100 Basic Japanese Words for Beginners (A1)
🇯🇵 Japanese · 100 cards · A1 · by Haruka Sato
This is the list I give students who have just finished hiragana and want to say something real. Greetings first, then people, question words, places, food, everyday objects, time, adjectives, and the fifteen verbs you will use every single day.
Where a word is written in kanji I show the kanji with its kana reading in brackets, plus romaji — at the start you need all three. Read the notes too: Japanese splits things English keeps together (暑い for hot weather but 熱い for hot tea, いる for people but ある for objects, 高い for both expensive and tall). Learn the whole example sentence, not just the word. That is where the grammar sticks.
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How to use this deck
Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.
The Reji iPhone app is being rebuilt and returns to the App Store soon.
All 100 cards
| # | Japanese | Pronunciation | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | はい Also used as "here you are" when handing something over, and as "I'm listening" on the phone — it is not always agreement. | hai | yes | はい、分かりました。 Yes, understood. | |
| 2 | いいえ Fairly formal. In casual speech people say ううん or いや. | iie | no | いいえ、違います。 No, that's not right. | |
| 3 | こんにちは Written with は but pronounced "wa". Used roughly from late morning to early evening. | konnichiwa | hello, good afternoon | こんにちは、いい天気ですね。 Hello, nice weather, isn't it? | |
| 4 | おはよう Casual. Add ございます (おはようございます) for anyone above you or at work. | ohayō | good morning | おはよう、よく寝た？ Morning — did you sleep well? | |
| 5 | こんばんは は is pronounced "wa" here too. | konbanwa | good evening | こんばんは、遅くなってすみません。 Good evening, sorry I'm late. | |
| 6 | ありがとう Casual. Polite version: ありがとうございます — use the long form with strangers and in shops. | arigatō | thank you | 手伝ってくれてありがとう。 Thanks for helping me. | |
| 7 | すみません The most useful word in the language: it gets attention, apologises, and thanks someone for the trouble they took. | sumimasen | excuse me, sorry, thanks | すみません、ちょっといいですか。 Excuse me, do you have a moment? | |
| 8 | ごめんなさい Apology only, never "excuse me". Casual short form: ごめん. | gomen nasai | I'm sorry | 遅れてごめんなさい。 Sorry I'm late. | |
| 9 | お願いします Literally "I make a request". Used when ordering, asking for something, or handing over a task. | onegai shimasu | please | コーヒーを一つお願いします。 One coffee, please. | |
| 10 | さようなら Sounds formal or final. Friends say じゃあね or またね instead. | sayōnara | goodbye | さようなら、また来週。 Goodbye, see you next week. | |
| 11 | はじめまして Only at a first meeting. Almost always followed by よろしくお願いします. | hajimemashite | nice to meet you | はじめまして、よろしくお願いします。 Nice to meet you — I look forward to working with you. | |
| 12 | いただきます No real English equivalent; it thanks everyone involved in the meal. After eating, say ごちそうさまでした. | itadakimasu | thank you for the food (said before eating) | じゃあ、いただきます。 Right then — let's eat. | |
| 13 | 私（わたし） Neutral and safe for everyone. Men often use 僕 (boku) casually. Japanese drops the pronoun whenever it is obvious. | watashi | I, me | 私は日本語を勉強しています。 I'm studying Japanese. | |
| 14 | あなた Use sparingly — it can sound distant or too direct, and some wives use it to their husbands. Normally use the person's name + さん. | anata | you | これ、あなたにあげる。 This is for you. | |
