Word more in japanese

When it comes to speaking in Japanese and expressing yourself, it really helps to know most of the common adverbs. And one of those words that you will use pretty much every day is the Japanese word for “more.”

There’s just one little problem: Is it もっと (motto) or is it もう (mou)? How do you say “more” in Japanese?

Well the typical answer to Japanese language questions also applies to this situation. And that answer is, “it just depends.”

Haha, perhaps that’s not what you wanted to hear, so let’s get into it in more detail so that you can understand when to use one over the other.

When to use もっと (motto) for “more”

When you simply look up the word for “more” in Japanese, 9/10 times you are going to see the word もっと pop up as the answer.

It can be used when talking about a quantity of some kind, such as:

  • 写真もっと撮ればよかったな。
    shashin motto toreba yokatta na.
    I wish I’d taken more pictures.

Or it can be used with adjectives to increase the degree to which they apply, like:

  • あなたはもっと理性的であるべきだ。
    anata wa motto risei teki de aru beki da.
    You should be more reasonable.

And of course it works when used with other adverbs as well. A common request you might want to memorize for when you are talking with native Japanese people is:

  • もっとゆっくり話してください。
    motto yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
    Please speak more slowly.

Sometimes you will see もっと combined with another adverb in such a way that would be weird in English with just a direct translation. Here’s what I mean by that:

  • もっと早く
    motto hayaku
    More early/soon.

When you encounter these types of situations, it’s better to think of もっと as the “er” part of our English words.

So change the translation of もっと早く from “more early” to just “earlier.”

Note that 早く can also mean “soon” in English, so もっと早く could mean “sooner” in certain contexts.

A closely related word to もっと is the Japanese word 最も (motto mo) which can also be written in just hiragana as もっとも.
The meaning of 最も is actually “most” and when it gets combined with adjectives in Japanese, it often gets translated as the “est” part of English words. Let me illustrate:

  • あれは最も長い橋だよ。
    are wa motto mo nagai hashi da yo.
    That is the longest bridge!

The kanji gets combined with a lot of words in Japanese to bring that meaning of an extreme, whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Actually, I should have said “whether it’s the best thing or the worse thing!”

You can learn more about it by reading this post.

Otherwise, it’s time to get to the other Japanese word for “more”

When to use もう (mou) for “more”

The もう (mou) is actually the word that’s used to mean “already” or “yet” in Japanese. And you will most likely see it used that way more times that not.

But there are occasions where that translation doesn’t quite work.

I’m sure you’ve encountered this next useful phrase when asking someone to repeat what they’ve said:

  • もう一度、言ってください。
    mou ichi do, itte kudasai.
    Please say that one more time.

In these cases, c would be the word that translates as “more” or “again.”

I’ve only really seen もう used within a few phrases to mean “more” which are:

  1. もう一度 = One more time
  2. もうひとつ = One more (thing)
  3. もう少し = A little more
  4. もう一回 = Once more (occurrence)

A few of them are basically the same thing, but you could say that there are slight differences between them. For example,  is the counter used for “time” as in “one time, two times, three times, etc.” and ひとつ is the generic counter for one thing of any kind.

Still, you’ll hear and read もう一度 a lot, so it’s good to know that the もう part of it means “more; again” and not the normal usage of it as “already; yet”

But anyway, it’s good to know both of these words for “more” in Japanese since they are super common. Where do they rank within the top 1,000 used words in Japanese?

  • もっと (motto) = #299
  • もう (mou) = #52

I looked up the information on them by checking out the Japanese frequency dictionary that I’ve got. If you’re not sure what that is, it’s certainly worth reading up about.

5/1/18 UPDATE: Kaitlyn graciously provided an answer as to when you use もう or もっと for “more” in Japanese:

Thanks again Kaitlyn!

Now I wanna hear from you!

Did you learn anything new from this article? Did I leave anything out? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think!

In this post I’d like to go over a few different ways to express the concept of “more” in Japanese, essentially when something is going to be a greater degree or amount than it was previously. Keep in mind that in English sometimes the concept of “more” is implied (even though the word itself isn’t used), like when saying “colder”.

To begin with, the word “motto” (もっと) is the simplest, most basic way to say “more”. Use “motto” if you aren’t sure which word to use.

  • 日本語をもっと勉強したいです。 (nihonngo wo motto benkyou shitai desu)
  • I want to study Japanese more.

“Motto” can be used by itself, for example:

  • もっともっと! (motto motto!)
  • More, more!

Now, when you are eating and want more food, you might be tempted to say:

  • もっとください (motto kudasai)
  • More please.

However, generally you should use the word “okawari” (おかわり), which is a specific term that means a second (or third) helping of food:

  • おかわりください (okawari kudasai)
  • More (food) please.

The word “mou” (もう) has a bunch of meanings, including “now” or “already”. It can also be used to express “more” by preceeding a counter that means “one” of something:

  • 人がもう一人いる (hito ga mou hitori iru)
  • One more person is present.
  • もうひとつください。 (mou hitotsu kudasai)
  • One more (thing) please.

Another word you can use to mean “more” is “yori” (より):

  • 明日はより寒くなるらしいです。  (ashita wa yori samuku naru rashii desu)
  • It seems that tomorrow it will get colder.

However, while I have seen this usage, I have also been told that it isn’t the most proper grammar, and that generally “yori” should be preceded by a word being contrasted against, as in:

  • 明日は今日より寒くなるらしいです。  (ashita wa kyou yori samuku naru rashii desu)
  • It seems that tomorrow it will get colder than today.

Another related expression is “nani yori mo” (何よりも) which means “more than anything else” and “dare yori mo” (誰よりも) which means “more than anyone else”

Another word you can use is ”yokei” (余計). However, as this has the nuance of “too much” or “unnecessary”, it is generally used for negative situations. For example,

  • 休まないと体調が余計悪くなるよ (yasumanai to taichou ga yokei waruku naru yo)
  • If you don’t rest your condition (health) will get even worse.

Another word that can express “more” (or sometimes “anymore”) is “ijou” (以上). This word can mean “the above (mentioned)” or even “the end”, but it can be used to express “more”, as in these examples:

  • 今まで以上に頑張りたいと思います. (ima made ijou ni ganbaritai to omoimasu)
  • I’d like to try even harder than I have ever before.
  • これ以上待てない (kore ijou matenai)
  • I can’t wait anymore.

Yet another word that can mean “more” is “saranaru” (更なる). This has a bit of a formal tone and generally must come before a noun. It can often be translated as “further”.

  • 更なる発展を期待しています。(saranaru hatten wo kitei shite imasu)
  • I’m expecting further developments.

A related word is “sara ni” (さらに) which also means “more”. It has more a formal feel to it, and you can see it often in advertisements. For example,

  • さらに美味しくなりました! (sara ni oishiku narimashita!)
  • Now even tastier!  (Literally: “It has become tastier”)

If you didn’t have enough words to mean “more”, I’ll tell you one more. It’s “issou” (いっそう or 一層). This word is most commonly used in literature (novels, poems, etc.).

  • 一層頑張ります (issou ganbarimasu)
  • I’ll try even more.

