Lesson L2N4N4 Vocabulary — Thematic Sets⏱ 20 min

Emotions and Relationships Vocabulary

This lesson introduces essential N4-level vocabulary related to emotions (e.g., 嬉しい, 悲しい, 怒る) and relationships (e.g., 親友, 恋人, 家族). Practice using these words in simple sentences to describe how you feel and talk about people in your life.

🎯 Goal: Learn core N4 vocabulary for feelings and interpersonal relationships.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand and use 20 essential N4 vocabulary words related to emotions, relationships, and daily life. You'll learn how to express preferences, degrees, timing, and common objects in Japanese.

Concept

This lesson covers two main areas: adverbs and expressions that help you describe feelings, opinions, and relationships, plus common loanwords (gairaigo) for everyday objects. Mastering these will make your Japanese sound more natural and precise.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Part 1: Adverbs & Expressions for Feelings and Relationships

These words help you express your thoughts, timing, and certainty.

Japanese	Romaji	English	Usage Tip
ほうがいい	hou ga ii	It's better to...	Used to give advice or state a preference
ほとんど	hotondo	mostly, almost all	Describes quantity or frequency
ほど	hodo	extent, degree	Shows comparison or limit
まず	mazu	first of all, firstly	For ordering steps
または	matawa	or, otherwise	For alternatives
もうすぐ	mousugu	soon	For near future
もちろん	mochiron	of course	Strong agreement
もっとも	mottomo	extremely, most	Superlative
もらう	morau	to receive (from someone)	Key relationship verb
やっと	yatto	at last, finally	After long effort
やはり/やっぱり	yahari/yappari	as I thought, just as expected	Confirms expectation

Part 2: Common Loanwords (Gairaigo)

These are words borrowed from other languages, mostly English. They use katakana.

Japanese	Romaji	English
ケーキ	keeki	Cake
コンサート	konsaato	Concert
コンピューター	konpyuutaa	Computer
サラダ	sarada	Salad
サンダル	sandaru	Sandal
サンドイッチ	sandoicchi	Sandwich
ジャム	jamu	Jam
スクリーン	sukuriin	Screen
ステレオ	suteoreo	Stereo

Mini Examples

Using ほうがいい (It's better to...)

病院に行ったほうがいいです。
Byouin ni itta hou ga ii desu.
"It's better to go to the hospital."
早く寝たほうがいいよ。
Hayaku neta hou ga ii yo.
"You'd better sleep early."

Using もらう (to receive)

友達からプレゼントをもらいました。
Tomodachi kara purezento o moraimashita.
"I received a present from my friend."
先生に本をもらった。
Sensei ni hon o moratta.
"I received a book from my teacher."

Using やはり/やっぱり (as I thought)

やっぱり日本語は難しいです。
Yappari nihongo wa muzukashii desu.
"As I thought, Japanese is difficult."
やはり彼は来ませんでした。
Yahari kare wa kimasen deshita.
"Just as I expected, he didn't come."

Using まず (first of all)

まず、宿題をします。
Mazu, shukudai o shimasu.
"First of all, I'll do my homework."
まず、サラダを食べましょう。
Mazu, sarada o tabemashou.
"Let's eat the salad first."

Using もうすぐ (soon)

もうすぐ夏休みです。
Mousugu natsuyasumi desu.
"Summer vacation is soon."
コンサートはもうすぐ始まります。
Konsaato wa mousugu hajimarimasu.
"The concert will start soon."

Using ほとんど (mostly)

ほとんど毎日日本語を勉強します。
Hotondo mainichi nihongo o benkyou shimasu.
"I study Japanese almost every day."
宿題はほとんど終わりました。
Shukudai wa hotondo owarimashita.
"I'm mostly done with my homework."

Using ほど (extent)

日本ほど安全な国はありません。
Nihon hodo anzen na kuni wa arimasen.
"There is no country as safe as Japan."
これほど美味しいケーキは初めてです。
Kore hodo oishii keeki wa hajimete desu.
"This is the first time I've had cake this delicious."

Using もちろん (of course)

もちろん、手伝いますよ。
Mochiron, tetsudaimasu yo.
"Of course, I'll help."
もちろん、サンドイッチを食べます。
Mochiron, sandoicchi o tabemasu.
"Of course, I'll eat a sandwich."

Using または (or)

コーヒーまたは紅茶をください。
Koohii matawa koucha o kudasai.
"Coffee or tea, please."
映画またはコンサートに行きましょう。
Eiga matawa konsaato ni ikimashou.
"Let's go to a movie or a concert."

Using やっと (at last)

やっと日本語がわかるようになりました。
Yatto nihongo ga wakaru you ni narimashita.
"I finally came to understand Japanese."
やっと宿題が終わった。
Yatto shukudai ga owatta.
"I finally finished my homework."

Using もっとも (extremely)

これはもっとも大切なことです。
Kore wa mottomo taisetsu na koto desu.
"This is the most important thing."
彼はもっとも有名な歌手です。
Kare wa mottomo yuumei na kashu desu.
"He is the most famous singer."

Common Mistake

Mistake: Confusing もらう (morau) with あげる (ageru).

もらう = to receive (from someone else → you)
あげる = to give (you → someone else)

Correct:

友達に本をもらいました。 (I received a book from my friend.)
友達に本をあげました。 (I gave a book to my friend.)

Mistake: Using ほうがいい with the wrong verb form.

Correct: Verb (た-form) + ほうがいい
Wrong: Verb (ます-form) + ほうがいい

Quick Practice

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

雨が降っています。傘を___ほうがいいです。
(It's raining. It's better to take an umbrella.)
Answer: 持った (motta)
日本語の勉強は___毎日しています。
(I study Japanese almost every day.)
Answer: ほとんど (hotondo)
コーヒー___紅茶、どちらがいいですか？
(Coffee or tea, which is better?)
Answer: または (matawa)
彼は___来ないと思った。
(As I thought, he didn't come.)
Answer: やっぱり (yappari)
友達からケーキを___ました。
(I received cake from my friend.)
Answer: もらい (morai)

Summary and Next Step

What you learned:

11 key adverbs and expressions for feelings, opinions, and relationships
9 common loanwords for everyday objects
How to use ほうがいい for giving advice
The difference between もらう and あげる

Next step: Practice using these words in your daily Japanese conversations. Try writing 3 sentences using ほうがいい for advice, and 3 sentences using もらう for things you've received. Then move on to the next lesson about "Giving and Receiving" to deepen your understanding of relationship verbs.