Lesson L5N4N4 Vocabulary — Thematic Sets⏱ 20 min

Food and Cooking Vocabulary

In this lesson, you will learn key N4-level words related to ingredients, cooking methods, dishes, and meal-related expressions. Practice using them in context to reinforce your ability to discuss daily food scenes in Japanese.

🎯 Goal: Learn core N4 vocabulary for food, cooking, and meals.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and use 20 essential N4-level vocabulary words related to food, cooking, and daily life situations. You'll learn how to use these words in natural Japanese sentences.

Concept

Today's vocabulary covers three main areas:

Food & cooking actions (寝よう, 帰ろう - volitional forms used when deciding what to eat or do)
Places & things (寺, 工場, 床屋, 布団)
People & society (市民, 将来, 小学校)

These words appear frequently in everyday conversation and N4 reading passages.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Volitional Form Verbs (Let's / I think I will)

寝よう (neyou) - "let's sleep" / "I think I will sleep"

Used when suggesting an action or expressing intention
Example: もう遅いから、寝よう。(Mou osoi kara, neyou.) - "It's late, so let's sleep."

帰ろう (kaerou) - "let's go home" / "I think I will go home"

Same pattern as 寝よう
Example: 疲れたから、帰ろう。(Tsukareta kara, kaerou.) - "I'm tired, so let's go home."

寝坊 (nebou) - "sleeping in late"

Noun form (not a verb)
Example: 寝坊した！(Nebou shita!) - "I overslept!"

2. Places & Things

Word	Romaji	Meaning	Usage Note
寺	tera	temple	Often used with お (お寺)
工場	koujou	factory	Can be for food or other products
床屋	tokoya	barber shop	Different from 美容院 (beauty salon)
布団	futon	Japanese bed	Traditional bedding
席	seki	seat	Used in restaurants, trains, etc.
島	shima	island	Common in place names

3. People & Society

市民 (shimin) - "citizen"

市 (shi) = city + 民 (min) = people
Example: 市民ホール (shimin hooru) - "citizens' hall"

将来 (shourai) - "future, prospects"

Often used to talk about career or life plans
Example: 将来の夢 (shourai no yume) - "future dream"

小学校 (shougakkou) - "elementary school"

小 (shou) = small + 学校 (gakkou) = school
Example: 小学校の先生 (shougakkou no sensei) - "elementary school teacher"

4. Action Words

寄る (yoru) - "to visit" (casually, on the way)

Example: コンビニに寄る (konbini ni yoru) - "to stop by the convenience store"

尋ねる (tazuneru) - "to ask" (formal)

More polite than 聞く (kiku)
Example: 道を尋ねる (michi o tazuneru) - "to ask for directions"

届ける (todokeru) - "to deliver" / "to reach"

Example: 荷物を届ける (nimotsu o todokeru) - "to deliver a package"

5. Other Important Words

寂しい (sabishii) - "lonely"

Often used for emotional states
Example: 一人で寂しい (hitori de sabishii) - "I'm lonely alone"

展覧会 (tenrankai) - "exhibition"

Common for art or product displays
Example: 美術展覧会 (bijutsu tenrankai) - "art exhibition"

工業 (kougyou) - "manufacturing industry"

Related to 工場 (factory)
Example: 日本工業 (nihon kougyou) - "Japanese manufacturing industry"

小鳥 (kotori) - "small bird"

小 (small) + 鳥 (bird)
Example: 小鳥が鳴く (kotori ga naku) - "a small bird sings"

Mini Examples

寺に行こう。 (Tera ni ikou.)
"Let's go to the temple."
工場で働く。 (Koujou de hataraku.)
"I work at a factory."
布団を敷く。 (Futon o shiku.)
"I lay out the futon."
席を予約する。 (Seki o yoyaku suru.)
"I reserve a seat."
将来は医者になりたい。 (Shourai wa isha ni naritai.)
"In the future, I want to become a doctor."

Common Mistake

❌ Don't confuse 寄る (yoru - to visit) with 寝る (neru - to sleep)

寄る = stopping by somewhere
寝る = going to sleep

❌ Don't confuse 床屋 (tokoya - barber) with 布団 (futon - bedding)

床屋 = a place to get a haircut
布団 = something you sleep on

❌ Don't confuse 寂しい (sabishii - lonely) with 淋しい (same meaning, different kanji)

Both mean "lonely," but 寂しい is more common

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks:

疲れたから、___ (let's go home).
Answer: 帰ろう (kaerou)
明日は___ (elementary school)に行く。
Answer: 小学校 (shougakkou)
この___ (seat)は空いていますか？
Answer: 席 (seki)
___ (lonely)時は、友達に電話する。
Answer: 寂しい (sabishii)
コンビニに___ (to visit/stop by)。
Answer: 寄る (yoru)

Summary and Next Step

You've learned 20 essential N4 vocabulary words covering:

Volitional verb forms (寝よう, 帰ろう)
Places (寺, 工場, 床屋, 島)
People & society (市民, 将来, 小学校)
Actions (寄る, 尋ねる, 届ける)
Descriptions (寂しい, 寝坊)

Next step: Practice using these words in sentences about your daily routine. Try writing 3 sentences using today's vocabulary, then move on to the next lesson about "Restaurant Phrases and Ordering Food."