| 15 | 人（ひと） Read じん in compounds: 日本人 (nihonjin) = a Japanese person. | hito | person, people | 人がたくさん並んでいる。 A lot of people are queuing. | |
| 16 | 名前（なまえ） Say お名前 when asking about someone else's name: お名前は？ | namae | name | 彼の名前を忘れてしまった。 I've completely forgotten his name. | |
| 17 | 友達（ともだち） Same form for one friend or many. | tomodachi | friend | 週末は友達と会います。 I'm meeting a friend at the weekend. | |
| 18 | 家族（かぞく） Someone else's family is ご家族. | kazoku | family | 家族は四人です。 There are four people in my family. | |
| 19 | お母さん（おかあさん） When talking about your own mother to an outsider, say 母 (haha). | okāsan | mother, mum | お母さんに電話した？ Did you call your mum? | |
| 20 | お父さん（おとうさん） Talking about your own father to an outsider: 父 (chichi). | otōsan | father, dad | お父さんはお元気ですか。 Is your father well? | |
| 21 | 子供（こども） Often written 子ども in newspapers and school materials. | kodomo | child, children | 公園で子供が遊んでいる。 Children are playing in the park. | |
| 22 | 先生（せんせい） Also used for doctors and lawyers. Never use it about yourself. | sensei | teacher | 先生に質問があります。 I have a question for the teacher. | |
| 23 | 何（なに） Becomes なん before です and counters: 何ですか (nan desu ka), 何時 (nanji). | nani | what | 今、何をしていますか。 What are you doing right now? | |
| 24 | 誰（だれ） 誰の = whose (誰の傘ですか). Polite alternative: どなた. | dare | who | あの人は誰ですか。 Who is that person? | |
| 25 | どこ Polite alternative: どちら. | doko | where | 駅はどこですか。 Where is the station? | |
| 26 | いつ Normally used with no particle after it. | itsu | when | いつ日本に来ましたか。 When did you come to Japan? | |
| 27 | どう Polite: どうですか. Very formal: いかがですか. | dō | how, how about | 新しい仕事はどう？ How's the new job? | |
| 28 | いくら Price only. For quantity or duration use どのくらい. | ikura | how much (price) | これ、いくらですか。 How much is this? | |
| 29 | どうして なぜ is more formal and written; なんで is the casual spoken one. | dōshite | why | どうして遅れたの？ Why were you late? | |
| 30 | 家（いえ） うち also means home, with more of a "my place / my household" feeling. | ie | house, home | もう家に着きました。 I've already got home. | |
| 31 | 学校（がっこう） Note the small っ: hold the k briefly — gak-kō. | gakkō | school | 子供たちは学校に行きました。 The children went to school. | |
| 32 | 会社（かいしゃ） 会社員 (kaishain) = company employee, the standard answer to "what's your job?" | kaisha | company, office | 会社まで電車で三十分です。 It's thirty minutes to the office by train. | |
| 33 | 駅（えき） Station names attach directly: 東京駅 (Tōkyō-eki). | eki | station | 駅の前で待っています。 I'll be waiting in front of the station. | |
| 34 | 店（みせ） お店 sounds softer and is what most people say in conversation. | mise | shop, store | あの店のパンはおいしい。 The bread at that shop is delicious. | |
| 35 | 病院（びょういん） Don't mix it up with 美容院 (biyōin), a hair salon. | byōin | hospital, clinic | 熱があるので病院へ行きます。 I have a fever, so I'm going to the clinic. | |
| 36 | 部屋（へや） Used for rooms in a home and for hotel rooms. | heya | room | 部屋がちょっと寒いです。 The room is a bit cold. | |
| 37 | トイレ Katakana loanword. お手洗い is the polite version; note that in Japanese you "borrow" a toilet. | toire | toilet, restroom | トイレを借りてもいいですか。 May I use the toilet? | |
| 38 | 町（まち） 街 (also machi) is used for a busy city district. | machi | town | この町は静かで住みやすい。 This town is quiet and easy to live in. | |
| 39 | 水（みず） 水 implies cold water; hot water is お湯 (oyu). In restaurants say お水. | mizu | water | 冷たい水が飲みたい。 I want to drink some cold water. | |
