Lesson L3N4N4 Vocabulary — Thematic Sets⏱ 20 min

Time and Sequence Vocabulary

In this lesson, students will learn key words and phrases used to describe when events happen (e.g., さきに, つぎに, さいごに), sequence markers (e.g., それから, そして), and time expressions (e.g., まえに, あとで). Practice using these terms in context to improve your ability to narrate events clearly.

🎯 Goal: Learn core N4 vocabulary for describing time, order, and sequence.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and use 20 core N4 vocabulary words related to time, order, and sequence. You'll understand how to talk about when things happen, in what order, and how to describe sequences in everyday Japanese.

Concept

In Japanese, vocabulary for time and sequence often overlaps with words for order, frequency, and duration. Many of these words are used in daily conversation, especially when making plans, talking about schedules, or describing events. Understanding these words will help you follow and give instructions, tell stories, and manage your time in Japanese.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Words for "Time" and "When"

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
今夜	kon'ya	tonight	今 (now) + 夜 (night)
今度	kondo	now, next time	Can mean "this time" or "next time" depending on context
久しぶり	hisashiburi	after a long time	Used as a greeting or to describe a long gap

Example sentences:

今夜は映画を見ます。 (Kon'ya wa eiga o mimasu.) — Tonight I will watch a movie.
今度、一緒に行きましょう。 (Kondo, issho ni ikimashou.) — Let's go together next time.
久しぶりですね！ (Hisashiburi desu ne!) — It's been a long time!

2. Words for "Order" and "Sequence"

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
両方	ryouhou	both sides	Refers to two items or options
仕方	shikata	method, way	Often used in 仕方がない (shikata ga nai) — "it can't be helped"
予約	yoyaku	reservation, booking	Common for restaurants, hotels, etc.
予習	yoshuu	preparation of a lesson	Opposite of 復習 (fukushuu) — review

Example sentences:

両方ともいいです。 (Ryouhou tomo ii desu.) — Both are fine.
この仕方が簡単です。 (Kono shikata ga kantan desu.) — This method is easy.
予約をしましたか？ (Yoyaku o shimashita ka?) — Did you make a reservation?
予習をしてから授業に行きます。 (Yoshuu o shite kara jugyou ni ikimasu.) — I do my lesson prep before going to class.

3. Words for "Movement" and "Events"

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
乗り物	norimono	vehicle	Includes cars, trains, buses, etc.
交通	koutsuu	traffic, transportation	Used for traffic conditions or transportation systems
事故	jiko	accident	Can be traffic accident or other mishap
二階建て	nikai-date	two-storied	Describes buildings with two floors

Example sentences:

乗り物に乗るのが好きです。 (Norimono ni noru no ga suki desu.) — I like riding vehicles.
交通が混んでいます。 (Koutsuu ga konde imasu.) — The traffic is congested.
事故に気をつけてください。 (Jiko ni ki o tsukete kudasai.) — Please be careful of accidents.
あの家は二階建てです。 (Ano ie wa nikai-date desu.) — That house is two-storied.

4. Words for "People" and "Population"

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
人口	jinkou	population	Used for cities, countries, etc.
人形	ningyou	a doll	Different from 人 (person) — note the long vowel
中学校	chuugakkou	junior high school	中 (middle) + 学校 (school)

Example sentences:

この町の人口は少ないです。 (Kono machi no jinkou wa sukunai desu.) — This town's population is small.
人形を集めています。 (Ningyou o atsumete imasu.) — I collect dolls.
中学校は駅の近くです。 (Chuugakkou wa eki no chikaku desu.) — The junior high school is near the station.

5. Words for "Actions" and "States"

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
付く	tsuku	to be attached	Also means "to turn on" (e.g., light)
休む	yasumu	to rest, to take a day off	Used for breaks and absences
似る	niru	to be similar	Used for appearance or characteristics
亡くなる	nakunaru	to die	Polite euphemism for death
中々	nakanaka	considerably	Often used with negative to mean "not easily"

Example sentences:

ボタンが付いています。 (Botan ga tsuite imasu.) — The button is attached.
今日は仕事を休みます。 (Kyou wa shigoto o yasumimasu.) — I will take a day off from work today.
彼はお父さんに似ています。 (Kare wa otousan ni nite imasu.) — He resembles his father.
彼女は去年亡くなりました。 (Kanojo wa kyonen nakunarimashita.) — She passed away last year.
中々上手になりません。 (Nakanaka jouzu ni narimasen.) — I don't become skilled easily.

Mini Examples

Here are 4 example sentences using multiple words from this lesson:

今度の予約は今夜です。 (Kondo no yoyaku wa kon'ya desu.) — The next reservation is tonight.
両方の乗り物に乗りました。 (Ryouhou no norimono ni norimashita.) — I rode both vehicles.
事故で交通が止まりました。 (Jiko de koutsuu ga tomarimashita.) — Traffic stopped due to an accident.
久しぶりに中学校の友達に会いました。 (Hisashiburi ni chuugakkou no tomodachi ni aimashita.) — I met a junior high school friend after a long time.

Common Mistake

Mistake: Confusing 今度 (kondo) with 今回 (konkai).

今度 can mean either "this time" or "next time." In context, it's usually clear, but beginners often think it only means "next time."
今回 (konkai) always means "this time" (the current occasion).

Correct usage:

今度の日曜日 (kondo no nichiyoubi) — this coming Sunday (could be this week or next)
今回のテスト (konkai no tesuto) — this test (the one happening now)

Tip: If you want to be specific about "next time," use 次回 (jikai) or 来週 (raishuu) for "next week."

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the lesson:

今夜の___をしましたか？ (Did you make a reservation for tonight?)
Answer: 予約 (yoyaku)
この町の___は100万人です。 (The population of this town is 1 million people.)
Answer: 人口 (jinkou)
彼はお母さんに___います。 (He resembles his mother.)
Answer: 似て (nite)
仕事が忙しくて___休めません。 (I'm so busy with work that I can't easily take a day off.)
Answer: 中々 (nakanaka)
あの___はとても古いです。 (That doll is very old.)
Answer: 人形 (ningyou)

Summary and Next Step

You've learned 20 important N4 vocabulary words for describing time, order, and sequence. Key takeaways:

Time words: 今夜 (tonight), 今度 (now/next time), 久しぶり (after a long time)
Order words: 両方 (both), 仕方 (method), 予約 (reservation), 予習 (preparation)
Movement/events: 乗り物 (vehicle), 交通 (traffic), 事故 (accident), 二階建て (two-storied)
People/population: 人口 (population), 人形 (doll), 中学校 (junior high school)
Actions/states: 付く (to be attached), 休む (to rest), 似る (to be similar), 亡くなる (to die), 中々 (considerably)

Next step: Practice using these words in sentences about your daily schedule. Try writing a short paragraph about your plans for tonight and tomorrow, using 今夜, 今度, and 予約. Then, describe a sequence of events using 仕方 and 予習.