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    Hiroko Matsuyama
  • 5 years ago
    • Categories: Japanology

200+ Common Japanese Words

Wanna know some common Japanese words to grasp an image of the Japanese language? We have picked 200+ common Japanese words that include nouns and conjunctions you can use right away in conversation. You don’t have to worry about grammar at this point. Remembering some of them can help immensely when you have a chance to talk to express your wants/needs and feelings with native Japanese.

We refer to the “Vocabulary Database for Reading Japanese (VDRJ) Ver. 1.1” which you can check from here (Japanese).
Vocabulary Database for Reading Japanese (VDRJ) Ver. 1.1

Notice I added kanji characters to nouns after each word for your reference, but you don’t have to worry about it unless you want to use them in written Japanese.

Table of Contents
  1. The Common Japanese Words: Core 109 Nouns
  2. The Common Japanese words: Numbers from 0 to 20
  3. The Common Japanese Words: Core 11 Pronouns
  4. The Common Japanese Words: Core 11 Conjunctions
  5. The Common Japanese Words: Core 19 Verbs
  6. The Common Japanese Words: Core 33 Adverbs and Adjectives

The Common Japanese Words: Core 109 Nouns

With these 109 common Japanese nouns, you can express most of the situation you would encounter.

  1. ひと (Hito=人): “Man”
  2. もの (Mono=物): “Stuff”
  3. ほう (Hou=方): “Direction”
  4. とき (Toki=時): “Time”
  5. ちゅう (Chu=中): “In the middle of”
  6. ところ (Tokoro=所): “Place”
  7. じぶん (Jibun=自分): “Myself”
  8. いま (Ima=今): “Now”
  9. ひ (Hi=日): “Day”
  10. まえ (Mae=前): “Front”
  11. うち (Uchi=内): “Inside”
  12. うえ (Ue=上): “Up”
  13. ど (Do=度): “Times”
  14. いえ (Ie=家): “House”
  15. て (Te=手): “Hand”
  16. はなし (Hanashi=話): “Talk”
  17. じかん (Jikan=時間): “Time”
  18. おとこ (Otoko=男): “Man”
  19. みな (Mina=皆): “Everyone”
  20. まん (Man=万): “Ten thousand”
  21. かお (Kao=顔): “Face”
  22. こども (Kodomo=子ども): “Kids”
  23. ほんとう (Hontou=本当): “True”
  24. おんな (Onna=女): “Woman”
  25. さき (Saki=先): “Forward”
  26. ふたり (Futari=二人): “Two people”
  27. こえ (Koe=声): “Voice”
  28. ひとり (Hitori=一人): “A person”
  29. しごと (Shigoto=仕事): “Work”
  30. ことば (Kotoba=言葉): “Word”
  31. した (Shita=下): “Down”
  32. でんわ (Denwa=電話): “Phone”
  33. はは (Haha=母): “Mother”
  34. みせ (Mise=店): “Store”
  35. あたま (Atama=頭): “Head”
  36. ころ (Koro=頃): “About”
  37. いみ (Imi=意味): “Meaning”
  38. しつもん (Shitsumon=質問): “Question”
  39. もんだい (Mondai=問題): “Problem”
  40. くち (Kuchi=口): “Mouth”
  41. かいしゃ (Kaisha=会社): “Company”
  42. きょう (Kyou=今日): “Today”
  43. いっしょ (Issho=一緒): “Together”
