiece or pinnacle.
AI-generated translation
N1
薄氷
はくひょう
Refers to thinly frozen ice. By extension, it refers to a state right next to danger or tension. Used in expressions like 「薄氷を踏む思い (a feeling of treading on thin ice)」「薄氷の勝利 (a victory by the slimmest margin)」. 「薄氷を踏む」 is an idiomatic expression originating from a Chinese classical text, expressing precarious danger like walking on ice that could break at any moment. The literal sense of thin physical ice is also used, but in modern usage the metaphorical use is more frequent.
AI-generated translation
N3
博物館
はくぶつかん
museum. A facility that collects and displays materials related to history, nature, etc. A facility displaying art is called 「美術館」 instead.
AI-generated translation
N3
激しい
はげしい
intense. Very strong in force. Example: 「激しい雨」 (heavy rain), 「激しい運動」 (intense exercise). Also used for emotions, as in 「激しい怒り」 (intense anger).
AI-generated translation
N5
箱
はこ
box. A square container for putting things in. In the form 「〜箱」 it is also used as a word for counting things that come in boxes.
AI-generated translation
N4
運ぶ
はこぶ
To carry a thing from one place to another.
AI-generated translation
N3
挟む
はさむ
hold between. To hold or press something from both sides (「トングで肉を挟む」, to grip meat with tongs). Also used for putting something into a gap or between things (「本にしおりを挟む」, to put a bookmark in a book). 「口を挟む」 means to cut into someone's talk. When something is caught in between, the verb 「挟まる」 is used, as in 「ドアに指が挟まる」 (to get one's finger caught in a door).
AI-generated translation
N3
端
はし
edge. The outermost part, away from the center. Example: 「道の端を歩く」 (to walk along the edge of the road). Also read 「はじ」.
AI-generated translation
N3
恥
はじ
shame. Being embarrassed. Losing one's honor. Example: 「恥をかく」 (to embarrass oneself).
AI-generated translation
N5
橋
はし
bridge. Something built over a river, etc., to cross it. There is also the homophone 「箸」 (the sticks used when eating), among others.
AI-generated translation
N5
箸
はし
chopsticks. Two sticks used to pick up and eat food. There is also the homophone 「橋」 (something built over a river), among others.
AI-generated translation
N5
始まる
はじまる
For something to start. Example: 「じゅぎょうが始まる」 (class begins). The antonym is 「終わる」 (to end).
AI-generated translation
N5
初め
はじめ
The very first part. Example: 「初めのページ」 (the first page).
AI-generated translation
N5
初めて
はじめて
for the first time. A state of something happening that has never happened before.
AI-generated translation
N4
始める
はじめる
To newly start doing something. The antonym is「終える（おえる）」(to finish). The paired word is「始まる」(to begin).
AI-generated translation
N4
場所
ばしょ
place. A location where an object is, or where something happens.
AI-generated translation
N1
恥じらう
はじらう
Refers to feeling embarrassed and showing a shy demeanor. Used in expressions like 「頬を染めて恥じらう (to blush bashfully)」「恥じらいながら答える (to answer with shyness)」「恥じらいの色 (a hint of bashfulness)」. It is a somewhat classical word, mostly used for the gestures of young women or girls. Whereas 「恥じる (to feel ashamed)」 includes a sense of guilt or reflection, 「恥じらう」 often carries positive nuances such as feminine modesty or fresh innocence.
AI-generated translation
N2, N4, N5
走る
はしる
run. To move forward by moving one's legs quickly.
AI-generated translation
N4
はず
はず
A feeling that something should naturally be the case. Example: 「あした来るはずです」 (they should be coming tomorrow).
AI-generated translation
N4
恥ずかしい
はずかしい
A feeling that makes one's face turn red from being seen by others.
AI-generated translation
N1
恥ずかしめ
はずかしめ
Refers to treatment that damages another's honor — humiliation. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「恥ずかしめを受ける (to suffer humiliation)」「恥ずかしめを与える (to inflict humiliation)」「恥ずかしめに耐える (to endure humiliation)」. It is the noun form of 「恥ずかしむ (to put to shame)」, referring to speech or acts that damage another's dignity. With a classical resonance, it is hardly used in modern everyday conversation, and is found in historical novels, classical texts, and formal writing.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
外す
はずす
To remove something that is attached. Example: 「ボタンを外す」 (to undo a button), 「眼鏡を外す」 (to take off one's glasses). Also used to mean leaving a place, as in 「席を外す」 (to step away from one's seat). 「外す」 is used when a person removes something, while 「外れる」 is used when it comes off on its own: compare 「ボタンを外す」 with 「ボタンが外れる」.
