N5 · 44 words

School and study in Japanese

The classroom, the things on the desk and the verbs of learning.

Practise this list

From these 44 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

Most of these words are compounds of two kanji, and many share one: 教(おし)える and 教室(きょうしつ), 漢字(かんじ) and 文字(もじ). Two things trip English speakers up. 先生(せんせい) is a title as well as a noun — you address your teacher as 田中(たなか)先生(せんせい) — but you do not use it of yourself, unless you are a teacher talking to small children. And 勉強(べんきょう)する is studying in general, while 習(なら)う is learning from somebody: you 習(なら)う the piano from a teacher and 勉強(べんきょう)する for a test.

The words

Verb (4)

答(こた)えるto answerVerbN5

先生(せんせい)の質問(しつもん)に日本語(にほんご)で答(こた)えました。I answered the teacher's question in Japanese.

The question takes に: 質問(しつもん)に答(こた)える.

教(おし)えるto teach; to tellVerbN5

姉(あね)は中学校(ちゅうがっこう)で数学(すうがく)を教(おし)えています。My older sister teaches maths at a junior high school.

Also to tell or show: 道(みち)を教(おし)えてください, please tell me the way.

習(なら)うto learn (from someone)VerbN5

子供(こども)のとき、ピアノを習(なら)いました。I learned the piano as a child.

Learning from a teacher; learning on your own is 勉強(べんきょう)する.

覚(おぼ)えるto memorise; to rememberVerbN5

先生(せんせい)の名前(なまえ)をもう覚(おぼ)えましたか。Have you learned the teacher's name yet?

覚(おぼ)えています means you still remember something.

Noun (37)

勉強(べんきょう)studyNounN5

毎晩(まいばん)一時間(いちじかん)日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)します。I study Japanese for an hour every evening.

Also a verb: 勉強(べんきょう)する.

先生(せんせい)teacherNounN5

山田(やまだ)先生(せんせい)の授業(じゅぎょう)はいつも面白(おもしろ)いです。Yamada-sensei's lessons are always interesting.

Also a title after a name, for teachers, doctors and lawyers — not used of yourself.

学生(がくせい)studentNounN5

私(わたし)は大学(だいがく)の学生(がくせい)です。I am a university student.

Mainly university students; school pupils are 生徒(せいと).

教室(きょうしつ)classroomNounN5

教室(きょうしつ)で食(た)べないでください。Please do not eat in the classroom.

Also a course in a hobby: 料理(りょうり)教室(きょうしつ), a cookery class.

クラスclassNounN5

日本語(にほんご)のクラスは月曜日(げつようび)と木曜日(もくようび)です。The Japanese class is on Mondays and Thursdays.

宿題(しゅくだい)homeworkNounN5

今日(きょう)は宿題(しゅくだい)がたくさんあります。I have a lot of homework today.

辞書(じしょ)dictionaryNounN5

分(わ)からない言葉(ことば)は辞書(じしょ)で調(しら)べます。I look up words I do not know in the dictionary.

ノートnotebook; exercise bookNounN5

ノートに名前(なまえ)を書(か)いてください。Please write your name in your exercise book.

A laptop is ノートパソコン; a short note you write down is メモ.

質問(しつもん)questionNounN5

何(なに)か質問(しつもん)がありますか。Do you have any questions?

Also a verb: 質問(しつもん)する.

答(こた)えanswerNounN5

答(こた)えは三番(さんばん)です。The answer is number three.

問題(もんだい)question (in a test); problemNounN5

この問題(もんだい)は難(むずか)しいです。This question is difficult.

テストtestNounN5

明日(あした)、漢字(かんじ)のテストがあります。There is a kanji test tomorrow.

漢字(かんじ)kanji, Chinese charactersNounN5

毎日(まいにち)漢字(かんじ)を五(いつ)つ覚(おぼ)えます。I learn five kanji every day.

ひらがなhiraganaNounN5

名前(なまえ)をひらがなで書(か)いてください。Please write your name in hiragana.

カタカナkatakanaNounN5

外国(がいこく)から来(き)た言葉(ことば)はカタカナで書(か)きます。Words that came from abroad are written in katakana.

