JLPT N3 Vocabulary: Complete List & Practice Guide

2025/10/24

Master JLPT N3 vocabulary with our complete list and learning tips. This guide covers everything you need to know about the 3,750 essential vocabulary words required to pass N3, and proven practice methods to retain them. 

Whether you’re building your foundation or refining your skills, discover how to learn Japanese vocabulary that sticks in your memory.

Is JLPT N3 Considered Fluent?

No, JLPT N3 is not considered fluent. The JLPT officially defines N3 as “the ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree”. This distinction matters because the JLPT measures knowledge, not usage. You can pass N1 without speaking or listening actively, while true fluency requires confidence using the language across contexts.

For everyday situations, JLPT 3 vocabulary suffices. But for genuine fluency, you need N2 combined with active practice through immersion and real usage.

How Many JLPT N3 Vocabulary Words Should You Know?

To pass JLPT N3, you need to know approximately 3,750 vocabulary words. This marks a significant jump from N4 and N5 levels.

JLPT N3 vocabulary spans specific domains: 

• Business and work environments
• Social events and relationships
• Current affairs and news
• Health and lifestyle

You’ll need to master verbs, adjectives, and nouns related to everyday and professional life. Beyond individual words, you’ll grasp particles and advanced grammar patterns. Common expressions and idioms are equally essential for both formal and casual contexts.

How to Learn JLPT N3 Vocabulary Efficiently

Spending time reviewing only your JLPT N3 vocabulary lists without context rarely leads to real Japanese improvement. The approach you choose matters far more than the volume of words you memorize : 

• Combine all four skills : Mix reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Study grammar patterns alongside vocabulary, especially honorifics which appear frequently in JLPT N3 exams.
• Learn vocabulary by interest : Study words related to your passions, not generic vocabulary list only. This keeps motivation high and ensures relevance.
• Immerse daily without rigidity : Change your phone language, apps, and social media to Japanese. Write shopping lists and planner notes in Japanese, … 
• Use real content : Read manga, watch dramas with subtitles, listen to podcasts. 
• Speak with native speakers : Engage with native or N1 speakers to expose yourself to advanced vocabulary and usage patterns.
• Set flexible goals : Aim for 10-15 new words when you study. 

Learning JLPT N3 vocab becomes truly useful only when embedded in sentences you actually use, content you genuinely care about, and interactions with real speakers.

Full JLPT N3 Vocabulary List to Download

Discover our JLPT N3 Kanji List and JLPT N3 Grammar article to complete your preparation.

