Um, have you ever, like, wanted to say something, but, uhh, you didn’t really know what to say so, like, you end up saying a lot more than you want to say? That’s because you’re using filler words! Filler words like ‘Uh’ or ‘Um’ are second nature to English speakers, but what do they say in Japan? If you’ve ever listened to a Japanese conversation or watched some Japanese shows or anime, you’ve likely come across a couple of these words.
Filler words are important for improving the flow of conversation, and knowing the filler words of another language can help you sound more like a native speaker. That’s why we’ve decided to compile a list of some of the most commonly used Japanese filler words. That being said, be sure not to overuse these words, or you’ll end up sounding like someone who’s bad at speaking or nervous.
While it literally means “that (thing)”, ano (あの) is most commonly used as an ‘uhm’. Much like its English equivalent, it’s used both as a filler word and as something to grab someone’s attention. あの is also used with ね (ne) and さ (sa) as a way of getting someone’s attention. Think of it as saying, “Listen to this!”
Sometimes, adding the two hiragana can give off the impression of being snobbish. Although using Japanese filler words comes down to your habit, avoid saying it to your boss, coworkers or anyone you’re not close with.
あのさ、消しゴム持ってくれる？ Ano sa, keshigomu motte kureru? Hey, can you bring me the eraser?
その作成は、あの、確認してください。 Sono sakusei wa, ano, kakunin shite kudasai. This draft, uhm, please confirm it.
2. あれ (are)
あれ is used mainly to describe something that is far from both the speaker and listener and is usually taught with its counterparts of それ (sore) and これ (kore). As a filler word though, it’s much more simple. It’s used like the English “Huh?”, where you would say it out of surprise.
あれ？ パパはどこ行ったの？ Are? Papa wa doko itta no? Huh? Where did Papa go?
3. えと (eto)
Much like ano, eto just means “Um” or “Uhh”, but unlike ano, you’re unlikely to see eto used anywhere else. In general, you can use these two pretty interchangeably, sometimes they’re used in the same sentence even.
Most people will elongate the first vowel of えと. In written form, it’s えーと. It can also go as えーと —(both vowels pronounced longer).
えーとー、好きなんですけど、えとー、そんなに食べたくない。 Eetoo, suki nan desu kedo, etoo, sonna ni tabetakunai. Uh, I like it but uhm, I don’t really want to eat it.
4. まあ (maa)
Maa is commonly translated to “Well,”. It’s used mostly at the beginning of a sentence and is used to express indifference or to approach a topic in a casual or minor type of way.
まあ、しかたないね。 Maa, shikata nai ne. Well, there’s nothing you can do.
5. なんか (nanka)
Nanka is a shortened version of 何か (nanika), meaning “Something”. In this case, you mainly use nanka when you’re unsure of something. As a filler word, its usage is mostly similar to the word “Like”. You can use it whenever, really, much like “Like”.
なんか言った？ Nanka itta? Did you say something?
6. ね (ne)
Ne, while an ending particle, is also a filler word that means “Isn’t it?”. It’s commonly repeated when used, and carries the meaning “Right?” or “Don’t you agree?”, although much less formal. It’s mainly used among youth, specifically young girls, and used mainly to grab attention.
ねね、聞いた聞いた？二人別れた！ Nee, kiita kiita? Futari wakareta! Hey, did you hear? The two broke up!
7. さあ (saa)
Saa, meaning ‘come’, can change depending on how you pronounce it. If you were to say it with strong intent, it comes across as you saying “Come!”. If you were to just interject it into your sentence wherever people are going to just understand it as yet another filler word like eto or ano. It can also be written as just さ (sa), depending on how long (or short) you want it to be pronounced.
さあ、始めましょう！ Saa, hajimemashou! Let’s get started!
8. はあ (haa)
はあ has the same implication as あれ in the way both of them express surprise or confusion. Sometimes, you’ll also hear it being used by someone who’s exasperated as if they’re saying, “Not this again!”
はあ、めんどくさいな! Haa, mendokusai na! Haa, what a pain!
9. そうか (souka)
Souk is an exclamation that means “I see”. It’s used after someone explains something to you, as an “I get it!”. The less formal version of this is そっか (sokka), while the more formal version is そうですか (sou desu ka).
そうか。 I see.
10. ていうか(te iu ka)
ていうか is a filler word meaning “I mean”. Its main use is as a way to clarify what you meant, or as a way to disagree with someone else. There are more informal ways of pronouncing it, like てか(te ka) or てゆーか (te yuuka), and more formal ways of pronouncing it なんていうか (nante iu ka).
田中先生ってなんていうか、その、面白いよね。 Tanaka sensei tte nan te iu ka, sono, omoshiroi yo ne. You know, Tanaka-sensei is, how do I put it, unique, isn’t he?
When should I use these words?
Try to use them in casual conversation while trying to think of what you are going to say next. Be sure not to overuse them though, especially not in a formal setting.
What is a filler word?
Filler words are words that are said to fill time while you think of what to say. Examples of English filler words would be: “Umm” or “Hmm”.
Can I use these words whenever?
While most of these words are nice to slot in whenever you need a pause, some are better for certain situations than others. Some like はあ (haa) or ね (ne) are much less formal, while words like ていうか (te iu ka) or its more formal version なんていうか (nante iu ka) are more suited for formal settings.
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The question that perplexes all Japanese learners at the beginning: Why is ha (は) read as wa in Japanese, sounding exactly the same as わ? We all thought Japanese phonetics was pretty straightforward, but just when you think you’ve nailed the hiragana and katakana writing systems, you come across this conundrum.
Of course, once you’re used to reading, writing, and speaking Japanese, this problem is less of real concern and more of an annoying tick. It doesn’t matter. It is what it is. No one really knows the answer, right? The same thing goes for へ (he), which is sometimes pronounced as ‘e’, and を (wo), which is always pronounced as ‘o’.
But exploring the cultural significance and history of Japan can help you better understand the language. And if you’re left exasperated by the cookie-cutter answer, we’re here to give you a deep dive into the complex world of the Japanese language and linguistic evolution.
The Short Answer to Why We Pronounce Ha (は) as Wa (わ)
In grammar, は marks the topic of a sentence and is pronounced “wa” instead of “ha.” This is a special rule from classical Japanese that stuck — even though it’s written は, it’s spoken as “wa” when used as a particle.
Let’s take a look at three examples first, containing both the Japanese letters は and わ.
今日はいい天気ですね。 Kyou wa ii tenki desu ne. The weather is good today.
私の名前はコトです。 Watashi no namae wa Coto desu. My name is Coto.
You may have pronounced the は and わ differently, or even interchangeably. You reflectively say kyou wa instead of kyou ha. Ohayou instead of owayou. And that’s great. That means you already know the proper Japanese phonetics.
So did the sounds of these particles change since the spelling was set down? Or were the spellings intentionally chosen for some reason? Are there any other irregular kana spellings omitted?
The short answer is simple, really: if the は is used as a Japanese particle, it is pronounced as ‘wa’. The particle は is the topic particle that identifies the topic of your sentence.
If it’s used to build a Japanese word, as adjectives, adverbs, nouns, or even names, it goes back to its original pronunciation: ha.
This is why the word おはようございます, which contains は, retains the typical ‘ha’ pronunciation. In the second and third sentences, は is the particle to help make the subject stand out: My name is Coto. Today is good weather.
The same thing for the character へ. Used in words, it is pronounced: “he”. When it’s a particle, it is pronounced: “e.”
The Evolution of Japanese Language Phonetics: Wa and Ha
The particle は is still pronounced “wa” because it’s a historical spelling rule that dates back to classical Japanese. Over time, the pronunciation of Japanese sounds evolved, but a few traditional particles kept their old spellings. While most words were updated to match modern pronunciation, particles like は (wa), へ (e), and を (o) kept their original written forms for grammatical consistency — a linguistic “fossil” from Japan’s past.
If you’re still unsatisfied with that answer, we get it. Why is the は particle specifically an exception? How did the sound and rule evolve into what they are in the present day? That short explanation might have just opened more doors to even more questions.
The truth is, discrepancies between spelling and pronunciation are common, no matter the language. You’ll probably notice it in English more than in Japanese. Take the word tongue or island, for example. The Japanese language is no different, although the fact that the current Japanese spelling is almost completely phonemic makes anomalies like this stand out more.
Only a handful of traditional spelling quirks remained, and using は for the particle that is pronounced wa is one of them.
In fact, this is what you need to know this: just like society in general, language is ever-changing, and the sounds made by characters will shift over time.
In the early history of Japanese (before 800 BC), the modern は row of consonants, comprised of は, ひ, ふ, へ, ほ were pronounced with ‘P’ as pa, pi, pu, pe, po.
Enter the Nara Period (710 to 794). The ‘P’ sound underwent another change, shifting to a softer F sound: fa, fi, fu, fe, fo. This pronunciation stayed until the 16th century, judging from the transcripts made by the Portuguese of Japanese words that use the letter F where we would use H today.
For example, take the Japanese word for “mom”: 母. Today, it’s spelled as はは and pronounced as haha. In the old Japanese, the word is pronounced as fafa.
After the Nara Period came the Heian Period (794 to 1185), where we see another shift: the F sound changed to W, but with a catch: the sound altered only when there was another vowel and when it was not at the beginning of the word.
The pronounciation changed from:
は ひ ふ へ ほ ha hi hu he ho
to:
は ひ ふ へ ほ ha hi hu he ho
This led to a verb such as 買う (買フor kafu in old Japanese) to be read as Kau (stemmed from kawu). The negative form of this verb underwent the same changes: instead of kapanai, it became kawanai.
母 turns into fawa. The word for river, once pronounced as kafa, became the modern-day kawa.
This marked the beginning of the transition where は is pronounced as わ. The particle は, which regularly appears after a vowel, was soon normalized as wa.
Eventually, in the Edo Period (1603 to 1867), people from various regions of Japan start to gather in Edo (the old Tokyo), This resulted in various dialects mixing and diluting. Eventually, the ‘F’ sound changed again to the H sound.
Now, the 母 finally settled to its modern pronunciation that we know today: haha, spelled as はは. However, at that time, despite the new pronunciation, the words still used the old kana that represented the old pronunciation.
This was the main linguistic problem. Up to World War 2, although the changes from the initial P sound to W sound were then widely accepted, the people still used historical usage.
This meant 買う was still written 買フ (kafu) and 買わない was written as 買ハナイ (kahanai). Of course, the lack of standardized writing meant there was still a lot of confusing spelling.
The Japanese Language Reform Changes Writing and Spelling
After World War 2, the Japanese government did a massive language reform to its writing and spelling rules to make things more even across the country. Remember the part where we said a lot of people from regional Japan were gathering in one capital? That was a huge wake-up call.
So they decided to clean up the spelling and pronunciation of syllables. The official spelling of words needed to match the new pronunciation rules so that people wouldn’t think the word was supposed to be pronounced a different way. All ‘ha/は’ letters read as “wa” sounds were replaced with wa/わ. 川(かは) now was written as 川 (かわ). The kana へ, which was once pronounced e (now it’s he).
So Why Does The Particle Wa (は) Stick With The Old Spelling?
The problem with change is that it’s usually easier said than done. Imagine this: close to a hundred million people in a country are following one unsaid linguistic rule. You can change the texts, rules and writing across all books and paper, which in itself is already a mammoth task, but you can’t change a society’s collective habit instantly.
Now Japan has all these written texts where the wa ワ is written with the old Japanese rule: wa は kana. At the same time, the other は kana was now pronounced ha (ハ).
And how do you make the entire nation write the wa は particle as wa わ?
Simply put, it was too much trouble for Japan to try and make this change work — revamping the entire text, scripts and liteature for two particles was not worth it. The particles were excepted because many felt that changing these exceedingly common spellings would confuse people.
There you have it: up until today, we are saying the は particle according to the modern-day Japanese pronunciation, but the reason why it’s still spelled as ‘ha’ は and not わ is because we are still sticking to its traditional spelling.
Modern pronunciation. Traditional spelling. Remember that.
Let’s Get Straight to The Point: Why Ha (は) Is Read as ‘Wa’
To sum up, は is pronounced as わ because the transcript reflects pronunciation that did not change during the language reform. The sound わ used to be written は in old kana usage in some cases. Old kana usage was much more irregular than it is nowadays.
At that time, it was decided that for the particles alone, the same letters that had been used should continue to be used even though they are different from the actual pronunciation.
Other Japanese Particles: Why を Is Read as “O” and へ as “E”
It’s the same thing with the readings for the particles へ and を too. The modern sound え used to be written as へ in some cases and お as を. Of course, pronunciation varies and sometimes you can hear a clear difference between お and を for instance. Still, in all words, besides the particles, the old pronunciation differences have disappeared as time has passed.
