Daily Words

Learn a new word a day for Japanese success!

Today’s Words

Jan 26, 2025
N5
ばん
Definition
many, all
N4
おれい、おんれい
Definition
thanks, gratitude, manners, etiquette, bow, reward, gift, ceremony, ritual
N3
にちよう
Definition
Sunday
N2
なぐる
Definition
to strike, to hit
N1
さんぷく
Definition
hillside, mountainside

Daily Word History

January 25

N5

窗、牖
まど
window
N4

降りる

下りる
v1
vi
おりる
to descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to come down; to alight (e.g. from bus); to get off; to disembark; to dismount; to step down; to retire; to give up; to quit; to be granted; to be issued; to be given; to form (of frost, dew, mist, etc.); to be passed (from the body; e.g. of a roundworm)
N3

day of month; counter for days
N2

慰める

v1
vt
なぐさめる
to comfort; to console; to amuse
N1

産婦人科

さんふじんか
maternity and gynaecology department (gynecology); department of obstetrics and gynaecology (gynecology)

January 24

N5

マッチ

マッチ
match (contest); to match with; to go well with
N4

泳ぎ方

およぎかた
way of swimming
N3

握る

にぎる
to clasp; to grasp; to grip; to clutch; to make (nigirizushi, rice ball, etc.); to form; to press into shape; to mold; to mould; to seize (power, etc.); to take hold of
N2

仲良し

仲好し、仲よし、仲好
なかよし
intimate friend; close friend; bosom buddy; chum
N1

賛美

讚美、讃美
さんび
praise; adoration; glorification

January 23

N5

真っ直ぐ

真っ直、真っすぐ、真直ぐ、真すぐ
まっすぐ
straight (ahead); direct; upright; erect; straightforward; honest; frank
N4

しん
intimacy; closeness; friendliness; close relative; pro- (e.g. pro-American, pro-Japanese, etc.)
N3

苦手

にがて
poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at); dislike (of); difficult to deal with
N2

中指

なかゆび、ちゅうし
middle finger; long finger; second finger; tall finger; middle toe; third toe
N1

賛成

さんせい
approval; agreement; support; favour; favor

January 22

N5

待つ

俟つ
まつ
to wait; to await; to look forward to; to anticipate; to depend on; to need
N4

おもて
surface; face (i.e. the visible side of an object); front (of a building, etc.); obverse side (i.e. "head") of a coin; outside; exterior; appearance; public; first half (of an innings); top (of an inning); cover (for tatami mats, etc.); foreground
N3

匂い

臭い、匂
におい
odour; odor; scent; smell; stench; aura; whiff; smacks of ...; sense; flavour; flavor
N2

中身

中味
なかみ
contents; interior; substance; filling; (sword) blade
N1

参上

さんじょう
calling on; visiting

January 21

N5

まち、ちょう
town; block; neighbourhood; neighborhood; street; road; 109.09 m; 0.99 hectares
N4

玩具

翫具
おもちゃ、がんぐ、オモチャ
toy; plaything
N3

似合う

にあう
to suit; to match; to become; to be like
N2

中身

中味
なかみ
contents; interior; substance; filling; (sword) blade
N1

参照

さんしょう
reference; bibliographical reference; consultation; browsing (e.g. when selecting a file to upload on a computer); checking out

January 20

N5

マダ

マダ
linden (tree)
N4

思う

想う、念う、憶う、懐う、惟う
おもう
to think; to consider; to believe; to think (of doing); to plan (to do); to judge; to assess; to regard; to imagine; to suppose; to dream; to expect; to look forward to; to feel; to desire; to want; to recall; to remember
N3

何とか

なんとか
something; something or other; so-and-so; somehow; anyhow; one way or another
N2

長引く

長びく
ながびく
to be prolonged; to drag on
N1

産出

さんしゅつ
yield; produce

January 19

N5

マダ

マダ
linden (tree)
N4

思い出す

思いだす、おもい出す、思出す
おもいだす
to recall; to remember; to recollect
N3

何でも

なんでも
any; whatever one likes; by all means; anything; everything; I am told; I understand; they say; I hear
N2

