Work and School Vocabulary
Study the 1200 most important N4 vocabulary words organized by theme: verbs, adjectives, nouns, and adverbs. Daily spaced repetition review with example sentences.
๐ฏ Goal: Learn core N4 vocabulary related to work, school, and daily study life.

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 work, school, and daily life. You will also learn three important grammar patterns: ใๆน (how to do something), ใใใใ / ใใซใใ (easy/difficult to do), and ใใฆใฟใ (to try doing something).
Concept
In Japanese, work and school life involve many common actions and situations. Today's vocabulary covers things like preparation (ๆบๅ), contact (้ฃ็ตก), progress (้ฒใ), and transporting (้ใถ). You'll also learn how to:
- Say how to do something (ใๆน)
- Say something is easy or difficult to do (ใใใใ / ใใซใใ)
- Say you try doing something (ใใฆใฟใ)
Step-by-Step Breakdown
Part 1: Vocabulary (20 words)
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| ้ไธญ | tochuu | on the way |
| ๆกๅ | annai | guide, information |
| ๆบๅ | junbi | preparation |
| ้ใ | tooru | to go through |
| ้ฃใใ | tsureru | to lead (a person) |
| ็ตๆธ | keizai | economy |
| ้ฃ็ตก | renraku | contact, communication |
| ้ฒใ | susumu | to make progress |
| ้ใผใ | asobou | let's play / I think I will play |
| ็ธ่ซ | soudan | consultation, discussion |
| ้ใถ | hakobu | to transport |
| ้ๅ | undou | exercise |
| ้ใใ | sugiru | to exceed |
| ้ๅ ท | dougu | tool, means |
| ้ ใ | tooku | distant (place) |
| ้ฉๅฝ | tekitou | suitable |
| ้ๅค | kougai | outskirts |
| ้จ้ท | buchou | head of a section |
| ้ฝ | to | metropolitan |
| ้ ทใ | hidoi | awful, terrible |
Example sentences:
- ้ไธญใงๅ้ใซไผใใพใใใ(Tochuu de tomodachi ni aimashita.) โ I met a friend on the way.
- ๆบๅใใงใใพใใใ(Junbi ga dekimashita.) โ The preparation is done.
- ็ตๆธใฎใใฅใผในใ่ฆใพใใใ(Keizai no nyuusu o mimashita.) โ I watched economy news.
Part 2: Grammar Pattern 1 โ ใๆน (how to do)
Meaning: Attach ๆน (kata) to the stem of a verb to mean "how to do [verb]".
How to form it:
- Remove ใพใ from the ใพใ-form of a verb โ add ๆน (kata)
| Verb (ใพใ-form) | Stem | + ๆน | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ๆธใใพใ (kakimasu) | ๆธใ (kaki) | ๆธใๆน (kakikata) | how to write |
| ่ชญใฟใพใ (yomimasu) | ่ชญใฟ (yomi) | ่ชญใฟๆน (yomikata) | how to read |
| ไฝฟใใพใ (tsukaimasu) | ไฝฟใ (tsukai) | ไฝฟใๆน (tsukaikata) | how to use |
Examples:
- ใใฎๆผขๅญใฎ่ชญใฟๆนใๆใใฆใใ ใใใ(Kono kanji no yomikata o oshiete kudasai.) โ Please teach me how to read this kanji.
- ใใฝใณใณใฎไฝฟใๆนใ้ฃใใใงใใ(Pasokon no tsukaikata ga muzukashii desu.) โ How to use the computer is difficult.
Part 3: Grammar Pattern 2 โ ใใใใ / ใใซใใ (easy/difficult to do)
Meaning:
- ใใใใ (yasui) = easy to do
- ใใซใใ (nikui) = difficult to do
How to form it:
- Take the stem of a verb (ใพใ-form without ใพใ) + ใใใ / ใซใใ
| Verb (stem) | + ใใใ | + ใซใใ |
|---|---|---|
| ๆธใ (kaki) | ๆธใใใใ (kakiyasui) easy to write | ๆธใใซใใ (kakinikui) hard to write |
| ้ฃใน (tabe) | ้ฃในใใใ (tabeyasui) easy to eat | ้ฃในใซใใ (tabenikui) hard to eat |
| ้ใณ (hakobi) | ้ใณใใใ (hakobiyasui) easy to transport | ้ใณใซใใ (hakobinikui) hard to transport |
Examples:
- ใใฎใใณใฏๆธใใใใใงใใ(Kono pen wa kakiyasui desu.) โ This pen is easy to write with.