You can also combine より and 一層 to get “より一層”, which basically has the same meaning. (See this page for more detail about this combination)

Sometimes, you don’t use a separate word to express the concept of “more” in Japanese.

For example, any sentence that uses the verb “naru” (なる, “to become”) with an adverb before it has an implicit sense of “more”. There is no need for words like “motto” or “yori”.

  • 明日は寒くなるらしいです。  (ashita wa samuku naru rashii desu)
  • It seems that tomorrow it will get colder.

Also, the expression “no hou ga~” (のほうが〜) is frequently used to compare two or more things.

  • のほうが好きだよ (kimi no hou ga suki da yo).
  • I like you more.

Finally, I’d like to end this post by saying you’ll never run out of things to study in Japanese. No matter how much you’ve studied, there is always more to study.

So I guess you should say motto should be your motto.  (Sorry, I couldn’t help avoiding this bad pun (:  )

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  1. Words
  2. Sentences

Definition of more

  1. (adv) firmly; fast; much; more
  1. (adv, int) already; anymore
  2. soon; shortly
  3. more; further; other; again
  4. (int, adv) interjection used to strengthen expression of an emotion (often exasperation)
  1. (adv) (some) more; even more; longer; further
  1. (adv, prt) from; out of; since; at
  2. than
  3. other than; except; but
  4. more
  1. (adv-to, adv) more; much more; still more; all the more
  2. (n) step; rung; level; rank
  3. paragraph; passage
  4. Japanese verb group
  5. first rank (in martial arts, etc.)
  1. (n, adj-no) behind; rear
  2. after; later
  3. after one’s death
  4. remainder; the rest
  5. descendant; successor; heir
  6. past; previous
  7. (n-adv) more (e.g. five more minutes)
  1. (n-adv, n) now; the present time; just now; soon; immediately; (one) more

    その法案は今会期中に成立する見通しである。
    The bill is expected to be enacted during the present session.

  1. (adv, conj) furthermore; still; yet; more; still more; in addition; greater; further
  1. (n, n-suf) leakage
  2. omission; oversight
  3. (pn) I; me
  1. (adj-na) better; less objectionable; preferable
  2. (n-suf) more; increase; extra

    非会員は50ドル増しとなります。
    Non-members pay an additional 50 dollars.

  3. (n) increase; growth


(mo)

  1. (prt) also; too; words of similar weight
  2. about (emphasizing an upper limit); as much as; even
  3. (adv) more; further; other; again

Words related to more

Sentences containing more

You are here: Home/ List/ 40 Japanese Words Meaning “Many/Much” (Ooi, Ippai, Takusan, …)

Do you know how to say “many” in Japanese? In fact, there are more than 40 words and phrases to say “many” in Japanese, just like in English. This article presents a comprehensive list of those (from basic to advanced) expressions with brief explanations and example sentences provided for each entry! Note that “many” and “much” are basically the same word in Japanese since Japanese nouns do not have either countable or uncountable forms.

(If you’re fond of exploring Japanese synonyms, check my tool: Japanese Synonym Finder)

Adjectives (na-adj and i-adj)

多い (おおい, ooi)

多い is one of the most common words to say “many/much” in Japanese. When it modifies a noun, it’s usually used as “多くの” (although it looks like a standard い-adjective).

Examples

東京に住んでいる人は多い/多くの人が東京に住んでいる。

There are many people who live in Tokyo./ A lot of people live in Tokyo.

数多くの (かずおおくの, kazuooku no)

数多くの is a synonym of 多くの and means “a great number of ~”. It sounds slightly larger than 多くの, and is usually used in writing.

Examples

数多くの人が東京に住んでいる

A great number of people live in Tokyo.

数々の (かずかずの, kazukazu no)

数々の is a synonym of 数多くの, and means “numerous” and “various”.

Examples

彼は数々の賞を獲得した

He has achieved numerous (and various) awards

沢山 (たくさん, takusan)

沢山 is also a very common word meaning “a great number/amount of” and sounds more than “多い” (since it contains the kanji 山 meaning “mountain”, you may interpret it as “mountains of ~ “). When it modifies a noun, it’s usually used as “沢山の” or just “沢山” rather than “沢山な”.  It can also be used as an adverb and modify a verb. It is often written in hiragana too as in example sentences below.

Examples

たくさんの人がいる/たくさん人がいる/人が沢山いる

There are many people.

沢山勉強した

I studied a lot.

ぎょうさん (gyousan)

It is a very casual way of saying “沢山”, particularly used in the Kansai region. It is usually used without any particle.

Examples

ぎょうさん人がおる/人がぎょうさんおる

There are many people. (*おる = the Kansai dialect term for いる )

ぎょうさん勉強した

I studied a lot.

盛り沢山 (もりだくさん, mori dakusan)

盛り沢山 is a common hyperbole meaning “various and copious”, and usually used as “something が盛り沢山” to hype new events, products, etc.

この新しいスマホには新しい機能が盛り沢山

This new smartphone has a variety of new functions!

いっぱい (ippai)

いっぱい is also a very common word to describe the large amount/number of something, and is usually used as “いっぱい + いる/ある”. It can sound casual and a little childish compared to 沢山 but not always. When used as “いっぱい(だ)” or “いっぱい + になる”, it usually means “be/become full”. In kanji, it can also be written as “一杯”, but since 一杯 can also mean “one cup/glass of ~”, some people avoid using it for clarity.

Examples

お宝がいっぱいある

There are a great number of treasures.

お腹がいっぱいだ

My stomach is full

大量 (たいりょう, tairyou)

大量 means “an enormous amount/number of ~”. It is usually used to describe the large amount/number of things or animals, but not humans. The common usage is “大量の + noun” or “something が大量にある”

Examples

この研究を行うには、大量のデータが必要だ

It requires an enormous amount of data to conduct this research.

買ったけど読んでいない本が家に大量にある

There are piles of books at home that I bought but haven’t read.

大勢の (おおぜいの, oozei no)

大勢の usually describes a great number of people and is usually used in writing.

Examples

大勢の人がここに集まった

A great number of people gathered here.

豊富な (ほうふな, houfu na)

豊富な means “abundant”, “copious” or “plentiful”. It usually connotes that something is abundant in quantity and variety.

Examples

オーストラリアには豊富な資源がある

There are abundant and various resources in Australia.

あの人は知識が豊富だ

He has copious knowledge.

色々な/色んな

(いろいろな, iroiro na)

色々な means “various” in English and is often used in writing. In casual speech, 色々な is often abbreviated as 色(いろ)んな (iron na).

Examples

東京には色々な/色んな人がいる

There are various people in Tokyo.

人が日本語を勉強する理由は色々だ

The reason why people study Japanese varies/is various.

様々な (さまざまな, samazama na)

様々な is a synonym of “色々な”, and often used in writing.

Examples

東京には様々な人がいる

There are various people in Tokyo.

人が日本語を勉強する理由は様々だ

The reason why people study Japanese varies/is various.

莫大な (ばくだいな, bakudai na)

莫大な means “a vast amount of ~”, and is often used to describe a very large amount of time, money or effort. When used to describe the number of something,  莫大な数の is often used. It’s rather used in writing but not too formal.

