Daily Words

Learn a new word a day for Japanese success!

Today’s Words

May 19, 2025
N5
あなた
Definition
you (referring to someone of equal or lower status), dear (what a wife calls a husband)
N4
これから
Definition
after this
N3
がく
Definition
picture (framed), amount or sum (of money)
N2
はなはだしい
Definition
extreme, excessive, terrible, intense, severe, serious, tremendous, heavy (damage)
N1
しゃら
Definition
impertinent, fresh, fashionable, prostitute

Daily Word History

May 18

N5

彼方

あちら、あっち、あち
that way (direction distant from both speaker and listener); over there; yonder; that one (something physically distant from both speaker and listener, or something not visible but known by both speaker and listener); that; that person (someone physically distant from both speaker and listener, or someone not present but known by both speaker and listener); there (place distant from both speaker and listener); over there; foreign country (esp. a Western nation)
N4

こめ、よね、めめ、コメ
(husked grains of) rice; 88 years old
N3

非常

ひじょう
emergency; extraordinary; unusual
N2

話しかける

話し掛ける
v1
vt
はなしかける
to address (someone); to accost a person; to talk (to someone); to begin to talk; to start a conversation
N1

喋る

しゃべる
to talk; to chat; to chatter

May 17

N5

厚い

篤い
あつい
thick; deep; heavy; kind; cordial; hospitable; warm; faithful; serious (of an illness); abundant
N4

込む

混む、籠む、篭む
こむ
to be crowded; to be packed; to be complex; to go into; to put into; to remain (seated); to be plunged into (silence); to do thoroughly; to do intently; to continue in the same state
N3

ひざ
knee; lap; knee and thigh (while sitting)
N2

話し合い

話合い
はなしあい
discussion; conference
N1

吃逆

しゃっくり
hiccough; hiccup

May 16

N5

熱い

あつい
hot (thing); passionate (feelings, etc.); ardent; hot (e.g. gaze); hot (e.g. temper); zealous; enthusiastic; fired up; intense; severe; extreme; hot (topic); of interest
N4

細かい

こまかい
small; fine; minute; minor; trivial; sensitive; attentive
N3

飛行

ひぎょう
flying without hindrance
N2

派手

はで
showy; loud; gay; flashy; gaudy
N1

社宅

しゃたく
company owned house

May 15

N5

暑い

あつい
hot (weather, etc.); warm
N4

この頃

此の頃
このごろ、このころ
recently; nowadays; these days; now; at present
N3

悲劇

ひげき
tragedy; disaster
N2

発売

はつばい
sale; offering for sale; release (for sale); launch (product)
N1

謝絶

しゃぜつ
refusal

May 14

N5

彼方

あちら、あっち、あち
that way (direction distant from both speaker and listener); over there; yonder; that one (something physically distant from both speaker and listener, or something not visible but known by both speaker and listener); that; that person (someone physically distant from both speaker and listener, or someone not present but known by both speaker and listener); there (place distant from both speaker and listener); over there; foreign country (esp. a Western nation)
N4

この間

此の間
このあいだ、このかん
the other day; lately; recently; during this period; meanwhile; in the meantime
N3

轢く

ひく
to run somebody over (with vehicle); to knock someone down
N2

発電

發電
はつでん
generation (e.g. power); sending a telegram; telegraphing
N1

社交

しゃこう
social life; social intercourse

May 13

N5

新しい

新らしい
あたらしい
new; novel; fresh; recent; latest; up-to-date; modern
N4

小鳥

ことり
small bird; songbird; birdie; dickeybird; dickybird
N3

比較

ひかく
comparison
N2

発想

はっそう
idea; conception; way of thinking; expression
N1

奴、僕
やつこ、つぶね、やつこらま
slave; retainer; servant; captive; varlet; I; me

May 12

N5

ど頭

どたま
head; dome; bean; nob; noggin
N4

ご馳走

御馳走
ごちそう
feast; treating (someone); to treat (someone, e.g. to a meal)
N3

被害

ひがい
(suffering) damage; injury; harm
N2

発射

はっしゃ
firing; shooting; discharge; catapult; ejaculation (sl)
N1

締め切り

締切り、締切、〆切、〆切り、乄切り、閉め切り、閉切り
しめきり
deadline; closing; cut-off; end; cofferdam; closed (door, window, etc.)