There is an exception to the “wa” rule besides the Japanese particle, though. When は is used as the last letter of the greeting phrase, it follows the sound of a ‘wa’ particle.
こんにちは Actual spelling: Konnichiha. Pronounciation: Konnichiwa
こんばんは Actual spelling: Konbanha Pronounciation: Konbanwa.
Original Kana
Pronunciation (Before Reform)
Modern Pronunciation
Modern Spelling
Example Word
Meaning
は (ha)
“wa” (in certain words)
wa
わ
かわ (川)
river
へ (he)
“e” (as a particle)
e (when a particle)
へ (unchanged)
学校へ行く
go to school
を (wo)
“o”
o
を (unchanged)
パンを食べる
eat bread
To Sum It Up
There you have it: the core reason behind this ‘problem’ is simply because Japan never bothered to fully fix the two particles they spelled “wrong”. Instead, they went the easy route and deemed it as the official, right way to do it. Problem solved.
The good news is that you’ll only have to deal with these in hiragana. Katakana is almost exclusively for foreign words, so you’re not really going to see particles written in katakana.
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Why is the hiragana “は” pronounced “wa” in some sentences?
In Japanese, when “は” is used as a particle to mark the topic of a sentence, it is pronounced “wa.” This is a special grammatical rule, not a mistake or typo.
Why does Japanese use “は” instead of just writing “わ” for the particle?
It’s a result of historical spelling. Hundreds of years ago, Japanese pronunciation shifted over time, but the spelling for certain grammatical particles remained the same. The particle は was kept to preserve consistency in written grammar.
Why is "ha" used instead of "wa" in "Konnichiwa"?
In “こんにちは” (konnichiwa), the final character “は” is actually the topic particle, even though it looks like part of the word. The phrase is a shortened form of a longer greeting that originally ended in the particle は — so it’s pronounced “wa.”
Why do Japanese add “wa” at the end of sentences?
In casual or feminine speech, “wa” (わ, different from the particle は) can be added at the end of a sentence for emphasis or tone. It adds softness, emotion, or emphasis, often in a light or expressive way. Example: かわいいわ (kawaii wa) = “So cute!”
Loan words in Japanese, or gairaigo (外来語), are words borrowed from foreign countries other than China — but not all of them come from English.
Ever wondered why “bread” is パン (pan) but not “bureddo” and “part-time jobs” are called アルバイト (arubaito) and not “paatotaimujobu”? That’s because these words actually originate from other European languages. In fact, Portuguese was the first European language introduced to the Japanese, as they were the first Europeans who traded with Japan way back in the 16th century. While the Meiji Restoration and worldwide popularity of English have made it a large source of Japanese loanwords, many common loanwords from non-English Speaking countries are still being used today.
Here is a list of some of the more frequently used Japanese loanwords from German, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and Russian. Next time, you’ll sound like a linguistic expert when your friends ask you to teach them some useful 外来語.
Of course, we’re not diving you head first into the multifaceted world of loanwords. We’ll give you a brief rundown of gairaigo and its significance in Japanese culture.
History of Loanwords in The Japanese Language
We all like to think that gairaigo(外来語) in the Japanese language mostly comes from English, but that’s not true. In fact, in the past, more loan words in Japanese came from other languages besides English — and English wasn’t the first language that Japan borrowed its words from.
Japan first started borrowing words from other languages in the fourth century when they began adopting Chinese characters. This period is important because it marked the new Japanese writing style of kanji. So many Chinese words were mixed into Japanese that they weren’t even considered “loan words” anymore. Now, most Chinese loan words are written in kanji and use the Chinese reading called onyoumi.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Japan began adopting more loanwords from non-English countries. The Japanese interacted with Portugal and Netherlands, resulting in several loanwords from Portuguese and Dutch. For example, the word rasha is an old loanword that comes from Portuguese, meaning a thick wool cloth.
The Japanese language continued to borrow from many languages. During the Meiji Period, Japan learned a lot of vocabulary words from the Germans: arubaito (アルバイト) came from the word arbeit (“work”) and enerugii (エネルギー, energy) from German energie.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that English became the number one source for loanwords. Today, most (but not all) garaigo we know off are stemmed from the English.
Besides that, Japan also borrows words from modern Chinese and Korean languages, especially for newer foods. Examples of them are “kimuchi” (キムチ), a fermented vegetable from Korea,and “bibinba” (ビビンバ), taken from Korea’s rice dish “bibimbap“
Types of Japanese Loanwords
Now, instead of grouping the Japanese language based on its writing system (hiragana, katakana and kanji), we can categorize them based on their origin: wago (和語), kango (漢語), and gairaigo (外来語).
Wago is a native Japanese word, while kango are traditional Chinese loanword and garaigo are loanwords taken from other countries other than China.
Kango dominates the Japanese language, taking up 60% of the vocabulary. Keep in mind that modern and traditional Chinese are different. Kango tends to sound more academic. On the other hand, more newly adopted Chinese words can still be written in katakana, like “uuron” (ウーロン), or oolong tea, which is sourced from 烏龍.
However, for loanwords that come from other languages, you can easily identify them if they’re written in katakana. Unlike hiragana, which is used for Japanese words that aren’t covered by kanji and Japanese particles, the katakana syllabary serves multiple purposes. They are used for emphasis, onomatopoeia and, most widely, loan words — which we all know alternatively as gairaigo.
So how do you transform a foreign language into a gairaigo in Japanese?
How a word appears as katakana depends on how the word is heard by native speakers. Japanese has fewer different sounds than English, and it does not have many ending consonants. Words tend to gain extra vowels — or reduced to the closest sound the language has.
So how do you transform a foreign language into a gairaigo in Japanese? The English language has 20 distinct vowel phonemes, making it one of the most complex vowel systems of any language in the world. In comparison, the Japanese language has only 5 vowels: a, i, u, e, o. They are terse vowels, pronounced clearly and sharply.
As such, vowels and consonants from foreign words are usually changed into the nearest equivalent Japanese alphabet. For example, the word “hug” has the vowel that’s closest to “a”, so Japanese people will say it as “ハッグ”.
With Japan now becoming more and more of a petri dish for multiple cultures, it’s constantly growing more loanwords — particularly those from English. In fact, this viral parody gives you a good idea of just how many loanwords Japan has soaked.
Funnily enough, a lot of gairaigo has its Japanese equivalent or synonyms in Japanese. For example, the word ミルク, which is milk, is a loanword taken from English, but there’s already a Japanese word for it: 牛乳 (gyuunyuu).
For English speakers, this might be a walk in the park — one less vocabulary to remember, right? But what’s the Japanese language’s infatuation with absorbing English loanwords to the point a sentence can just be a jumble of katakana?
マイベストフレンド、ジョッギングしましょうか？ Mai besuto furendo, joggingu shimashouka? My best friend, should we go jogging?
There are a few reasons attributed to this: Japan needs to compensate for its lack of vocabulary in certain fields, and modernization opens up more and more new discoveries that the Japanese language didn’t even know existed before. For example, many natively German loanwords are used in the field of medicine. Foreign cuisine needs to be adopted directly from the original country’s language.
However, the biggest influence today is mainstream media. Today, the English language is considered trendy and prestigious. There’s a social benefit to using English loanwords, no matter the actual effect saying it might be. Cultural and social trends particularly influence younger people to use “English” to look more modern and up to date.
Gairaigo words aren’t just used individually. You’ll find a lot of loanwords attached to a Japanese word. The longer you live in Japan, the more you’ll pick up a general preference. For example, instead of saying 入居者募集 (nyuukyosha boshuu), which means “looking for a tenant”, you’ll see テナント募集 (tenanto boshuu).
You’ll find other combinations of Japanese words and loan words.
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When learning Japanese, one of the best ways to improve is to immerse yourself in the language. You can do this by watching Japanese shows, speaking Japanese at home and reading Japanese text. Unfortunately, these texts can be hard for beginners. The use of more advanced kanji and lack of furigana can prove difficult for anyone N4 level or below.
The latest news in Japan are also broadcasted by outlets like Mainichi Shinbun, Asahi and NHK. While English-based news media like Japan Times exist, they’re still not as available to foreigners as you’d expect (you’ll need an active subscription to get unlimited access to their news). It’s hard for foreigners in Japan to stay up to date with the latest — or urgent — information.
Thankfully, there exists a form of Japanese suited for people around this level. It’s called yasashii nihongo (やさしい日本語).
Whether it’s for news, lifestyle or blogging, we’ve compiled 5 easy Japanese websites for beginners to read.
What is Yasashii Nihongo (やさしい日本語)?
Yasashii (優しい)in Japanese translates to gentle, or kind. Nihongo means Japanese. Together, they literally mean ‘gentle Japanese’. This is a style of Japanese that was introduced for foreigners to understand in events of emergencies.
How does yasashii nihongo works? Try taking a peek at a typical Japanese newspaper. The kanji characters are so complicated that even some Japanese people have a hard time reading them.
Yasashii nihongo takes into account the vocabulary choices and grammar structure. It avoids complicated kanji and describes everything in an easy-to-understand phrasing.
Most of all, yasashii nihongo drops a lot of formality in Japanese keigo, which, admittedly, is too complicated. In other words, this type of writing is more direct in its translation.
Who Are These Easy Japanese Websites For?
The point is that yasashii nihongo is helpful for foreigners living in Japan to stay in the know. For example, if a disaster is about to strike, English media may not have enough time to cover them. NHK, on the other hand, has its yasashii nihongo program that upper-beginner Japanese students can follow.
If we need to profile the readers, it would be upper-beginner foreigners in Japan who haven’t fully reached the advanced (and intermediate) level yet.
Now, keep in mind that yasashii nihongo is not meant to replace the Japanese language. You shouldn’t settle on easy Japanese, either.
It is also used on some websites to have easy-to-read Japanese content like news articles or blogs for Japanese learners. Finding them can be difficult though, so we’ve compiled some for you!
Wa Tanoshii is a web magazine with a bunch of articles for Japanese beginners. The name is very interesting. The 和 (Wa) is the character for “Japan”, and comes from the Chinese character 倭, which is also pronounced as “wa”. In ancient China it was used to mean Japan. タのＣ (Ta No C) is a made-up word meant to sound like 楽しい (Tanoshii), meaning “fun”. Together, the name means “Japanese is fun”. The name also reflects Japanese history, as the letters used are in order of kanji to katakana, hiragana, then the alphabet. It is meant to represent the evolution of the Japanese language.
Their articles are all based around living in Japan, written by locals and foreign students. They mark each article based on the level of vocabulary used: N4 or N5. Because they use yasashii nihongo, you shouldn’t have too much trouble trying to read the articles. If you do come across a vocab you don’t understand, they will usually have the meaning and pronunciation of it. Just click or tap the word on your computer or phone! Some of the articles are even narrated, so you can hear what natural pronunciation sounds like.
The NHK is one of the major news broadcasters in Japan. In 2012, they launched News Web Easy. It provides daily news to the foreign population of Japan. They take articles from the NHK website and convert them to easy Japanese. They provide furigana above the kanji used in the articles. The vocabulary used is meant for those at N3 to N5 level.
In the articles themselves, as mentioned earlier you have furigana above the kanji, but there is also the option to turn it off. Don’t neglect this function, it can be useful for your practice! Additionally, they provide text-to-speech on every article, so you can hear the pronunciation. They also link the original articles, if you want to try reading those.
MATCHA is a web magazine focusing on travel: what to do and where to visit Japan. Their articles come in 10 languages. Most notably, they have two Japanese language setting: standard Japanese and やさしい日本語. They provide lots of furigana for all the kanji. They also have English definitions next to or above some of the more uncommon phrases.
On their easy Japanese website setting, they have some articles specifically for Japanese learners, with hand-drawn illustrations to boot. Unfortunately, they don’t have a text-to-speech feature.
Easy Japanese is a news website that takes news from other sites like CNN, NHK or Asahi, and makes them easier to read. If you ever want to read a Japanese article from a major news publisher in Japan, it’s probably here. They let you sort the news articles by topic, source, difficulty and level. They even let you search up specific Japanese so you can see it used! All the articles have Furigana, and all the Kanji are labeled by their JLPT level. They have text-to-speech on every article too, as well as the option to turn Furigana off. They also let users add translations to the articles, so if you come across a phrase you don’t understand, someone has likely already helped you out!
This site is not as good for Japanese beginners as some of the other sites as there are some N1 and N2 kanji. Don’t let that scare you off though! It’s still a great resource and way to practice.
Nippon Talk is very helpful for Japanese beginners. They are one of the few Japanese reading websites that provide both Furigana and an English translation. In every article, you will have the original Japanese text, Furigana over the Kanji, and an English translation. You have the option to hide the Furigana, and also an option to make it bigger. The articles are written by a native speaker, so you can read natural Japanese. Nippon Talk should prove very useful for beginners, with interesting articles on a variety of topics.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed the list! As with most things, it’s important to practice your Japanese every day. You can do that with the news websites we mentioned. They will post a new article that you can try reading. If you find the news boring, then check out the other websites for something you like! It’s important to enjoy your learning after all.