Examples

留学するには莫大な費用がかかる

It costs an enormous amount of money to study abroad.

莫大な数の学生がキャンパスにいる

There are an enormous number of students on campus.

膨大な (ぼうだいな, boudai na)

膨大な is a synonym of 莫大な. 莫大な sounds slightly larger and more boundless than 膨大な. It’s often used in writing.

Examples

留学するには膨大な費用がかかる。

It costs an enormous amount of money to study abroad.

膨大な数学生がキャンパスにいる。

There are an enormous number of students on campus.

たっぷり (tappuri)

たっぷり means “a sufficient/abundant amount of~”, and is often used to describe a sufficient amount of time/money/food. It is usually used as “たっぷりの” when modifying a noun, otherwise “たっぷり + ある” (e.g. 時間はたっぷりある).

Examples

あの大学にはお金がたっぷりある/あの大学にはたっぷりのお金がある

There is a sufficient amount of money in that university.

まだ時間はたっぷり残っている

Still, there is an abundant amount of time left.

ふさふさ (fusafusa)

ふさふさ means “bushy” or “fluffy” and is usually used to describe a large amount of hair or something hairy. It is often used in comparison to ハゲ (hage), a derogatory word for “a bald person”.

Examples

彼は70歳なのにまだ(髪が)ふさふさだ

Although he’s 70 years old, he still has a lot of hair.

無数の (むすうの, musuu no)

無数の means “countless” and describes something uncountable. It is often used in writing.

空を見上げると、無数の星が見えた

Looking up at the sky, I saw countless stars.

幾(いく)つもの (ikutsumo no)

幾つもの is a synonym of 多くの and sounds larger than 多くの.

Examples

幾つもの苦難を克服した

I have overcome a great number of hardships.

十分/充分 (じゅうぶん, jyuubun)

十分/充分 means “enough”.  The kanji 充分 is used when one perceives something is enough, whereas 十分 denotes that there is a large enough number/amount of something. To describe the number/amount of something, it is used as “十分な数/量の” meaning “large enough number/amount of ~”.

Examples

十分/充分な睡眠を取った

I got enough sleep

そこには十分な数の人がいた

A large enough number of people are there.

まだ充分な休みが取れていない

(I feel) I haven’t taken enough rest yet.

十二分 (じゅうにぶん, jyuunibun)

十二分 means “more than 十分”, as 十二 (“twelve”) is larger than 十 (“ten”) —so it is similar to say “120%”. It is used as either ”十二分な” or “十二分の”.

Examples

我々はリスクを減らすために、十二分の/十二分な対策を取った

We took more-than-enough measures to mitigate risk.

大多数の (だいたすうの, daitasuu no)

大多数の means “the majority of ~”, and is used for people. It is often used in writing.

Examples

大多数の人はその意見に賛成した。

The majority of people agreed with the opinion.

大部分の (だいぶぶんの, daibubun no)

大部分の also means “the most (part) of ~”, and is used for things and people.

Examples

大部分のお金が使われた

Most of the money was used.

大抵の (たいていの, taitei no)

大抵の means ‘most ~” and is used for things and people.

Examples

大抵の人はそれを知らない

Most people do not know it.

大抵の場合、それはあまり問題にならない

In most cases, it does not become an issue.

大体の (だいたいの, daitai no)

大体の is a synonym of 大抵の. Although they are mostly interchangeable, 大体の sounds more “rough” in terms of the number, as it also means “about”/”approximately”.

Examples

大体1万円

About 10000 yen

大体の人がその式に出席する

Most people attend the ceremony.

大概の (たいがいの, taigai no)

大概の is a synonym of 大抵の, and it is particularly used to describe the most part of the ordinary things/people.

Examples

大概の事は家で出来る

I can do most of the ordinary things at home.

大概の人はそれに騙された

Most ordinary people were tricked by it.

過多 (かた, kata)

過多の means “too many/much”, and is often put after a noun.

Examples

現代では、多くの人が情報過多によりストレスを感じている

Nowadays, many people feel stressed because there is too much information.

山積み (やまずみ, yamazumi)

It literally means “mountain pile” and figuratively describes piles of soemthing negative (e.g. unsolved problems/assignments). It is often as “something + が山積みだ”.

Examples

解決する課題が山積みだ

There are piles of problems to solve.

Figurative Expressions

山のように (やまのように)

山のように literally means “like a mountain”, and means “mountains/piles of”.

Examples

課題が山のようにある

I have mountains of assignments.

数えきれないほど (かぞえきれないほど)

数えきれないほど literally means “as many/much as one cannot count”, and means “countless”.

Examples

彼は数えきれないほどの記録を持っている

He holds a countless number of records.

星の数ほど (ほしのかずほど)

星の数ほど literally means “as many as stars (in the sky)” and describes something countless.

Examples

東京にはラーメン屋さんが星の数ほど ある

In Tokyo, there are a countless number of ramen restaurants (like the stars in the sky).

目移りするほど (めうつりするほど)

目移りするほど literally means “to the extent that one’s eyes are attracted/distracted to many things (and cannot concentrate on looking at one thing)”.

Examples

目移りするほどの商品が棚に並んでいる

A great number of products are lining the shelves (to the extent that you cannot pick one thing).

掃いて捨てるほど (はいてすてるほど)

掃いて捨てるほど literally means “as much as you sweep and throw away” and figuratively “there is an unduly large number of something/someone” with a negative/ironic tone. It is rather a casual expression often used in a casual conversation.

Examples

家にいらない服が掃いて捨てるほどある

There are tons of unnecessary clothes in my house

今日では、大学を卒業した人は履いて捨ているほどいる。

Nowadays, there are a more-than-enough number of people who graduate from university.

腐るほど (くさるほど)

腐るほど literally means “as if something gets rotten”. This is a casual expression and usually contains a negative/ironical connotation like “sh*tloads of”.

Examples

あの会社の社長はお金を腐るほど持ってるだろう

That company’s president would have sh*tloads of money I suppose.

嫌と言うほど (いやというほど)

嫌と言うほど means “to the extent that one feels fed up with it”.

Examples

これまでに失敗を嫌と言うほど経験してきた

I have experienced failures countless times so far.

あり余るほど (ありあまるほど)

あり余るほど literally means “as if there will be lots of remnants” and figuratively indicates that something is more than enough.

Examples

我々はあり余るほどの証拠が見つかった

We’ve found more-than-enough evidence.

湯水のように (ゆみずのように)

湯水のように literally means “like hot water”. It is often used when one uses something extravagantly (esp. money), like hot water in the shower.

Examples

彼はカジノで湯水のようにお金を使った。

He spent an excessive amount of his money extravagantly (like hot water) in the casino.

雨後の筍のよう (うごのたけのこのよう)

雨後の筍のよう literally means “like bamboo shoots after rain”. Figuratively it means “a plethora of similar things happen one after another”, usually with a negative connotation that there are way too many.  See also List of Japanese Words Related to Rain (雨, ame)

Examples

東京ででタピオカの店(みせ)が雨後の筍のように増(ふ)えた

In Tokyo, the number of bubble tea stores has increased like bamboo shoots after rain

枚挙にいとまがない (まいきょにいとまがない)

枚挙にいとまがない literally means “it takes forever to finish counting”. It is similar to “just to name a few” in English, as it is often used after you list a few examples.

