Top 100 Common Japanese Words for Beginners
A mobile-friendly reader for the full markdown study file, with Example 1 visible on each card and Example 2 tucked into expandable details.
This list is designed for early Japanese conversation practice. Each word includes:
- Japanese
- Reading (with Romaji)
- Meaning
- Example sentence with reading (with Romaji), English translation, and Chinese translation
Note: Frequency depends on the corpus, so this is a practical beginner-useful list rather than a perfect scientific ranking.
Open Example 2 and notes
In real Japanese conversation, あなた is generally avoided. Native speakers prefer to drop the subject entirely or use the listener's name + さん (e.g., ヤンさんは 学生ですか). Reserve あなた for situations where you don't yet know the person's name (e.g., on forms, at first meetings) or in writing.
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- なに / nani — the default reading, used before particles like を, が, に (e.g., 何を, 何が)
- なん / nan — used before sounds starting with /d/, /t/, /n/, including です, the counter じ in 何時, and の (e.g., なんですか, なんじ, なんの)
Example 1's "これは なんですか" uses なん because it precedes です. Example 2 below uses なに because it precedes を.
Open Example 2 and notes
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- Dictionary form: ある (ある / aru)
- Polite ます-form: あります (あります / arimasu)
Dictionary form ある is the lookup form. Polite あります is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: いる (いる / iru)
- Polite ます-form: います (います / imasu)
Dictionary form いる is the lookup form. Polite います is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: する (する / suru)
- Polite ます-form: します (します / shimasu)
Dictionary form する is the lookup form. Polite します is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 行く (いく / iku)
- Polite ます-form: 行きます (いきます / ikimasu)
Dictionary form 行く is the lookup form. Polite 行きます is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 来る (くる / kuru)
- Polite ます-form: 来ます (きます / kimasu)
Dictionary form 来る is the lookup form. Polite 来ます is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form. 来る is irregular: the stem changes from く to き.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 見る (みる / miru)
- Polite ます-form: 見ます (みます / mimasu)
Dictionary form 見る is the lookup form. Polite 見ます is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 食べる (たべる / taberu)
- Polite ます-form: 食べます (たべます / tabemasu)
Dictionary form 食べる is the lookup form. Polite 食べます is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 飲む (のむ / nomu)
- Polite ます-form: 飲みます (のみます / nomimasu)
Dictionary form 飲む is the lookup form. Polite 飲みます is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 買う (かう / kau)
- Polite ます-form: 買います (かいます / kaimasu)
Dictionary form 買う is the lookup form. Polite 買います is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 聞く (きく / kiku)
- Polite ます-form: 聞きます (ききます / kikimasu)
Dictionary form 聞く is the lookup form. Polite 聞きます is what you'll hear in conversation. The verb means both "to listen" and "to ask." Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 言う (いう / iu)
- Polite ます-form: 言います (いいます / iimasu)
Dictionary form 言う is the lookup form. Polite 言います is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the te-form (言って) for a polite request.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 分かる (わかる / wakaru)
- Polite ます-form: 分かります (わかります / wakarimasu)
Dictionary form 分かる is the lookup form. Polite 分かります is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: できる (できる / dekiru)
- Polite ます-form: できます (できます / dekimasu)
Dictionary form できる is the lookup form. Polite できます is what you'll hear in conversation. The verb means "to be able to do" or "to be possible." Example 1 uses the polite form.
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- Dictionary form: 読む (よむ / yomu)
- Polite ます-form: 読みます (よみます / yomimasu)
Dictionary form 読む is the lookup form. Polite 読みます is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 書く (かく / kaku)
- Polite ます-form: 書きます (かきます / kakimasu)
Dictionary form 書く is the lookup form. Polite 書きます is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the te-form (書いて) for a polite request.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 話す (はなす / hanasu)
- Polite ます-form: 話します (はなします / hanashimasu)
Dictionary form 話す is the lookup form. Polite 話します is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 帰る (かえる / kaeru)
- Polite ます-form: 帰ります (かえります / kaerimasu)
Dictionary form 帰る is the lookup form. Polite 帰ります is what you'll hear in conversation. Despite ending in ーる, 帰る is a u-verb, so the stem is 帰り, not 帰. Example 1 uses the polite form.
Open Example 2 and notes
- Dictionary form: 待つ (まつ / matsu)
- Polite ます-form: 待ちます (まちます / machimasu)
Dictionary form 待つ is the lookup form. Polite 待ちます is what you'll hear in conversation. Example 1 uses the te-form (待って) for a polite request.
Do not memorize these words alone. Plug them into the sentence patterns you already learned.
Examples:
For conversation, learn common verbs in polite form first:
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これは A です。
This is A.
A は どこですか。
Where is A?
A が すきです。
I like A.
A を ください。
Please give me A.
A に いきます。
I go to A.| Dictionary Form | Polite Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ある (aru) | あります (arimasu) | there is / have, for things |
| いる (iru) | います (imasu) | there is / have, for people/animals |
| する (suru) | します (shimasu) | do |
| 行く (iku) | 行きます / いきます (ikimasu) | go |
| 来る (kuru) | 来ます / きます (kimasu) | come |
| 見る (miru) | 見ます / みます (mimasu) | see/watch |
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べます / たべます (tabemasu) | eat |
| 飲む (nomu) | 飲みます / のみます (nomimasu) | drink |
| 買う (kau) | 買います / かいます (kaimasu) | buy |
| 聞く (kiku) | 聞きます / ききます (kikimasu) | listen/ask |
| 言う (iu) | 言います / いいます (iimasu) | say |
| 分かる (wakaru) | 分かります / わかります (wakarimasu) | understand |
| できる (dekiru) | できます (dekimasu) | can do |