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From the new season of Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) to classics like Sailor Moon and Pokemon, every fandom has its own insider Japanese anime vocabulary and phrases. Naruto’s catchphrase, だってばよ, for example. Recently, one that sticks with us most is Commander Erwin’s powerful, iconic line: “Shinzou o sasageyo (心臓を捧げよ)!” which means, “Dedicate your hearts.”
But regardless of your favorite show, all fans have built enough common anime vocabulary to know them by heart. By all means, 100 isn’t enough to fully cover all Japanese words often used in manga and anime, but we’ll keep building this list.
Let’s face it: Japanese is one of the hardest languages to learn. It has three different characters: hiragana, katakana and kanji. Your relationship and social status affect the way you speak. And there are, at minimum, 10 ways to say “I” in Japanese. Even students who’ve studied Japanese for years still like their skill is nowhere as good as a native.
Before you throw your hands up in frustration trying to understand the difference between tadoushi and jidoushi, a less-painful, intensive way to learn Japanese is through immersion.
That’s right: It is possible to learn Japanese with anime. When you watch anime, you’re automatically soaking in new grammar structures and new Japanese vocabulary — without overloading your brain (or frying some of your brain cells). Once you hear the same common anime words repeated multiple times, we like to say that your mind is ‘activating’ that vocabulary, putting it in your mental library for future use.
Tips to Learn Japanese with Anime
1. Start easy with the genre of your anime
We’re not saying you shouldn’t catch up with the latest episode of your favorite anime, but if you decide to use anime as part of your learning method, ditch out outlandish themes like isekai, science fiction or over-the-top fantasy genre. How often will you use the word kyojin (巨人, meaning ‘titan’) in real life?
Instead, choose more generic anime themes, like slice-of-life, romance or comedy. They contain casual language, without Japanese words only found in niche tropes. Films like Haikyuu!, which is set in high school, strikes a good balance between easy Japanese dialogues and a fun plot. Anything from Ghibli Studio, like My Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo, is a great start too. We also recommend picking animes aimed at children, since the Japanese are more simple and suitable for beginners.
2. Work your way around Japanese-English subtitles
When you can read hiragana and katakana, and know at least a couple hundred kanji (around JLPT N3-level), try switching English subtitles with Japanese. It’s a great way to condition your listening comprehension skill.
The trick is not to sink in every small detail. Chances are, you’ll encounter words, grammar or slang you’ve never heard before. As long as you get the general gist of the conversation, you’ll get accustomed to the Japanese language, as spoken by natives. Once you feel comfortable, that’s when you know you’re making progress. Before moving on to the next episode, make sure you learn all the important anime words and phrases there.
3. Flashcards for Japanese vocabulary are your best friend
Remember the missing vocabulary you don’t know? It’s time to put the pieces back into the puzzle. As you watch, type (or write, if you’re old-fashioned) new words you come across. Put them in a spreadsheet or make it into a list, with all the meanings.
After that, import them to flashcard apps like Anki. We memorize things faster when the word is put in full sentences, repeated and, well, useful. The spaced repetition Anki has allows you to test your knowledge.
1. Aho (あほ or アホ): A phrase in the Kansai dialect of Japanese, meaning “idiot”. It is used to tease friends often but if you call someone バカ (baka) in Osaka, it’s considered offensive.
笑うな、アホ。 Warau na, aho. Don’t laugh, stupid.
2.Aikawarazu (相変わらず): As usual, as ever, the same.
彼は相変わらず強い。 Kare wa aikawarazu daijoubu da. He’s as strong as ever.
3.Aite (相手): Companion, partner. Most of the time, in anime, they’re used for opponents, like your enemy or sport rival.
相手は４人だ。叩きのめされるぞ。 Aite wa yonin da. Tataki no mesareruzo. It’s four against you. You’ll be beaten up.
4.Ai (愛): Love. It’s more intimate than suki (好き) and daisuki (大好き), each meaning “like” and “really like”. It describes a “love” that’s very strong and can apply to both romantic and non-romantic love.
彼の愛は冷めていった。 Kare no ai wa sameteitta. His love grew cold.
5. Aitsu (あいつ): He, she, that guy. These words are very informal and can sound gruff or rude when used.
あいつは一家のつらよごし。 Aitsu wa ikka no tsura yogoshi. He is the black sheep of the family.
6. Are (あれ): Technically means “that” when you refer to something that is far from both you and the listener. Alone, it can mean “Huh?”
7. Akirameru (あきらめる): Give up.
諦めるな！ Akirameru na! Don’t give up!
8. Ayamaru (誤る): To apologize
私が誤る理由はない。 Watashi ga ayamaru riyuu wa nai. I have no reason to apologize.
9. Ayashii (怪しい): Suspicious, dubious, shady. The Japanese word can also mean charming or bewitching.
その怪しい女性は、魔女と考えられた。 Sono ayashii josei wa, majo to kangaerareta. The strange-looking woman was thought to be a witch.
10. Akuma (悪魔): Demon or devil.
悪魔の話をすると悪魔がきっと現れる。 Akuma no hanashi o suru to akuma ga kitto arawareru. Talk of the devil and he is sure to appear.
11. Baka (ばか or バカ): Idiot, moron, fool. Outside the Kansai region, バカ can sound lighthearted, while あほ will sound more insulting.
バカうまい！ Baka umai! (This is) ridiculously good!
12. Bakemono (化け物): Monster, goblin or ghost.
あの人は化け物のような力持ちだ。 Ano hito wa bakemono no you na chikaramochi da. That man is strong like a monster.
13. Betsu ni (別に): Commonly used in negative phrase in anime, which means “It doesn’t matter” or “Not particularly.”
腰は痛む? Koshi wa itamu? Does your back hurt?
いや、別に。 Iya, betsu ni. No, not really.
14. Bijin (美人): Beautiful woman.
彼の姉さんはすごい美人だ！ Kare no nee-san wa sugoi bijin da! His sister is a real beauty.
15. Bikkuri (びっくり): To be surprised, to be amazed
本当にびっくりしたよ！ Hontou ni bikkuri shita yo! I was really surprised!
16. Bishounen (美少年): A Japanese term meaning “beautiful boy.”
17. Chibi (チビ): A Japanese slang word to describe something or someone short.
あのチビちゃん、うるさい。 Ano chibi-chan, urusai. That shrimp is noisy.
18. Chotto (ちょっと): A little bit, slightly, just a minute or somewhat.
ちょっと待ってください！ Chotto matte kudasai! Please wait a moment!
19. Chigau (違う): To differ. It can also mean, “Wasn’t it?”
あの写しは原本と違う。 Ano utsushi ha genbon to chigau. That copy differs from the original.
20. Daijoubu (大丈夫): Safe, secure. It can also mean “No, thanks,” or “I’m good.”
大丈夫、時期になれますよ。 Daijoubu, jiki ni naremasu yo. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it soon.
21. Dame (ダメ): No good or hopeless. It can also indicate something that is not allowed.
今日、残業はダメなの？ Kyou, zangyou wa dame na no? Can you work overtime today?
22. Dekkai (でっかい or でかい): Huge, big, gargantuan.
あいつでかいことばかり言ってる。 Aitsu dekai koto bakari itteiru. He’s always talking like a big shot.
23. Doki doki (どきどき, also stylized as ドキドキ): An onomatopoeia to describe the thump-thump sound of the heart when you’re nervous (pitter-patter).
彼女に会うたびに胸がどきどきする。 Kanojo ni au tabi ni mune ga doki doki suru. My heart beats fast every time I see her.
24. Damaru (黙る): To be silent, so shut up.
おい、黙れ！ Oi, damare! Hey, shut up!
25. Damasu (騙す): To lie, to cheat or deceive.
彼女は彼の笑顔に完全に騙された。 Kanojo wa kare no egao ni kanzen ni damasareta. She was completely taken in by his smile.
26. Dare (誰): A question word in Japanese, meaning “Who?”
Japanese Anime Words: F – J
27. Fuzakeru (ふざける): To joke, to jest, to make fun of. In anime or manga, you’ll hear, “ふざけん,” which is a very rude way of saying, “Don’t mess with me.”
28. Ganbaru (頑張る): To persevere, to persist or to refuse to budge.
焦らずに頑張ってね。 Aserazuni ganbatte ne. Stay calm, and do your best.
29. 走る: Run. A lot of adventure-themed anime will often use 逃げる (nigeru), which means run away.
危ないから走るな！ Abunai kara hashiru na! It’s dangerous, so don’t run!
30. Heiki (平気): Coolness, calmness, unconcerned. The word is usually used to describe feeling alright or fine.
人が何を言おうと平気だ。 Hito ga nani o iou to heiki da. I don’t care what people say.
31. Hentai (変態): Although it’s known for being a genre of sexualized Japanese manga and anime, it’s also used to describe or label someone a “pervert”
32. Hen (変): Unusual, strange.
変あのー。 Hen na no. That’s weird.
33. Hisashiburi (久しぶり): A common Japanese expression to start a conversation, especially with someone you haven’t seen in a long time. The phrase translates to “A long time (since last time)” but think of it as “I haven’t seen you in a long time!”
34. Hidoi (酷い): A Japanese adjective, meaning “cruel”.
38. Isekai (異世界): A Japanese genre of portal fantasy, where the main character is transported to an alternate universe. The word literally translates to “parallel universe”.
39. Ikemen (イケメン). Another Japanese slang to describe a good-looking guy. Unlike 美少年 (bishounen), which is more appropriate for someone younger, イケメン is more mature, fashionable and masculine.
40. Inochi (命): Fate, destiny or life.
彼はかろうじて命をとりとめた。 Kare wa karoujite inochi o toritometa. He narrowly escaped death.
41. Itai (痛い): Hurt, but can also mean embarrassing or cringy.
日焼けして痛いよ。 Hiyake shite itai yo. My sunburn (really) hurts.
42. Jigoku (地獄): Hell
地獄を見る。 Jigoku o miru. To live through hell (literal translation: to see hell).
43. Jibun de (自分で): By myself. Different verbs could follow this, which then becomes, “doing (something) by myself.”
自分でやろうか。 Jibun de yarou ka. Should I do it by myself?
44. Joudan (冗談): A joke
45. Jama (邪魔): Hindrance, obstacle or nuisance. It’s used to politely visit someone, like saying “I’m sorry for the intrusion.”
お邪魔します。 Ojama shimasu. Pardon my intrusion.
Japanese Anime Words: K – O
46. Kachi (勝ち): Victory
47. Kami (神): God
48. Kareshi (彼氏): Boyfriend, but it is also a Japanese pronoun for “he/him”.
49. Kanojo (彼女): Girlfriend, but can also mean “she/her”. The plural pronoun for “she” in Japanese can also be kanojora (彼女ら・かのじょら)
50. Kakkoi (かっこい, also stylized with katakana カッコイ): Cool.
51. Kawaii (かわいい): Cute
52. Kimoi (キモい): A Japanese urban slang to describe the feeling of gross or disgusting. Particularly, it’s used to express the ick feeling you get from someone, like a creepy stranger. It’s an abbreviation for 気持ち悪い (kimochi warui), which is a more proper way of saying “bad feeling”.
53. Kisama (貴様): Another Japanese pronoun meaning “you”. It used to be a term of respect, but it’s extremely rude today as the word carries a sense of contempt. You’ll only hear it in Japanese anime and manga, especially on shounen genre.
54. Kokoro (心): Heart.
55. Korosu (殺す): Kill.
56. Kowai (怖い): Scary.
57. Kuso (くそ): The word literally means “shit”, but Japanese people use as a cuss word.
くそっ、また残業だ！ Kuso, mata zangyou da! Dammit, I’ve got to work overtime again!
58. Mahou (魔法): Magic
59. Maji (まじ): Seriously, straight. It’s can be used alone like hontou (本当・ほんとう) to express, “Seriously?”
60. Masaka (まさか): By no means, never, you don’t say. まさか is an interjection used to express disbelief when something you didn’t expect happen. In English, you can translate it as, “No way” or “Unbelievable”.
61. Meccha (めっちゃ): Has the same meaning as totemo (とても), which translates to “very”. It’s a slang, shortened from めっちゃくちゃ.
めっちゃかわいい！ Meccha kawaii! So cute!
62. Mendoukusai (面倒くさい): Has the same meaning as 面倒, but it’s a more informal way to say “a pain” or to describe something that’s bothersome.
63. Minna (みんな): Everyone.
64. Muri (無理): Impossible.
65. Nigeru (逃げる): Run away.
66. Ningen (人間): Human being.
67. Nani (何): Japanese question word for “What?”
68. Ohayou (おはよう): A common Japanese greeting for “good morning.”
69. Omae (お前): An alternative Japanese pronoun that means “You”. It’s mostly used by Japanese men among their close friends, but it can still come across as disrespectful and aggressive.