Examples

授業、飲み会、就職面接など、コロナの影響でオンライン化したものは枚挙にいとまがない

Like classes, drinking parties, job interviews, etc., a countless number of things have been moved online because of the coronavirus.

芋を洗うよう (いもをあらうよう)

芋を洗うよう literally means “as if you wash/stir potatoes (in a saucepan)”. It is particularly used to describe a very crowded place, like a night market in a touristy spot or a public swimming pool in summer.

Examples

プールに人が芋を洗うように人が沢山いた

In the swimming pool, there are numerous people (like stirred potatoes in a saucepan).

桁外れ (けたはずれ)

桁外れ means “different numbers of digits” (e.g. 10 vs. 100). It figuratively indicates that something is much larger than the ordinary number/amount, i.e., “extraordinary”.

Examples

彼のパワーは桁外れ

His power is much larger than ordinary/extraordinary.

Phrases

十中八九 (じゅっちゅうはっく, jyuttyuu hakku)

十中八九 literally means “8/9 out of 10”, and figuratively means “mostly” or “most likely”.

Examples

彼が言う事は十中八九嘘だ

What he says is most likely a lie.

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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Nouns

People

  • にんげん人間 – human (ningen)
  • じんるい人類 – humanity (jinrui)
  • ひと – person (hito)
  • おとこ – male (otoko)
  • おとこのひと男の人 – man (otokonohito)
  • おとこのこ男の子 – boy (otokonoko)
  • おんな – female (onna)
  • おんなのひと女の人 – woman (onnanohito)
  • おんなのこ女の子 – girl (onnanoko)
  • あかちゃん赤ちゃん – baby (akachan)
  • わかもの若者 – youth, young person (wakamono)
  • わたし – I, myself (watashi)
  • わたくし – I, myself (watakushi [most formal])
  • ぼく – I, myself (boku, mainly used by males)
  • おれ – I, myself (ore, mainly used by males [informal])
  • あたし – I, myself (atashi, mainly used by females [softer sounding])
  • しょうじょ少女 – girl (shoujo)
  • しょうねん少年 – boy (shounen)

Occupations

  • いしゃ医者 – doctor (isha)
  • かんごし看護師 – nurse (kangoshi)
  • かんごふ看護婦 – female nurse (kangofu)
  • しかい歯科医はいしゃ歯医者 – dentist (shikai, ha-isha)
  • せいじか政治家 – politician (seijika)
  • べんごし弁護士 – lawyer (bengoshi)
  • しょうぼうし消防士 – firefighter (shouboushi)
  • けいさつかん警察官 – police officer (keisatsukan)
  • へいし兵士 – soldier (heishi)
  • けんちくか建築家 – architect (kenchikuka)
  • せんせい先生 – teacher (sensei)
  • きょうし教師 – (academic) teacher (kyoushi)
  • かしゅ歌手 – singer (kashu)
  • エンジニア – engineer(enjinia)

Body

  • あし – foot, leg (ashi)
  • かかと – heel (kakato)
  • すね – shin (sune)
  • ひざ – knee (hiza)
  • もも – thigh (momo)
  • あたま – head (atama)
  • かお – face (kao)
  • くち – mouth (kuchi)
  • くちびる – lips (kuchibiru)
  • – tooth (ha)
  • はな – nose (hana)
  • – eye (me)
  • ひげ – moustache, beard (hige)
  • かみ – hair (kami)
  • みみ – ear (mimi)
  • おなか御腹 – stomach (onaka)
  • うで – arm (ude)
  • ひじ – elbow (hiji)
  • かた – shoulder (kata)
  • つめ – nail (tsume)
  • – hand (te)
  • てくび手首 – wrist (tekubi)
  • てのひら手の平 – palm of hand (te-no-hira)
  • ゆび – finger, toe (yubi)
  • しり – buttocks (shiri)
  • おなかお腹はら) – abdomen (o-naka)
  • かんぞう肝臓 – liver (kanzō)
  • きも – liver (kimo)
  • きんにく筋肉 – muscle (kin’niku)
  • くび – neck (kubi)
  • こころ – heart [as in feelings] (kokoro)
  • こし – waist, hip (koshi)
  • しんぞう心臓 – heart (shinzō)
  • せなか背中 – back (senaka)
  • – blood (chi)
  • にく – meat (niku)
  • はだ – skin (hada)
  • ひふ皮膚 – skin (hifu)
  • ほね – bone (hone)
  • むね – chest (mune)
  • かぜ風邪 – cold [illness] (kaze)
  • げり下痢 – diarrhea (geri)
  • びょうき病気 – illness (byōki)

Family

  • かぞく家族 – family (kazoku)
  • りょうしん両親 – parents (ryoushin)
  • こども子供 – children, child (kodomo)
  • ちち – father (chichi)(«otou-san»)
  • はは – mother (haha)(«okaa-san»)
  • つま – wife (tsuma)
  • おっと – husband (otto)
  • あに – older brother (ani) (onī-san)
  • あね – older sister (ane) (onē-san)
  • おとうと – younger brother (otōto)
  • いもうと – younger sister (imōto)
  • きょうだい兄弟 – brothers, siblings (kyōdai)
  • しまい姉妹 – sisters (shimai)
  • そふ祖父 – grandfather (sofu) (ojii-san)
  • そぼ祖母 – grandmother (sobo) (obaa-san)
  • まご – grandchild (mago)
  • おじ伯父叔父 – uncle (oji) (oji-san)
  • おば伯母叔母 – aunt (oba) (oba-san)
  • いとこ従兄弟従姉妹従兄従弟従姉従妹 – cousin (itoko)
  • めい – niece (mei)
  • おい – nephew (oi)

Life

  • いきもの生き物 – living creatures (ikimono)
  • ばけもの化け物 – monster (bakemono)

Animals

  • どうぶつ動物 – animal (dōbutsu)
  • チーター – cheetah (chītā)
  • いぬ – dog (inu)
  • ねこ – cat (neko)
  • うし – cow (ushi)
  • ぶた – pig (buta)
  • うま – horse (uma)
  • ひつじ – sheep (hitsuji)
  • さる – monkey (saru)
  • ねずみ – mouse, rat (nezumi)
  • とら – tiger (tora)
  • オオカミ – wolf (ōkami)
  • うさぎ – rabbit (usagi)
  • りゅうたつ – dragon (ryū, tatsu)
  • しか鹿 – deer (shika)
  • かえる – frog (kaeru)
  • がま – toad (gama)
  • しし獅子 – lion (shishi)
  • キリン麒麟 – giraffe (kirin)
  • ぞう – elephant ()
  • とり – bird (tori)
  • にわとり – chicken (niwatori)
  • すずめ – sparrow (suzume)
  • からす – crow, raven (karasu)
  • わし – eagle (washi)
  • たか – hawk, falcon (taka)
  • さかな – fish (sakana)
  • たい – red snapper (tai)
  • えび海老 – shrimp, lobster (ebi)
  • いわし – sardine (iwashi)
  • まぐろ – tuna (maguro)
  • かつお – bonito (katsuo)
  • さんま秋刀魚 – pike (sanma)
  • あじ – horse mackerel (aji)
  • さば – mackerel (saba)
  • イカ烏賊 – squid (ika)
  • タコ章魚 – octopus (tako)
  • むし – insect (mushi)
  • ちょう – butterfly (chō)
  • – moth (ga)
  • せみ – cicada (semi)
  • トンボ蜻蛉 – dragonfly (tonbo)
  • バッタ飛蝗 – grasshopper (batta)
  • クモ蜘蛛 – spider (kumo)
  • ホタル – firefly (hotaru)
  • ハエ – housefly (hae)
  • – mosquito, gnat (ka)
  • ゴキブリ蜚蠊 – cockroach (gokiburi)
  • カタツムリ蝸牛 – snail (katatsumuri)
  • ナメクジ蛞蝓 – slug (namekuji)
  • ミミズ蚯蚓 – earthworm (mimizu)
  • かい – shellfish (kai)
  • かいがら貝殻 – shell (kaigara)
  • トカゲ蜥蜴 – lizard (tokage)
  • へび – snake (hebi)
  • くま – bear(kuma)

