Lesson L4N5Core N5 Vocabulary and Communication⏱ 15 min

School and Work Vocabulary

This lesson introduces key N5-level vocabulary for talking about school life, workplace environments, and everyday activities. You will practice using these words in simple sentences to describe your schedule and routines.

🎯 Goal: Learn core vocabulary for school, work, and daily routines.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will know 12 essential Japanese words for school, work, and daily routines. You'll be able to use them in simple sentences and understand them when you hear them.

Concept

Vocabulary for school and work is the foundation of everyday Japanese conversation. These words appear constantly in textbooks, at the office, and in daily life. We'll learn them in small groups, with clear examples and memory tricks.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Group 1: School (学校 - gakkō)

Japanese	Romaji	English	Memory Tip
学校	gakkō	school	"Gak" sounds like "gack" – think "gack, I have to go to school"
先生	sensei	teacher	"Sensei" – your "sense" of learning comes from a teacher
学生	gakusei	student	"Gaku" (study) + "sei" (person) = student
教室	kyōshitsu	classroom	"Kyō" (teach) + "shitsu" (room) = classroom

Group 2: Work (仕事 - shigoto)

Japanese	Romaji	English	Memory Tip
仕事	shigoto	work	"Shi-go-to" – think "she goes to work"
会社	kaisha	company	"Kai" (meeting) + "sha" (group) = company
社員	shain	employee	"Sha" (company) + "in" (member) = employee
仕事場	shigotoba	workplace	"Shigoto" (work) + "ba" (place) = workplace

Group 3: Daily Routines (日常 - nichijō)

Japanese	Romaji	English	Memory Tip
行く	iku	to go	"I-ku" – "I go" (sounds like English)
来る	kuru	to come	"Ku-ru" – "coo-roo" like a pigeon coming
勉強	benkyō	study	"Ben-kyō" – "ben" (effort) + "kyō" (teach)
休み	yasumi	rest/break	"Ya-su-mi" – "ya, soo me" (I need a break!)

Mini Examples

School examples:

私は学生です。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu.) – I am a student.
先生は教室にいます。 (Sensei wa kyōshitsu ni imasu.) – The teacher is in the classroom.

Work examples:

私は会社に行きます。 (Watashi wa kaisha ni ikimasu.) – I go to the company.
社員は仕事をします。 (Shain wa shigoto o shimasu.) – Employees do work.

Daily routine examples:

毎日勉強します。 (Mainichi benkyō shimasu.) – I study every day.
日曜日は休みです。 (Nichiyōbi wa yasumi desu.) – Sunday is a day off.

Common Mistake

❌ Mixing up 行く (iku - to go) and 来る (kuru - to come)

行く = moving away from where you are
来る = moving toward where you are

❌ Saying "私は仕事です" (Watashi wa shigoto desu) to mean "I am at work"

Correct: 私は仕事をします (Watashi wa shigoto o shimasu) – I do work
"仕事です" means "It is work" (the thing itself, not your action)

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks:

私は___に行きます。 (I go to school.)
Answer: 学校 (gakkō)
___は教室で勉強します。 (The student studies in the classroom.)
Answer: 学生 (gakusei)
明日は___です。 (Tomorrow is a day off.)
Answer: 休み (yasumi)
私は___で働きます。 (I work at a company.)
Answer: 会社 (kaisha)

Summary and Next Step

You now know 12 core words for school, work, and daily life. Practice using them in simple sentences like "私は学生です" or "会社に行きます."

Next step: Learn how to use these words with particles (は, が, を, に, で) to make full sentences. Try making 3 new sentences with today's vocabulary before your next lesson.