Japanese Vocabulary for Beginners

• This document contains Japanese vocabulary, particles, and verbs useful for beginners.

Chapter 1 Vocabulary

• せんせい: Teacher
• (あのう、) すみません: Excuse me.
• あれは にほんごで なに と いいますか: How do you say that (over there) in Japanese?
• いいえ、わかりません: No, I don’t understand.
• いって ください: Please say it / repeat after me.
• おおきい こえで おねがいします: Please speak loudly.
• おはよう ございます: Good morning / Hello (formal).
• かいて ください: Please write.
• きいて ください: Please listen.
• これは にほんごで なんと いいますか: How do you say this in Japanese?
• しつれい します: Goodbye / Excuse me.
• じゃあ、また: See you later.
• すみません: I am sorry / Excuse me.
• 〜って なんですか: What does ~ mean?
• どういたしまして: You are welcome.
• 〜は にほんごで なんと いいますか: How do you say ~ in Japanese?
• みて ください: Please look at it.
• もういちどおねがいします: Please say it again (student request).
• もうすこし ゆっくりおねがいします: Please say it slowly.

Chapter 2 Vocabulary

• いちねんせい (一年生): Freshman, first-year student.
• にねんせい (二年生): Sophomore, second-year student.
• さんねんせい (三年生): Junior, third-year student.
• よねんせい (四年生): Senior, fourth-year student.
• こうこう (高校): High school.
• がくせい (学生): Student.
• だいがく (大学): College, university.
• だいがくいんせい (大学院生): Graduate student.
• だいがくせい (大学生): College student.
• りゅうがくせい (留学生): International student.
• せんこう (専攻): Major.
• ぶんがく (文学): Literature.
• けいえいがく (経営学): Management, business administration.
• こうがく (工学): Engineering.
• れきし (歴史): History.
• いま (今): Now.
• らいねん (来年): Next year.
• こちら: This person, this way.
• なに/なん (何): What.
• どちら: Where (more polite than どこ), which way.
• そうじゃないです: No, that’s not so.
• こちらこそ: It is I who should be saying that / Thank you / Same here.
• どこから きましたか: Where are you from?

Chapter 3 Vocabulary

• あさ (朝): Morning.
• こんばん (今晩): Tonight.
• ばん (晩): Night, evening.
• ひる (昼): Afternoon.
• まいあさ (毎朝): Every morning.
• まいしゅう (毎週): Every week.
• まいにち (毎日): Every day.
• まいばん (毎晩): Every night.
• こんしゅう (今週): This week.
• せんしゅう (先週): Last week.
• しゅうまつ (週末): Weekend.
• あさごはん (朝御飯): Breakfast.
• ひるごはん (昼御飯): Lunch.
• ばんごはん (晩御飯): Supper, dinner.
• おととい (一昨日): The day before yesterday.
• あさって (明後日): The day after tomorrow.
• つぎ (次): Next.
• あした (明日): Tomorrow.
• うち (家): Home.
• えいが (映画): Movie.
• がっこう (学校): School.
• じゅぎょう (授業): Class, course.
• べんきょう (勉強): Study.
• しゅくだい (宿題): Homework.
• せいかつ (生活): Life, living.
• ごはん (御飯): Meal, cooked rice.

Time

• いちじ: One o’clock.
• にじ: Two o’clock.
• さんじ: Three o’clock.
• よじ: Four o’clock.
• ごじ: Five o’clock.
• ろくじ: Six o’clock.
• しちじ: Seven o’clock.
• はちじ: Eight o’clock.
• くじ: Nine o’clock.
• じゅうじ: Ten o’clock.
• じゅういちじ: Eleven o’clock.
• じゅうにじ: Twelve o’clock.

Days of the Week

• げつようび: Monday.
• かようび: Tuesday.
• すいようび: Wednesday.
• もくようび: Thursday.
• きんようび: Friday.
• どようび: Saturday.
• にちようび: Sunday.

Particles

• は: Topic marker that highlights what the sentence is about (to introduce a topic, show contrast, add onto a topic); example — きょうはあついです (It is hot today).
• か: Used to form questions by adding it to the end of a sentence; example — これはペンですか (Is this a pen?).
• も: Indicates addition, similar to "also" or "too"; example — わたしもいく (I will go too!).
• の: Adds extra information to nouns, like a label; can show ownership or relationship; example — わたしのかばん (My bag).
• で: Specifies where or how an activity or event takes place, used for physical locations; example — がっこうでべんきょうします (I study at school).
• に/へ: Marks the location, destination, or point in time where something happens or is going to happen; example — がっこうにいく (go to school).
• を: Marks the direct object of a sentence, the thing or person that the action is being done to; example — りんごをたべる (eat an apple).

Regular Verbs

• あります: Something inanimate exists, to be held, to have; dictionary form is ある.
• いきます (行きます): To go; dictionary form is いく.
• かえります (帰ります): To return, to go home; dictionary form is かえる.
• のみます (飲みます): To drink; dictionary form is のむ.
• はいります (入ります): To take (a bath), to enter; dictionary form is はいる.
  • おふろに はいります: Take a bath.
• よみます (読みます): To read; dictionary form is よむ.
• あびます (浴びます): To take (a shower); dictionary form is あびる.
  • シャワーを あびます: Take a shower.
• おきます (起きます): To get up, to wake up; dictionary form is おきる.
• たべます (食べます): To eat; dictionary form is たべる.
• ねます (寝ます): To go to bed; dictionary form is ねる.
• みます (見ます): To see, to watch; dictionary form is みる.

Irregular Verbs

• きます (来ます): To come; dictionary form is くる.
• します: To do; dictionary form is する.
• べんきょうします (勉強します): To study; dictionary form is べんきょうする.

Frequency Adverbs

• あまり: Not very often (used with negative verb forms).
• いつも: Always.
• ぜんぜん (全然): Not at all (used with negative verb forms).
• たいてい: Usually.
• ときどき (時々): Sometimes.
• よく: Often, well.