Plants

  • しょくぶつ植物 — plants (shokubutsu)
  • くさ — grass (kusa)
  • はな — flower (hana)
  • — fruit (mi)
  • — tree (ki)
  • (はっぱ葉っぱ) — leaf (ha, happa)
  • (ねっこ根っ子) — root (ne, nekko)
  • くき — stem (kuki)
  • きのこ — mushroom (kinoko)
  • きく — chrysanthemum (kiku)
  • さくら — cherry blossom (sakura)
  • まつ — pine tree (matsu)
  • うめ — japanese plum or apricot (ume)

Crops

  • こめ – uncooked rice (kome)
  • いね – rice growing in a field (ine)
  • むぎ – wheat, barley, oats (mugi)
  • やさい野菜 – vegetable (yasai)
  • くだもの果物 – fruit for eating (kudamono)
  • いも – yam, potato, taro (imo)
  • まめ – beans, peas (mame)
  • だいこん大根 – Japanese white radish (daikon)
  • にんじん人参 – carrot (ninjin)
  • リンゴ林檎 – apple (ringo)
  • ミカン蜜柑 – mandarin orange (mikan)
  • バナナかんしょう甘蕉 – banana (banana, kanshō)
  • ナシ – pear (nashi)
  • クリ – chestnut tree (kuri)
  • モモ – peach (momo)
  • トマトばんか蕃茄 – tomato (tomato, banka)
  • スイカ西瓜 – watermelon (suika)

Food

  • たべもの食べ物 — food (tabemono)
  • ちょうしょく朝食 — breakfast (chōshoku, asagohan)
  • ひるごはん昼御飯 — lunch (hirugohan)
  • ばんごはん晩御飯 — dinner (bangohan)
  • ごはん御飯 — cooked rice or meal (gohan)
  • みそ味噌 — miso (miso)
  • りょうり料理 — cooking (ryōri)
  • サラダ — salad (sarada)
  • デザート — dessert (dezāto)
  • パン — bread (pan)
  • サンドイッチ — sandwich (sandoitchi)
  • おやつ間食 — snack (oyatsu, kanshoku)
  • アイスクリーム — ice cream (aisukurīmu)
  • たこやきたこ焼き — octopus dumpling (takoyaki)

Drink

  • のみもの飲み物 — drink/beverage (nomimono)
  • ちゃ — tea (cha)
  • おちゃお茶 — green tea (ocha)
  • コーヒー珈琲 — coffee (kōhī)
  • ぎゅうにゅう牛乳 — milk (gyūnyū)
  • みず — water (mizu)
  • ビール — beer (bīru)
  • ワイン — wine (wain)

Seasoning

  • さとう砂糖 — sugar (satō)
  • しお — salt (shio)
  • しょうゆ醤油 — soy sauce (shōyu)

Time

  • じかん時間 – time (jikan)
  • とき – ~hours (toki, ji)
  • こよみカレンダー – calendar (koyomi, karendā)
  • ふん – minute (fun)
  • びょう – second (byō)
  • にち – day (hi, nichi)
  • つきがつ – month (tsuki, gatsu)
  • (# -gatsu / (January,1st Month): Ichi-,Ni-,San-,Shi-,Go-,Roku-,Shichi-,Hachi-,Ku-,Jyu-,JyuIchi-,JyuNi- (December,12th Month)
  • としねん – year (toshi, nen)
  • (Last year: kyonen, this year: kotoshi, next year: rainen)
  • きのうさくじつ昨日 – yesterday (kinō, sakujitsu)
  • きょう今日 – today (kyō)
  • あしたあすみょうにち明日 – tomorrow (ashita, asu, myōnichi)
  • あさ – morning (asa)
  • (Yesterday morning: kinou no asa, this morning: kesa, tomorrow morning: ashita no asa)
  • ひる – afternoon (hiru)
  • ゆうがた夕方 – evening (yūgata)
  • ばん – evening (ban)
  • よる – evening, night (yoru)
  • ようび曜日 – ~day (yōbi)
  • しゅう – week (shū)
  • (Last week: senshū, this week: konshū, next week: raishū)
  • いっしゅうかん一週間 – one week (isshūkan)

Week Days

  • にちようび日曜日 – Sunday (nichi-yōbi)
  • げつようび月曜日 – Monday (getsu-yōbi)
  • かようび火曜日 – Tuesday (ka-yōbi)
  • すいようび水曜日 – Wednesday (sui-yōbi)
  • もくようび木曜日 – Thursday (moku-yōbi)
  • きんようび金曜日 – Friday (kin-yōbi)
  • どようび土曜日 – Saturday (do-yōbi)

Weather

  • たいよう太陽 – sun (taiyō)
  • つき – moon (tsuki)
  • ほし – star (hoshi)
  • てんき天気 – weather (tenki)
  • はれ晴れ – clear weather (hare)
  • あめ – rain (ame)
  • くもり曇り – cloudy (kumori)
  • ゆき – snow (yuki)
  • かぜ – wind (kaze)
  • かみなり – thunder, lightning (kaminari)
  • たいふう台風 – typhoon (taifū)
  • あらし – storm (arashi)
  • そら – sky (sora)

Directions and positions

  • きた – north (kita)
  • ひがし – east (higashi)
  • みなみ – south (minami)
  • にし西 – west (nishi)
  • ここ – here (koko)
  • そこ – there (soko)
  • あそこ – over there (asoko)
  • みぎ – right (migi)
  • ひだり – left (hidari)
  • うえ – above, up (ue)
  • した – below, down (shita)
  • まえ – front (mae)
  • うしろ – behind (ushiro)
  • むこう向こう – the other side, opposite side (mukō)
  • ななめ斜め – diagonal (naname)
  • てまえ手前 – nearer, more in front (temae)
  • とおい遠い – far (tooi)
  • ちかい近い – near, close (chikai)

