Common Japanese Words

A list of the most common Japanese words ordered by their frequency of use. You can use this list to learn words efficiently, ensuring you cover the basic vocabulary of Japanese.

Learn

Flash Cards

Page 1/383 Go to page:

1	の
1. syllable. The hiragana syllable の (no), whose equivalent in katakana is ノ.		no
2. part. genitive case marker
私の意見。
わたしのいけん。
watashi no iken.
2	に
1. syllable. The hiragana syllable に (ni), whose equivalent in katakana is ニ.		ni
2. part. particle for indirect objects; to
3. part. particle for location; in
4. part. particle for direction; toward
5. part. particle indicating a passive agent; by
3	する
1. v. to do		suru
何をしていますか。 - なにをしていますか。
2. v. to wear (accessories)
ネクタイをする。 - ネクタイをする。
3. v. Usage: The verb する (“to do”) is seldom written in kanji (為る).
4	は
1. tooth
5	を
1. syllable. (obsolete) The hiragana syllable を (wo), whose equivalent in katakana is ヲ.		o
2. syllable. The hiragana syllable を (o), whose equivalent in katakana is ヲ.
3. part. An accusative case particle: a grammatical marker following the direct object.
私がリンゴを食べる - わたしがリンゴをたべる
私をリンゴが食べる - わたしをリンゴがたべる
6	が
1. syllable. The hiragana syllable が (ga), whose equivalent in katakana is ガ.		ga
2. part. が: Indicates the subject of a sentence.
3. part. が: conjunction (but)
4. part. が or ヶ: Historical possessive used to connect nouns, most often seen in place names as ヶ.
5. n. 蛾: moth
7	と
1. syllable. The hiragana syllable と (to), whose equivalent in katakana is ト.		to
2. part. with
僕と行きたい？
ぼくといきたい？
Boku to ikitai?
8	年
1. year		nen
2. new year
3. person's age
4. counter. years
5. suffix. a grade, a school year
9	で
1. syllable. The hiragana syllable で (de), whose equivalent in katakana is デ.		de
2. part. indicating being at a location.
ここで休みたい。
ここでやすみたい。
Koko de yasumitai.
10	だ
1. syllable. The hiragana syllable だ (da), whose equivalent in katakana is ダ.		da
2. v. to be
3. v. Usage: This word is an enclitic just like other particles. It is classified as 助動詞 (jodōshi) in traditional Japanese grammar, because of its particle-like phonological behavior.
11	月
1. As part of a compound, should not be confused with ⺼, form of 肉 (flesh, meat), which is used for example for parts of the body such as 背 (back). These may be drawn identically, as 月, but in careful us		tsuki
2. n. the moon
日本では月にうさぎが住んでいるというお話があります。 - にほんではつきにうさぎがすんでいるというお-はなしがあります。
月は地球の唯一の衛星です。 - つきはちきゅうのゆい.いつのえいせいです。
3. n. the lunar cycle, a month
12	も
1. syllable. The hiragana syllable も (mo), whose equivalent in katakana is モ.		mo
2. part. too, also, so
3. n. 藻: algae
4. n. 喪: mourning
13	から
1. part. from, out of		kara
2. part. after (following て-form verbs)
3. part. because (following adjectives and verbs)
4. n. 空: emptiness
5. n. 殻: shell
14	日
1. n. sun		hi
2. n. day
3. n. (obsolete) day		fu
4. counter. number of days		ka
5. suffix. day of the month
15	成る
1. v. なる: become		naru
私は先生になります。 - わたしはせんせいになります。
コーヒーが冷たくなりました。 - コーヒーがつめたくなりました。
16	こと
1. n. 事: thing, matter		koto
2. n. 琴: Japanese zither/harp
17	有る
1. v. to exist (inanimate objects)		aru
2. v. to be (inanimate objects)
3. v. to have (inanimate objects)
18	よる
1. v. よる: be based on, depend on, be due to - (at most case)		yoru
2. v. 拠る: be based on, depend on
3. v. 因る: be due to
4. v. 寄る: drop by, stop at
5. v. 選る: select
19	や
1. syllable. The hiragana syllable や (ya), whose equivalent in katakana is ヤ.		ya
2. part. and
Used to conjoin nouns, や (ya) implies that the list is not limited to the nouns named. Contrast with と (to), the other particle typically used to conjoin nouns, which implies that the list is l
3. part. is, are
Variation on the Japanese copula だ (da), associated with (Kansai dialect), particularly Ōsaka. The use of や (ya) is common in fictional dialogue attributed to characters from Ōsaka.
20	など
1. part. 等: for example, things like, such as, etc., and so on		nado
など (nado) functions as a noun and may be followed by other particles, including の (no).

Dictionary entries from Wiktionary