70. Oni (鬼): Demon
鬼は外、福は内！ Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi! Demons out, fortunes in!
Japanese Anime Words: P – T
71. Sasuga (さすが): There’s no exact translation, but さすが has the closest meaning to “as expected.” The nuance depends on the context; you can use it to compliment or criticize something.
さすがに美味しいよ！ Sasuga ni oishii yo! It’s delicious as expected!
72. Senpai (先輩): Someone who is older or more senior than you. In animes, you’ll see it used in high schools. Japanese people address someone as 先輩 in companies or organizations, too. Age doesn’t have to be the determinant. Someone who entered the workplace earlier than the others, for example, are considered senpai regardless of their age.
73. Oshare (おしゃれ): Stylish.
74. Ossan (おっさん): An informal and rude way of referring to a middle-aged man. It’s a shortened form of ojisan (おじさん).
75. Saikou (最高): The best.
76. Sugoi (すごい): Fantastic or incredible. It’s a word that’s typically used when you’re left awestruck out of excitement or feel overwhelmed.
77. Suki (好き): Like. This can be used to express “like” in a more generic way, romantically or otherwise.
好きです。私と 付き合ってください。 Suki desu. Watashi to tsukiattekudasai. I like you. Please go out with me.
79. Shinu (死ぬ): To die.
彼女の料理、最高だ！ Kanojo no ryouri, saikou da! My girlfriend’s cooking is the best!
78. Taihen (大変): Awfully.
80. Temee (手前, also written as てめ): It’s essentially a very rude way of saying “you.” It’s way ruder than saying omae. It’s used often in manga and anime, but avoid using this pronoun when speaking Japanese in real life.
81. Toiaezu (とりあえず): For now, or for the time being. It’s commonly used in a short-term context.
Japanese Anime Words: U – Z
82. Umai (うまい): Delicious. うまい draws more a casual nuance than oishii (おいしい).
83. Urayamashii (うらやましい): Jealous.
84. Urusai (うるさい): Noisy. You’ll head a lot of Japanese people say “uruse” instead of “urusai”, especially when they’re mad, which sounds more aggressive and rude.
85. Uso (噓): Lie.
嘘を言わないで. Uso o iwanaide. Please don’t tell lies.
86. Wakai (若い): Young
87. Wakaru (分かる): Understand
89. Yabai (やばい): Originally means “dangerous” or a bad situation. As a modern slang term, it takes on the meaning of amazing, cool, insane, crazy or extreme.
やばい！遅刻する！ Yabai! Chikoku suru! Damn! I’m going to be late!
90. Yahari (やはり): As expected. On spoken Japanese, people usually say, “やっぱり (yappari)”.
僕はやっぱりあの曲が好きだ。 Boku wa yappari ano kyoku ga suki da. As expected, I like that song!
91. Yakusoku (約束): Promise
彼女は約束を誠実に守った。 Kanojo wa yakusoku o seijitsu ni mamotta. She was faithful to her promise.
92. Yameru (やめる): Stop. Alone, it implores the recipient to stop whatever the listener is doing.
やめてください！ Yamete kudasai! Please stop it.
93. Yanki (ヤンキー): Young punk. Technically, a group of people who refuse to conform to Japan’s strict societal norm.
94. Yare yare (やれやれ): An iconic phrase by Jotaru Kujo from JoJo’s Bizzarre Adventure. It means, “Well well”, “Good grief” and “Give me a break.”
95. Yatsu (やつ): An impolite way of saying “ that guy” in Japanese.
96. Yokatta (よかった): A past-tense form of 良い (yoi or ii), which means “okay”, “fine” or “alright”. Used alone, it becomes a phrase similar to “Thank goodness” or “That’s great!”
97. Yoshi (よし): This usually means good, but is often said as a stand-alone saying meaning “Good! Let’s do it!” For this, the “I” is silent.
98. Yowai (酷い): Weak.
だって君は弱いも。 Datte kimi wa yowai mo. But you are weak! (Said by Gojo Satoru in Jujutsu Kaisen).
99. Yurusu (許す): Forgive
訓練中に居眠りすることは許しません。 Kunrenchuu ni inemuri suru koto wa yurushimasen. I do not tolerate sleeping during the drill.
100. Zannen (残念): Disappointing, regrettable.
彼が来れないのは残念だ。 Kare ga korarenai no wa zannen da. It’s a pity that he can’t come.
Not sure about your Japanese level? Take our free Japanese language assessment test
Love what you read but think it’s time to take a Japanese course? Get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you achieve your Japanese language target. If you’re unsure where you are, we provide a free Japanese level check.
Coto Japanese Academy is a unique Japanese Language School in Iidabashi Tokyo. We offer relaxed and fun conversational lessons for all levels of Japanese learners. Coto Japanese Academy prides itself on its community atmosphere and fun lessons that focus on the creation of opportunities to speak and learn Japanese. If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo, please visit our contact page.
Our part-time and intensive Japanese courses are designed for busy students who want to create a short-term or long-term customized study schedule. Students are able to sign up for a combination of classes that match their level and interest.
What makes us different? We offer conversation-focused classes for Japanese learners. Our part-time lessons are taught by professional instructors in small groups and are perfect for students who want to improve their Japanese communication abilities.
This month (February 2022), we’re introducing several Japanese courses for beginners to upper-beginners. If you prefer to study Japanese intensively in Tokyo or Yokohama, you can visit our intensive course page.
March Japanese Intensive Course in Tokyo for True Beginner
If you haven’t started studying Japanese yet, we can help you build a solid Japanese language foundation.
Course name: Japanese Crash Course Date: March 7–April 1 Time: Monday to Friday at 9:30–12:20 (including national holidays)
What will we learn?
You will learn how to greet other people and introduce yourself. Knowing hiragana and katakana is not a prerequisite as this course is targeted at individuals who have never learned Japanese before. You will learn the Japanese alphabet as the lesson progress. Finally, by the time you finish our crash course, you will be able to make simple demands, orders and requests in a restaurant or shop.
Other Japanese Intensive Course in Tokyo Available
Are you taking a break this spring and want like to use the time to study Japanese? We’re opening intensive courses for all levels at Coto Academy Iidabashi.
Schedule: March 7 – April 1 Time 9:30-12:20 or 14:10-17:00 Lesson fee: 120,000 yen (4 weeks) + materials fee (You can apply for a one-week unit).
Part-time Japanese Explanation Training for Intermediate-Advanced
Do you use the same grammar and vocabulary every time you speak Japanese? If you join our Explanation Training class, you will be able to learn expressions that you do not usually use and give higher-level presentations.
Course name: Part-time Japanese Explanation Training Course Target Level: Upper Intermediate or Advanced level Schedule: Please refer to this page Materials: Coto original handout
Special Golden Week Intensive Course at Coto Academy Iidabashi
Looking to make your Golden Week the most productive? We’ll hold a special 5-day course for this year’s long holiday.
A lot of us can’t commit to intensive courses, so this is the perfect chance to boost your Japanese skill by making the most of your free time.
Date: May 2–May 6 Details: 3 hours/day for 5 days
Effective Drill Training and Conversation Level-up Course
Students often struggle applying memorized vocabulary and sentence patterns. In other words, they have hard time building sentences and improving their quick-response ability in Japanese.
Confidence is key — something we emphasize in our Effective Drill Training and Conversation Level-up course.
Here, students use a series of specially designed drills and speaking training to improve their communication ability. This will also help them gain confidence and have an easier time expanding their vocabulary.
We have flexible schedule options (afternoon or evening), so you can easily pick a time that fits your busy life.
Target Level: Upper Beginner Schedule: Monday at 19:10-21:00orThursday at 13:10-15:00 Materials: Coto’s original handouts
Location: Coto Academy, 3F Iidabashi Building 4-9-4, Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku
The goal of this course is to prepare students to speak Japanese naturally. By the end of the session, you will be able to convey your wishes, ask for permission, study assumptive expressions and communicate your feelings accurately.
You will learn new sentence patterns, such as volitional, conditional, potential and passive forms. Rather than stopping there, we will encourage you to practice them immediately. That way, you will get used to applying Japanese grammar and be comfortable when speaking.
As a reference, take a look at some of our lesson agendas below. One course will cover one sentence pattern, which will continue according to the date of the class.
When can I join?
We design our part-time courses specifically for students who can’t commit to full-time Japanese language classes, either because of work, university or other conflicting schedules.
Because of this, you can join our part-time courses anytime. Instead of following the school’s rigid schedule, it’s up to you to join the course of your choice — and when you want it.
If you’re interested in signing up (or just want to ask more questions), feel free to visit our contact page (the same form is also below) or get in touch with us at info@cotoacademy.com.
What's the course fee for part-time Japanese courses at Coto Academy?
We have monthly subscriptions and package plans. For example, a monthly subscription for 8 classes will cost ¥18,000. You are free to pick a part-time course. A package plan for 16 courses will cost ¥40,000. For more details on part-time course fee, kindly visit this page.
I'm not sure what's the perfect option for me. How can I know?
That’s not a problem at all! At Coto Academy, we provide a free level check and course consultation. That way, you’ll know your Japanese level. Our coordinator is happy to consult about your schedule, preference and learning style. After that, they’ll suggest the best course options.
What other courses are available at Coto Japanese Academy?
We offer intensive conversation courses, part-time group lessons, private and dispatch lessons and JLPT training courses. To know more about our available courses, kindly refer to our course page.
Who are the Coto instructors?
All our instructors are all native Japanese speakers holding professional qualifications and have considerable experience teaching. In order to match the diversity of our students, we employ teachers with a variety of social experiences. All of them understand basic conversational English.
Not sure about your Japanese level? Take our free Japanese language assessment test
Get in touch with us and find out how we can help you achieve your Japanese language target. If you’re unsure where you are, we provide a free Japanese level check.
Coto Japanese Academy is a unique Japanese Language School in Iidabashi Tokyo. We offer relaxed and fun conversational lessons for all levels of Japanese learners (online courses available).
こそあど (ko-so-a-do) is short for これ, それ, あれ and どれ (read as kore, sore and are), but there are different sets to them, too. They are demonstrative Japanese pronouns used to refer to something, but you don’t necessarily need to specify what they are. They’re one of the first things you learn as a beginner Japanese language student.
Your instructors were probably quick to point out the difference. Both それ and あれ (sore and are), for example, translate to “that”, but depending on the physical distance between you, the object and the listener, you’ll only use either one.
But what happens if you’re talking about an intangible object, like an idea or a memory? In other words, how do you use これ, それ, あれ for something you can’tsee or isn’t physically there? That’s when things could a bit tricky — but it doesn’t have to be if you have the right grasp of the ever-intricate Japanese grammar rules.
Basics Japanese for こそあど: Kore, Sore and Are (これ, それ, あれ)
Chances are, you’re already familiar with the こそあど differences, but we want to gloss over the basics again because it relates to more advanced stuff. Keep in mind that going back to “basics” means we’re returning to the very foundation (and therefore easiest) Japanese language rule: objects that you can see.
Finally, どれ is used to question, “Which one” out of several objects.
Generally, これ is used for things that are close to the speaker. それ is used when the object is close to the listener. あれ is used when the object is far away from both the speaker and listener.
こ (ko), either kore or kono, is used when things are closed to the speaker and can be understood as “this” in English.
そ (so), meaning sore or soon, is used when things are closed to the listener and can be understood as “it” in English.
あ (a): あ is used when things are neither close to both speaker and listener and can be understood as “that” in English
From here, we know you’ll either これ and それ based on your point of view. For example, if your friend is holding an apple and you’re approaching them from across the room, you’ll pick それ. Subjectively, your friend is closer to the apple, while you’re physically far from it.
それはりんごですか？ Sore wa ringo desu ka? Is that an apple?
On the other hand, your friend will use これ, because the point of view is the opposite of yours. They’re close to the apple, while you’re not.
これはりんごです。 Kore wa ringo desu. This is an apple.
But that’s a no-brainer answer, so we’ll need to tweak the scenario a bit: What if you’re both seeing an orange from a distance? In English, the word choice doesn’t change. You’ll still use “that”. In Japanese, however, you’ll use あれ because both of you are far away.
あれは何ですか？ Are wa nan desu ka? What is that?
How to Answer こそあど Questions
Depending on the situations, answering こそあど questions will differ. Let’s take a look at the examples below.
A: それは何ですか？ What is that?
B: これは時計です。 This is a watch.
We know that the person is curious about that thing that is close to you. If you answer “それは時計です,” you’ll further distance yourself from the watch (object), which isn’t true. You can think of これ, それ and あれ as “territories”. If that object is outside your これ territory, use それ. If it goes beyond それ territory, use あれ. Pretty simple, right?