Materials

  • みず – water (mizu)
  • – hot water (yu)
  • こおり – ice (kōri)
  • ゆげ湯気 – steam (yuge)
  • – fire (hi)
  • ガス – gas (gasu)
  • くうき空気 – air, atmosphere (kūki)
  • つち – earth, ground (tsuchi)
  • きんぞく金属 – metal, metallic (kinzoku)
  • どろ – mud, mire, clay, plaster (doro)
  • けむり – smoke, tobacco, opium (kemuri)
  • てつ – iron [Fe] (tetsu)
  • どう – copper [Cu] ()
  • きん – gold [Au]; money (kin)
  • ぎん – silver [Ag]; wealth (gin)
  • なまり – lead [Pb] (namari)
  • しお – salt [NaCl] (shio)

Weights and measures

  • メートル – meter (mētoru)
  • リットル – litre (rittoru)
  • グラム – gram (guramu)
  • キロ – kilo- (kiro)
  • ミリ – milli- (miri)
  • センチメートルセンチ – centimeter (senchi)
  • インチ – inch (inchi)

Society

  • しゃかい社会 – society (shakai)
  • けいざい経済 – economy, economics (keizai)
  • かいしゃ会社 – company (kaisha)
  • かいぎ会議 – meeting (kaigi)
  • がっこう学校 – school (gakkō)
  • やくしょ役所 – local government office (yakusho)
  • みせ – store (mise)
  • ホテル – hotel (hoteru)
  • こうじょう工場 – factory (kōjō)
  • かね – money (kane, most commonly o-kane)
  • さつ – bill [of money, e.g., a thousand-yen bill] (satsu)
  • こぜに小銭 – small change (kozeni)
  • つりせん釣り銭おつりお釣り – change (tsurisen), change (o-tsuri)
  • じどうはんばいき自動販売機 – vending machine, slot machine (jidōhanbaiki)
  • きっぷ切符 – ticket (public transport, fine) (kippu)
  • きって切手 – stamp (kitte)

Human made objects

Home

  • つくえ – desk (tsukue)
  • いす椅子 – chair, position (isu)
  • たたみ – a tatami mat (tatami)
  • – door, family (to)
  • とびら – door panel (tobira)
  • ドア – door (doa)
  • まど – window (mado)
  • ふとん布団 – futon (futon)
  • げんかん玄関 – entrance (genkan)
  • いえ – house, home (ie)
  • エレベーター – elevator (erebētā)
  • エスカレーター – escalator (esukarētā)
  • でんき電気 – electricity (denki)

Tools

  • くぎ – nail, spike (kugi)
  • ひも – string, cord (himo)
  • なわ – rope, string (nawa)
  • ふくろ – pocket, bag (fukuro)
  • かばん – leather bag (kaban)
  • かさ – umbrella, parasol (kasa)
  • かぎ – door bolt, key (kagi)
  • ちょうこく彫刻 – sculpture, engraving (chōkoku)

Stationery

  • ぶんぼうぐ文房具 – stationery ​(bunbōgu)
  • インク – ink (inku)
  • ペン – pen (pen)
  • ボールペン – ball-point pen (bōrupen)
  • まんねんひつ万年筆 – fountain pen (mannenhitsu)
  • えんぴつ鉛筆 – pencil (enpitsu)
  • ふで – brush for writing or painting (fude)
  • チョーク – chalk (chōku)
  • けしゴム消しゴム – eraser (keshigomu)
  • えんぴつけずり鉛筆削り – pencil sharpener (enpitsu-kezuri)
  • じょうぎ定規 – ruler (jōgi)
  • ノート – notebook (nōto)
  • にっき日記 – diary (nikki)
  • カバー – book cover (kabā)
  • ふうとう封筒 – envelope (fūtō)
  • はさみ – scissors (hasami)
  • ホッチキス – stapler (hotchikisu)

Clothes

  • ふく – clothes (fuku)
  • ようふく洋服 – western clothing (yōfuku)
  • きもの着物 – kimono (kimono)
  • わふく和服 – Japanese clothing (wafuku)
  • そで – sleeve (sode)
  • えり – lapel, collar (eri)
  • ボタン – button (botan)
  • チャックファスナージッパー – zipper, zipper fastener (chakku, fasunā, jippā)
  • ベルト – belt (beruto)
  • くつ – shoe (kutsu)
  • くつした靴下 – sock (kutsushita)
  • めがね眼鏡 – glasses (megane)

Transport

  • てつどう鉄道 – railway (tetsudō)
  • えき – station (eki)
  • ひこうき飛行機 – airplane (hikōki)
  • くうこう空港ひこうじょう飛行場) – airport (kūkō, hikōjō)
  • みち – street, way, road (michi)
  • どうろ道路 – road (dōro)
  • バスていバス停 – bus-stop (basutei)
  • とおり通り – avenue (tōri)
  • でんしゃ電車 – train (densha)
  • くるま (じどうしゃ自動車) – car (kuruma, jidōsha)
  • じてんしゃ自転車 – bicycle (Jitensha)

Language

  • もじ文字 – letter, character, script (moji)
  • – a letter, character (ji)
  • かんじ漢字 – Chinese character (kanji)
  • ひらがな平仮名 – hiragana syllabary characters (hiragana)
  • カタカナ片仮名 – katakana syllabary characters (katakana)
  • すうじ数字 – numbers (sūji)
  • アルファベット – alphabet (arufabetto)
  • ローマ字 – Roman characters, Latin script (rōmaji)
  • がいこくご外国語 – foreign language (gaikokugo)
  • にほんご日本語こくご国語) – Japanese [language] (nihongo)
  • えいご英語 – English [language] (eigo)
  • ちゅうごくご中国語 – Chinese [language] (chūgokugo)
  • どいつごドイツ語 – German [language] (doitsugo)
  • すぺいんごスペイン語 – Spanish [language] (supeingo)
  • ふらんすごフランス語 – French [language] (furansugo)
  • ちょうせんご朝鮮語かんこくご韓国語 – Korean [language], South Korean [language] (chōsengo, kankokugo)

Media

  • ほん – book (hon)
  • かみ – paper (kami)
  • てがみ手紙 – letter (tegami)
  • しんぶん新聞 – newspaper (shinbun)
  • じしょ辞書 – dictionary (jisho)
  • パソコン – personal computer (pasokon)

Colors

  • いろ – color (iro, shikisai)
  • あか – red (aka)
  • きいろ黄色 – yellow (kiiro)
  • みどり – green (midori)
  • あお – blue (ao)
  • むらさき – purple (murasaki, murasakiiro)
  • しろ – white (shiro)
  • くろ – black (kuro)
  • ピンク – pink (pinku)
  • ちゃいろ茶色 – brown (chairo)
  • はいいろ灰色ねずみいろ鼠色 – grey (haiiro, nezumiiro)
  • オレンジ – orange (orenji)

Others

  • – picture (e)
  • おんがく音楽 – music (ongaku)
  • りか理科 – science (rika)
  • さんすう算数 – arithmetic (sansū)
  • れきし歴史 – history (rekishi)
  • ちり地理 – geography (chiri)
  • たいいく体育 – physical education (taiiku)
  • スポーツ – sport (supōtsu)
  • システム – system (shisutemu)
  • じょうほう情報 – information, news (jōhō)
  • ひつよう必要 – necessity (hitsuyō)
  • べんきょう勉強 – study (benkyō)
  • いらい依頼 – request (irai)