May 11

N5

暖かい

温かい、暖い
あたたかい、あったかい
warm; mild; genial
N4

答え

答、応え、報え
こたえ、いらえ
answer; reply; response; solution
N3

点火

とぼし
light; lamp
N2

ハック

ハック
hack
N1

使命

しめい
mission; errand; message

May 10

N5

荒ぶ

進ぶ、遊ぶ
すさぶ
to grow wild; to rage; to become rough
N4

ご存じ

ご存知、御存じ、御存知
ごぞんじ
knowing; (an) acquaintance
N3

販売

はんばい、ハンバイ
sales; selling; marketing
N2

発揮

はっき
exhibition; demonstration; show; display; manifestation
N1

染みる

じみる
to have a touch of; to look like

May 09

N5

彼処

彼所
あそこ、あすこ、かしこ、あしこ、あこ
there (place physically distant from both speaker and listener); over there; that place; yonder; genitals; that far (something psychologically distant from both speaker and listener); that much; that point
N4

故障

こしょう
breakdown; failure; fault; accident; out of order; damage; hurt; objection; protest
N3

犯人

はんにん
offender; criminal
N2

×

ばつ、ぺけ、ペケ
x-mark (used to indicate an incorrect answer in a test, etc.); impossibility; futility; uselessness
N1

沁み沁み

染み染み、泌み泌み
しみじみ
earnestly; keenly; fully; deeply; heartily; seriously; calmly

May 08

N5

明日

n-t
あした、あす、みょうにち
tomorrow; near future
N4

ご主人

御主人
ごしゅじん
your husband; her husband
N3

判断

はんだん
judgment; judgement; decision; conclusion; adjudication; divination; judgement
N2

はち
bowl; pot; basin; flowerpot; crown; brainpan
N1

始末

仕末
しまつ
management; dealing; settlement; cleaning up; getting rid of; economizing; economising; being thrifty; end result (usu. bad)

May 07

N5

そく
counter for pairs (of socks, shoes, etc.)
N4

こころ
mind; heart; spirit; the meaning of a phrase (riddle, etc.)
N3

犯罪

はんざい
crime; offence; offense
N2

果たして

果して
adv
はたして
as was expected; just as one thought; sure enough; as a result; really? (in questions); ever?
N1

仕舞った

int
しまった
damn it!; damn!; oops!; oh dear!; oh no!

May 06

N5

明後日

あさって、みょうごにち
day after tomorrow
N4

国際

こくさい
international
N3

反抗

はんこう
opposition; resistance; insubordination; defiance; hostility; rebellion
N2

肌着

膚着、肌衣
はだぎ、はだぎぬ
underwear; underclothes; lingerie; chemise; singlet
N1

仕舞う

終う、了う、蔵う
しまう
to finish; to stop; to end; to put an end to; to bring to a close; to close (a business, etc.); to close down; to shut down; to shut up; to put away; to put back; to keep; to store; to finish ...; to do ... completely

May 05

N5

朝ご飯

朝御飯、朝ごはん
あさごはん
breakfast
N4

公務員

こうむいん
government worker; public servant; civil servant
N3

範囲

はんい
extent; scope; sphere; range; span
N2

パターン

パターン、パタン
pattern
N1

仕舞い

仕舞、終い、了い
しまい
end; close; finish; termination; noh dance in plain clothes

May 04

N5

あさ、あした
morning
N4

高等学校

こうとうがっこう
senior high school; high school
N3

ばん
number (in a series); (one's) turn; watch; guard; lookout; bout; match
N2

外れる

v1
vi
はずれる
to be disconnected; to get out of place; to be off; to be out (e.g. of gear)
N1