A: あの人誰ですか？ Who is that person?
B: あの人は私の友達です。 That person is my friend.
It’s a simple deduction, really. If that person uses あの, they feel that both of you are subjectively far from the object. In turn, it’s appropriate to use あの the next time you want to mention it.
How to Use Kore, Sore and Are (これ, それ, あれ)
Now that we’re clear on the very surface level of the function of こそあど, there are a few things to keep in mind. Something that a lot of new Japanese learners fall for is adding the wrong particle after これ, それ, あれ. Technically, they are noun replacements, so you can’t put use the particle の to modify a noun with a noun. It’s equivalent to saying “this (object)” instead of just “this”.
これの自動車が高い。(Wrong) Kore no jidousha ga takai. This’s car is expensive.
これが高い。(Correct) Kore ga takai. This is expensive.
If you want to say “this car” or “that car”, you’ll need another type of こそあど: この, その, あの, and どの (kono, sono, ano and dono). We’ll get to that in a bit.
この自動車が高い。(Correct) Kono jidousha ga takai. This car is expensive.
Depending on the situation and function, there are different types of こそあど. Before we go further into the article, note that this article will mostly use hiragana, so prior knowledge of them is a must. If you’re still learning them, don’t worry; you can take a look at our hiragana chart to review them.
An expression in front of an object: これ、それ、あれ、どれ
We’re feeling a bit repetitive too, so we’ll cut to the chase: if you’re directly replacing a noun with a pronoun, use これ、それ、あれ、どれ.
これは本です。 これはほんです。 This is a book.
In this scenario, we can deduct that the book is placed close to the speaker, either by holding it or being in front.
An expression in front of multiple objects: これ、それ、あれ、どれ
Like many Japanese objects, これ、それ and あれ don’t recognize one and multiple objects. In English, you’ll probably know about plural and singular nouns — but, to avoid further headaches, let’s not dwell in countable and uncountable things. (Why is it fish and not fishes?) For example, “child” becomes “children” and “book” becomes “books”. In Japanese, it’s always 子供 (こども) and 本 (ほん).
In a similar fashion, これ、それ and あれ (and この, その, あの) indicates both one and multiple things. これ can mean “this” and “these”, while それ and あれ can mean “that” and “those”.
この鉛筆で書きやすいです。 このえんぴつでかきやすいです。 It’s easy to write with this pencil It’s easy to write with these pencils.
However, there are pluralizing suffixes that make one single pronoun inclusive and multiple. Particularly in first-person pronouns, you’ll see わたし turned to わたしたち or ぼく to ぼくら. Similarly, you can add a suffix to indicate that something is more than one by adding ~ら. The kanji is 〜等, which can also be read as など.
これ等は清掃用ですか？ これらはせいそうようですか？ Are these for cleaning?
You can pluralize kore, sore and are by saying korera, sorera, arera (これら, それら, あれら). They “these” and “those.”
We don’t see people using it often as it’s not required. Alternatively, you can specify the number after これ、それ and あれ, but you’ll need to know about the right Japanese counters for that (we don’t want you to say “two sticks of books”).
あれの2冊の本は同じ著者に書かれています。 あれのにさつのほんはおなじちょしゃにかかれています。 Those two books are written by the same author.
An expression indicating point in time
Kara (から) and made (まで) each means “since” and “until” respectively. If you pair them with kore, sore and are (これ、それ and あれ), they can help indicate a point in time: present, the past or the future.
Kore kara (これから) and kore made (これまで)
これから and これまで refer to a certain period in time in the present. これからmeans “from now on”, “after this” and “now”.これまで means “so far”, “up to now” and “until now”.
これからは一人で生きていくのだ。 これからはひとりでいきていくのだ。 From now on, I’ll live alone.
それはこれまでとても人気です。 それはこれまでとてもにんきです。 It has been very popular so far.
Sore kara (それから) and sore made (それまで)
それから and それまで are used to refer to a certain period in time in the past or future. You can translate それから as “and then” or “since then”. それまで means “until then”, “up to that time”, “that extent”, and “by then”.
それから三年が過ぎた。 それからさんねんがすぎた。 Three years had passed since then.
それまでには帰る。 それまでには帰る。 I’ll be back by then.
Are kara (あれから) and are made (あれまで)
あれから and あれまで are used to refer to a certain period in time that both speaker and listener is familiar with. あれから means “since then” and “after that”. あれまで means “up until then”, “that extent”, “that far”, and “until then”.
あれから20年が経った。 あれからにじゅうねんがたった。 Twenty years have passed since then.
あれまでは万事好都合でした。 あれまではばんじこうつごうでした。 Everything was fine until then.
An expression in front of noun: この、その、あの、どの
In English, when you want to attach “this” or “that” to another object, you don’t need to modify the word. For example, if you say, “This is delicious!” and “This pie is delicious!” it won’t make a difference. Both are grammatically acceptable and correct.
But as we said before, things get seemingly a bit complicated when it comes to the Japanese language. Let’s say you want to say “that person”. You will need to use another こそあど set: この、その、あの andどの.
あの人は優しいです。 あのひとはやさしいです. That person is kind.
The person being pointed to is neither close to both speaker and listeners. In real-life situations, it could be used when you are pointing at someone across the street (but please don’t point your fingers in Japan as it’s considered rude) and saying that that person is kind to your friend. As you are referring to someone across the street, あの is the best choice.
Use of Dore, Docchi and Dochira (どれ, どっち, どちら)
We’ve covered the essential need-to-know about sore, kore and are, but we want to brush up dore, too. Dore (どれ) is used in the same way as “which” or “which one” in English — but so are どっち and どちら. You’ve probably heard them used in a lot of conversations. So what’s the difference?
Technically, どっち and どちら also mean “which” or “which one”. However, docchi and dochira (どっち and どちら) is used for comparing, choosing, or having someone choose one of two things. We use dore (どれ) when there are three or more options. Docchi (どっち) is dochira’s (どちら) shortened colloquial form, and it’s used in casual conversations.
すべてのスポーツの中で、どれがお気に入りですか？ すべてのスポーツのなかで、どれがおきににはいりますか？ Out of all the sports, which one is your favorite?
In the example above, we opt for どれ because we’re faced with all of the sports options. If the speaker specifies (say, between swimming and running), they will have to use どっち or どちら. You can use どっち or どちら to ask for suggestions or when you’re facing a dilemma as you’ll see in the dialogue below.
青と緑色、どっちの方が似合うかな。 あおいとみどりいろ、どっちのほうがにあうかな。 A: Between blue and green, which one suits me better?
B:今年は緑がトレンドだし、青は持ってるから緑の方がいいよ。 B:ことしはみどりがトレンドだし、あおはもっているからみどりのほうがいいよ。 B: This year, green is the trend, and I have blue, so green is better.
A: 確かに。 A: たしかに。 B: You’re right.
Here, the conversation uses casual Japanese, so opting for どっち sounds natural. On the other hand, what if you’re waiting for your doctor’s appointment in a clinic, and there’s someone sitting beside you? The nurse might call your name, saying:
お待たせしました。どちらがコトさんですか？ おまたせしました。どちらがコトさんですか？ Thank you for waiting. Whichone (of the two of you) is Coto-san?
When using question words like どれ, どっち, どちら, you need to use the particle が instead of は.
どっちはが美味しいと思うか？ どっちはがおいしいとおもうか？ Which one do you think is delicious?
Intermediate-Advanced Use of これ, それ, and あれ
Those books. This car. That pencil. So far, we’ve been using items that you can see — or, at least, visually imagine. We’ve also established that the use of kore, sore and are are subjective, depending on where you draw your personal “territories”. But what happens when you’re referring to something you can’t physically see, like a lie or a memory? Or even something you mentioned before?
This is why it’s important to rely on your intuition. It boils down to your emotional proximity and regards to the relationship between you, the person you’re addressing and the object. In this case, it boils down to your emotional proximity. In other words, the use of これ, それ, and あれ is no longer dependent on the physical distance, but how far you associate yourself with the topic.
こそあ: Kore, Sore and Are for Abstract Concepts and Information
Rumors, emotions and ideas are all abstract concepts. When you heard a nasty rumor from a friend, should you use “this” or “that”? Depending on how you want to associate yourself with it, you’ll need to be careful with your word choice.
その噂そ、信じられないの そのうわさ、しんじられないの！ I can’t believe that rumor!
In this case, we can apply the same concepts of kore, sore and are for mental distances. If you use その or それ, you’re implying that the information of that rumor is “far” from you (more of こそあ in a bit).
The things you can’t see don’t just have to be abstract or intangible. It’s something that was previously mentioned but not within sight. It might physically exist at the moment, too, but you’re just far away from the object — physically and conceptually.
When this happens, ignore the actual distance between you and the “thing”. If you do, you’ll only use あれ, あれ and あれ. For example, you’re a Tokyo resident who went to Sapporo last week. You spoke about your encounter with life-changing ramen.
この間，札幌でラーメンを食べたんだけど，これが絶品でさあ！ このあいだ、さっぽろでラーメンをたべたんだけど、これがぜっぴんでさあ! The other day, I ate ramen at Sapporo, and it was super delicious!
We know that both the ramen and Sapporo actually exist, but from a physical point of view, they’re miles away. You’re not in a ramen shop. The food isn’t in front of you. Why did you use これ instead of あれ?
The answer is simple: it’s because it feels like the ramen is in front of you. In this case, it is no longer a physical thing, but a piece of information. Your mouth is watering just from the thought of the tonkotsu broth. It’s so good you’re dreaming about it. You want to evoke the memory so vividly, you do so by saying “this” ramen.
これ・この Distance
You may use これ or この if you feel that the information is close to you in some way. It can be because you have a strong connection or feelings about it. You want to give the impression that it’s so close to you, it’s literally here.
Two things to keep in mind: これ suggests the information is already mentioned or experienced, and it adds a more empathetic nuance to your sentence. Because of that, これ can indicate something that’s more personal or emotional.
あった！幼なじみの写真だ。これがめっちゃ懐かしいな！ あった！おさななじみのしゃしんだ。めっちゃなつかしいな！ I found a picture of my childhood friend! This is so nostalgic!
When you opt for これ or この, you’re pulling that concept, like a memory of your childhood friend, closer to you. It shows that you have a deep connection with it or hold significance to you.
Of course, these don’t always correlate to positive emotions. We can use これ or この when we have strong emotion on negative topics, too. Remember the nasty rumor we mentioned?
この噂、信じられないほど！ このうわさ、信じられないほど！ This rumor, I can barely believe this!
If you hear a ridiculous rumor about you, you might feel so mad, frustrated and disgusted. You “accidentally” tie yourself to that information because you’re just brimming with emotions.
それ・その Distance
You use それ when you prefer to strip your feelings or personal touches to the object. In other words, それ is the most neutral way out of the こそあ group to address a piece of information, idea or topic. It doesn’t give a particularly noticeable nuance. You’re not closing yourself to the topic, but you’re not running away from it either.
Now, let’s use the same ramen example and tweak it a bit.
この間，札幌でラーメンを食べたんだけどなんか、それ、イマイチだったんだよね… このあいだ、さっぽろでラーメンをたべたんだけど、それ、イマイチだったんだよね… That day, I ate ramen in Sapporo, but it wasn’t good…
Remember what we say about the こそあ territory? それ and その are generally used for something too far away for これ and この. Because of this, それ and その feel like it’s detached from everyone’s point of view. Using it will give off the impression that you’re neutral about the topic, and you’re just referring to the information objectively (regardless of whether it actually has positive or negative significance to you).
その噂、嘘じゃん？ このうわさ、うそじゃん？ Everyone believes that rumor, huh?
Let’s say you heard about that nasty rumor again. This time, you’ve cooled your head, and you want to sound calm when addressing that rumor. Instead of suspiciously distancing yourself, you can choose to sound more level-headed by using その.
あれ・あの Distance
You use あれ and あの for two things. The first function is similar to how you’ll use them for physical objects: when they’re too far away from you. In this case, you use あれ and あの when you want to refer to memories, information or any recollections that sit on the far back of your head. Weirdly, it doesn’t mean you’re emotionally detached from said information. When you use あれ and あの, you’re pulling a memory from a distance, which can create a nostalgic nuance.
Think of it like this: if you’re struck with a childhood memory, that means they hold sentimental value to you — like recollecting the “good old days.”
子供の頃、川口公園でよく遊んでいた。あの場所、懐かしいな。 こどものころ、かわぐちこうえんでよくあそんでいた。あのばしょ、なつかしいな。 When I was a kid, I used to play in Kawaguchi Park. That place is nostalgic, you know.
Here, the speaker makes it clear that Kawaguchi Park is a dear place to them. Why don’t they use この, when it’s also used to indicate something that’s important?