仲直り

なかなおり
reconciliation; make peace with
N1

産後

さんご
postpartum; after childbirth

January 18

N5

拙い

つたない、まずい
poor-quality; shoddy; crude; unskillful; inexpert; maladroit; inept; foolish; clumsy; unlucky
N4

お土産

御土産
おみやげ、おみあげ
present; souvenir
N3

何て

adv
なんて
how ..!; what ..!; what (questioning)
N2

長い

永い
ながい
long (distance); long (time); lengthy
N1

参議院

さんぎいん
House of Councillors

January 17

N5

曲がる

曲る
まがる
to bend; to curve; to warp; to wind; to twist; to turn; to be awry; to be askew; to be crooked
N4

お見舞い

お見舞、御見舞い、御見舞
おみまい
calling on someone who is ill; enquiry; inquiry
N3

なわ
rope; cord; policeman's rope
N2

治す

直す
なおす
to cure; to heal; to fix; to correct; to repair; to do over again (after -masu base of verb); to replace; to put back as it was; to convert (into a different state); to transform
N1

桟橋

棧橋
さんばし、さんきょう
wharf; bridge; jetty; pier

January 16

N5

前、先き
さき
previous; prior; former; some time ago; preceding; point (e.g. pencil); tip; end; nozzle; head (of a line); front; ahead; the other side; the future; hereafter; destination; the other party
N4

お祭り

お祭、御祭り、御祭
おまつり
festival; feast; carnival
N3

成る

為る
なる
to become; to get; to grow; to be; to reach; to attain; to result in; to prove to be; to consist of; to be composed of; to succeed; to be complete; to change into; to be exchanged for; to play a role; to be promoted; to do ...
N2

ナイロン

ナイロン
nylon
N1

産休

さんきゅう
maternity leave

January 15

N5

毎晩

まいばん
every night
N4

驚く

愕く、駭く
おどろく
to be surprised; to be astonished
N3

為る

する
to do; to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into); to serve as; to act as; to work as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.); to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as; to decide on; to choose; to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.); to be (in a state, condition, etc.); to be worth; to cost; to pass (of time); to elapse; verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs"); creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go"); to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to
N2

内線

ないせん
phone extension; indoor wiring; inner line
N1

山岳

山嶽
さんがく
mountains

January 14

N5

毎年

n-t
まいとし、まいねん
every year; yearly; annually
N4

踊る

おどる
to dance (orig. a hopping dance)
N3

悩む

v5m
なやむ
to be worried; to be troubled
N2

内科

ないか
internal medicine, i.e. treatment by medical procedures rather than surgical procedures; department of internal medicine (hospital, etc.)
N1

酸化

さんか
oxidation; oxidization

January 13

N5

毎日

まいにち
every day
N4

踊り

おどり
dance
N3

泪、涕
なみだ、なだ、なんだ
tear; tears; lachrymal secretion; sympathy
N2

丼ぶり
どんぶり、どん
porcelain bowl; bowl of rice with food on top
N1

さん

suf
さん
Mr.; Mrs.; Miss; Ms.; -san; makes words more polite (usu. in fixed expressions)

January 12

N5

毎週

まいしゅう
every week
N4

落とす

落す
おとす
to drop; to lose; to let fall; to shed (light); to cast (one's gaze); to pour in (liquid); to leave behind; to clean off (dirt, makeup, paint, etc.); to remove (e.g. stains or facial hair); to lose; to spend money at a certain place; to omit; to leave out; to secretly let escape; to lose (a match); to reject (an applicant); to fail (a course); to defeat (in an election); to lower (e.g. shoulders or voice); to lessen (e.g. production or body weight); to worsen (quality); to reduce (e.g. rank or popularity); to speak badly of; to make light of; to fall into straitened circumstances; to fall into (e.g. a dilemma or sin); to make one's own; to have one's bid accepted; to force surrender; to take (e.g. an enemy camp or castle); to forcefully convince; to press for a confession; to deal with; to download; to copy from a computer to another medium; to make someone swoon (judo); to finish a story (e.g. with the punch line); to finish (a period, e.g. of fasting)
N2

