Hiragana
ひらがな
The rounded, flowing kana. Hiragana writes native Japanese words, grammar endings, and anything without (or alongside) kanji. It's the first script you learn. Each character stands for one syllable.
Katakana
カタカナ
The sharp, angular kana. The same sounds as hiragana, but used for foreign loanwords, names, sound effects, and emphasis. A bit like italics in English.
Gojūon
五十音
The 'fifty sounds'. The basic kana laid out in a grid of five vowels (a i u e o) crossed with consonant rows (k, s, t…). It's the kana syllabary in order, and the layout of the trainer's main board.
Example
か き く け こ. The k-row
Dakuten
濁点
The two small strokes ゛added to a kana's top-right to 'voice' it. Turning a soft sound into a hard one. か (ka) becomes が (ga); さ (sa) becomes ざ (za).
Handakuten
半濁点
The small circle ゜added to the は-row to make the p-sounds. It appears only on は ひ ふ へ ほ, turning them into ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽ.
Yōon
拗音
Contracted sounds made by adding a small ゃ ゅ ょ to an i-row kana, blending two characters into one syllable. き plus a small ゃ becomes きゃ (kya).
On'yomi
音読み
The reading borrowed from Chinese when the kanji was imported. On'yomi usually appear in multi-kanji compound words and are written in katakana in dictionaries. A kanji can have several, from different eras or regions of borrowing.
Example
音 → オン (as in 発音, pronunciation)
Kun'yomi
訓読み
The native Japanese reading assigned to a kanji for its meaning. Kun'yomi often stand alone as whole words and take okurigana (kana endings). The part written with the kanji is shown before the dot, e.g. 生 → い.きる means 生 reads い and きる is okurigana.
Example
読 → よ.む (to read)
Nanori (name reading)
名乗り
A special reading a kanji takes only in personal and place names. Nanori fall outside the standard on/kun set and aren't needed for everyday reading, but help when parsing names.
Example
生 → いく (as a name element)
Uncommon reading
表外読み
A reading that isn't listed in the official 常用漢字表 (jōyō) table for this kanji. It's valid but far rarer than the jōyō readings, so it's shown demoted. You'll meet it only occasionally.
Example
生 → な.る (as in 生す)
Special reading
熟字訓
An irregular reading assigned to a whole multi-kanji word rather than to its individual characters. You can't build 今日 = きょう from the readings of 今 and 日. The reading belongs to the word.
Example
明日. あす (tomorrow), not 明[めい] + 日[にち]
Pictographic
象形文字
A pictograph. A stylised picture of the thing it means, the oldest kind of kanji. You can often still see the drawing in the modern shape.
Example
山. Three peaks → mountain
Indicative
指事文字
A simple ideograph. An abstract sign that points at a concept rather than picturing a thing. Numbers and positions work this way; the mark shows the idea.
Example
上. A mark above the line → up
Compound ideograph
会意文字
A compound ideograph. Two or more meaning-elements combined so their senses fuse into a new one. 明 = 日 (sun) + 月 (moon) → bright; 林 = two 木 (trees) → woods.
Example
休. 人 (person) + 木 (tree) → rest
Phono-semantic
形声文字
A phono-semantic compound. One part gives the meaning, the other the sound. About 80% of kanji are formed this way. 河 = 氵 (water, meaning) + 可 (ka, sound).
Example
晴. 日 (sun, meaning) + 青 (sei, sound)
Radical
部首
The official classifying component (部首) a kanji is filed under in dictionaries. One of the 214 traditional radicals. It usually hints at the meaning, and it's the key traditionally used to look a kanji up by hand.
Example
氵 (water) in 海・河・泳. All water-related
Phonetic component
音符
A component that lends its sound rather than its meaning. In a phono-semantic kanji (about 80% of them), one part hints at the reading while another carries the meaning. Spotting the phonetic often tells you how a new kanji is pronounced.
Example
青 (せい) in 晴・清・請. All read せい
Jōyō kanji
常用漢字
One of the 2,136 'regular-use' kanji the government lists for everyday reading and writing. Taught through school and assumed in newspapers and official documents. The core set worth learning first. Shown with a coloured border.
Jinmeiyō kanji
人名用漢字
One of the ~860 'name-use' kanji approved for people's names but outside the everyday jōyō set. You'll meet these mostly in personal and place names. Shown with a purple border.
Example
凜 (りん). Dignified
Other kanji
表外字
A kanji outside both the jōyō and jinmeiyō lists (表外字, 'outside the tables'). Still used in specialist, literary or historical writing, but rare in everyday text. Shown with a neutral border.
Example
薔 (as in 薔薇. Rose)
Noun
名詞
A word that names a person, place, thing or idea. Japanese nouns don't change for number or gender, and there are no articles like 'a' or 'the'.
Pronoun
代名詞
A word that stands in for a noun, like 'I', 'you' or 'this'. Japanese uses pronouns far less than English. The subject is usually dropped when it's clear from context.
Counter & numbers
助数詞
Japanese counts things with a number plus a counter word that matches the kind of object. Flat things, long things, animals and so on. Plain number words live here too.