| 40 | お茶（おちゃ） Means green tea by default. Black tea is 紅茶 (kōcha). | ocha | tea | 食後にお茶を飲みます。 I drink tea after meals. | |
| 41 | コーヒー Both vowels are long — kō-hī. Say it short and you won't be understood. | kōhī | coffee | 毎朝コーヒーを二杯飲む。 I drink two cups of coffee every morning. | |
| 42 | ご飯（ごはん） Means both rice and a meal: 朝ご飯 breakfast, 晩ご飯 dinner. | gohan | cooked rice, meal | もうご飯食べた？ Have you eaten yet? | |
| 43 | パン From Portuguese pão, not English "pan". | pan | bread | 朝はパンとサラダだけです。 In the morning it's just bread and salad. | |
| 44 | 肉（にく） 牛肉 beef, 豚肉 pork, 鶏肉 chicken. | niku | meat | 今日は肉より魚がいい。 Today I'd rather have fish than meat. | |
| 45 | 魚（さかな） Read ぎょ in compounds, e.g. 金魚 (kingyo, goldfish). | sakana | fish | 猫に魚をあげた。 I gave the cat some fish. | |
| 46 | 野菜（やさい） Japanese has no plural: 野菜 covers one vegetable or vegetables in general. | yasai | vegetables | 野菜をもっと食べたほうがいいよ。 You should eat more vegetables. | |
| 47 | 果物（くだもの） Irregular reading. フルーツ is also common, especially on menus. | kudamono | fruit | 果物の中でいちごが一番好き。 Of all fruit, I like strawberries best. | |
| 48 | 卵（たまご） Written 玉子 on many menus for cooked egg dishes. | tamago | egg | 卵が一つも残っていない。 There isn't a single egg left. | |
| 49 | 食べ物（たべもの） Drinks are 飲み物 (nomimono), built the same way from 飲む. | tabemono | food | 好きな食べ物は何ですか。 What's your favourite food? | |
| 50 | 本（ほん） Also the counter for long thin things: ペン一本 (pen ippon). | hon | book | 図書館で本を借りた。 I borrowed a book from the library. | |
| 51 | 車（くるま） 自動車 (jidōsha) is the formal or written word. | kuruma | car | 車で駅まで送るよ。 I'll drive you to the station. | |
| 52 | 電話（でんわ） 電話する = to make a call. A mobile is 携帯 (keitai) or スマホ (sumaho). | denwa | telephone, phone call | あとで電話するね。 I'll call you later. | |
| 53 | お金（おかね） Almost always said with the polite お; 金 on its own sounds blunt. | okane | money | 今日はお金がない。 I've got no money today. | |
| 54 | 服（ふく） 洋服 (yōfuku) means Western-style clothes, i.e. normal everyday clothes. | fuku | clothes | その服、よく似合ってるね。 Those clothes really suit you. | |
| 55 | 靴（くつ） Counted in pairs with 足: 靴一足 (kutsu issoku). | kutsu | shoes | 玄関で靴を脱いでください。 Please take your shoes off at the entrance. | |
| 56 | かばん Usually written in kana (the kanji 鞄 is rare). バッグ is used for handbags. | kaban | bag | かばんが重くて肩が痛い。 My bag is heavy and my shoulder hurts. | |
| 57 | 傘（かさ） 傘をさす = to put up an umbrella. | kasa | umbrella | 電車に傘を忘れた。 I left my umbrella on the train. | |
| 58 | 時計（とけい） One word covers both. 腕時計 (udedokei) = wristwatch. | tokei | clock, watch | その時計、少し進んでるよ。 That clock is running a bit fast. | |
| 59 | 鍵（かぎ） 鍵をかける = to lock. Often written カギ on signs. | kagi | key, lock | 鍵をかけるのを忘れないで。 Don't forget to lock up. | |
| 60 | 今（いま） 今すぐ = right this second; 今から = from now on. | ima | now | 今、電車の中です。 I'm on the train right now. | |
| 61 | 今日（きょう） Irregular reading — the two kanji are not read separately. | kyō | today | 今日はどこにも行かない。 I'm not going anywhere today. | |
| 62 | 明日（あした） Also read あす (asu) in news and formal speech. | ashita | tomorrow | 明日の朝、迎えに行くね。 I'll come and pick you up tomorrow morning. | |
| 63 | 昨日（きのう） Another irregular reading; さくじつ exists but sounds very formal. | kinō | yesterday | 昨日はよく眠れなかった。 I didn't sleep well last night. | |
| 64 | 朝（あさ） 毎朝 (maiasa) = every morning. | asa | morning | 朝は六時に起きます。 I get up at six in the morning. | |