言葉(ことば)word; languageNounN5

この言葉(ことば)はどういう意味(いみ)ですか。What does this word mean?

本(ほん)bookNounN5

図書館(としょかん)で本(ほん)を二冊(にさつ)借(か)りました。I borrowed two books from the library.

Counted with 〜冊(さつ).

教科書(きょうかしょ)textbookNounN4

教科書(きょうかしょ)の二十(にじゅう)ページを開(ひら)いてください。Please open your textbooks at page twenty.

鉛筆(えんぴつ)pencilNounN5

鉛筆(えんぴつ)で書(か)いてもいいですか。May I write in pencil?

Counted with 〜本(ほん), like other long, thin things.

ペンpenNounN5

すみません、ペンを貸(か)してください。Excuse me, could you lend me a pen?

消(け)しゴムrubber; eraserNounN5

消(け)しゴムを忘(わす)れました。I have forgotten my rubber.

紙(かみ)paperNounN5

紙(かみ)を一枚(いちまい)ください。Could I have a sheet of paper, please?

Counted with 〜枚(まい), like other flat things.

文(ぶん)sentenceNounN4

短(みじか)い文(ぶん)を三(みっ)つ書(か)いてください。Please write three short sentences.

黒板(こくばん)blackboardNounN5

黒板(こくばん)の字(じ)がよく見(み)えません。I cannot see the writing on the blackboard very well.

休(やす)み時間(じかん)break (between lessons)NounN4

休(やす)み時間(じかん)に友達(ともだち)と話(はな)します。I talk with my friends during the break.

日本語(にほんご)Japanese (the language)NounN5

日本語(にほんご)は難(むずか)しいですが、面白(おもしろ)いです。Japanese is difficult, but interesting.

英語(えいご)English (the language)NounN5

英語(えいご)で話(はな)してもいいですか。May I speak in English?

外国語(がいこくご)foreign languageNounN4

外国語(がいこくご)を勉強(べんきょう)するのは楽(たの)しいです。Studying foreign languages is fun.

作文(さくぶん)composition; essayNounN4

日本語(にほんご)で作文(さくぶん)を書(か)きました。I wrote an essay in Japanese.

発音(はつおん)pronunciationNounN4

日本語(にほんご)の発音(はつおん)はあまり難(むずか)しくありません。Japanese pronunciation is not very difficult.

文字(もじ)letter; character; writing systemNounN4

この文字(もじ)は小(ちい)さくて読(よ)めません。These letters are too small to read.

読(よ)み方(かた)reading (of a word); how to readNounN4

この漢字(かんじ)の読(よ)み方(かた)を教(おし)えてください。Please tell me how to read this kanji.

〜方(かた) after a verb stem means "the way of doing it": 書(か)き方(かた), how to write it.

例(れい)exampleNounN4

例(れい)を見(み)てから、答(こた)えてください。Look at the example first, then answer.

ページpageNounN5

次(つぎ)のページを見(み)てください。Please look at the next page.

日本(にほん)JapanNounN5

日本(にほん)の夏(なつ)は暑(あつ)いです。Summer in Japan is hot.

話(はなし)talk; storyNounN5

面白(おもしろ)い話(はなし)を聞(き)きました。I heard an interesting story.

外国(がいこく)foreign country; abroadNounN5

外国(がいこく)に行(い)ったことがありますか。Have you ever been abroad?

i-adjective (2)

Grammar for these: i-adjectives · na-adjectives

難(むずか)しいdifficulti-adjectiveN5

この本(ほん)は少(すこ)し難(むずか)しいです。This book is a little difficult.

易(やさ)しいeasyi-adjectiveN5

この問題(もんだい)は易(やさ)しいです。This question is easy.

Often written in kana. A different word from 優(やさ)しい, kind, though it sounds the same.

Suffix (1)

〜年生(ねんせい)year (at school or university)SuffixN5

弟(おとうと)は今(いま)、三年生(さんねんせい)です。My younger brother is in his third year now.

一年生(いちねんせい) is a first-year, at any school.

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This list belongs to School, university and research — five lists and 207 words that can also be practised as a whole.

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