AI-generated translation
N3
外れる
はずれる
For something that was attached to come off and separate. Example: 「ボタンが外れる」 (a button comes undone). Also used to mean a prediction, etc., not coming true, as in 「天気予報が外れる」 (the weather forecast is wrong). 「外す」 is used when a person removes something, while 「外れる」 is used when it comes off on its own: compare 「ボタンを外す」 with 「ボタンが外れる」.
AI-generated translation
N1
罵声
ばせい
Refers to harsh shouts and words that revile another party. Used in expressions like 「罵声を浴びせる (to hurl abuses)」「罵声が飛ぶ (jeers fly)」「罵声を浴びる (to be showered with abuse)」. 「罵」 means to revile, 「声」 means voice; together they express "the voice of reviling". It refers to voices uttered with feelings of anger, denunciation, or insult, used widely in contexts of collective abuse from crowds, spectators, or protestors. It is a formal word appearing frequently in news reports and sports articles.
AI-generated translation
N1
馳せる
はせる
Refers to making a horse or vehicle run at speed. By extension, it refers to letting one's thoughts or fame reach a distant place. It is a formal written word used in expressions like 「馬を馳せる (to let one's horse gallop)」「思いを馳せる (to let one's thoughts roam)」「名を馳せる (to make a name for oneself)」. 「馳」 means for a horse to run swiftly, and in modern usage the metaphorical senses — 「思いを馳せる (to think with one's heart of distant people or past matters)」「名を馳せる (to gain wide fame)」 — are central, rather than the physical use for running. It appears frequently in literature and historical writing.
AI-generated translation
N3
肌
はだ
skin. The surface of a person's body. Used in expressions like 「肌が荒れる」 (the skin becomes rough). The phrase 「肌に合う」 also means "to suit one's nature/taste."
AI-generated translation
N1
肌合い
はだあい
Refers to a temperament felt from a person's disposition and atmosphere. Or, the texture of a thing. Used in expressions like 「肌合いが合う (to have compatible temperaments)」「肌合いの違う作品 (works of differing texture)」「肌合いの良い人 (a personable individual)」. It is a derivative usage from the sense of skin's feel, expressing abstract "compatibility" or "distinctive character". It is a literary word expressing sensory affinity or difference rather than logical similarity, and is widely used in personality assessment and criticism.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
畑
はたけ
Land used for growing vegetables and fruits. As opposed to a 「田」 (paddy field), which is flooded to grow rice, this refers to land that is not flooded.
AI-generated translation
N1
畑違い
はたけちがい
Refers to a field different from one's specialty or area of strength. Used in expressions like 「畑違いの仕事 (work outside one's field)」「畑違いの分野 (a field outside one's specialty)」「畑違いから転職する (to change careers from a different field)」. It is a derivative usage from the agricultural metaphor that the type of cultivated field is different, referring to a field far removed from one's original experience or specialty. Compared with 「専門外」, it is more colloquial and casual, used both in humble contexts that note one's own unfamiliarity and in contexts that point out another's being in the wrong field.
AI-generated translation
N2
肌触り
はだざわり
Refers to the feel of an object's surface when it touches the skin. Used in expressions like 「肌触りのよいシャツ (a shirt with a pleasant feel)」「優しい肌触り (a soft touch)」「ざらついた肌触り (a rough texture)」. It is a daily-use word for expressing the texture of fabrics, materials, or products, appearing frequently in introductions and reviews for clothing, bedding, and cosmetics. There is also a metaphorical usage expressing the sensory impression received from prose or expressions, as in 「言葉の肌触り (the texture of words)」.
AI-generated translation
N1
旗印
はたじるし
Refers to a goal that is held up as the purpose of an action or claim. Used in expressions like 「改革を旗印に掲げる (to raise the banner of reform)」「自由を旗印とする (to make freedom one's banner)」「旗印のもとに集まる (to gather under a banner)」. It is a derivative usage from the original meaning of a flag set up on the battlefield as a marker of one's own side, and has become established as a metaphor for the central ideal or slogan that a movement, organization, or campaign displays to the outside world. It is widely used in political, social-movement, and business contexts.
AI-generated translation
N5
二十歳
はたち
20 years old. Read as "はたち," not read according to the characters as written.
AI-generated translation
N2, N5
働く
はたらく
work. To do a job.
AI-generated translation
N1
破綻
はたん
Refers to the structure of a matter collapsing and ceasing to be tenable. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「経営が破綻する (the business fails)」「論理が破綻する (the logic falls apart)」「破綻寸前 (on the verge of collapse)」. 「破」 means to break, 「綻」 means to come apart at the seams; together they express "a state of being torn and unraveled". It is derived from the sense of garments fraying, and is widely used in situations where plans, relationships, finances, or organizations cease to function. Whereas 「破産」 carries a legal meaning, 「破綻」 refers more broadly to structural collapse.