| 65 | 夜（よる） 夜中 (yonaka) is the middle of the night; 今夜 (konya) is tonight. | yoru | night, evening | 夜は静かになる。 It gets quiet at night. | |
| 66 | 毎日（まいにち） No particle needed after it. Same 毎 in 毎週, 毎月, 毎年. | mainichi | every day | 毎日三十分歩いています。 I walk for thirty minutes every day. | |
| 67 | 時間（じかん） Also the counter for hours: 二時間 (nijikan) = two hours. | jikan | time, hours | 時間がないから急ごう。 There's no time, let's hurry. | |
| 68 | 天気（てんき） お天気 sounds a little softer and warmer in conversation. | tenki | weather | 明日の天気、どうかな。 I wonder what tomorrow's weather will be like. | |
| 69 | 雨（あめ） Same kana as 飴 (candy) but different pitch: rain is high–low, candy low–high. | ame | rain | 雨が降ってきた。 It's started to rain. | |
| 70 | いい Irregular: past よかった, negative よくない. 良い／よい is the written form. | ii | good, fine, okay | それ、いい考えだね。 That's a good idea. | |
| 71 | 悪い（わるい） 悪い！ on its own is a casual "my bad", used mostly by men. | warui | bad | 今日は体調が悪い。 I'm not feeling well today. | |
| 72 | 大きい（おおきい） Spelled おおきい with two お, not おうきい. | ōkii | big, large | もっと大きいサイズはありますか。 Do you have a bigger size? | |
| 73 | 小さい（ちいさい） Spelled ちいさい with two い. | chiisai | small | この靴はちょっと小さい。 These shoes are a bit small. | |
| 74 | 新しい（あたらしい） Watch the syllable order: a-ta-ra-shii, not a-ra-ta-shii. | atarashii | new | 新しいスマホがほしい。 I want a new phone. | |
| 75 | 古い（ふるい） Never used for a person's age — for that say 年を取っている. | furui | old (things) | この建物はとても古いです。 This building is very old. | |
| 76 | 高い（たかい） One word for price and for height. Opposites: 安い for price, 低い for height. | takai | expensive, tall, high | このかばんは高すぎる。 This bag is too expensive. | |
| 77 | 安い（やすい） Not an insult like English "cheap"; poor quality is 安っぽい. | yasui | cheap, inexpensive | 駅前のスーパーは安いよ。 The supermarket by the station is cheap. | |
| 78 | 暑い（あつい） 熱い (same reading) is for hot objects and drinks; 暑い is only for air temperature. | atsui | hot (weather) | 今年の夏は本当に暑い。 This summer is really hot. | |
| 79 | 寒い（さむい） 冷たい is cold to the touch — 冷たい水, but 寒い日. | samui | cold (weather) | 外は寒いから上着を着て。 It's cold outside, so put a jacket on. | |
| 80 | おいしい うまい is the casual equivalent, used mostly by men. | oishii | delicious, tasty | このラーメン、すごくおいしい。 This ramen is really good. | |
| 81 | 楽しい（たのしい） Describes the activity. For your own happy feeling use うれしい. | tanoshii | fun, enjoyable | 昨日のパーティーは楽しかった。 Yesterday's party was fun. | |
| 82 | 忙しい（いそがしい） Used for people, not places; a crowded shop is 混んでいる. | isogashii | busy | 今週はずっと忙しいです。 I'm busy all this week. | |
| 83 | かわいい Used for animals, things, clothes and people. The kanji 可愛い exists but kana is normal. | kawaii | cute, sweet | その猫、かわいいね。 That cat is cute, isn't it? | |
| 84 | 元気（げんき） な-adjective: 元気な人. 元気？ is the everyday "how are you?" between friends. | genki | well, healthy, energetic | 元気がないね、大丈夫？ You seem down — are you okay? | |
| 85 | 好き（すき） A な-adjective, not a verb, and it takes が, not を. 大好き = really like. | suki | to like, fond of | 甘いものが好きです。 I like sweet things. | |
| 86 | する Irregular (します, した). Turns nouns into verbs: 勉強する, 電話する. | suru | to do | 週末は何もしなかった。 I did nothing at the weekend. | |
| 87 | 行く（いく） Irregular te-form: 行って (itte), not いいて. | iku | to go | 今から買い物に行く。 I'm going shopping now. | |
| 88 | 来る（くる） Irregular: 来ます (kimasu), 来ない (konai), 来た (kita) — the reading changes. | kuru | to come | 友達が家に来ます。 A friend is coming over to my place. | |
