N4 vocabulary: the list by theme
Two hundred and four new words, taking the running total to 485. Same thematic organization as the N5 list, but the content of the themes shifts considerably.
At N5 vocabulary names things: home, food, numbers. At N4 it starts describing situations and states of mind, and verbs take over from nouns.
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What changes compared with N5
The one-to-one match with objects in the world disappears. N4 words describe compound actions, states and degrees: 用意する, 心配, 都合. They are harder to picture and easier to confuse with each other, which is why they have to be learned inside a sentence rather than alone.
Verbs become the majority
At this level most of the new vocabulary is verbs, and each brings its conjugation along. Learning 覚える without being able to put it into the て form or the past is of little use: word and grammar stop being two separate studies.
The look-alike pairs
N4 is full of close words that English translates the same way: 見る and 見える, 聞く and 聞こえる, 思う and 考える. The difference isn't in the meaning but in who controls the action — one of the things a list alone cannot teach you.
How far this vocabulary takes you
With 485 words you can follow a simple conversation on everyday topics, read the instructions on a form and get the gist of an announcement. Nuance stays out of reach: the difference between saying a thing and saying it gracefully is N3 vocabulary.
The 204 words, by theme
Under each word, the kana reading where it is needed. The themes are the N5 ones where the vocabulary extends, plus the new ones that only appear at this level.
Time & Frequency
People & Family
Home & Objects
City, Transport & Places
School, Work & Society
Food & Shopping
Nature, Weather & Environment
Body, Health & Emotions
Adjectives N4
Adverbs N4
Expressions & Connectors
Quantities, Counters & Measures
Clothing & Materials
Travel & Leisure
Media & Communication
Administration & Money
Verbs N4 · 1
Verbs N4 · 2
Headwords attested against JMdict (© EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0) and the Jōyō list. Translations, thematic grouping and level classification are Yukigo's own.
Take the list with you
The PDF is made for printing: grouped by theme, with readings and meanings, to keep in sight while you study.
485 words need a system
By now review weighs more than new study. Yukigo brings each word back just before it slips, inside real sentences, with audio and handwriting. Free and ad-free.
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Frequently asked questions
The most cited estimates say around 1,500 cumulative words. This list gathers the thematic core of our path: 485 words across N5 and N4, on top of which come those you learn inside the kanji and the grammar.
Yes, and not for the exam: many N4 words are built from N5 ones, and without that base they stay strings to memorize instead of words to recognize.
Because at this level you move from naming things to recounting what happens. It is also why new words are best studied alongside conjugation rather than before it.
At ten a day, three weeks to see them all once. But at this level reviewing what you have already seen takes more time than studying the new, and that has to be budgeted for.
It grows sharply: estimates speak of around 3,750 cumulative words. That is the level where vocabulary stops being organizable by concrete themes.