  44. ちち (Chichi=父): “Father”
  45. せんせい (Sensei=先生): “Teacher”
  46. つぎ (Tsugi=次): “Next”
  47. へや (Heya=部屋): “Room”
  48. けっこん (Kekkon=結婚): “Marriage”
  49. かぜ (Kaze=風): “Wind”
  50. そと (Soto=外): “Outside”
  51. なまえ (Namae=名前): “Name”
  52. みず (Mizu=水): “Water”
  53. よる (Yoru=夜): “Night”
  54. そば (Soba=側): “Side”
  55. くに (Kuni=国): “Country”
  56. いろ (Iro=色): “Color”
  57. みち (Michi=道): “Street”
  58. あし (Ashi=足): “Foot”
  59. ともだち (Tomodachi=友達): “Friend”
  60. がっこう (Gakkou=学校): “School”
  61. テレビ (Terebi): “TV”
  62. だいがく (Daigaku=大学): “College”
  63. ちかく (Chikaku=近く): “Near”
  64. やま (Yama=山): “Mountain”
  65. まいにち (Mainichi=毎日): “Everyday”
  66. びょういん (Byouin=病院): “Hospital”
  67. しゃしん (Shashin=写真): “Photo”
  68. かぞく (Kazoku=家族): “Family”
  69. みみ (Mimi=耳): “Ear”
  70. いぬ (Inu=犬): “Dog”
  71. き (Ki=木): “Tree”
  72. ホテル (Hoteru): “Hotel”
  73. さけ (Sake=酒): “Liquor”
  74. うみ (Umi=海): “Sea”
  75. えき (Eki=駅): “Station”
  76. あに (Ani=兄): “Big brother”
  77. あす (Asu=明日): “Tomorrow”
  78. よこ (Yoko=横): “Aside”
  79. ぜんぶ (Zenbu=全部): “All”
  80. ご (Go=語): “Language”
  81. はん (Han=半): “Half”
  82. べんきょう (Benkyo=勉強): “Study”
  83. りょこう (Ryokou=旅行): “Travel”
  84. りょうり (Ryouri=料理): “Cooking”
  85. おんなのこ (Onnanoko=女の子): “Girl”
  86. きのう (Kinou=昨日): “Yesterday”
  87. だい (Dai=台): “Pedestal”
  88. まど (Mado=窓): “Window”
  89. ねこ (Neko=猫): “Cat”
  90. みぎ (Migi=右): “Right”
  91. はな (Hana=花): “Flower”
  92. ドア (Doa): “Door”
  93. は (Ha=歯): “Tooth”
  94. しんぶん (Shinbun=新聞): “Newspaper”
  95. おじ (Oji=叔父): “Uncle”
  96. かわ (Kawa=川): “River”
  97. あね (Ane=姉): “Big sister”
  98. うしろ (Ushiro=後): “Back”
  99. そら (Sora=空): “Sky”
  100. えいが (Eiga=映画): “Movie”
  101. えき (Eki: “Station”)
  102. くうこう (Kuukou: “Airport”)
  103. でんしゃ (Densha: “Train”)
  104. しんかんせん (Shinkansen: “Bullet train”)
  105. とけい (Tokei: “Clock”)
  106. あさごはん (Asagohan: “Breakfast”)
  107. ひるごはん (Hirugohan: “Lunch”)
  108. おやつ (Oyatsu: “Snack”)
  109. よるごはん (Yorugohan: “Dinner”)

The Common Japanese words: Numbers from 0 to 20

  1. ぜろ (Zero: 0)
  2. いち (Ichi: 1)
  3. に (Ni: 2)
  4. さん (San: 3)
  5. よん (Yon: 4)
  6. ご (Go: 5)
  7. ろく (Roku: 6)
  8. しち (Shichi: 7)
  9. はち (Hachi: 8)
  10. きゅう (Kyu: 9)
  11. じう (Jiu: 10)
  12. じゅういち (Jyuichi: 11)
  13. じゅうに (Jyuni: 12)
  14. じゅうさん (Jyusan: 13)
  15. じゅうし (Jyushi: 14)
  16. じゅうご (Jyugo: 15)
  17. じゅうろく (Jyuroku: 16)
  18. じゅうしち (Jyushichi: 17)
  19. じゅうはち (Jyuhachi: 18)
  20. じゅうく (Jyuku: 19)
  21. にじゅう (Nijyu: 20)

The Common Japanese words: Core 11 pronouns

With these core 11 pronouns, you can make sure who is the objective you’re talking about.