萎む

凋む
しぼむ
to wither (e.g. flowers, dreams); to sag (e.g. balloon, grapes); to fade (away); to shrivel; to wilt; to deflate

May 03

N5

上げる

挙げる、揚げる
あげる
to raise; to elevate; to do up (one's hair); to fly (a kite, etc.); to launch (fireworks, etc.); to surface (a submarine, etc.); to land (a boat); to deep-fry; to show someone (into a room); to summon (for geishas, etc.); to send someone (away); to enrol (one's child in school); to enroll; to increase (price, quality, status, etc.); to develop (talent, skill); to improve; to make (a loud sound); to raise (one's voice); to earn (something desirable); to praise; to give (an example, etc.); to cite; to summon up (all of one's energy, etc.); to arrest; to nominate; to give; to offer up (incense, a prayer, etc.) to the gods (or Buddha, etc.); to bear (a child); to conduct (a ceremony, esp. a wedding); (of the tide) to come in; to vomit; to do for (the sake of someone else); to complete ...; to humbly do ...
N4

講堂

こうどう
auditorium; lecture hall
N3

張る

ばる
to be prominently ...; to be persistently ...
N2

はす、しゃ
diagonal
N1

志望

しぼう
wish; desire; ambition

May 02

N5

開ける

v1
vt
はだける
to open; to bare; to expose; to stretch
N4

交通

こうつう
traffic; transportation; communication; exchange (of ideas, etc.); intercourse
N3

鉤、鈎
はり、ち
needle; pin; hook; stinger; thorn; hand (e.g. clock, etc.); pointer; staple (for a stapler); needlework; sewing; malice; counter for stitches
N2

初めまして

始めまして
exp
はじめまして
How do you do?; I am glad to meet you
N1

脂肪

しぼう
fat; grease; blubber

May 01

N5

開く

ひらく
to open; to undo; to unseal; to unpack; to bloom; to unfold; to spread out; to open (for business, e.g. in the morning); to be wide (gap, etc.); to widen; to hold (meeting, etc.); to give; to open; to found (nation, dynasty, sect, etc.); to open (a new business); to set up; to establish; to start; to open (ports, borders, etc.); to open (an account); to open up (new land, path, etc.); to clear; to develop; to open (a file, etc.); to extract (root); to reduce (equation); to cut open (fish); to change (kanji into hiragana); to flare (e.g. skirt); to slacken (into a poor posture)
N4

校長

こうちょう
principal; headmaster
N3

げん
original; primitive; primary; fundamental; raw
N2

初めに

始めに
exp
はじめに
first; firstly; first of all; to begin with; in the beginning; at the beginning; Introduction; Preface
N1

司法

しほう
administration of justice

April 30

N5

刻、秋
とき
time; hour; moment; occasion; case; chance; opportunity; season; the times; the age; the day; tense
N4

工場

こうじょう、こうば
factory; plant; mill; workshop
N3

はら
abdomen; belly; stomach; womb; one's mind; one's real intentions; one's true motive; courage; nerve; willpower; generosity; magnanimity; feelings; emotions; wide middle part; bulging part; inside; interior; inner part; anti-node; counter for hard roe; counter for containers with bulging middles (pots, vases, etc.)
N2

初めに

始めに
exp
はじめに
first; firstly; first of all; to begin with; in the beginning; at the beginning; Introduction; Preface
N1

しぶとい

しぶとい
tenacious; tough; enduring; dogged; headstrong; stubborn; obstinate; unyielding

April 29

N5

明るい

明い
あかるい
bright; colourful; cheerful; familiar (with); knowledgeable (about); fair (e.g. politics); clean
N4

高校生

こうこうせい
senior high school student
N3

場面

ばめん
scene; setting (e.g. of novel)
N2

梯子

階子、梯
はしご、ていし、ハシゴ
ladder; stairs; going to several places in succession (e.g. barhopping)
N1

私物

しぶつ
private property; personal effects