JLPT N4 Vocabulary List: 600 Essential Words by Category
日本語能力試験 N4 requires a total vocabulary of roughly 1,500 words — about 600 new ones beyond N5. This page organizes core N4 words into six thematic categories: time and frequency, movement and space, feelings and character, everyday actions, degree adverbs, and connectors. Every entry includes the Japanese word, its reading in hiragana, and an English meaning.
Covers: Time & frequency adverbs · Movement verbs · Feelings & personality · Daily-life action verbs · Degree adverbs · Connector words · 5 common mistakes
These adverbs appear in almost every JLPT N4 reading passage. Knowing their exact nuance prevents mistakes on the exam, since several overlap in English translation.
Japanese
Reading
Meaning
もうすぐ
もうすぐ
soon, any moment now
ずっと
ずっと
all along, the whole time
一日中
いちにちじゅう
all day long
あとで
あとで
later, afterward
そのうち
そのうち
before long, one of these days
たいてい
たいてい
usually, generally
ほとんど
ほとんど
almost (+ positive) / hardly (+ negative)
たまに
たまに
occasionally, once in a while
すぐに
すぐに
immediately, right away
やっと
やっと
finally (after struggle — implies relief)
以前
いぜん
before, previously, formerly
最近
さいきん
recently, lately
将来
しょうらい
future, in the future
〜間
〜あいだ
during, between, while
ついに
ついに
finally, at last (long-awaited outcome — positive or negative)
Table 2 — Movement & Space (12 Verbs)
Movement verbs combine with direction particles (に、へ、から) to form complex sentences. Pay attention to transitivity — some are intransitive and cannot take a direct object.
Japanese
Reading
Meaning
通る
とおる
to pass through
渡る
わたる
to cross (a road, bridge)
戻る
もどる
to return, go back
向かう
むかう
to head toward, face
近づく
ちかづく
to approach, get closer
離れる
はなれる
to move away, separate
集まる
あつまる
to gather, assemble
並ぶ
ならぶ
to line up, be in a row
動く
うごく
to move, be in motion
止まる
とまる
to stop, come to a halt
曲がる
まがる
to turn, bend
過ぎる
すぎる
to pass by; to exceed, go too far
Table 3 — Feelings & Character (15 Words)
N4 tests emotional and personality vocabulary in dialogue-based passages. Many entries below are na-adjectives (な形容詞) or stative verbs that describe ongoing states.
Japanese
Reading
Meaning & Type
親切
しんせつ
kind, kindhearted (na-adj)
真面目
まじめ
diligent, serious (na-adj)
優しい
やさしい
gentle, caring (i-adj)
厳しい
きびしい
strict, severe (i-adj)
丁寧
ていねい
polite, careful, thorough (na-adj)
正直
しょうじき
honest, frank (na-adj)
恥ずかしい
はずかしい
embarrassed, ashamed (i-adj)
驚く
おどろく
to be surprised, astonished (G1 verb)
悩む
なやむ
to worry, agonize over (G1 verb)
喜ぶ
よろこぶ
to be pleased, delighted (G1 verb)
怒る
おこる
to get angry (G1 verb)
困る
こまる
to be troubled, at a loss (G1 verb)
安心する
あんしんする
to feel relieved (suru verb)
緊張する
きんちょうする
to be nervous, tense (suru verb)
残念
ざんねん
unfortunate, what a shame (na-adj)
Table 4 — Actions & Daily Life (15 Verbs)
These verbs cover the practical actions of adult daily life — applying, communicating, organizing, and deciding. Many appear in N4 short-text reading questions set in workplace or daily contexts.
Japanese
Reading
Meaning
申し込む
もうしこむ
to apply, sign up for
連絡する
れんらくする
to contact, get in touch
確認する
かくにんする
to confirm, verify
準備する
じゅんびする
to prepare, get ready
片付ける
かたづける
to tidy up, put in order
修理する
しゅうりする
to repair, fix
手伝う
てつだう
to help, assist
断る
ことわる
to refuse, decline (an invitation or request)
選ぶ
えらぶ
to choose, select
決める
きめる
to decide
比べる
くらべる
to compare
続ける
つづける
to continue, keep doing
変わる
かわる
to change, be different
終わらせる
おわらせる
to finish something, bring to an end
始まる
はじまる
to begin, start (intransitive)
Table 5 — Degree Adverbs (10 Words)
Degree adverbs modify adjectives and verbs to show intensity. Several overlap in English translation as "quite" or "very" — but they carry distinct nuances and some change meaning based on sentence polarity.
Japanese
Reading
Meaning & Nuance
かなり
かなり
considerably, quite (stronger than まあまあ)
なかなか
なかなか
quite (+ positive) / not easily (+ negative)
ほとんど
ほとんど
almost (+ positive) / hardly (+ negative)
ずいぶん
ずいぶん
quite a bit, considerably (often with surprised tone)
もっと
もっと
more (comparative degree)
最も
もっとも
most (superlative)
だいぶ
だいぶ
considerably, a good deal
そんなに
そんなに
that much, so much (referring to context)
こんなに
こんなに
this much, so much (near speaker)
ずっと
ずっと
much more, far (in comparisons: ずっと大きい — far bigger)
Connectors signal the logical relationship between sentences. They are critical for the reading comprehension section of JLPT N4, where understanding discourse structure determines whether you can follow an argument.