Example
三匹 (さんびき). Three (small animals)
Name
固有名詞
A proper name. A given name, surname, place, company or other named entity. These come from Shirabe's dedicated name dictionary rather than the general word list.
Example
田中 (たなか). Tanaka (surname)
Verb
動詞
An action or state-of-being word. Japanese verbs come at the end of the clause and conjugate for tense, politeness and negation. But never for person or number.
Example
食べる (たべる). To eat
Ichidan verb
一段動詞
A 'group 2' verb with a stable stem: drop the final る and add endings directly. Most verbs ending in -iru or -eru are ichidan, which makes them the easy ones to conjugate.
Godan verb
五段動詞
A 'group 1' verb whose final sound shifts across the five vowel rows as it conjugates. The largest and most varied verb group.
Example
飲む (のむ). To drink
Suru verb
する動詞
A noun that becomes a verb by adding する ('to do'). A hugely productive pattern. Most borrowed and abstract actions work this way.
Example
勉強する (べんきょうする). To study
Transitive verb
他動詞
A verb that acts on a direct object, marked with を. It often has an intransitive twin. For example 開ける (to open something) pairs with 開く (to open by itself).
Example
開ける (あける). To open (something)
Intransitive verb
自動詞
A verb that describes something happening on its own, with no direct object. Its subject is marked with が.
Example
開く (あく). (something) opens
Adjective
形容詞
A word that describes a noun. Japanese has two main kinds (い-adjectives and な-adjectives) that conjugate differently, plus a few rarer types that simply attach to a noun.
I-adjective
い形容詞
An adjective ending in い that conjugates on its own (including for past tense and negation) without needing です to do the work. Also called keiyoushi.
Example
高い (たかい). Tall, expensive
Na-adjective
な形容詞
An adjective that takes な to attach to a noun and otherwise behaves much like a noun. Also called keiyodoshi or adjectival noun.
Non-past
辞書形・現在形
The dictionary form. Present and future tense in one. It's how words are listed here, and the base every other form is built from. Plain on its own; add ます for the polite form.
Example
食べる (たべる). Eat, will eat
Past
過去形・た形
Says something already happened. Plain past ends in た or だ (the 'ta-form'); the polite past swaps ます for ました. The same form also makes the conditional and the 〜たり list.
Te-form
て形
The connector form, ending in て or で. It joins clauses ('do this and…'), makes requests with 〜てください, and powers the continuous 〜ている and many other patterns. The single most useful form to master.
Example
食べて (たべて). Eat and…, please eat
Progressive
〜ている
The て-form followed by いる. It can describe an action in progress, a continuing state, or the result of a completed change; context and the verb decide which reading fits.
Example
今、食べている (いま、たべている). Eating now
Provisional (~eba)
仮定形・ば形
An 'if/when' conditional ending in 〜ば, used for general or hypothetical conditions. 'if you do X, then Y'. Often paired with the potential to mean 'if only…'.
Example
食べれば (たべれば). If (one) eats
Potential
可能形
Expresses ability. 'can do' or 'is able to'. The object it acts on is usually marked with が rather than を. Ichidan verbs and 〜られる also overlap with the passive.
Example
食べられる (たべられる). Can eat
Passive
受身形
Recasts the sentence so the action is done to the subject. 'is eaten', 'was told'. Japanese also uses it for the 'suffering passive', where something happens to your detriment.
Example
食べられる (たべられる). Is eaten
Causative
使役形
Means make or let someone do something. Endings in 〜せる / 〜させる. The person made to act is marked with を or に depending on nuance.
Example
食べさせる (たべさせる). Make/let (someone) eat
Causative-passive
使役受身形
The causative and passive stacked together. 'was made to do' something, usually unwillingly. Built from the causative plus the passive ending.
Example
食べさせられる (たべさせられる). Was made to eat
Volitional
意向形・意志形
The 'let's' / 'shall we' form expressing intention or invitation. Plain ends in 〜おう / 〜よう; the polite version is 〜ましょう. Add と思う to say 'I think I'll…'.
Example
食べよう (たべよう). Let's eat
Imperative
命令形
A blunt command. 'eat!', 'do it!'. Strong and rough, mostly heard in orders, signs, sports and rendered speech; everyday requests use 〜てください instead.
Conditional (~tara)
条件形・たら形
The 〜たら conditional, built from the past form. The most flexible 'if/when'. 'once X happens, then Y'. Works for specific one-off situations where 〜ば feels too general.
Example
食べたら (たべたら). If/when (one) eats
Alternative (~tari)
並列形・たり形
Lists representative actions without implying order. 'do things like A and B'. Built from the past form plus り, usually ending the list with する.
Example
食べたり (たべたり). Eating (among other things)
Continuative (~i)
連用形・ます形
The verb stem you reach by dropping ます. The joint that builds polite forms, 〜たい (want to), 〜ながら (while), compound verbs and noun-like uses.
