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What Are the Top 100 Basic Japanese Words? Have you learned hiragana and katakana? You can step up your Japanese learning game by learning basic Japanese words and vocabulary.
We have selected the top 100 Basic Japanese words you need to know and sorted them into eight lists. If you think you’ve mastered them, head to our top 101 basic Japanese adverbs to make your conversation more interesting and dynamic.
This blog is meant to help you learn the words to form basic Japanese sentences with these basic Japanese words.
Coto Academy is a Japanese language school located in Tokyo and Yokohama. With its small class sizes and flexible course schedule, we ensure the students find their community here in Japan and learn practical and useful daily-life Japanese by focusing on conversational practice.
A Quick Jump To…
Basic Japanese Words for Greetings
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| おはようございます | Ohayou gozaimasu | Good morning |
| こんにちは | Konnichiwa | Hello/ good afternoon |
| こんばんは | Konbanwa | Good evening |
| おやすみなさい | Oyasuminasai | Goodnight |
| ありがとうございます | Arigatou gozaimasu | Thank you |
| すみません | Sumimasen | Excuse me/ sorry |
| ごめんなさい | Gomennasai | Sorry |
| はい | Hai | Yes |
| いいえ | Iie | No |
Basic Japanese Words for People
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| わたし | Watashi | I/me |
| あなた | Anata | You |
| お母さん | おかあさん Okaasan | Mother |
| お父さん | おとうさん Otousan | Father |
| お爺さん | おじいさん Ojiisan | Grandfather |
| お婆さん | おばあさん Obaasan | Grandmother |
| おじさん | Ojisan | Uncle |
| おばさん | Obasan | Aunt |
| お兄さん | おにいさん Oniisan | Older brother |
| お姉さん | おねえさん Oneesan | Older sister |
| 弟 | おとうと Otouto | Younger brother |
| 妹 | いもうと Imouto | Younger sister |
Basic Japanese Numbers
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| 一 | いち Ichi | One |
| 二 | に Ni | Two |
| 三 | さん San | Three |
| 四 | し/よん Shi/yon | Four |
| 五 | ご Go | Five |
| 六 | ろく Roku | Six |
| 七 | しち/なな Shichi/nana | Seven |
| 八 | はち Hachi | Eight |
| 九 | きゅう Kyuu | Nine |
| 十 | じゅう Juu | Ten |
Months
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| 一月 | いちがつ Ichigatsu | January |
| 二月 | にがつ Nigatsu | February |
| 三月 | さんがつ Sangatsu | March |
| 四月 | しがつ Shigatsu | April |
| 五月 | ごがつ Gogatsu | May |
| 六月 | ろくがつ Rokugatsu | June |
| 七月 | しちがつ Shichigatsu | July |
| 八月 | はちがつ Hachigatsu | August |
| 九月 | くがつ Kugatsu | September |
| 十月 | じゅうがつ Juugatsu | October |
| 十一月 | じゅういちがつ Juuichigatsu | November |
| 十二月 | じゅうにがつ Juunigatsu | December |
Days of the Week & Times of the Day
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| 月曜日 | げつようび Getsuyoubi | Monday |
| 火曜日 | かようび Kayoubi | Tuesday |
| 水曜日 | すいようび Suiyoubi | Wednesday |
| 木曜日 | もくようび Mokuyoubi | Thursday |
| 金曜日 | きんようび Kinyoubi | Friday |
| 土曜日 | どようび Doyoubi | Saturday |
| 日曜日 | にちようび Nichiyoubi | Sunday |
| 昨日 | きのう Kinou | Yesterday |
| 今日 | きょう Kyou | Today |
| 明日 | あした Ashita | Tomorrow |
| 朝 | あさ Asa | Morning |
| 昼 | ひる Hiru | Noon |
| 夕方 | ゆうがた Yuugata | Evening |
| 夜 | よる Yoru | Night |
Adjectives
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| 楽しい | たのしい Tanoshii | Happy |
| 悲しい | かなしい Kanashii | Sad |
| 高い | たかい Takai | High/expensive |
| 低い | ひくい Hikui | Low |
| 安い | やすい Yasui | Cheap |
| 早い | はやい Hayai | Fast/early |
| 遅い | おそい Osoi | Slow |
| 忙しい | いそがしい Isogashii | Busy |
| 美味しい | おいしい Oishii | Delicious |
| 不味い | まずい Mazui | Awful |
| 甘い | あまい Amai | Sweet |
| 塩っぱい | しょっぱい Shoppai | Salty |
| 酸っぱい | すっぱい Suppai | Sour |
| 苦い | にがい Nigai | Bitter |
| 辛い | からい Karai | Hot/ spicy |
| 熱い | あつい Atsui | Hot |
| 暖かい | あたたかい Atatakai | Warm |
| 冷たい | つめたい Tsumetai | Cold |
| 明るい | あかるい Akarui | Bright |
| 暗い | くらい Kurai | Dark |
Verbs
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| する | Suru | To do |
| 見る | みる Miru | To see |
| 聞く | きく Kiku | To listen |
| 話す | はなす Hanasu | To talk/speak |
| 言う | いう Iu | To say |
| 書く | かく Kaku | To write |
| 食べる | たべる Taberu | To eat |
| 飲む | のむ Nomu | To drink |
| 歩く | あるく Aruku | To walk |
| 走る | はしる Hashiru | To run |
| 座る | すわる Suwaru | To sit |
| 立つ | たつ Tatsu | To stand |
Food
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| 食べ物 | たべもの Tabemono | Food |
| 飲み物 | のみもの Nomimono | Drinks |
| ご飯 | ごはん Gohan | Rice/meal |
| 水 | みず Mizu | Water/cold water |
| お湯 | おゆ Oyu | Hot water |
| 肉 | にく Niku | Meat |
| 野菜 | やさい Yasai | Vegetable |
| 魚 | さかな Sakana | Fish |
| ラーメン | Ra-men | Ramen |
| 寿司 | すし Sushi | Sushi |
| おにぎり | Onigiri | Onigiri |
For the next step after learning these basic Japanese words, equip yourself with basic Japanese grammar.
If you wish to have a short-term study in Tokyo, Check out our 3-month intensive Japanese courses. Also, feel free to send us an inquiry if you have any questions!
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