2,936 common Japanese words, each with a picture

Every word here has a photo someone picked by hand — not a stock icon, not a generated image. They are ordered by frequency, so the words you meet first are the words you meet most.

It is free and it stays free. There is no account, no email box, and nothing to install. Scroll, or search for a word in kanji, kana or English.

60 words · loading the rest…

#1
人
ひと
man; person
あの人(ひと)誰(だれ)？Who is that person?
Photo by Deden Dicky Ramdhani on Pexels
#2
人
にん
counter for people
Photo by Krizjohn Rosales on Pexels
#3
年
とし
year
よいお年(とし)を。Happy New Year!
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
#4
日
ひN3N5
day; days
子供(こども)の日(ひ)Children's day
Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels
#5
私
わたしN5
I; me
私(わたし)も行(い)く。I'm going too.
Photo by Eva Elijas on Pexels
#6
私
あたし
I; me
Photo by Eva Elijas on Pexels
#7
月
つきN4N5
moon
月(つき)を見(み)て！Look at the moon.
Photo by Peter de Vink on Pexels
#8
中
なかN5
inside; in
本(ほん)は箱(はこ)の中(なか)に入(い)れましたI put the books inside the box
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels
#9
中
じゅう
through; throughout; in the course of
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels
#10
日本
にほんN5
Japan
日本(にほん)の人口(じんこう)は約(やく)1億(おく)2720万人(まんにん)で世界(せかい)10位(い)Japan's population is the 10th largest in the world, with 127.2 million people
Photo by mmphotography.it on Flickr · CC BY 2.0
#11
一
いちN5
one
あと一(いち)日(にち)だ。One more day to go.
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels
#12
あっ
N5
ah; oh
Photo by Zen Chung on Pexels
#13
何
なにN5
what
これ何(なに)？What's this?
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
#14
自分
じぶん
myself; yourself; oneself; himself
自分(じぶん)を信(しん)じて。Believe in yourself.
Photo by Eva Elijas on Pexels
#15
時
とき
time; hour; moment
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
#16
時
じN5
hour; o'clock
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
#17
問題
もんだいN5
question (e.g. on a test); problem
楽(らく)にその問題(もんだい)が解(と)けた。The problem was easily solved.
Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels
#18
いい
N5
good; excellent; fine; nice
いい匂(にお)い。It smells good!
Photo by Anastasiya Gepp on Pexels
#19
考え
かんがえN4
thinking; thought; view; opinion
何(なに)考(かんが)えてるの？What're you thinking about?
Photo by Andrew Wilus on Pexels
#20
思う
おもうN5
to think; to consider; to believe; to reckon
そう思(おも)うよ。I believe so.
Photo by Andrew Wilus on Pexels
#21
第
だい
prefix for forming ordinal numbers
Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels
#22
性
せい
nature (of a person)
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels
#23
時間
じかんN5
time
時間(じかん)ある？Do you have any free time?
Photo by Andrey Grushnikov on Pexels
#24
会
かい
meeting; assembly; party; gathering
Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels
#25
円
えんN5
yen (Japanese monetary unit)
お会計(かいけい)は900円(えん)でございます。The total (bill) is 900 yen
Photo by Kontrollstellekundl on Wikimedia · Public Domain
#26
二
に
two
2(に)区(く)2nd district
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels
#27
情報
じょうほうN4
information; news; intelligence; advices
彼(かれ)の情報(じょうほう)は確(たし)かだ。His information is certain.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
#28
上
うえN5
above; up; over; elder (e.g. daughter)
月(つき)が雲(くも)の上(うえ)に出(で)た。The moon rose above the clouds.
Photo by smlp.co.uk on Flickr · CC BY 2.0
#29
話
はなしN4
talk; speech; chat; conversation
話(はな)し続(つづ)けて。Keep talking.
Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels
#30
本
ほんN5
book; volume; script
いい本(ほん)だ。It's a good book.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
