Lesson L1N4N4 Vocabulary โ€” Thematic Setsโฑ 30 min

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.

๐ŸŽฏ Goal: Learn core N4 vocabulary related to work, school, and daily study life.

Work and School Vocabulary

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: ใ€œๆ–น (how to do something), ใ€œใ‚„ใ™ใ„ / ใ€œใซใใ„ (easy/difficult to do), and ใ€œใฆใฟใ‚‹ (to try doing something).


Concept

In Japanese, work and school life involve many common actions and situations. Today's vocabulary covers things like preparation (ๆบ–ๅ‚™), contact (้€ฃ็ตก), progress (้€ฒใ‚€), and transporting (้‹ใถ). You'll also learn how to:

  • Say how to do something (ใ€œๆ–น)
  • Say something is easy or difficult to do (ใ€œใ‚„ใ™ใ„ / ใ€œใซใใ„)
  • Say you try doing something (ใ€œใฆใฟใ‚‹)

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Part 1: Vocabulary (20 words)

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
้€”ไธญtochuuon the way
ๆกˆๅ†…annaiguide, information
ๆบ–ๅ‚™junbipreparation
้€šใ‚‹tooruto go through
้€ฃใ‚Œใ‚‹tsureruto lead (a person)
็ตŒๆธˆkeizaieconomy
้€ฃ็ตกrenrakucontact, communication
้€ฒใ‚€susumuto make progress
้Šใผใ†asoboulet's play / I think I will play
็›ธ่ซ‡soudanconsultation, discussion
้‹ใถhakobuto transport
้‹ๅ‹•undouexercise
้ŽใŽใ‚‹sugiruto exceed
้“ๅ…ทdougutool, means
้ ใtookudistant (place)
้ฉๅฝ“tekitousuitable
้ƒŠๅค–kougaioutskirts
้ƒจ้•ทbuchouhead of a section
้ƒฝtometropolitan
้…ทใ„hidoiawful, terrible

Example sentences:

  • ้€”ไธญใงๅ‹้”ใซไผšใ„ใพใ—ใŸใ€‚(Tochuu de tomodachi ni aimashita.) โ€” I met a friend on the way.
  • ๆบ–ๅ‚™ใŒใงใใพใ—ใŸใ€‚(Junbi ga dekimashita.) โ€” The preparation is done.
  • ็ตŒๆธˆใฎใƒ‹ใƒฅใƒผใ‚นใ‚’่ฆ‹ใพใ—ใŸใ€‚(Keizai no nyuusu o mimashita.) โ€” I watched economy news.

Part 2: Grammar Pattern 1 โ€” ใ€œๆ–น (how to do)

Meaning: Attach ๆ–น (kata) to the stem of a verb to mean "how to do [verb]".

How to form it:

  • Remove ใพใ™ from the ใพใ™-form of a verb โ†’ add ๆ–น (kata)
Verb (ใพใ™-form)Stem+ ๆ–นMeaning
ๆ›ธใใพใ™ (kakimasu)ๆ›ธใ (kaki)ๆ›ธใๆ–น (kakikata)how to write
่ชญใฟใพใ™ (yomimasu)่ชญใฟ (yomi)่ชญใฟๆ–น (yomikata)how to read
ไฝฟใ„ใพใ™ (tsukaimasu)ไฝฟใ„ (tsukai)ไฝฟใ„ๆ–น (tsukaikata)how to use

Examples:

  1. ใ“ใฎๆผขๅญ—ใฎ่ชญใฟๆ–นใ‚’ๆ•™ใˆใฆใใ ใ•ใ„ใ€‚(Kono kanji no yomikata o oshiete kudasai.) โ€” Please teach me how to read this kanji.
  2. ใƒ‘ใ‚ฝใ‚ณใƒณใฎไฝฟใ„ๆ–นใŒ้›ฃใ—ใ„ใงใ™ใ€‚(Pasokon no tsukaikata ga muzukashii desu.) โ€” How to use the computer is difficult.