Japanese
Reading
Meaning & Use
しかし
しかし
however, but (formal contrast)
それに
それに
moreover, in addition to that
ところが
ところが
however (signals unexpected result)
そのため
そのため
for that reason, therefore
つまり
つまり
in other words, that is to say
たとえば
たとえば
for example
特に
とくに
especially, in particular
必ず
かならず
certainly, without fail, always
もしかしたら
もしかしたら
perhaps, maybe (uncertain possibility)
ただし
ただし
however, provided that (introduces conditions or exceptions)
5 Common Mistakes with N4 Vocabulary
なかなか changes meaning with sentence polarity.なかなかおいしい means "quite delicious" (positive context). But なかなか来ない means "just won't come / doesn't come easily" (negative context). Learners who only know the "quite" meaning are blindsided by the negative use — and both patterns appear on the JLPT.
ずっと has two different meanings. It can mean "all along / the whole time" (ずっと好きだった — I've loved you all along), or "much more / far" in comparisons (ずっと大きい — much bigger). Learners who memorize only one meaning misread the other in context.
全然 + positive is casual, not exam-safe. Modern spoken Japanese accepts 全然いい (totally fine), and native speakers use it constantly. On the JLPT, however, 全然 should be paired with a negative predicate (全然わからない). Using 全然 + positive in a formal fill-in-the-blank question is marked wrong.
Confusing ついに and やっと. Both mean "finally" in English, but they are not interchangeable. ついに marks a long-anticipated outcome (can be good or bad: ついに戦争が始まった). やっと conveys relief after effort or struggle and is almost always positive (やっと分かった — I finally understand). Use やっと when you feel relieved; use ついに for something long-awaited regardless of emotion.
断る means to decline or refuse, not to cut. Learners sometimes confuse 断る (ことわる) with 切る (きる, to cut). 断る specifically means to decline an invitation or refuse a request: 誘いを断る (decline an invitation). It is never used for cutting physical objects.
FAQ
How many vocabulary words do I need for JLPT N4?
JLPT N4 requires a total vocabulary of roughly 1,500 words. About 800–900 of these carry over from N5, so you need to learn approximately 600 new words at the N4 level. The JLPT does not publish an official word list, but widely used study resources agree on the core vocabulary. Focusing on thematic categories — time expressions, movement verbs, emotional vocabulary, and connectors — is the most efficient way to reach this target before the exam.
What is the difference between ついに and やっと?
Both ついに and やっと translate as "finally," but they carry different nuances. ついに describes a long-awaited outcome that has been building; it can be used for both positive and negative results (ついに戦争が終わった — the war finally ended). やっと expresses relief after difficulty or struggle and is almost always used for desirable outcomes (やっと合格した — I finally passed). When in doubt, use やっと when you feel relieved and ついに when the event was simply anticipated for a long time.
Can なかなか be used with positive sentences?
Yes, なかなか has two distinct uses depending on sentence polarity. With a positive predicate it means "quite" or "rather" (なかなかおいしい — quite delicious). With a negative predicate it means "not easily" or "just won't" (なかなか来ない — just won't come; なかなか覚えられない — can't seem to remember). The same word, opposite direction — always check which type of predicate follows it.
Is 全然 with a positive adjective acceptable?
In casual, modern spoken Japanese 全然いい (totally fine) and 全然大丈夫 (totally okay) are widely accepted. Historically 全然 required a negative predicate (全然わからない — don't understand at all), and that rule still applies in formal writing and on the JLPT. For the exam, always pair 全然 with a negative form. In everyday conversation, positive 全然 is common among native speakers, especially younger generations.
What is the best way to memorize JLPT N4 vocabulary?
The most effective strategies combine spaced-repetition flashcard review with active sentence practice. Study words in thematic groups (all time adverbs together, all movement verbs together) to build semantic networks in memory. Then practice each word in a full sentence — fill-in-the-blank drills are particularly effective. Review new words within 24 hours, then after 3 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks. Apps that schedule reviews automatically outperform passive reading of word lists.
How is JLPT N4 vocabulary tested on the exam?
The JLPT N4 vocabulary section (語彙) tests words through four question types: kanji readings (漢字読み), written form (表記), contextual definition (文脈規定), and paraphrase (言い換え類義). You need to recognize the correct reading of a kanji word, identify the right word for a given meaning in context, and understand subtle meaning differences between similar words. Study vocabulary with both kanji and hiragana readings, not just one form.
The YoruLearn app uses adaptive spaced-repetition flashcards and fill-in-the-blank drills built around JLPT N4 vocabulary categories — so instead of scrolling a static word list, you actively recall each word in sentence context and the app automatically schedules your next review at the optimal time.