#	Japanese	Kana	English
2	あいにく		unfortunately
3	あした		tomorrow
4	あちこち		here and there
5	あっ		(interjection)
6	ありがとう		thank you
7	あるいは		or, possibly
8	あんなに		to that extent
9	あんまり		not very, remainder
10	いい		good
11	いずれ		eventually
12	いただきます		expression before meals
13	いち		market
14	いつか		someday
15	いつでも		always, at all times
16	いつまでも		forever
17	いつも		always
18	いらいら		irritation
19	いわゆる		so-called
20	うなる		to groan
21	うまい		delicious
22	うるさい		noisy, fussy
23	うん（感）		fortune, luck
24	おそらく		maybe
25	おまえ		you (casual, rough)
26	おめでとう		congratulations!
27	おや		parents
28	およそ		approximately
29	お腹	おなか	stomach
30	かなり		fairly, quite
31	かもしれない		perhaps
32	かわいそう		pitiable
33	かわいらしい		lovely
34	がっかり		disappointed
35	がら		pattern/handle (ambiguous, multiple meanings)
36	きつい		tight, intense
37	ぐっすり		sound asleep
38	これら		these
39	こんにちは		hello, good day
40	ごめんなさい		sorry
41	さっぱり		feeling refreshed, neatly, clearly
42	さて		now then
43	ざっと		roughly
44	しかも		moreover, furthermore
45	しきりに		frequently, eagerly
46	したがって		therefore
47	しばしば		often
48	しまう		to finish
49	しまった		Damn it! (interjection)
50	じっと		firmly, patiently
51	すごい		amazing, terrific
52	すてき		lovely, dreamy
53	ずっと		throughout
54	そう		so
55	そこで		so, accordingly
56	そして		and
57	そっくり		exactly like, identical
58	そっと		quietly, gently
59	その		that (determiner)
60	そのうち		eventually
61	そのまま		as it is, unchanged
62	それ		(interjection, pronoun)
63	それぞれ		each
64	それと		and then, also
65	それとも		or, or else
66	た		other
67	ただ		only
68	たった		only, merely
69	たっぷり		full, plenty
70	たとえ		even if
71	たびたび		repeatedly
72	だから		so, therefore
73	だけど		however
74	ちゃんと		properly
75	つまり		in short, in brief
76	で		(particle)
77	できる		to be able to
78	できれば		if possible
79	では		then, well
80	でも		but, however
81	ところが		however
82	ところで		by the way
83	どう		how
84	どうしても		no matter what
85	どこか		somewhere
86	どんな		what kind of
87	どんなに		how much
88	なかなか		very, considerably, not easily (with negative)
89	なぜなら		because
90	にっこり		smile sweetly
91	のんびり		carefree
92	はあ		(interjection)
93	ばったり		with a crash, suddenly
94	ぴったり		perfectly
95	ふと		suddenly, unexpectedly
96	ぼんやり		absent-mindedly, vaguely
97	まあ		you might say
98	まさか		no way
99	まさに		exactly
100	ますます		increasingly
101	また		again, and
102	まだ		still, yet
103	まるで		entirely
104	みません		sorry, excuse me
105	むしろ		rather
106	もしも		if
107	もちろん		of course
108	もっとも		natural, most reasonable
109	やがて		soon
110	やはり		still, also, after all
111	やや		a little, somewhat
112	ゆっくり		slowly
113	よい		good, nice, pleasant
114	より		more (comparison)
115	よると		according to
116	よろしく（感）		best regards, properly
117	わがまま		selfishness
118	わざと		on purpose
119	アイロン		iron
120	アルバム		album
121	インク		ink
122	オフィス		office
123	カー		car
124	カード		card
125	キャンプ		camp
126	クラシック		classical music
127	クリスマス		Christmas
128	クリーム		cream
129	グラス		glass
130	グランド		grand, ground, gland
131	グループ		group
132	ケチ		stingy person
133	ケース		case
134	コンピューター		computer
135	コード		code,cord,chord
136	ゴール		goal
137	ジーンズ		jeans
138	スイッチ		switch
139	スキー		skiing
140	スタイル		style
141	スピーチ		speech
142	スープ		soup
143	セット		set
144	センター		center
145	ソファー		sofa,couch
146	タオル		towel
147	ダイヤ		diagram, diamond, schedule
148	チャンス		chance,opportunity
149	チーズ		cheese
150	チーム		team
151	テント		tent
152	デモ		demonstration
153	デート		date (romantic)
154	トップ		top
155	トラック		truck
156	トランプ		playing cards
157	トンネル		tunnel
158	ノック		knock
159	ノー		no
160	ハイキング		hiking
161	ハンサム		handsome
162	バン		bun,van
163	パイプ		pipe, tube
164	パス		pass, path
165	パーセント		percent
166	ビデオ		video
167	ピクニック		picnic
168	プラス		plus
169	プラン		plan
170	プロ		professional
171	ベルト		belt
172	ペンキ		paint (loanword from Dutch)
173	ホーム		platform
174	ボーイ		boy
175	ボート		boat
176	ボール		ball,bowl
177	マスター		bar owner, master
178	マーケット		market
179	ミス		mistake, Miss
180	ミルク		milk
181	メモ		memorandum
182	ユーモア		humor
183	ライター		lighter, writer
184	ラケット		racketse
185	ワイン		wine
186	一人一人	ひとりひとり	one by one, each
187	一家	いっか	family, household
188	一層	いっそう	much more
189	一度に	いちどに	all at once
190	一生	いっしょう	whole life
191	一番	いちばん	best, number one
192	一瞬	いっしゅん	moment, instant
193	一致	いっち	agreement
194	一言	ひとこと	single word
195	七	しち・なな	seven
196	上	かみ	(1) first volume, (2) superior quality, (3) governmental
197	上京	じょうきょう	proceeding to the capital (Tokyo)
198	上等	じょうとう	superior
199	上達	じょうたつ	improvement, advance, progress
200	下	げ	under, below, beneath
201	下す	おろす	to lower
202	不	ふ	negative prefix
203	不利	ふり	disadvantageous
204	不安	ふあん	anxiety
205	不思議	ふしぎ	mystery
206	不正	ふせい	injustice
207	不満	ふまん	dissatisfaction, displeasure, discontent, complaints, unhappiness
208	不自由	ふじゆう	inconvenience, disability
209	与える	あたえる	to give
210	世の中	よのなか	society, the world
211	世紀	せいき	century
212	世話	せわ	looking after, help, aid, assistance
213	世間	せけん	society
214	中	ちゅう	inside,middle,among
215	中古	ちゅうこ	secondhand
216	中央	ちゅうおう	centre, central, center, middle
217	中学	ちゅうがく	middle school
218	中心	ちゅうしん	center, core
219	丸	まる	circle, full (month), perfection, purity, suffix for ship names
220	主張	しゅちょう	claim, assertion
221	主義	しゅぎ	principle
222	九	きゅう	nine
223	予報	よほう	forecast
224	予期	よき	expectation
225	予測	よそく	prediction, estimation
226	予算	よさん	estimate, budget
227	予防	よぼう	prevention
228	事	こと	thing, matter
229	事務	じむ	office work
230	事情	じじょう	circumstances
231	二十	はたち	20 years old
232	互い	たがい	each other, mutual
233	人工	じんこう	artificial
234	人気	にんき	popularity, sign of life
235	人生	じんせい	human life
236	人込み	ひとごみ	crowd
237	人間	にんげん	human being
238	人類	じんるい	mankind, humanity
239	今にも	いまにも	any moment
240	今回	こんかい	this time
241	今後	こんご	from now on,hereafter
242	今日	こんにち	today
243	仏	ほとけ	Buddha,the dead
244	他	ほか	other
245	他人	たにん	another person, unrelated person, outsider, stranger
246	付き合い	つきあい	association, socializing, fellowship
247	付ける	つける	to attach, to join, to add, to append
248	代表	だいひょう	representative
249	代金	だいきん	price
250	以前	いぜん	before, ago