これ and この emulate immediate attachment of the object, but あれ or あの are better when you want to indicate a recollected memory or information. When the charm lies in nostalgic memories, you can conjure more closeness by opting for あれ or あの.
The second function is closely related. The basic use of あれ or あの is to mention an item that’s neither close to both speaker and listener. We can apply the same principle to non-physical objects like information and memories, too. You use あれ or あの when both you and the listener share the same (or similar) memory or information. This shows that both of you are gazing off into the distance together. It’s too “far” from the present, so it’s diverted to a “remember when you?” moment.
A: 札幌で食べたラーメン、覚えてる？あれ，最高だったね。 A: さっぽろでたべたラーメン、おぼえてる？あれ、さいこうだったね。 Remember the ramen we ate on Sapporo? That was the best, right?
B: そうね。あれ，また食べたいな。 B：そうね。あれ、またたべたいな。 B: Yeah. I want to eat that again.
こそあど: Kore, Sore and Are for Implying and Responding
What happens when you want to respond to someone after they use これ・それ? Let’s just say they’re talking about how they heard a fake rumor about them.
この噂、嘘だ！ このうわさ、うそだ！ This rumor is a lie!
Here, your friend feels like they’re being attacked personally. Because you’re not the one experiencing it, you can’t use この to reply. The incident isn’t old either, and you’re not sharing the same experience (i.e. having a rumor about you), so the safest option is to use その. It’s objective, distant and doesn’t give off any nuance.
その噂、気にしないで。 そのうわさ、きにしないで. Don’t worry about that rumor.
あれ For Implying Something Negative
On the other hand, we can also use あれ to implicitly talk about something — like sharing a secret that you can’t say out loud. This is because あれ indicates a shared memory, so you use it as an “alias” when you’re hesitant to say something and want to distance yourself from that information.
Because of this, you use あれ when you’re refraining from saying something or giving negative connotations.
聞いたの？あの人、ちょっとあれだよ。 きいたの？あのひと、ちょとあれだよ。 Have you heard? That person is a bit…
あれ to Express Surprise and Confusion
Finally, you can think of あれ as an exclamation and question mark. Similar to fillers like あの and えと, they’re not used in written or polite Japanese. Instead, think of it as the Japanese version of “Huh?” and “Oh!” You use them during a state of confusion and surprise.
あれ？荷物はどこだ？ あれ？にもつはどこだ？ Huh? Where’s our suitcase?
･･････あれ？ …Huh?
What’s next after learning sore, kore, are and dore ((これ , それ , あれ , どれ)? Read more about:
Kore, sore, are and dore (これ , それ , あれ , どれ) each mean “this thing (near me),” “that thing (near you),” “that thing (away from us),” and “which one?”
What's the difference between kore, sore and are (これ, それ, あれ)?
Kore is used when the object is close to the speaker. Sore is used when it’s close to the listener but far from the speaker. Are is used when the object is far from both the speaker and listener.
What's the difference between dore, docchi and dochira?
どれ, どっち and どちら all mean “which” or “which one”. We use dore (どれ) when there are three or more options. Docchi and dochira (どっち and どちら) are used when we only need to compare two things. Docchi (どっち) is dochira’s (どちら) shortened colloquial form, and it’s used in casual conversations.
How do you use kore and kono?
You use sono, sono and ano when you want to pair it with a noun. この (kono),その (sono), and あの (ano) cannot stand alone. On the other hand, Sore, more and are (これ, それ and あれ) are pronouns, so they must stand independently.
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We want to make it clear that, despite the title, watashi, boku and ore aren’t the only ways to refer to yourself in Japanese. There’s only “me”, “myself” and “I” in English, but when it comes to Japanese first-person pronouns, the options are seemingly endless.
So how do you know you’re using the right “I” in Japanese? If you watch enough anime, films or even the news, you’ll notice a pattern: watashi (わたし) stands as the most basic form of the first-person pronoun. Boku (僕) and ore (俺) are next respectively. Then again, there are layers of subtext, social factors and psychological distance taken into consideration. The Japanese culture is complex, and this complexity extends to the language, too.
Ultimately, we want you to avoid feeling overloaded. It’s just “I”, after all — why make things complicated? Thankfully, a lot of Japanese speakers don’t even stick to one pronoun. You’ll learn how to differentiate between the “I”‘s and find out which one is best for you.
About Watashi, Boku, Ore — and A Million Other Japanese First-person Pronouns
If English is your native language, here’s a did-you-know: a lot of languages have multiple first-person pronouns, like Vietnamese, Indonesian and Korean. Between all of these, Japan has the most first-person pronouns.
How and when you refer to yourself depends on the person you’re talking to, situation and context. In other words, it depends on how you want to present yourself.
For example, if you use watashi (わたし), it’s considered formal — polite, even. On the other hand, try using ore (俺) in front of your boss and you might risk losing your job in Japan (or, better yet, being told to voluntarily quit from the company).
This is why you’ll notice most Japanese people bouncing from one pronoun to another when they’re with their close friends, family or colleagues. You’ll notice a lot of them have their go-to pronouns, too. When it comes to gender differences in spoken Japanese, men and women tend to favor different pronouns. Social standing also affects how people refer to themselves, as well as how they refer to other people.
For example, 72% of Japanese men will use “ore” (俺) with their friends. When they’re talking to a stranger, more than 60% of them will use “boku” (僕). On the other hand, to an unknown visitor, 75% of Japanese women will use “watashi”.
Of course, watashi, boku and ore aren’t the only first-person pronouns in Japanese, because they don’t include all the phonetic strains and regional differences. Ever heard of ‘”ora” (おら)? It’s an informal Japanese personal pronoun from the Kanto dialect, similar to “oira” (おいら). The impression you’ll get when you use this is that of a “country bumpkin” — someone from a very rural area. We’ll go over other ways to say “I” in Japanese as we dive deeper into the article.
Japanese Language Doesn’t Need First-Person Pronouns
Unlike most languages, Japanese grammar doesn’t require you to include first-person pronouns, so you can omit the watashi, boku or ore. This is because it doesn’t even need a subject in a sentence, to begin with. Let’s take a look at an English and Japanese example.
銀行へ行ってきます。 Ginkou e ittekimasu. I’m going to the bank (and returning again).
You’ll notice that, in the Japanese example, the typical watashi (わたし) is omitted. The textbook example should have been, “わたしは銀行へ行ってきます” — which would have made more sense of the English translation. Here, the literal translation is “Going to the bank.” In this context, we know that the person saying that is referring to themself, so you don’t need to put an extra “I” for clarity.
A great rule of the thumb is this: When the meaning is still clear, you can remove pronouns that mean “I” or “you” in Japanese. As a comparison, let’s use the same example sentence from above and tweak the context a little bit.
A: 誰が銀行にいますか？ A: Dare ga ginkou ni imasuka? A: Who is in(at) the bank?
B:銀行へ行っていますが、家にいます。 B: Ginkou e itteimasuga, ie ni imasu. B: Going to the bank, in the house.
In the dialogue above, it’s not clear who is going to the bank and who is in the house. In this case, you’ll need to include the pronouns. A better answer should be like the one below:
B:私銀行へ行っていますが、お兄さんは家にいます。 B: Watashi wa ginkou e itteimasuga, onii-san wa ie ni imasu. B: I’m going to the bank, but (my) brother is in the house.
On the other hand, there are verbs that imply the subject and object of the sentence. In English, we use “to give” and “to receive” regardless of who is giving and who is talking. In Japanese, there are two verbs for expressing ‘to give’: あげる (Ageru), くれる (Kureru); while ‘to receive’ is indicated by もらう. Kureru (くれる) means to “give something from someone to me” (in other words, “receive”), while ageru (あげる) means “me giving something to someone else”.
This rule makes pronouns unnecessary because the subject (giver) and receiver is already insinuated. .
For now, let’s have a look at the different characteristics of watashi, boku and ore. Once your level in Japanese has improved, it may be a good idea to try and change the first-person pronoun you are using. This can change depending on your character, the setting, or even your conversation partner.
Watashi: 私 (わたし)
It’s the safest choice when you’re a beginner. In formal situations, it’s the safest choice and doesn’t carry any gender nuances. In casual speech, however, わたし can give off a “feminine” feel, and it’s typically only used by women. When men use it in a casual context — when talking with a friend or family — it’ll sound stiff.
A polite way to refer to yourself, 私 (わたし) is the most general expression that is used by both women and men everywhere from formal occasions to business and public situations. If you are not really close to the person you are talking to, this word would be your best bet to avoid any offense.
But as most Japanese typically avoid referring to themselves, they’d usually just drop the “watashi” from their sentences. Take a look at the example below.
私は和菓子が好き → 和菓子が好き。 Watashi wa wagashi ga suki → Wagashi ga suki. I like Japanese traditional sweets.
As explained before, as long as it’s clear the sentence refers to yourself, you don’t need to state that “you” like sweets — we know you’re talking about yourself, after all.
Watakushi: わたくし
You’ll hear this word straight out of historical anime, used by noblemen and women. わたくし, or watakushi, is the more polite version of わたし — the most formal Japanese first-person pronoun, even. In fact, it’s so outdated that it’s not a part of modern textbooks.
Unless you’re working in a very uptight (or conservative) working environment in Japan, we don’t recommend you to use わたくし. It may be the most “civilized” choice — it sounds sophisticated — but if you use it in semi-formal situations, you’ll ironically sound stiff.
ですが、わたくしたちの思いは貴族には考えなのかもしれません。 Desu ga, watakushi tachi no omoi wa kizoku ni wa kangaena no kamo shiremasen. However, our thoughts may be that of an aristocrat.
One of the only times we hear someone use わたくし is in official announcements, like when politicians hit the street for their campaigns or when a big public figure apologizes due to a scandal. In other words, if you’re not saying sorry or dwelling in super-serious businesses, you can forget about わたくし entirely.
Atashi: あたし
あたし is not really a new type of pronoun. It’s a shortened, more feminine pronoun that strains from わたし, so it’s not used in written language. Instead, you’ll only hear it in conversations, among younger women and children, who generally have trouble pronouncing “w” from わたし. Because of this, あたし sounds cute and endearing.
Like わたし, there’s a feminine pronoun that strains from わたくし too: あたくし.
Boku: ぼく (僕)
Boku is an expression used by mostly men. Originating from words like geboku (manservant) and kouboku (public servant), this word’s popularity began to spread among the younger generation as they’d use this to refer to themselves in a humble manner.
Although technically ぼく is used to address someone equal or lower to you, you can think of boku as a gentler, semi-formal pronoun alternative. This is why it’s one of the first first-person pronouns Japanese boys learn and commonly use.
僕もわかんない。 Boku mo wakannai. I don’t know too.
Boku is perceived as humble, but can also carry an undertone of “feeling young” when used by males of older age. You’ll hear this used on boys among their coworkers, senpai or, yes, bosses. In formal situations, most men use either 私 or 僕. Even though it’s a common choice for adult men, you may come off as sounding childish and immature — a “mama’s boy”, even. Most young boys use boku in classrooms, but later on, as they get older and more comfortable, they’ll use おれ.
Today, it is more commonly used in close relationships or as a softer alternative to the word “ore” (see below; it sounds more modest, reserved and polite. Because of this, you’ll notice more girls use boku (ぼく) too.
Boku for Young Boys
However, boku can also be used as a second-person pronoun for young boys. It’s a way to refer to a boy you don’t know. You’re basically calling him from his perspective, so the term can come across as endearing and affectionate.
僕は何歳ですか? Boku wa nansai desu ka? Boku (small boy), how old are you?
You’ll notice parents calling their young son by this pronoun, too, adding the suffix ‘chan’ after ‘boku’ (boku-chan). One of our host families once said that they do this to avoid their children using their first names when they want to say “I” — something that a lot of children do. To this, they train their kid to associate themself with “boku” (instead of their real name).
僕ちゃん、何を食べる？ Boku-chan, nani o taberu? Boku-chan, what do you want to eat?
Ore: おれ (俺)
As a first-person pronoun with an extremely rough image, it is only used in a casual setting between people who are very close. おれ (俺) is written with hiragana or katakana, but you may often find them stylized in katakana, オレ, in manga panels and written Japanese as an emphasis.
You’ll see boys transitioning from using “boku” to “ore” as they grow up. Some people even use おれ (俺) informal sentences but keep in mind that you’ll risk sounding inappropriate.
You might also think that because おれ is the most popular first-person pronoun for Japanese men, you’ll need to jump to using the word as soon as you can speak Japanese. A word of advice: unless you’re wholeheartedly confident that your Japanese is very, very natural, don’t. Even in close relationships, ore and boku create different images.
おれ can sound cocky, used to indicate aggressiveness and masculinity, so if you mix-and-match おれ with formal sentences (i.e. you’re not ready to speak Japanese effortlessly), you’ll risk sounding awkward. Take a look at two examples below for comparison.