- ใใฎ้ใฏ้ใใซใใใงใใ(Kono michi wa toorinikui desu.) โ This road is hard to go through.
Part 4: Grammar Pattern 3 โ ใใฆใฟใ (to try doing)
Meaning: ใใฆใฟใ (te miru) means "to try doing something" โ to do an action as an experiment or to see what happens.
How to form it:
- Take the ใฆ-form of a verb + ใฟใ
| Verb (ใฆ-form) | + ใฟใ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ้ฃในใฆ (tabete) | ้ฃในใฆใฟใ (tabete miru) | try eating |
| ๆธใใฆ (kaite) | ๆธใใฆใฟใ (kaite miru) | try writing |
| ็ธ่ซใใฆ (soudan shite) | ็ธ่ซใใฆใฟใ (soudan shite miru) | try consulting |
Examples:
- ๆฐใใ้ๅใใใฆใฟใใใงใใ(Atarashii undou o shite mitai desu.) โ I want to try doing new exercise.
- ้จ้ทใซ้ฃ็ตกใใฆใฟใพใใ(Buchou ni renraku shite mimasu.) โ I'll try contacting the section head.
Mini Examples (Combined Practice)
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| ใใฎ้ๅ ทใฎไฝฟใๆนใๆใใฆใใ ใใใ | Kono dougu no tsukaikata o oshiete kudasai. | Please teach me how to use this tool. |
| ใใฎๆผขๅญใฏ่ฆใใใใใงใใ | Kono kanji wa oboeyasui desu. | This kanji is easy to memorize. |
| ้ ใใพใงๆญฉใใซใใใงใใ | Tooku made arukinikui desu. | It's hard to walk to a distant place. |
| ้ฉๅฝใชๆ้ใ็ธ่ซใใฆใฟใพใใใใ | Tekitou na jikan o soudan shite mimashou. | Let's try discussing a suitable time. |
Common Mistake
โ Mistake: Using ใๆน with the dictionary form of a verb.
- Wrong: ๆธใๆน (kaku kata) โ
- Correct: ๆธใๆน (kakikata) โ
โ Mistake: Confusing ใใใใ (easy) with ใใใใ (meaning "tends to" โ different grammar).
- ้ฃในใใใ = easy to eat โ
- ้ฃในใใใ can also mean "easy to eat" โ not "tends to eat" (that would be ้ฃในใใก)
โ Mistake: Forgetting to use ใฆ-form before ใฟใ.
- Wrong: ้ฃในใฟใ (tabe miru) โ
- Correct: ้ฃในใฆใฟใ (tabete miru) โ
Quick Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form:
-
ใใฎๆฌใฎ่ชญใฟ___ใๆใใฆใใ ใใใ
(Answer: ๆน โ yomikata) -
ใใฎ้ใฏ่ปใๅคใใฆ้ใ___ใงใใ
(Answer: ใซใใ โ toorinikui) -
ๆฐใใใฌในใใฉใณใซ่กใฃใฆ___ใใใงใใ
(Answer: ใฟ โ itte mitai) -
ใใฎใใณใฏใจใฆใๆธใ___ใงใใ
(Answer: ใใใ โ kakiyasui)
Summary and Next Step
What you learned today:
- 20 N4 vocabulary words related to work, school, and daily life
- ใๆน (kata) โ how to do something
- ใใใใ / ใใซใใ โ easy/difficult to do
- ใใฆใฟใ โ to try doing something
Next step: Practice using these patterns in real conversations. Try describing how to do a task at work or school, or talk about something you want to try. In the next lesson, we'll learn more about giving and receiving verbs (ใใใใใใใใใใใ) to talk about favors at work and school.
Exercises
1200 Core N4 Words (Exercises)
Exercises for 1200 Core N4 Words
Review the grammar and vocabulary, and try to fill in the blanks or write sentences based on the prompts.
Examples
ๆ ่กใฎๆบๅใฏใใ็ตใใใพใใใใ
Ryokล no junbi wa mล owarimashita ka.
Have you already finished preparing for the trip?
้ ใใใจใใฏใๅฟ ใ้ฃ็ตกใใฆใใ ใใใ
Okureru toki wa, kanarazu renraku shite kudasai.
Please be sure to contact us if you are going to be late.
ๆฅใใฐใ้ป่ปใฎๆ้ใซ้ใซๅใใพใใ
Isogeba, densha no jikan ni maniaimasu.
If you hurry, you will make it in time for the train.
Practice Drills
Lesson Materials
Vocabulary (45)
Grammar (3)
Kanji (0)
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Kana (0)
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