トレーニング

トレーニング
training
N1

さん
acid; sourness; sour taste

January 11

N5

毎月

まいつき、まいげつ
every month; each month; monthly
N4

おと、ね、おん
sound; noise; report; note; fame; Chinese-derived character reading
N3

怠ける

懶ける
v1
vi
vt
なまける
to be idle; to slacken; to neglect (e.g. one's work)
N2

捕る

獲る
とる
to take; to catch; to capture
N1

障る

さわる
to hinder; to interfere with; to affect; to do one harm; to be harmful to

January 10

N5

毎朝

まいあさ、まいちょう
every morning
N4

お釣り

御釣り、御釣
おつり
change (i.e. money); balance
N3

初心、産、生
うぶ
innocent; naive; unsophisticated; inexperienced; green; wet behind the ears; birth-
N2

採る

とる
to adopt (measure, proposal); to pick (e.g. fruit); to catch (e.g. insects); to take (e.g. a sample); to assume (attitude); to take on (i.e. hire); to engage
N1

爽やか

さわやか
fresh; refreshing; invigorating; clear; fluent; eloquent

January 09

N5

奔騰

ほんとう
price jump; boom
N4

夫、具
つま
wife; my dear; dear; honey; garnish (esp. one served with sashimi); embellishment
N3

初心、産、生
うぶ
innocent; naive; unsophisticated; inexperienced; green; wet behind the ears; birth-
N2

取り出す

取出す、取りだす、とり出す
とりだす
to take out; to produce; to pick out; to fetch; to retrieve
N1

攫う

掠う
さらう
to carry off; to run away with; to kidnap; to abduct; to monopolize; to make one's own

January 08

N5

本棚

ほんだな
bookshelves; bookshelf; bookcase
N4

仰っしゃる

仰る、仰しゃる、仰有る
おっしゃる
to say; to speak; to tell; to talk
N3

なべ
saucepan; pot; stew; hot pot
N2

取り消す

取消す
とりけす
to cancel; to withdraw; to retract; to take back (words, etc.); to revoke
N1

左様なら

int
さようなら
good-bye

January 07

N5

本、素、基
もと
origin; source; base; basis; foundation; root; cause; ingredient; material; (somebody's) side; (somebody's) location; original cost (or capital, principal, etc.); (plant) root; (tree) trunk; first section of a waka; counter for blades of grass, tree trunks, etc., and for falcons (in falconry); handle (chopsticks, brush, etc.); grip
N4

落ちる

堕ちる、墜ちる、落る
v1
vi
おちる
to fall down; to drop; to fall (e.g. rain); to sink (e.g. sun or moon); to fall onto (e.g. light or one's gaze); to be used in a certain place (e.g. money); to be omitted; to be missing; to decrease; to sink; to fail (e.g. exam or class); to lose (contest, election, etc.); to crash; to degenerate; to degrade; to fall behind; to become indecent (of a conversation); to be ruined; to go under; to fade; to come out (e.g. a stain); to come off (e.g. makeup); to be removed (e.g. illness, possessing spirit, name on a list); to fall (into someone's hands); to become someone's possession; to fall (into a trap); to fall (for a trick); to give in; to give up; to confess; to flee; to fall; to be defeated; to surrender; to come to (in the end); to end in; to fall (in love, asleep, etc.); to swoon (judo); to consent; to understand; to crash; to freeze; to die; to move to the depths
N3

何も

なにも
nothing (with neg. verbs); not any; and everything else (with noun plus "mo"); all
N2

取り入れる

採り入れる、取入れる、取りいれる
v1
vt
とりいれる
to harvest; to reap; to take in; to gather in; to adopt; to incorporate; to accept; to introduce
N1

作用

さよう
action; operation; effect; function

January 06

N5

ホテル

ホテル
hotel
N4

お宅

御宅
おたく
your house; your home; your family; your husband; your organization; you (referring to someone of equal status with whom one is not especially close)
N3

何か

exp
なにか、なんか
something
N2

捕らえる

捕える、捉える
v1
vt
とらえる
to seize; to capture; to arrest; to grasp; to perceive; to treat (as)
N1

然も

adv
さも
really; extremely; in that way