俺は知らねえな。 Ore wa shiraneena. How the heck do I know.
俺は知りませんでした。 Ore wa shirimasen deshita. I do not know.
Both mean “I don’t know”, but think of 俺は知らねえな as the equivalent of “How the heck am I supposed to know.” If you mix 俺 with something formal like 知りませんでした, it won’t sound natural, like putting a slang in a formal speech.
As a heads-up for Japanese learners, be aware that using 俺 could make you sound inadvertently cocky. 俺 can also be tricky to master for second-language learners because it doesn’t sound natural unless you speak Japanese really fluidly and effortlessly. 俺 can sound awkward when other elements in a sentence don’t match the aggressiveness and masculinity of 俺.
You’ll need to “match” the rough vibe of おれ, so if your personality and fluency aren’t there yet, opt back to ぼく.
Uchi: うち
Another way to say “I” in Japanese is うち, a sister term to おれ. In Tokyo, it’s used by young girls. In Kansai, うち is used by both young and older women. In written form, it’s spelled with kana.
You can think of うち as the female version of 俺; it sounds more relaxed than the stiff わたし, so more young girls and women from elementary to college students begin to make this their default go-to pronoun. In fact, うち is the most used first-person pronoun by female elementary school pupils. But be careful too. Like 俺, using うち can be inappropriate as it sounds slangy and strange when you use it outside the right context, social group and dialect.
うちのせいだ。 Uchi no sei da. It’s my fault.
More importantly, because うち means “one’s own” or “house”, using it creates a sense of unity or in-group, so you can use it to include your family, company our team.
うちの娘が迷惑をかけてすみません。 Uchi no musume ga meiwaku o kakete sumimasen. I’m sorry that my daughter caused trouble.
うち is also used in a less formal business setting as a way to say “our company”.
Jibun: じぶん (自分)
Technically, 自分 (じぶん) means “myself”, and it could be made into aJapanese adverb like this:
自分でケーキを作りました。 Jibun de keeki o tsukurimashita. I made that cake by myself.
自分 can be made into a first-person pronoun, but it does make you sound masculine, modest and distanced. It’s not traditionally used. the informal setting, but it does indicate you’re showing humility and respect to the opposite speaker. Because of this, you’ll hear 自分 used in a lot of sports and military groups.
自分は、嘘をついていませんよ。 Jibun wa, uso o tsuiteimasen yo. I’m not lying.
In the Kansai dialect, 自分 can also be used as a second-person pronoun, but you may come off as sounding too friendly and coarse. Think of it like saying “You, yourself,” which can carry an accusing nuance if not used correctly.
自分、どこの国なん？ Jibun, doko no kuni nan? You, where are you from?
Using Your Name As Japanese First-person Pronoun
If you grow up speaking English, it might sound weird to hear that a lot of children from Asian households use their own names to address themselves — including us.
Usually, in Japanese, children tend to use their own name or nickname because that’s what their parents call them. It’s the first identity they associate themselves to, but as they grow up, they’ll transition to preferred Japanese first-person pronouns: boku, ore, watashi (atashi) or uchi. Still, a lot of us switch to using our names as first-person pronouns when we’re around our family.
For boys who use boku, they risk sounding like a mama’s boy. For girls, it’s when they use their own name (with or without the ちゃん). If you’re into the kawaii culture, go ahead, but we don’t recommend calling yourself outside of family interactions because people see it as childish or icky — like you’re trying too hard to be cute. Like this:
モエもほしい！ Moe mo hoshii! Moe (I) want it too!
Adults — mostly women — who use their own name for themselves are considered as burikko (ぶりっ子), a Japanese slangterm for girls who pretend to be cute in front of guys to get their attention.
Using Family Role As Japanese First-person Pronoun
This applies when you’re speaking to someone younger, generally. For example, if you’re a mom or a dad, you can call yourself okaa-san (お母さん) or otou-san (お父さん) to address yourself in front of your children.
お母さんは駐車してくるから、ちょっと待ってね。 Okaa-san wa chuusha shitekuru kara, chotto matte ne. Mom (I) am going to park my car, so wait a moment, okay.
Nowadays, you’ll also find parents using the more-universal mama (written as ママ) and papa (パパ). Of course, family-role first-person pronouns aren’t just limited to moms and dads. As long as that family title can end with a ~さん or ~ちゃん, you can use them (check our article onmain Japanese family terms).
It’s also not uncommon to use family terms to someone who’s not your family, but keep in mind that this is only when you’re talking to a child. For example, when you see a small boy seemingly lost in the park, you can call yourself a “Big Sister” (お姉さん・おねえさん).
ママはどこか？お姉さんが、手伝ってあげようか？ Mama wa doko ka? Onee-san ga, tetsudatte ageyouka? Where’s your mom? Big Sister (I) will help you.
Social Titles As Japanese First-person Pronoun
If you’re a professional — like a teacher, doctor, author or even a manager — you can use that title as your go-to pronoun during work. Again, this really depends on the subcontext. If you call yourself “Sensei” (先生) in front of other teachers, you’ll sound childish.
Commonly, teachers will use 先生 when they’re in the classroom instead of watashi (わたし), boku (ぼく) or ore (おれ).
誰が先生を助けてくれる？ Dare ga sensei o tasukete kureru? Who wants to help Sensei (me)?
Keep in mind that in the Japanese language, 先生 is used beyond the primary definition of “teacher”. Doctors, authors or judo masters — basically anyone with a specific skill, practical art or technique — use 先生.
Other than that, we’ve also heard store managers using their title tenchou (店長) to address themselves, especially when they’re talking to a young staff.
店長が明日休みだから、お店を頼むよ。 Tenchou ga ashita yasumi da kara, omise o tanomu yo. Tenchou (I) will take a break tomorrow, so I’ll leave the store to you.
What’s next after learning watashi, boku, ore and these Japanese first-person pronouns? Read more about:
What’s the difference between "watashi," "boku," and "ore"?
Watashi (私): Polite and gender-neutral.
Boku (僕): Polite, casual, and commonly used by males.
Ore (俺): Very casual and masculine; used among close friends.
Which one should I use as a beginner?
Stick with watashi—it’s the safest and most appropriate in most settings, especially formal or public ones.
Can women use "boku" or "ore"?
Generally, no. Watashi is standard for women. Atashi is a casual feminine variation, but not typically used in formal situations.
Is it rude to use "ore"?
It depends on context. Among friends, it’s fine. But in formal settings or with strangers, it can sound arrogant or too casual.
What’s the most formal way to say "I"?
Watakushi (私)—a more respectful and formal version of “watashi,” often used in business or ceremonial settings.
Can I switch between them?
Yes, many native speakers switch based on the setting. But consistency is key for learners—stick to one until you’re comfortable.
Do Japanese people always use pronouns?
Not always. Japanese often drops pronouns entirely when the subject is understood from context.
Want to learn more Japanese like Watashi? Take our free Japanese language assessment test
Get in touch with us and find out how we can help you achieve your Japanese language target. If you’re unsure where you are, we provide a free Japanese level check. You can also contact us at info@cotoacademy.com for any questions about course options and details.
The N1 is considered the most challenging level of the JLPT to master. It is so difficult to the point that even Japanese native speakers would struggle with the questions and often fail to get the 50 percent score needed to pass.
Similar to studying for the other JLPT levels, the test covers four parts: vocabulary (including kanji), grammar, reading and listening. Just memorizing words and kanji is not enough, as you will need to become fluent in grammar and pronunciation, as well as constantly practice your reading comprehension and listening skills. To pass the test, you will need to know about 10,000 Japanese words and 2,000 kanji.
As you go on your journey of mastering the N1, textbooks are not the only way to study for the JLPT. You should also listen to news reports on television as well as read Japanese books and newspapers to better enhance your Japanese.
But if you are looking for the more traditional way of studying using a textbook, check out our guide on the 10 best N1 JLPT textbooks.
If you are looking for a more comprehensive way how to study for the examination at your own time and pace, you can check out our study tips to pass the N1 JLPT.
While finding JLPT learning resources is great for self-learning, we also recommend finding the right support from a professional instructor. We offer online JLPT self-study courses for motivated individuals to help them pass the exam. By subscribing at 900 JPY a month (around 8 USD), you’ll get full access to all our JLPT self-study bundles.
1. 3000 Essential Vocabulary for the JLPT N1
This is one of the conducive JLPT N1. Besides being known for its small and compact size, which is easy to carry around, it has all the vocabulary that you would need to learn to ace the exam. It is the perfect resource for someone looking to prepare for the JLPT N1.
The book has been structured with 14 different chapters about topics on relationships, living, home, school and more. There are also links to their free-to-download audio files and practice tests which can be found on their website. Similar to the JLPT levels of the book, there is also a red sheet to block the Japanese word (for a quick mini-quiz) and a checkbox for you to tick.
If you are looking to take the N1 level of the JLPT, New Kanzen Master is one of the most used resources to ace the examination. The book has 5 different versions, each with content on kanji, vocabulary, grammar, listening and reading. However, this means that you would have to purchase all 5 of the books in order to learn all test elements from this textbook and enhance your overall ability at the advanced level.
Each book has also been spilled into different parts, each focusing on a different aspect of the particular component of kanji, vocabulary, grammar, listening and reading. Once you have studied with this textbook, you can come out feeling confident and ready to ace the exam.
Passing the N1 can be known as a battle that requires tons of patience, hard work, and commitment. If you think you are up for the challenge and are looking for a weapon to help you in this battle, the Nihongo So-Matome series is the perfect tool for you.
The contents in the book have been broken down into ‘daily digests’ making it simple and easy to study with. Similar to the books from the other JLPT levels, the book has been designed to finish within 6 weeks, with a practice test available at the end of every week.
Different from other JLPT N1 textbooks, this book has been designed specifically for students to learn to practice their grammar. The Try! has been written as a fun and interactive book with intense drill practice to help you perfect your Japanese grammar. The book has over 10 chapters that will reinforce your knowledge through newspaper articles and heavy dialogues.
You can also head over to their official website for their free-to-download vocabulary list and audio files that can be used alongside the book.
5. JLPT Preparation Book Speed Master – Quick Mastery of N1 Vocabulary (Advanced 2800)
Aimed at advanced learners of the JLPT, this book will teach you 2,800 vocabulary for you to ace the examination. Readings of the words are shown in both kanji and hiragana and have translations in English and Chinese. There is also an included CD that allows you to study vocabulary wherever you go.
6. The Best Practice Tests for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N1
Are you ready to face the challenge of the N1 examination? If you are ready and would like to practice on mock tests first, this is the book for you! Through 3 different mock-up tests, you will be able to try out practice tests that have been modified to present the actual exam and check your readiness before the big day. With English translations, it will be easy to check against the answers as well as get explanations for the questions which you are incorrect.
7. Kikutan Japanese Japanese Language Proficiency Test N1
Looking to a compact-enough book to memorize Japanese vocabulary related to the N1? This book teaches you ways to master 1,232 words in just 2 minutes a day, but because it’s small, you can carry it around everywhere. You will learn 16 words every day for 11 weeks. The book also comes with an application that you can download to access the audio files for example sentences that have been recorded by native Japanese speakers
8. Kanji Learner’s Course Graded Reading Sets, Vol. 9: Kanji 1901-2300
With over 5,347 exercises and 66,000 kanji, proper pronunciation guides, character-by-character Kanji learning as well as extensive grammar support, the Kanji Learner’s Course is one of the most comprehensive Japanese reading comprehension tools. You will gain knowledge on how to apply each kanji you learn to real-life situations, and continuously review what you have already studied.
There are also links in the book for you to access their website that has downloadable content as well. If you are using an Apple device, you will be able to look up any unfamiliar words in the built-in J-E dictionary.
Coming as a highly recommended book by many people, this compact and easy-to-carry book from the popular 500 questions series offers you bite-sized drills that you can complete within 20 minutes a day. Through a series of multiple-choice questions aimed at the N1 level of Japanese studying, the book has been designed to be used every day for 4 weeks, finishing 5 kanji, 5 vocabulary, and 5 grammar questions a day.
The book also contains detailed answers with explanations in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese and an appendix with lists of kanji, vocabulary, and grammatical structures to make learning more effective.
If you want to practice before the actual examination, you can start doing mock tests through the official JLPT practice workbook. It is the perfect revision guide for those looking to review the topics and questions beforehand. The book has been divided into 3 parts. Part 1 is the shiken mondai which are the test questions. Part 2 contains the answer key with detailed explanations. Finally, Part 3 explains the test structure with updated information about the JLPT.
You will need to know around 2,000 kanji and 10,000 vocabulary words in total.
How long does N1 JLPT take?
It should take roughly 2,150 hours of JLPT study to pass.
How hard is JLPT N1?
