Learn Japanese Vocabulary

In this section we’re going to focus on the basics of Japanese vocabulary. There are a lot of things to learn, so we break everything down into sets to study one at a time. We find that when your vocabulary is learned with related words it is often easier to remember what those words are. Despite our help in organizing this information for you, you still have to study before you can practice.

How to Study Japanese Vocabulary

Japanese vocabulary acquisition is all about study and practice. You get out what you put in. The hard part for many people is structuring their study time and ensuring they are doing deliberate practice. We recommend that you study in chunks followed by practice to solidify your studying. Try to devote at least 15 minutes to study and practice a day, but the more you practice the faster you’ll learn.

A Basic Study Routine

  • Read through a single vocabulary set and familiarize yourself with the words and their meanings.
  • Without looking at the set, try and recall all the English words you just reviewed.
  • Review the set and see what you’re forgetting, making a mental note.
  • Without looking at the set, try and recall as many Japanese words as you can.
  • Review the set and make a mental note of what you forgot.
  • Finally run through the set one last time reviewing both the Japanese and English meanings.
  • Head over to vocabulary practice and put your memory to the test. The tool has instant feedback and automatically holds all your missed words. Run through the set and continue practicing what you missed until you get them all right.
  • Repeat practice daily until you can do a whole set without missing any, then move on to the next set.

While this routine seems very simple, it’s very effective. The more time you put in the easier it gets, but the real value of the tools is that you can practice as much or as little as you like without having to manage checking yourself. Instant feedback and fast repetition will help you study much more effectively.

Japanese Vocabulary Sets

Starter Set

45 words

Family

26 words

School

21 words

Food

26 words

countries

8 words

Animals

3 words

Ichidan Verbs 1

10 words

Godan Verbs 1

20 words