Numbers

  • れいゼロ – zero (rei, zero)
  • いち – one (ichi)
  • – two (ni)
  • さん – three (san)
  • よん – four (yon, shi)
  • – five (go)
  • ろく – six (roku)
  • ななしち – seven (nana, shichi)
  • はち – eight (hachi)
  • きゅう – nine (kyū, ku)
  • じゅう – ten ()
  • ひゃく – hundred (hyaku)
  • せん – thousand (sen)
  • まん – ten thousand (man)
  • おく – one hundred million (oku)
  • ひとつ一つ – one, one thing (hitotsu)
  • ふたつ二つ – two, two things (futatsu)
  • みっつ三つ – three, three things (mittsu)
  • よっつ四つ – four, four things (yottsu)
  • いつつ五つ – five, five things (itsutsu)
  • むっつ六つ – six, six things (muttsu)
  • ななつ七つ – seven, seven things (nanatsu)
  • やっつ八つ – eight, eight things (yattsu)
  • ここのつ九つ – nine, nine things (kokonotsu)
  • とお – ten, ten things ()

Abstract nouns

  • これ – this, it (kore)
  • それ – that (sore)
  • あれ – that over there (are)
  • どれ – which (dore)
  • こちらこっち – this direction, thing, person, or place (kochira, kocchi)
  • そちらそっち – that direction, thing, person, or place (sochira, socchi)
  • あちらあっち – that direction, thing, person, or place over there (achira, acchi)
  • どちらどっち – which direction, thing, person, or place (dochira, docchi)
  • ひみつ秘密 – secret (himitsu)
  • じどう自動 – automatic (jidō)
  • ないよう内容 – content (naiyō)
  • はば – width, breadth, free room, difference (between two substances) (haba)
  • せいしき正式 – formality (seishiki)
  • けっこん結婚 – marriage (kekkon)
  • げんざい現在 – now (genzai)
  • いま – now (ima)
  • かこ過去 – past (kako)
  • みらい未来 – future (mirai)

Adjectives

Forms

  • いいよい良い – good (ii, yoi)
  • すごい凄い – amazing (sugoi)
  • すばらしい素晴らしい – wonderful (subarashii)
  • わるい悪い – bad, inferior (warui)
  • たかい高い – expensive, high (takai)
  • ひくい低い – low (hikui)
  • やすい安い – cheap (yasui)
  • おおきい大きい – big (ōkii)
  • ちいさい小さい – small (chiisai)
  • ほそい細い – thin (hosoi)
  • ふとい太い – thick (futoi)
  • ふるい古い – old (furui)
  • あたらしい新しい – new (atarashii)
  • わかい若い – young (wakai)
  • かるい軽い – light, easy (karui)
  • おもい重い – heavy (omoi)
  • やさしい易しい – easy, simple (yasashii)
  • むずかしい難しい – difficult (muzukashii)
  • やわらかい柔らかい – soft (yawarakai)
  • かたい硬い堅い – hard (katai)
  • あつい熱い暑い – hot (atsui)
  • つめたい冷たい – cold (tsumetai)
  • さむい寒い – cold (samui) as in cold weather
  • おいしい美味しい – delicious (oishii)
  • うまい美味い旨い – delicious, appetizing (umai)
  • まずい不味い – tastes awful (mazui)
  • あまい甘い – sweet (amai)
  • からい辛い – hot [spicy] (karai)
  • しょっぱい塩っぱい – salty (shoppai)
  • にがい苦い – bitter (nigai)
  • うつくしい美しい – beautiful (utsukushii)

Feelings

  • うれしい嬉しい – happy (ureshii)
  • たのしい楽しい – fun (tanoshii)
  • かなしい悲しい – sad (kanashii)
  • さびしい寂しい淋しい – lonely (sabishii)
  • さみしい寂しい淋しい — sad, lonely (samishii)
  • こわい怖い恐い – scary (kowai)
  • いたい痛い – painful (itai)
  • かゆい痒い – itchy (kayui)
  • くさい臭い – stinky (kusai)
  • つらい辛い – painful, heart-breaking (tsurai)

Verbs

  • する – to do (suru)
  • やる – to do (yaru)

Existence

  • いる – to exist [for animate objects] (iru)
  • ある – to exist [for inanimate objects] (aru)
  • なる – to become (naru)
  • おこる起こる興る – to occur (okoru)
  • あらわれる現れる – to appear (arawareru)
  • いきる生きる – to live (ikiru)
  • うむ生む産む – to give birth (umu)
  • しぬ死ぬ – to die (shinu)
  • こわれる壊れる – to breakin (kowareru)
in intransitive sense

Movement

  • いく行く – to go (iku)
  • くる来る – to come (kuru)
  • かえる帰る返る – to return (kaeru)
  • あるく歩く – to walk (aruku)
  • とぶ飛ぶ – to jump, to fly (tobu)
  • およぐ泳ぐ – to swim (oyogu)

Actions

  • うごく動く – to movein (ugoku)
  • おどる踊る – to dance (odoru)
  • ねる寝る – to sleep (neru)
  • うたう歌う – to sing (utau)
  • かむ噛む – to bite (kamu)
  • たべる食べる – to eat (taberu)
  • のむ飲む – to drink (nomu)
  • さわる触る – to touch (sawaru)
  • なげる投げる – to throw (nageru)
  • もつ持つ – to hold (motsu)
  • うつ打つ – to hit, to strike (utsu)
  • なぐる殴る – to hit, to strike (naguru)
  • さす指す – to point (sasu)
  • さす刺す – to stab (sasu)
  • さす差す – to raise or extend one’s hands (sasu)
  • ける蹴る – to kick (keru)
  • すわる座る – to sit (suwaru)
  • たつ立つ – to stand (tatsu)
  • はしる走る – to run (hashiru)

Changes of state

  • あく空く – to become unoccupied (aku)
  • こむ込む – to be crowded (komu)
  • いる要る – to need (iru)
  • かわく乾く – to become dry (kawaku)
  • みだす乱す — to disturb, to disarrange (midasu)
  • みだれる乱れる — to be disturbed, to become confused (midareru)
  • つかえる仕える — to serve, to work for (tsukaeru)
  • そなわる備わる — to be furnished with (sonawaru)
  • すぐれる優れる — to excel, to surpass (sugureru)
  • ひえる冷える — to grow cold, to get chilly, to cool down (hieru)
  • さめる覚める — to wake, to become sober, to be disillusioned (sameru)
  • さめる冷める — to cool down (sameru)
  • むく向く — to face, to turn toward (muku)
  • たおれる倒れる — to fall, to collapse (taoreru)
  • かたまる固まる — to harden, to solidify, to become firm (katamaru)
  • うまる埋まる — to be filled, to be surrounded, to overflow (umaru)
  • うもれる埋もれる — to be buried, to be covered (umoreru)
  • ます増す — to increase, to grow (masu)
  • ふえる増える — to increase, to multiply (fueru)
  • へる減る — to decrease (heru)
  • はずれる外れる — to deviate (hazureru)
  • ふとる太る — to grow fat (futoru)
  • はじまる始まる — to begin (hajimaru)
  • おわる終わる — to finish, to close (owaru)
  • きめる決める — to decide (kimeru)