  1. これ (Kore: “This”)
  2. あれ (Are: “That”)
  3. かれ (Kare: “He”)
  4. かのじょ (Kanojo: “She”)
  5. あなた (Anata: You [formal])
  6. きみ (Kimi: You [informal])
  7. わたし (Watashi: “I”)
  8. あなたたち (Anatatachi: You [plural])
  9. かれら (Karera: “They”)
  10. わたしたち (Watashitachi: “We”)
  11. だれ (Dare: “Who”)

The Common Japanese Words: Core 11 Conjunctions

With these core 11 conjunctions, you can make your talk sounds more natural to Japanese natives.

  1. 〜のうえ (Noue: “On”)
  2. 〜から (Kara: “From”)
  3. 〜か (Ka: “Or”)
  4. 〜と〜 （To: “And”）
  5. 〜の (No: “Of”)
  6. 〜と (To: “And”)
  7. 〜に (Ni: “To”)
  8. 〜で (De: “In”)
  9. もし (Moshi: “If”)
  10. でも (Demo: “But”)
  11. だから (Dakara: “So”)

The Common Japanese Words: Core 19 Verbs

Remembering these verbs really can help you when you want to express that you want to do something.

  1. きく (Kiku: “Listen”)
  2. みる (Miru: “Look”)
  3. しる (Shiru: “Know”)
  4. もっている (Motteiru: “Have”)
  5. する (Suru: “Do”)
  6. たべる (Taberu: “Eat”)
  7. すわる (Suwaru: “Sit”)
  8. たつ (Tatsu: “Stand”)
  9. あるく (Aruku: “Walk”)
  10. はしる (Hashiru: “Run”)
  11. いう (Iu: “Say”)
  12. する (Suru: “Do”)
  13. つくる　(Tsukuru: “Make”)
  14. できる (Dekiru: “Can”)
  15. いく (Iku: “Go”)
  16. あげる (Ageru: “Give”)
  17. もらう (Morau: “Get”)
  18. やすむ (Yasumu: “Rest”)
  19. ねる (Neru: “Sleep”)

The Common Japanese Words: Core 33 Adverbs and Adjectives

  1. いつ (Itsu: “When”)
  2. どこ (Doko: “Where”)
  3. なに (Nani: “What”)
  4. だれ (Dare: “Who”)
  5. なぜ (Naze: “Naze”)
  6. どう (Dou: “How”)
  7. もっと (Motto: “More”)
  8. すくなく (Sukunaku: “Less”)
  9. おそい (Osoi: “Slow”)
  10. はやい (Hayai: “Fast”)
  11. かわいい (Kawaii: “Lovely”)
  12. かっこいい (Kakkoii: “Cool”)
  13. ださい (Dasai: “Uncool”)
  14. べつ (Betsu: “Other”)
  15. いい (Ii: “Good”)
  16. わるい (Warui: “Bad”)
  17. すき (Suki: “Like”)
  18. きらい (Kirai: “Dislike”)
  19. ほしい (Hoshii: “Want”)
  20. したい (Shitai: “Want to do”)
  21. ひつよう (Hitsuyou: “Need”)
  22. たかい (Takai: “High” [height])
  23. たかい (Takai: “Expensive” [price])
  24. ひくい (Hikui: “Low”)
  25. やすい (Yasui: “Cheap”)
  26. おもしろい (Omoshiroi: “Interesting”)
  27. つまらない (Tsumaranai: “Boring”)
  28. あつい (Atsui: “Hot”)
  29. つめたい (Tsumetai: “Cold”)
  30. うるさい (Urusai: “Noisy”)
  31. しずか (Shizuka: “Quiet”)
  32. おもい (Omoi: “Heavy”)
  33. かるい (Karui: “Light”)

200 words can be overwhelming at first but as you go along with your study, it’d become easier for you to remember more words. You can remember them through repetition only and immerse yourself with some audio stuff is of the best ways. Checking some youtube videos and find your favorite one. Let us know what works best for you in the comment!

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