Part 3: Grammar Pattern 2 โ€” ใ€œใ‚„ใ™ใ„ / ใ€œใซใใ„ (easy/difficult to do)

Meaning:

  • ใ€œใ‚„ใ™ใ„ (yasui) = easy to do
  • ใ€œใซใใ„ (nikui) = difficult to do

How to form it:

  • Take the stem of a verb (ใพใ™-form without ใพใ™) + ใ‚„ใ™ใ„ / ใซใใ„
Verb (stem)+ ใ‚„ใ™ใ„+ ใซใใ„
ๆ›ธใ (kaki)ๆ›ธใใ‚„ใ™ใ„ (kakiyasui) easy to writeๆ›ธใใซใใ„ (kakinikui) hard to write
้ฃŸใน (tabe)้ฃŸในใ‚„ใ™ใ„ (tabeyasui) easy to eat้ฃŸในใซใใ„ (tabenikui) hard to eat
้‹ใณ (hakobi)้‹ใณใ‚„ใ™ใ„ (hakobiyasui) easy to transport้‹ใณใซใใ„ (hakobinikui) hard to transport

Examples:

  1. ใ“ใฎใƒšใƒณใฏๆ›ธใใ‚„ใ™ใ„ใงใ™ใ€‚(Kono pen wa kakiyasui desu.) โ€” This pen is easy to write with.
  2. ใ“ใฎ้“ใฏ้€šใ‚Šใซใใ„ใงใ™ใ€‚(Kono michi wa toorinikui desu.) โ€” This road is hard to go through.

Part 4: Grammar Pattern 3 โ€” ใ€œใฆใฟใ‚‹ (to try doing)

Meaning: ใ€œใฆใฟใ‚‹ (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 ใฆ-form of a verb + ใฟใ‚‹
Verb (ใฆ-form)+ ใฟใ‚‹Meaning
้ฃŸในใฆ (tabete)้ฃŸในใฆใฟใ‚‹ (tabete miru)try eating
ๆ›ธใ„ใฆ (kaite)ๆ›ธใ„ใฆใฟใ‚‹ (kaite miru)try writing
็›ธ่ซ‡ใ—ใฆ (soudan shite)็›ธ่ซ‡ใ—ใฆใฟใ‚‹ (soudan shite miru)try consulting

Examples:

  1. ๆ–ฐใ—ใ„้‹ๅ‹•ใ‚’ใ—ใฆใฟใŸใ„ใงใ™ใ€‚(Atarashii undou o shite mitai desu.) โ€” I want to try doing new exercise.
  2. ้ƒจ้•ทใซ้€ฃ็ตกใ—ใฆใฟใพใ™ใ€‚(Buchou ni renraku shite mimasu.) โ€” I'll try contacting the section head.

Mini Examples (Combined Practice)

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
ใ“ใฎ้“ๅ…ทใฎไฝฟใ„ๆ–นใ‚’ๆ•™ใˆใฆใใ ใ•ใ„ใ€‚Kono dougu no tsukaikata o oshiete kudasai.Please teach me how to use this tool.
ใ“ใฎๆผขๅญ—ใฏ่ฆšใˆใ‚„ใ™ใ„ใงใ™ใ€‚Kono kanji wa oboeyasui desu.This kanji is easy to memorize.
้ ใใพใงๆญฉใใซใใ„ใงใ™ใ€‚Tooku made arukinikui desu.It's hard to walk to a distant place.
้ฉๅฝ“ใชๆ™‚้–“ใ‚’็›ธ่ซ‡ใ—ใฆใฟใพใ—ใ‚‡ใ†ใ€‚Tekitou na jikan o soudan shite mimashou.Let's try discussing a suitable time.

Common Mistake

โŒ Mistake: Using ใ€œๆ–น with the dictionary form of a verb.