AI-generated translation
N1
破談
はだん
Refers to a settled matter, especially a marriage talk or contract, being called off. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「縁談が破談になる (a marriage proposal is called off)」「破談にする (to call it off)」「破談を申し入れる (to ask to call it off)」. 「破」 means to break, 「談」 means a negotiation; together they express "to break a negotiation". Originally a word related to marriage talks, in modern usage it is also widely used for business negotiations, engagements, and transactions.
AI-generated translation
N2
場違い
ばちがい
Refers to being unsuited to the atmosphere or situation of a place. Used in expressions like 「場違いな服装 (out-of-place attire)」「場違いな発言 (an out-of-place remark)」「場違いな所に来てしまった (to have ended up in the wrong place)」. It expresses an appearance that stands out from one's surroundings, used in contexts that critically or self-deprecatingly comment on the mismatch with time, place, and occasion. It is a word usable widely in everyday conversation, a typical expression for the mismatch between formal settings and casual behavior.
AI-generated translation
N5
八月
はちがつ
The 8th month of the year.
AI-generated translation
N5
発音
はつおん
pronunciation. The way sounds are produced when saying words aloud.
AI-generated translation
N5
二十日
はつか
the 20th day; twenty days. The twentieth day of the month. It can also mean a period of twenty days. It is a special reading that is not read 「にじゅうにち」, of the same kind as calling twenty years of age 「はたち」.
AI-generated translation
N2
発覚
はっかく
Refers to wrongdoing or secrets that have been concealed coming to light. Used in expressions like 「不正が発覚する (corruption comes to light)」「事件が発覚する (an incident comes to light)」「発覚を恐れる (to fear exposure)」. 「発」 means to appear, 「覚」 means to be perceived; together they express "to be perceived and come out into the open". It is mostly used in contexts of facts that one wished to hide being exposed, and is a news-reporting term widely used in scenes where scandals, crimes, or secret relationships become public knowledge.
AI-generated translation
N4
はっきり
はっきり
A clear state, so as to be easily understood. Example:「はっきり言う」(to say clearly).
AI-generated translation
N2
発掘
はっくつ
Refers to digging out something buried in the ground. By extension, it refers to finding talent or ability that is not yet known to the world. Used in expressions like 「遺跡を発掘する (to excavate ruins)」「新人を発掘する (to discover new talent)」「埋もれた名作を発掘する (to unearth a buried masterpiece)」. 「発」 means to bring forth, 「掘」 means to dig; together they express "to dig out and bring forth". It is used broadly in both physical excavation (archaeology) and metaphorical discovery (talent, ability, hidden value).
AI-generated translation
N3
発見
はっけん
discovery. Finding something not previously known. Example: 「新種の発見」 (discovery of a new species).
AI-generated translation
N1
跋扈
ばっこ
Refers to undesirable things gaining momentum and behaving as if they own the place. It is a very formal word used in expressions like 「悪徳業者が跋扈する (unscrupulous merchants run rampant)」「不正が跋扈する (corruption runs rampant)」「跋扈跳梁 (rampant and wild)」. It is a derivative expression from the idea of fish leaping over a bamboo weir, used in scenes where evils that should be checked spread because they have escaped restraint. It is the written language of news reports, editorials, and historical writings, and is hardly used in everyday conversation.
AI-generated translation
N2
発散
はっさん
Something accumulated inside dispersing outward; also, releasing it to relieve oneself.
AI-generated translation
N3
発達
はったつ
Growing into a more complete state. Example: 「筋肉が発達する」 (muscles develop), 「交通が発達した町」 (a town with developed transportation). While 「発展」 tends to refer to growth in scale, 「発達」 more often refers to improvement in function or ability.
AI-generated translation
N1
抜擢
ばってき
Refers to specially selecting someone from many people and promoting them to an important position or role. It is a formal word used in expressions like 「主役に抜擢される (to be picked for a leading role)」「若手を抜擢する (to promote a junior)」「異例の抜擢 (an extraordinary promotion)」. 「抜」 means to pull out, 「擢」 also means to pull out and promote; the two stacked characters emphasize "carefully selecting and elevating". It expresses a special appointment that bypasses seniority, used widely in personnel matters, entertainment, and sports.
AI-generated translation
N2, N3
発展
はってん
When the momentum of something grows and it becomes bigger or more active. Example: 「経済の発展」 (economic development), 「町が発展する」 (a town develops).
AI-generated translation
N3
発売
はつばい
To put a product on sale. Example: 「新商品を発売する」 (to release a new product).
AI-generated translation
N3
発表
はっぴょう
To announce something widely to many people. Example: 「研究発表」 (research presentation), 「合格発表」 (announcement of exam results).
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.