#31
分
ぶん
part; segment; share; ration
Photo by Atypeek Dgn on Pexels
#32
十
じゅうN5
ten
十(じゅう)時(じ)ごろですか。Is it about ten o'clock?
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels
#33
目
めN5
eye; eyeball
目(め)をあけてOpen your eyes
Photo by Rebecca Swafford on Pexels
#34
感じ
かんじ
feeling; sense; impression
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels
#35
関係
かんけいN4
relation; relationship; connection
肺(はい)ガンは喫煙(きつえん)と関係(かんけい)がある。There is a connection between smoking and lung cancer.
Photo by fotografierende on Pexels
#36
委員
いいんN2
committee member
委員(いいん)は全員(ぜんいん)出席(しゅっせき)している。The committee members are all present.
Photo by Jopwell on Pexels
#37
家
いえN5
house; residence; dwelling
家(いえ)はどこ？Where's your house?
Photo by Binyamin Mellish on Pexels
#38
家
うち
house
家(うち)でテレビ見(て)いました。I was watching TV at home.
Photo by Binyamin Mellish on Pexels
#39
世界
せかいN5
the world; society; the universe
世界(せかい)を一周(いっしゅう)したい。I want to travel around the world.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
#40
気
き
spirit; mind; heart
Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova on Pexels
#41
点
てんN4
dot; spot; point; speck
シャツに点(てん)がついていますThere's a dot on the shirt
Photo by Mat Brown on Pexels
#42
万
まんN5
10,000; ten thousand
１万(まん)円(えん)でたりる？Is ten thousand yen enough?
Photo by Norisa1 on Flickr · CC BY 2.0
#43
社会
しゃかいN3
society; public; community; the world
社会(しゃかい)が変化(へんか)している。Society is changing.
Photo by Kaique Rocha on Pexels
#44
言う
いうN5
to say; to utter; to declare
何(なに)を言(い)うべきか分(わ)からない。I'm at a loss for what to say.
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels
#45
仕事
しごとN5
work; job; labour; business
仕事(しごと)中(ちゅう)です。I am working.
Photo by Snapwire on Pexels
#46
同じ
おなじ
same; identical; equal; uniform
同(おな)じ物(もの)を下(くだ)さい。Please give me the same thing.
Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels
#47
数
かず
number; amount
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels
#48
記事
きじN3
article; news story; report; account
記事(きじ)を一(ひと)つ書(か)きたい。I want to write an article.
Photo by Ekrulila on Pexels
#49
あれ
N5
that (indicating something distant from both speaker and listener (in space, time or psychologically), or something understood without naming it directly)
あれなに？What's that?
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels
#50
彼
かれN3N4N5
he; him
彼(かれ)は誰(だれ)？Who's he?
Photo by mentatdgt on Pexels
#51
国
くにN5
country; state
日本(にほん)は美(うつく)しい国(くに)です。Japan is a beautiful country.
Photo by mmphotography.it on Flickr · CC BY 2.0
#52
三
さんN5
three
三(さん)週間(しゅうかん)経(た)った。Three weeks went by.
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels
#53
君
きみN4
you; buddy; pal
君(きみ)次第(しだい)だよ。It's up to you.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
#54
法
ほう
law; act; principle
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
#55
意味
いみN5
meaning; significance; sense
これどういう意味(いみ)？What's the meaning of this?
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
#56
力
ちからN4
force; strength; might; vigour
力(ちから)強(ず)よいPowerful (strong)
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
#57
会社
かいしゃN5
company; corporation
私(わたし)は、旅行(りょこう)会社(がいしゃ)に勤(つと)めています。I work for a travel agency.
Photo by Expect Best on Pexels
#58
人間
にんげんN2
human being; human; person; man
俺(おれ)は人間(にんげん)だ。I'm a human.
Photo by Yogendra Singh on Pexels
#59
来
らい
next (year, spring, etc.); coming
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
#60
現在
げんざいN2
now; current; present; present time
現在(げんざい)の時刻(じこく)は？What time is it now?
Photo by Marius Mann on Pexels