The N1 is the most advanced level of the JLPT. This is because it requires thousands of hours of memorizing kanji, reading kanji, and listening to and reading Japanese. You will need full focus when studying for the N1. You won’t find regular, day-to-day situations in their reading section either. Instead, expect science-related and academic texts filled with advanced kanji and industry-specific vocabulary.
What is the passing score the JLPT N1?
The overall passing score of the N1 is 100/180 (55.55%). However, you will still need to pass each section of the test to pass. For example, if you score below 19 points for one section (like the reading comprehension), you’ll still fail JLPT — even if you score 120 in total.
Not sure about your Japanese level? Take our free Japanese language assessment test
If you are planning to take the JLPT 2022 and would like help in mastering the JLPT from professional instructors, we recommend signing up for our upcoming online and in-person 2022 JLPT Prep course (Tokyo and Yokohama).
Want to take the 2022 JLPT but are not sure about your level? Get in touch with us and find out how we can help you achieve your Japanese language target. If you’re unsure where you are, we provide a free Japanese level check. You can also contact us at info@cotoacademy.com for any questions about course options and details.
Coto Japanese Academy is a unique Japanese Language School in Iidabashi Tokyo. We offer relaxed and fun conversational lessons for all levels of Japanese learners. If you are interested in our courses, please visit our contact page.
When we talk about the な and い adjectives, the conjugation rules are hectic, but at least straightforward. For example, to describe something with an い-adjective, you just have to attach the word to a noun without adding any Japanese particles (e.g. かわいい人). For a な-adjective, all you need to do is add a very obvious な particle in between (e.g. げんきな人).
But then you’ll notice something off the more you look at example sentences. For most of us, we only use the particle, の, to modify a noun with a noun, like 子供のおもちゃ (kid’s toy). So how do you react when you encounter these phrases?
緑の地球を守りましょう。 みどりのちきゅうをまもりましょう。 Let’s protect this green earth.
病気のお兄さんを見舞って行きます。 びょうきのおにいさんをみまっていきます。 I am going to visit my sick brother.
彼は普通のサラリーマンだ。 かれはふつうのサラリーマンだ。 He’s just an ordinary office worker.
The words 緑 (green), 病気 (sick) and 普通 (normal) are all な-adjectives, but all of them use the particle の instead of な. This should have been wrong — except you’ll hear Japanese people sticking to this rule. If you ask them, they probably won’t be able to answer. If you head to a dictionary, you’ll see them listed as の-adjective.
Four words and a million-dollar question: How does that happen?
Don’t feel bad, but don’t be baffled either. It’s something that is very difficult to explain grammatically, even when you’re Japanese. We’ll break down why and how some Japanese adjectives take の before a noun while giving you a handful of vocabulary lists of this tricky subject.
Before we go further, note that this article will mostly use hiragana, so we recommend you take a look at our hiragana chart if you’re still learning the Japanese alphabet. Don’t worry. We’ll still be here when you get back.
Making Things Clear About の-Adjectives
There’s no such thing as の-adjectives. If you see the term ‘の-adjective’ on dictionaries or blogs, it simply refers to nouns that can be modified to adjectives in the English language. A な-adjective describes a quality of a noun. In this case, an ‘adjective’ with a の is used to categorize as another noun.
However, this confusion really makes a lot of people think that there is a new, mythical type of Japanese adjective at play here, which isn’t true. There are only two, and will probably stay like that for a long time (unless a linguistic scholar writes a ground-breaking thesis about it).
An adjectival noun is a noun that can function as an adjective by taking the particle な.
When you run into words that can take either な or の, they are called adjectival nouns. An adjectival noun is a noun that can function as an adjective by taking the particle な. Most adjectival nouns are from Chinese loanwords (kanji), but that’s not always the case. We’ll encounter English-derived Japanese adjectival nouns along the way.
About The の Particle in Japanese Language
For beginners, you’ll hear that the の particle is used to unify a noun with a noun. You can also rely on の to turn other non-noun words into a noun, like 食べるのは (“What I eat”). In short, it’s a versatile modifier.
The relationship between a modifier and a modified noun can be almost anything: ownership, location, time, attribute and condition. You’ll also hear that の indicates a possession.
隣人の犬。 りんじんのいぬ。 Neighbor’s dog.
お母さんの約束。 おかあさんのやくそく。 Mother’s promise.
Pretty simple, right? But here’s the thing: when people hear the word “possession”, they usually think of a tangible object that belongs to something. This isn’t the case in linguistics — or, specifically, the Japanese language. Turns out, possession can also refer to attributes and concepts, which don’t have to be physical. Instead, they should be labeled as “of” something.
の is used when you need to label or categorize a noun, while な is used when you want to describe a noun.
We want you to keep two things in mind from now: の expresses a possession and expression of the relationship between two nouns, but an adjective describes a noun.
Based on these, we’ll continue with an example sentence.
A:何を読んでいますか？ A:なにをよんでいますか A: What are you reading?
B:英語の本を読んでいます。 B:えいごのほんをよんでいます。 B: I’m reading an English book.
It’s obvious that 英語 is exclusively a noun in the Japanese language, but the reply from B (“English book”) can be interpreted in two ways: a book that’s written in English or a book about English.
You can probably tell where this is going. In the Japanese language, which one is more accurate?
The second answer — a book about English — is probably a better fit if we go by the rule. This is because “英語” is an attribute to the “本” (book), and treating it like an adjective-like noun makes more sense.
In other words, the person considers “English” a label or a subcategory of a book they’re reading.
な-Adjectives That Uses な And の Particle
So how does this come into play with the whole な and の adjective? Now that we’ve sorted the function of the の particle, we can establish this: の is used when you need to label a noun or categorize it, while な is used when you want to describe the noun.
田中さんは普通のサラリーマンだ。 かれはふつうのサラリーマンだ。 He is an ordinary salaryman.
田中さんは普通なサラリーマンだ。 かれはふつうなサラリーマンだ。 He is an ordinary salaryman.
Bear with us on these two (almost) identical sentences. The first one uses の, and the second uses な. The word 普通 (ふつう), which means ‘normal’ or ‘ordinary’, can be used with both particles.
In the first sentence, which uses の, we’re not actually describing the quality of Tanaka-san as an ordinary salaryman. What the sentence is telling us is the type of salaryman Tanaka-san is. In this case, 普通 is a label to Tanaka-san, who is categorized as an ordinary salaryman (i.e. a group of salarymen who is distinguished for being normal). In other words, it’s not Tanakaka-san himself who’s ordinary — it’s his job.
In the second sentence that uses な, the word 普通 describes Tanaka-san and not his job. This implies that Tanaka-san is an ordinary person who is, coincidentally, a salaryman.
To sum it up, 普通な (adjective) offers a description of his personality or character, while 普通の (adjectival noun) acts as a category of the noun.
Now that we’ve gotten that across, let’s take a look at two other examples we showed at the beginning.
病気の人を見舞って行きます。 びょうきのひとをみまっていきます。 I am going to visit a sick person.
病気な人を見舞って行きます。 びょうきなひとをみまっていきます。 I am going to visit a sick person.
The same circumstances: two identical words, which are only separated by the の and な particles.
When we talk about being sick, we’ll usually think of a diagnosis: what type of disease a person has, or if they are sick at all. Accordingly, it makes more sense to opt for 病気の is used to label the noun (人) when you want to talk about someone who is objectively sick.
On the other hand,病気な describes the person’s sick personality, rather than modifying the noun through labels. When you say that, it’ll sound as if you’re saying that person is ‘twisted’or mentally sick. Using the な for this particular word can be weird, if not offensive. After all, you’re not going to be happy when someone (who’s not a doctor) said, “You’re sick,” right?
Differences Between の and な Particles to Modify a Noun
Now that we’ve established that の is used to label a noun and な is used to describe a noun, we can take a few points.
When we use な to modify a noun, it becomes more casual or subjective. You’ve seen in the example sentences above that because の fits can fit nouns to a category (and therefore more objective and stiff), な can appear more casual and soft.
の connects a noun and sounds colder, whereas な can embed some of the speaker’s feelings.
Now that we know the function of both particles and their key differences, we can deduct that some Japanese adjectives may tend to use な more — like other typical な-adjectives while some adjectives may tilt to using の.
The basic difference is that な is gradable, while の is absolute. Consider the word 最高(さいこう), which means the “best” or “most”. Officially, 最高 is a な-adjective, but you will see that most dictionaries will use the particle の for example sentences.
最高な作曲家。 さいこうなさっきょくか。 He is the best composer.
最高の作曲家。 さいこうなさっきょくか。 He is the best composer.
These phrases might be confusing if you’re translating them into English. This is why you need to separate English and Japanese and take translations with a grain of salt. After all, best or highest is technically an adjective in English, so how does it suddenly become an adjectival noun?
Think of these ‘adjectives’ as a noun. A noun is absolute and has no grey area. Something either is. Either someone is the best, or they’re not.
Take a horse, for example; it’s either a whole horse or not a horse. It can’t partly be a house — unless we’re talking about the centaur, which isn’t the point here.
Similarly, you cannot say 最高な because being the “best” leaves no room for relativity. You cannot be partly “the best” — you either are or aren’t.
In the first sentence, it feels a bit more like “a composer who is good.” In the second sentence, it tells us that he is the best composer, which feels more universally valid. Other adjectives that imply quantities or degrees are like that, too.
な And の Adjectives Vocabulary List
Most な-adjective will use な, while a few exceptions are most acceptable to be partnered with の. Some, depending on the context and your subjective feeling, tethers between both. Take a look at our table below for some of the exclusive and non-exclusive Japanese adjectives that can function as nouns (adjectival nouns).
If you think you’re missing out on a few な and い adjectives, head to our 100-adjective list.
Japanese Adjectives or Adjectival Nouns That Use の
Kanji
Hiragana
Meaning
本当の
ほんとうの
Really
普通の
ふつうの
Ordinary/normal
一般の
いっぱんの
General
永遠の
えいえんの
Eternal
少しの
すこしの
A little bit
たくさんの
A lot
多くの
おおくの
A lot
他の
ほかの
Other
個別の
こべつの
Individual
最後の
さいごの
Last
最初の
さいしょの
First
最大の
さいだいの
Biggest
最低の
さいていの
Lowest
最高の
さいこうの
The best/the most
大量の
たいりょうの
Large
それぞれの
Each
仲良しの
なかよしの
Close/intimate
緑色の
みどりいろの
Green
黒の
くろの
Black
Japanese Adjectives or Adjectival Nouns That Use な And の
Kanji
Hiragana
Meaning
特別の・な
とくべつの・な
Special
独特の・な
どくとくの・な
Unique/ peculiar
生の・な
なまの・な
Raw, unprocessed
四角の・な
しかくの・な
Square
色々の・な
いろいろの・な
Various
別の・な
べつの・な
Different/separate
高度な・の
こうどの・な
Sophisticated
対等の・な
たいとうの・な
Equal
当然の・な
とうぜんの・な
Obvious
適度の・な
てきどの・な
Mderate
平等の・な
びょうどうの・な
Equal
安全の・な
あんぜんの・な
Safe
不安の・な
ふあんの・な
Unease/worry
病気の・な
びょうきの・な
Sick
元気の・な
げんきの・な
Healthy
美人の・な
びじんの・な
Beautiful
幸せの・な
しあわせの・な
Happy
平和の・な
へいわの・な
Peaceful
な Japanese Adjectives
Kanji
Hiragana
Translation
好きな
すてきな
Like
嫌いな
きらいな
Hate
静かな
しずかな
Quiet
変な
へんな
Weird
大変な
たいへんな
Difficult/serious
無理な
むりな
Impossible
必要な
ひつような
Required
大丈夫な
だいじょうぶな
Fine
ダメな
No good/useless
苦手な
にがてな
Poor
静かな
しずかな
Quiet
すてきな
Lovely/wonderful
Conclusion on な-Adjectives and の-Adjective
We’ll sum it up in one paragraph. There is no such thing as a の-adjective. An ‘adjective’ that uses の to modify another noun is called an adjectival noun. な is used to describe a noun, while の is used to attribute or categorize it.
Save for a few exceptions — the absolute-gradable scale we talked about before — the difference between な and ‘の’ adjectives falls on subjective feeling. It might seem a bit nitpicky, but you’d be surprised how much this semantic trivia can impact the course of a conversation.
Chances are, if you’ve ever been corrected about this, it’s more likely to do your cadence and tone rather than any real technical mistake.
FAQs about な-Adjectives and の-Adjective
What is no adjectives?
There’s no such thing as の-adjectives. If you see the term ‘の-adjective’ on dictionaries or blogs, it simply refers to nouns that can be modified to adjectives in the English language. A な-adjective describes a quality of a noun. In this case, an ‘adjective’ with a の is used to categorize as another noun.
What are the difference between no and na adjectives?
To sum it up, 普通な (adjective) offers a description of his personality or character, while 普通の (adjectival noun) acts as a category of the noun.
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