JLPT N4 Vocabulary PDF: 100 Essential Words (Free Download)

JLPT N4 Vocabulary PDF: 100 Essential Words (Free Download) Download a free JLPT N4 vocabulary PDF with 100 essential words, organized into 10 everyday topics with kanji, romaji, and meaning in one printable page set — no sign-up required. What's inside this JLPT N4 vocabulary PDF? The PDF groups 100 core N4 words into 10 practical categories: time and frequency, daily life verbs, adjectives, family and people, places and directions, weather and nature, emotions, health and body, school and work, and food and shopping. Each entry shows the word in kanji or kana, its romaji reading, and the English meaning, so you can study without switching between multiple resources. Download the free N4 vocabulary PDF ​ Click the download link on this page to save the PDF. It's formatted for both screen reading and printing — each category fits cleanly on the page, so you can print only the sections you're currently reviewing instead of the whole document at once. Why organize vocabulary by topic instead of by lesson number? Textbook vocabulary lists are usually ordered by lesson, which scatters related words across many pages. Grouping by topic — like "emotions" or "school and work" — makes it easier to recall a word when you actually need it, because your brain links it to a situation rather than a random lesson number. This is also how most native speakers naturally organize their own mental vocabulary. 1. Time and frequency words Words like 時々 (tokidoki, sometimes), いつも (itsumo, always), and 突然 (totsuzen, suddenly) show up constantly in N4 listening sections and daily conversation. Learn these first — they modify almost every other sentence you'll build. 2. Daily life verbs This set covers verbs for planning and decision-making: 準備する (junbi suru, to prepare), 決める (kimeru, to decide), 続ける (tsuzukeru, to continue). These verbs pair naturally with the て-form patterns taught at N4 level. 3. Adjectives for describing situations N4 introduces more abstract adjectives than N5, such as 複雑 (fukuzatsu, complicated) and 危険 (kiken, dangerous). Practice pairing these with nouns you already know from N5 to build compound phrases faster. 4. Family, people, and relationships Beyond immediate family, N4 adds workplace and social vocabulary: 上司 (joushi, boss), 同僚 (douryou, colleague), 隣人 (rinjin, neighbor). These are essential if you plan to work or study in Japan. 5. Places and directions Words like 途中 (tochuu, on the way) and 周り (mawari, surroundings) help you describe location relative to something else — a skill N5 vocabulary alone doesn't fully cover. 6. Weather and nature N4 listening passages often describe weather conditions using words such as 湿度 (shitsudo, humidity) and 台風 (taifuu, typhoon). Recognizing these quickly saves valuable time in the listening section. 7. Emotion words N4 expects you to describe feelings with more nuance: 緊張する (kinchou suru, to be nervous), 安心する (anshin suru, to feel relieved). These verbs frequently appear in both reading passages and speaking practice. 8. Health and body vocabulary Words like 症状 (shoujou, symptom) and 治る (naoru, to heal) are common in reading passages about visiting a doctor or discussing health — a frequent N4 topic. 9. School and work vocabulary Terms such as 締め切り (shimekiri, deadline) and 出席する (shusseki suru, to attend) reflect the shift toward more formal, workplace-oriented Japanese at N4 level. 10. Food and shopping vocabulary Practical words like 値段 (nedan, price) and 割引 (waribiki, discount) show up in both real-life shopping situations and N4 reading comprehension passages about daily errands. How do I actually memorize these 100 words? Don't try to memorize all 100 in one sitting. Study one category per day using the PDF as a reference, then reinforce what you learned with active recall — cover the meaning column and test yourself. Follow up with vocabulary quizzes the next day to check retention, and revisit any category where you scored below 80%. If you're not sure whether N4 is the right…