N5 Vocabulary List
627 words · Free reference. Click any word for details and examples.
JLPT N5 語彙について
JLPT N5の語彙は、基本的な日本語コミュニケーションに必要な約800語をカバーしています。日常の名詞、動詞、形容詞、助数詞、挨拶・買い物・道案内で使う表現が含まれます。
各単語をクリックすると、読み・意味・使用例を確認できます。カテゴリ別に整理されているので、体系的に学習できます。無料登録でSRS練習・進捗管理が可能です。
How to Study JLPT N5 Vocabulary
The JLPT N5 covers roughly 800 words. That sounds like a lot, but most are everyday vocabulary you will use from your very first conversation. The difference between a pass and a fail is rarely how many words you have seen. It is how reliably you can recall the right one under time pressure. Here is how to build that reliability.
1. Learn words in context, not as flat lists
A word memorized inside a sentence sticks far longer than a word memorized next to its English translation. Instead of "たべる = to eat", learn パンを たべます ("I eat bread"). The sentence gives you the particle (を), the polite form (たべます), and a natural collocation all at once. Every word in this list has an example sentence for exactly this reason: read the example aloud, not just the meaning.
2. Katakana words are nearly free points
Many N5 words are loanwords written in katakana: テレビ (television), コーヒー (coffee), テスト (test), カメラ (camera). If you can read katakana fluently, these are some of the easiest marks on the entire exam. If your katakana is shaky, fix that first, since it unlocks a whole category of vocabulary with almost no extra memorization.
3. Separate the easily-confused pairs
N5 has several pairs that beginners mix up: 行く (to go) vs 来る (to come), 上手 (good at) vs 下手 (bad at), 暑い (hot weather) vs 熱い (hot to the touch), きます which can mean both "come" (来ます) and "wear" (着ます) depending on kanji. When you meet a word that has an obvious opposite or look-alike, learn the pair together so the contrast itself becomes the memory hook.
4. How vocabulary is tested on the N5
Vocabulary shows up across the whole exam, but the dedicated questions ask you to pick the word that fits a blank, choose a synonym, or select the sentence that uses a word correctly. Because these are recognition questions, spaced repetition is the most efficient way to prepare: review each word just before you would forget it, and the 800-word set becomes manageable in a few weeks rather than months.
よくある質問
JLPT N5の語彙は何語ありますか？+
N5にはどんな種類の単語が出ますか？+
N5の語彙はどうやって勉強すればいいですか？+
カタカナ語もN5に含まれますか？+
SRSでN5の語彙を練習できますか？+
Learn these words with spaced repetition
Nihongo Pass schedules each word at the perfect time so you never forget before your exam.