| 89 | いる For living things. Objects take ある. | iru | to be, there is (people, animals) | 今どこにいるの？ Where are you right now? | |
| 90 | ある The negative is ない, not あらない. | aru | to be, there is, to have (things) | 机の上に手紙がある。 There's a letter on the desk. | |
| 91 | 食べる（たべる） Regular る-verb: 食べます, 食べない, 食べて. | taberu | to eat | 朝ご飯を食べる時間がなかった。 I didn't have time to eat breakfast. | |
| 92 | 飲む（のむ） Medicine is "drunk" in Japanese, even tablets. 飲みに行く = to go out drinking. | nomu | to drink, to take (medicine) | 薬を飲みましたか。 Did you take your medicine? | |
| 93 | 見る（みる） 観る (same reading) is often used for films, plays and sports. | miru | to see, watch, look at | 昨日、映画を見ました。 I watched a film yesterday. | |
| 94 | 聞く（きく） Also means "ask": 道を聞く = to ask the way. | kiku | to listen, hear, ask | 音楽を聞きながら走る。 I run while listening to music. | |
| 95 | 読む（よむ） Potential form 読める (yomeru) = can read. | yomu | to read | 漢字がまだ読めません。 I can't read kanji yet. | |
| 96 | 書く（かく） 描く (also kaku) means to draw — same sound, different kanji. | kaku | to write | メールを書いているところです。 I'm in the middle of writing an email. | |
| 97 | 買う（かう） 買い物 (kaimono) = shopping. Past tense 買った (katta). | kau | to buy | コンビニで飲み物を買おう。 Let's buy drinks at the convenience store. | |
| 98 | 言う（いう） Written いう but usually pronounced "yū". | iu | to say | もう一度言ってください。 Please say that once more. | |
| 99 | 分かる（わかる） Takes が, not を. わかった on its own means "got it". | wakaru | to understand, to know | 意味が分かりません。 I don't understand the meaning. | |
| 100 | 寝る（ねる） 寝る is going to bed; 眠る (nemuru) is actually being asleep. | neru | to sleep, to go to bed | もう遅いから寝るね。 It's late, so I'm off to bed. |
Haruka Sato
Native Japanese · Speaks English, Korean
Osaka-born, Tokyo-based. I help English speakers get past hiragana into real conversation. Every card has kanji, kana and romaji, because you need all three at the start.
Published
Questions about this deck
- Do I really need the kanji at A1 level?
- You don't need to write them, but you should recognise them. Words like 水, 駅, 今日 and 店 are everywhere on signs, menus and train displays, and they almost never appear in romaji. Each card gives the kanji with the kana reading in brackets, so learn to recognise the shape first and leave handwriting until later.
- Why do some words start with お, like お茶, お金 and お願いします?
- That お (or ご) is a politeness prefix. With some words it has fused so completely that dropping it sounds rough: お金, お茶, お風呂 and お店 are said with お in normal conversation. With others it is optional and just adds softness, like お名前 or お天気. When in doubt, copy the form on the card.
- What is the difference between ある and いる?
- Both mean "there is / exists". いる is for living, moving things — people and animals. ある is for objects, plants, buildings and abstract things like time or plans. So 猫がいる (there's a cat) but 本がある (there's a book). ある also has an irregular negative: ない, not あらない.
- Is 100 words enough to have a simple conversation?
- These 100 words cover greetings, family, question words, places, food, time, fifteen core verbs and the most common adjectives — enough to order food, ask where something is, ask a price and talk about your day. Add the ～ます form and the particles は, を, に, で and が, and you can hold a basic A1 conversation.
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