Level 1 Vocabulary
The 100 most common Japanese words. Know these to pass the VNCR Level 1 quiz and join the server.
New to Japanese? Check out our main guide to get started, or practice your kana with the kana quiz.
| # | Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 私 | わたし | I; me |
| 2 | 何 | なに | what |
| 3 | 俺 | おれ | I; me (casual masculine) |
| 4 | 言う | いう | to say; to tell |
| 5 | 今 | いま | now; the present |
| 6 | 思う | おもう | to think; to feel |
| 7 | 行く | いく | to go |
| 8 | 見る | みる | to see; to look; to watch |
| 9 | 人 | ひと | person; people |
| 10 | 来る | くる | to come |
| 11 | 自分 | じぶん | oneself; myself |
| 12 | 気 | き | feeling; spirit; mood |
| 13 | お前 | おまえ | you (casual masculine) |
| 14 | 話 | はなし | talk; story; conversation |
| 15 | 知る | しる | to know |
| 16 | 聞く | きく | to hear; to listen; to ask |
| 17 | 出る | でる | to go out; to leave; to appear |
| 18 | 待つ | まつ | to wait |
| 19 | 大丈夫 | だいじょうぶ | alright; okay; safe |
| 20 | 前 | まえ | front; before; previous |
| 21 | 何か | なにか | something; somehow |
| 22 | 中 | なか | inside; middle; during |
| 23 | 手 | て | hand |
| 24 | 今日 | きょう | today |
| 25 | 顔 | かお | face |
| 26 | 持つ | もつ | to hold; to have; to own |
| 27 | 誰 | だれ | who |
| 28 | 目 | め | eye |
| 29 | 入る | はいる | to enter; to go in |
| 30 | 早い | はやい | early; fast; quick |
| 31 | 違う | ちがう | to differ; to be wrong |
| 32 | 帰る | かえる | to return home; to go back |
| 33 | 悪い | わるい | bad; wrong; sorry |
| 34 | 一 | いち | one |
| 35 | 考える | かんがえる | to think; to consider |
| 36 | 好き | すき | like; fond of; favorite |
| 37 | 年 | とし | year; age |
| 38 | 同じ | おなじ | same; identical |
| 39 | 出す | だす | to take out; to put out; to send |
| 40 | 時間 | じかん | time; hour |
| 41 | 前に | まえに | before; previously |
| 42 | 男 | おとこ | man; male |
| 43 | 使う | つかう | to use |
| 44 | 僕 | ぼく | I; me (polite masculine) |
| 45 | 本当に | ほんとうに | really; truly |
| 46 | 会う | あう | to meet |
| 47 | 声 | こえ | voice; sound |
| 48 | 方 | ほう | direction; way; person (polite) |
| 49 | 日 | ひ | day; sun |
| 50 | 上 | うえ | up; above; on top of |
| 51 | 戻る | もどる | to return; to go back |
| 52 | 見える | みえる | to be visible; to be able to see |
| 53 | 次 | つぎ | next; following |
| 54 | 人間 | にんげん | human; person |
| 55 | 時 | とき | time; when; moment |
| 56 | 少し | すこし | a little; a bit |
| 57 | 子 | こ | child; kid |
| 58 | 気持ち | きもち | feeling; mood; sensation |
| 59 | 君 | きみ | you (familiar) |
| 60 | 死ぬ | しぬ | to die |
| 61 | 仕事 | しごと | work; job; task |
| 62 | 作る | つくる | to make; to create; to build |
| 63 | 様 | さま | appearance; way; manner |
| 64 | 入れる | いれる | to put in; to insert; to include |
| 65 | 呼ぶ | よぶ | to call; to summon; to invite |
| 66 | 心配 | しんぱい | worry; concern; anxiety |
| 67 | 本当 | ほんとう | truth; real; genuine |
| 68 | 相手 | あいて | partner; companion; opponent |
| 69 | 話す | はなす | to speak; to talk; to tell |
| 70 | 今度 | こんど | this time; next time |
| 71 | 教える | おしえる | to teach; to tell; to inform |
| 72 | 忘れる | わすれる | to forget |
| 73 | 終わる | おわる | to end; to finish |
| 74 | 食べる | たべる | to eat |
| 75 | 絶対 | ぜったい | absolute; definitely; never |
| 76 | 誰か | だれか | someone; somebody |
| 77 | 全部 | ぜんぶ | all; everything; entire |
| 78 | 頼む | たのむ | to ask; to request; to rely on |
| 79 | 取る | とる | to take; to pick up; to grab |
| 80 | 生きる | いきる | to live; to be alive |
| 81 | 体 | からだ | body |
| 82 | 最後 | さいご | last; final; end |
| 83 | 頭 | あたま | head |
| 84 | 言葉 | ことば | word; language; speech |
| 85 | 名前 | なまえ | name |
| 86 | 必要 | ひつよう | necessary; needed; essential |
| 87 | 女 | おんな | woman; female |
| 88 | 家 | いえ | house; home; family |
| 89 | 場所 | ばしょ | place; location; spot |
| 90 | 無理 | むり | impossible; unreasonable; forced |
| 91 | お願い | おねがい | please; request; favor |
| 92 | 力 | ちから | power; strength; force |
| 93 | 後 | あと | after; later; behind |
| 94 | 分かる | わかる | to understand; to know; to realize |
| 95 | 見せる | みせる | to show; to display |
| 96 | 変わる | かわる | to change; to be different |
| 97 | 初めて | はじめて | for the first time |
| 98 | 確かに | たしかに | certainly; surely; definitely |
| 99 | 逃げる | にげる | to run away; to escape; to flee |
| 100 | 世界 | せかい | world |