JLPT N5 · Beginner
JLPT N5 vocabulary list
The first stage: everyday words, basic verbs, and the vocabulary you need before anything else becomes readable.
- Words
- 660
- Example sentences
- 1,980
- Written with kanji
- 556
- Kana only
- 104 (16%)
Welcome to the first stage of your JLPT journey! N5! Most of these words are ones you will meet in your first month (水 for water, 行く for to go, 大きい for big).
The list is smaller than people expect. Around 660 words is enough to hold a slow conversation about where you are going and what you want.
Yeah, 660 words is a lot but N5 words appear so often that you will start recognizing them as you study and consume different things.
What passing looks like: You can read a menu, ask directions, and follow a slow self-introduction.
A sample of the list
- 私わたし
I, me (a neutral pronoun)
- です
be, is (polite copula)
- 貴方あなたusually kana
You - referring to someone of equal or lower status
- 名前なまえ
name
- はい
yes, that is correct
- ええ
yes; that is correct; right
- いいえ
no; nay
- そうです
yes, that's right; that is so
- 違うちがう
No, that's not correct
- じゃまた
see you later; goodbye
- お休みなさいおやすみなさいusually kana
Good night
- どう致しましてどういたしましてusually kana
You're Welcome
The full N5 list
Split into blocks of 100 words in study order. Each block shows every word with its reading, all its meanings, and three example sentences with furigana.
- 1–100私 … 日本語
- 101–200話す … 長い
- 201–300短い … チョコレート
- 301–400飲む … 寒い
- 401–500暖かい … 次
- 501–600各駅 … 初め
- 601–660一昨日 … 〜年
Other levels
Definitions from JMdict under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences are our own. See licenses.