Senses

  • みる見る – to see (miru)
  • きく聞く聴く – to hear, to listen (kiku)
  • さわる触る – to touch, to feel (sawaru)
  • かぐ嗅ぐ – to smell (kagu)

Speech

  • いう言う – to say (iu)
  • はなす話す – to speak (hanasu)
  • かたる語る – to tell (kataru)
  • かく書く – to write (kaku)
  • よむ読む – to read (yomu)

Work

  • つかう使う – to use (tsukau)
  • つくる作る造る創る – to make (tsukuru)
  • なおす直す治す – to fix, repair (naosu)
  • すてる捨てる – to discard, throw away (suteru)
  • とる取る撮る採る – to take (toru)
  • おく置く – to put (oku)

Emotions

  • かなしむ悲しむ哀しむ – to be sad (kanashimu)
  • なく泣く – to cry (naku)
  • わらう笑う – to laugh (warau)
  • おこる怒る – to be angry (okoru)
  • ほめる褒める – to encourage (homeru)
  • しかる叱る – to scold (shikaru)
  • よろこぶ喜ぶ – to celebrate, to be jubilant, to have joy, to have delight, to have rapture (yorokobu)
  • よろこび喜び – joy, delight, rapture (yorokobi)
  • なぐさめる慰める – to console, to consolate, to provide empathy (nagusameru)
  • あきる飽きる – to be disinterested, to be bored, to be tired of, to be weary (akiru)
  • おどろく驚く – to be astonished, to be surprised, to be scared (odoroku)

Activities

  • あう会う – to meet, to interview (au)
  • あける開ける – to opentr, to unwraptr (akeru)
  • あそぶ遊ぶ – to play (asobu)
  • あつまる集まる – to gatherin (atsumaru)
  • うる売る – to sell (uru)
  • える得る – to obtain [some benefit or knowledge] (eru)
  • おる折る – to breaktr, to foldtr (oru)
  • かう買う – to buy (kau)
  • きる切る – to cut (kiru)
  • きる着る – to wear [on the upper body] (kiru)
  • はく履く – to wear [on the lower body] (haku)
  • かえる変える – to changetr (kaeru)
  • かえる代える – to exchange, to substitute, to replace (kaeru)
  • しめる閉める – to closetr (shimeru)
  • しめる締める – to tie, to fasten (shimeru)
  • しめる占める – to comprise, to account for (shimeru)
  • しる知る – to know (shiru)
  • つかれる疲れる – to get tired (tsukareru)
  • でかける出掛ける – to go out, to depart (dekakeru)
  • はたらく働く – to work [e.g., at a job] (hataraku)
  • はなす放す離す – to let go of (hanasu)
  • やすむ休む – to rest, to take a break, to go to bed (yasumu)
  • わかれる分かれる – to split intoin, to be divided (wakareru)
  • わかれる別れる – to partin, to separatein, to break upin (wakareru)
tr transitive sense
in intransitive sense
conjugates as a u-verb

Adverbs

  • もう – already ()
  • まだ – still, yet (mada)
  • ずっと – always (zutto)
  • とても – very (totemo)
  • こう – like this ()
  • そう – like that ()
  • ああ – in that other way (ā)
  • どう – how ()
  • しばしば – often (shibashiba)

Pre-noun adjectival

  • この – this (kono)
  • その – that (sono)
  • あの – that (ano)
  • どの – which (dono)

Interjections

  • はい – yes (hai)
  • いいえ – no (iie)

Conjunctions

  • でも — but (demo)
  • しかし – but, however (shikashi)
  • そして – and then, Then… (soshite)
  • それに – besides (soreni)
  • なぜなら – that is because, being because (nazenara)

Terminations of verbs

  • よう – volitional ending [う for u-verbs, よう for ru-verbs]: «Let’s…» or «I will» (u, )
  • せるさせる – causative ending [せる for u-verbs, させる for ru-verbs]: to make [someone do something], to allow (seru, saseru)
  • れるられる – passive verb ending [れる for u-verbs, られる for ru-verbs]: to be <verbed> [e.g., 食べられる, «to be eaten»] (reru, rareru)
  • そうだ – indicates that it seems the verb occurs [e.g., «It seems he ate»] (sōda)
  • – informal past-tense (ta)
  • たい – indicates desire to perform verb (tai)
  • だろう – indicates that it seems the verb occurs; also used to ask whether the verb occurs (darō)
  • ない – informal negative (nai, n) [ん is a slurred version and sounds a little masculine]
  • – archaic informal negative [«he hath», «thou didst», etc.] (nu)
  • ます – formal non-past ending (masu)

Particles

Case

  • – subject marker, but (ga)
  • – at, by (de)
  • – and, with (to)
  • – indirect object marker (ni)
  • – possession marker, of (no)
  • – to (e) [Note: へ is normally read he, but when used as this particle its reading changes to e]
  • まで – to (made)
  • から – from (kara)
  • より – than (yori)
  • – direct object marker (o)

Conjunctive

  • および及び – and; as well as (oyobi)
  • – whether (ka)
  • かも – might be, possible that (kamo)
  • そして – and then (soshite)
  • それとも – or (soretomo)
  • だの – things like <list of things>, including, such things as (dano)
  • つつ – ongoing occurrence (tsutsu) [similar to ながら but has different tone, and both actions have equal weight]
  • te form of verb or adjective [see explanation]
  • – when, if, that (to)
  • ながら – while, though, both (nagara)
  • ならびに – as well as (narabini)
  • なり – whether or not (nari)
  • – to <somewhere>, by <someone> (ni)
  • – possession (no)
  • ので – so (node)
  • また – also, again (mata)
  • または又は – or alternatively (matawa)
  • – also, too (mo)
  • – and (ya)

Final

  • – emphasis and question marker, equivalent to «right?» (ne)
  • – question marker (ka)
  • – the copula particle used after quasi-adjectives (na)
  • かしら – I wonder (kashira)
  • – -ness (sa)
  • っけ – particle indicating that the speaker is trying to recall some information [«What class is next -kke?»] (-kke)

Adverbial

  • こそ – emphasis (koso)
  • さえ – even (sae)
  • しか – only (shika)
  • すら – even (sura)
  • くらいぐらい – approximately, about (kurai)
  • だけ – only, as much as (dake)
  • だって – however (datte)
  • ったら – casual topic marker (ttara) [colloquial form of to ittara (if you refer to ~; as for ~)
  • って – said that (tte)
  • でも – also, or (demo)
  • どころ – (particle used to indicate that what precedes it is an extreme example and strongly negates it) (dokoro)
  • など – for example (nado)
  • なら – if [for verbs]; subject marker [for nouns] (nara)
  • なんか – casual undervalue, dislike, lack (nanka)
  • なんて – casual undervalue, dislike, lack (nante)
  • – topic marker (wa) [although ha is the hiragana used, wa is the pronunciation)
  • ばかりばっかり – just, full of, only (bakari)
  • まで – until (made)
  • – too, also (mo)

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