Best JLPT N3 Vocabulary Books for Complete Practice

Building JLPT 3 vocab requires resources that go beyond word lists. The following books offer distinct angles: some prioritize breadth through topical organization while test-focused materials prepare you for exam conditions.

The Best Vocabulary Builder for the JLPT N3

This Japan Times publication arranges over 2,100 essential words across 18 subject areas. The accompanying digital tool provides audio for each entry, so you absorb JLPT N3 vocabulary through multiple sensory channels rather than passive reading. Since words are grouped by theme, you can strategically target vocabulary relevant to your daily life or professional context.

Buy the book 

2000 Essential JLPT N3 Vocabulary

Ideal for learners who study on-the-go, this compact guide fits into a bag or pocket without adding weight. It presents approximately 2,000 words sorted by 12 contexts. Supplementary audio files and web-based assessments extend learning beyond the printed format, giving you multiple ways to validate understanding.

Buy the book

JLPT N3 Vocabulary Test Book

Once foundational vocabulary sticks, exam-style practice becomes critical. These workbooks eliminate explanation and focus entirely on application under time pressure.

JLPT N3 Mock Test

JLPT N3 Mock Test reconstructs the full exam experience with timed question blocks. By treating practice sessions like actual test days, you discover your pacing vulnerabilities and build stamina. Answer keys exist, though detailed reasoning behind correct answers isn’t always provided.

Buy the book 

JLPT N3 Taisaku-mondai 

JLPT N3 Taisaku-mondai & Yoten-seiri uses authentic Japanese source material, notices to teach vocabulary within genuine communication contexts. The book also covers sound symbolism, fixed expressions, and linking words that textbooks typically omit.

Buy the book

Master JLPT N3 Vocabulary with Online Lessons

Self-study handles vocabulary volume, but guided instruction accelerates how words stick and transfer to real usage. Online instructors pinpoint your specific JLPT N3 vocabulary gaps and present words within authentic exam contexts. 

Specialized Japanese teachers familiar with JLPT patterns expose you to vocabulary as it actually appears on the test, showing nuances you might miss alone. Customized lessons at platforms like Nihongo Online School target JLPT 3 vocabulary systematically across kanji, grammar, and idiomatic expressions. 

Learn JLPT N3 vocabulary with structured online courses

Best Anki Decks for JLPT N3 Vocabulary Practice

Anki’s spaced repetition system makes JLPT N3 vocabulary retention efficient. Here are the most reliable JLPT N3 vocabulary anki decks for building your foundation.

N3 Tango Deck

Based on established textbooks, this deck teaches vocabulary through I+1 sentences. Each sentence contains only one new word alongside material you’ve already learned. This prevents isolated memorization and reinforces vocabulary naturally. It covers the full range of vocabulary you’ll encounter on the test.

N3 Tango Deck 

Pass JLPT N3 Vocabulary 

The highest-rated option on AnkiShared, this deck has helped countless learners pass N3. It provides straightforward vocabulary drilling with audio for listening exposure alongside visual recognition.

Pass JLPT N3 Vocabulary 

Core 2.3K Deck

This deck organizes vocabulary by frequency in media rather than newspapers alone, giving you words actually used in everyday contexts. It defaults to Japanese→English cards, forcing genuine comprehension instead of translation guessing.

Core 2.3K Deck

Top YouTube Channels for JLPT N3 Vocabulary Practice

YouTube accelerates JLPT N3 vocabulary acquisition through immersive listening and exposure. 

日本語の森 (Nihongo no Mori)

This channel has a full JLPT N3 playlist covering vocabulary systematically. Videos progress through N3 material, making it straightforward to follow structured learning rather than random content scattered across the platform.

Nihongo no Mori Channel 

Japanese with Yuka

Teaches vocabulary entirely in Japanese with no subtitles. She has a dedicated playlist of short videos examining individual JLPT N3 vocabulary terms with clear explanations. 

Japanese with Yuka Channel

Easy Japanese Podcast

Speaks at natural pace without complicated sentence structures. Topics remain grounded in everyday situations, reinforcing JLPT N3 vocabulary you’ll encounter in real conversation. 

Easy Japanese Podcast Channel