Example
食べ (たべ). Eat- (stem)
Heiban
平板型
The flat pattern. The first mora is low, then the pitch rises and stays high to the end. With no drop, even on a following particle. The most common accent type.
Example
日本語 (にほんご). Japanese
Atamadaka
頭高型
The head-high pattern. The first mora is high, then the pitch drops immediately after it and stays low. The accent always falls on the first mora.
Nakadaka
中高型
The middle-high pattern. The pitch rises after the first mora, then drops somewhere in the middle. The accent lands on neither the first nor the last mora.
Example
お菓子 (おかし). Sweets
Odaka
尾高型
The tail-high pattern. The pitch rises and stays high to the final mora, then drops on whatever follows. So the accent is only audible when a particle is attached.
Usually kana
仮名書き
Normally written in kana even though a kanji spelling exists. The kanji is rare in everyday text.
Abbreviation
略語
A shortened form of a longer word or phrase.
Colloquial
口語
Informal language of everyday conversation, rather than writing or formal speech.
Slang
俗語
Very informal language, often tied to a particular group or generation.
Vulgar
Crude or obscene language; use with care.
Derogatory
Expresses contempt or a low opinion of someone or something.
Honorific
尊敬語
Respectful language (sonkeigo) that raises the person you're speaking about.
Humble
謙譲語
Humble language (kenjougo) that lowers yourself to show respect to the listener.
Polite
丁寧語
Polite language (teineigo), such as the です／ます style, used to be courteous to the listener.
Familiar
Casual language used with people you're close to; it can sound rude to strangers.
Feminine
女性語
Language typically used by women.
Masculine
男性語
Language typically used by men.
Archaic
Old language no longer in everyday use, though still met in classical texts and set phrases.
Obsolete
A word or sense that has fallen out of use entirely.
Rare
Seldom used. You'll meet it occasionally, but it isn't the everyday choice.
Jocular
Humorous or playful language, meant as a joke.
Euphemistic
婉曲
A mild or indirect word standing in for one that is harsh, blunt or taboo.
Onomatopoeic
擬音・擬態語
A sound-symbolic word. Mimicking a sound (giongo) or evoking a state or feeling (gitaigo).
Four-character idiom
四字熟語
A set idiomatic compound of four kanji, often with a figurative meaning.
Proverb
諺
A short, well-known saying that expresses a general truth or piece of advice.
Idiomatic
慣用句
A set phrase whose meaning isn't obvious from the individual words.
Children's language
児童語
Baby-talk. Words used by, or when speaking to, young children.
Poetic
詩的表現
Language of poetry and literary style. Elevated, figurative or archaic-sounding wording you meet more in verse and prose than in speech.
Dated
古風
An older term that still turns up, but feels out of date in modern speech. More recent than archaic, less dead than obsolete.
Formal
文語・改まった言い方
Formal or literary language. Suited to writing, speeches and careful speech rather than casual conversation.
Historical
歴史用語
A term tied to a past era, institution or practice. Still useful for reading history, but not everyday modern vocabulary.
Internet slang
ネットスラング
Slang that grew online (chat, forums, social media) and may still feel informal or niche off the internet.
Manga slang
漫画スラング
Informal wording typical of manga and anime dialogue. Playful, exaggerated or subculture-flavoured.
Sensitive
差別語・要注意
A term that can offend or touch on delicate topics. Race, disability, death and the like. Use carefully, or prefer a neutral alternative.
Name / entity
固有名詞
A proper name or named entity rather than a common word: a person, place, company, work of art, product, character, and similar. The chip names the subtype (company, place, work…); treat it as a label for that entity, not everyday vocabulary to study as a word.
Adverb
副詞
A word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. Describing how, when or to what degree something happens.
Particle
助詞
A short grammatical marker that shows a word's role in the sentence. Subject, object, topic, direction and so on. Particles are the glue of Japanese grammar.
Example
を. Marks the direct object
Conjunction
接続詞
A word that links clauses or sentences, like 'and', 'but' or 'so'.
Interjection
感動詞
An exclamation or filler that expresses emotion or reaction, standing apart from the sentence's grammar.
Expression
表現
A fixed phrase, idiom or set expression whose meaning is best learned as a whole rather than word by word.
Example
お早う (おはよう). Good morning
Prefix
接頭辞
An element attached to the front of a word to change its meaning, like お for politeness or 不 for negation.
Example
お茶 (おちゃ). (honorific) tea
Suffix
接尾辞
An element attached to the end of a word to change its meaning or role, like 〜的 ('-ish/-al') or the honorific 〜さん on a name.
Example
本屋 (ほんや). Bookshop (〜屋 = shop)
Auxiliary
助動詞
A helper word that attaches to a verb or adjective to add meaning. Tense, negation, politeness, desire and so on.
Example
〜たい. Want to (do)
i+1
A sentence at your level with just one unknown word. From Stephen Krashen's idea of comprehensible input. You learn a language best from messages you mostly understand, stretched by a little new material (i + 1). Here, every other content word is already in your deck, so the highlighted word is the one worth learning.
Example
その難題は簡単です。. If 難題 is the only word you don't know