  • Wrong: ๆ›ธใๆ–น (kaku kata) โŒ
  • Correct: ๆ›ธใๆ–น (kakikata) โœ…

โŒ Mistake: Confusing ใ€œใ‚„ใ™ใ„ (easy) with ใ€œใ‚„ใ™ใ„ (meaning "tends to" โ€” different grammar).

  • ้ฃŸในใ‚„ใ™ใ„ = easy to eat โœ…
  • ้ฃŸในใ‚„ใ™ใ„ can also mean "easy to eat" โ€” not "tends to eat" (that would be ้ฃŸในใŒใก)

โŒ Mistake: Forgetting to use ใฆ-form before ใฟใ‚‹.

  • Wrong: ้ฃŸในใฟใ‚‹ (tabe miru) โŒ
  • Correct: ้ฃŸในใฆใฟใ‚‹ (tabete miru) โœ…

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct form:

  1. ใ“ใฎๆœฌใฎ่ชญใฟ___ใ‚’ๆ•™ใˆใฆใใ ใ•ใ„ใ€‚
    (Answer: ๆ–น โ€” yomikata)

  2. ใ“ใฎ้“ใฏ่ปŠใŒๅคšใใฆ้€šใ‚Š___ใงใ™ใ€‚
    (Answer: ใซใใ„ โ€” toorinikui)

  3. ๆ–ฐใ—ใ„ใƒฌใ‚นใƒˆใƒฉใƒณใซ่กŒใฃใฆ___ใŸใ„ใงใ™ใ€‚
    (Answer: ใฟ โ€” itte mitai)

  4. ใ“ใฎใƒšใƒณใฏใจใฆใ‚‚ๆ›ธใ___ใงใ™ใ€‚
    (Answer: ใ‚„ใ™ใ„ โ€” kakiyasui)


Summary and Next Step

What you learned today:

  • 20 N4 vocabulary words related to work, school, and daily life
  • ใ€œๆ–น (kata) โ€” how to do something
  • ใ€œใ‚„ใ™ใ„ / ใ€œใซใใ„ โ€” easy/difficult to do
  • ใ€œใฆใฟใ‚‹ 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 (ใ‚ใ’ใ‚‹ใ€ใใ‚Œใ‚‹ใ€ใ‚‚ใ‚‰ใ†) 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—…่กŒใฎๆบ–ๅ‚™ใฏใ‚‚ใ†็ต‚ใ‚ใ‚Šใพใ—ใŸใ‹ใ€‚

Ryokล no junbi wa mล owarimashita ka.

Have you already finished preparing for the trip?

้…ใ‚Œใ‚‹ใจใใฏใ€ๅฟ…ใš้€ฃ็ตกใ—ใฆใใ ใ•ใ„ใ€‚

Okureru toki wa, kanarazu renraku shite kudasai.

Please be sure to contact us if you are going to be late.

ๆ€ฅใ’ใฐใ€้›ป่ปŠใฎๆ™‚้–“ใซ้–“ใซๅˆใ„ใพใ™ใ€‚

Isogeba, densha no jikan ni maniaimasu.

If you hurry, you will make it in time for the train.

Practice Drills

Lesson Materials

Vocabulary (45)

้ฃŸในใ‚ (ใŸในใ‚)Eat! (command form of ใŸในใ‚‹)
้ฃฒใ‚ (ใฎใ‚)Drink! (command form of ใฎใ‚€)

Grammar (3)

ใ€œๆ–น (ใ€œใ‹ใŸ)Verb (stem form) + ๆ–น (ใ‹ใŸ)
ใ€œใ‚„ใ™ใ„ / ใ€œใซใใ„ๅ‹•่ฉž [ใพใ™ๅฝข] (stem) ๏ผ‹ ใ‚„ใ™ใ„ / ใซใใ„
ใ€œใฆใฟใ‚‹ๅ‹•่ฉž [ใฆๅฝข] + ใฟใ‚‹

Kanji (0)

No kanji characters in this lesson.

Kana (0)

No kana characters in this lesson.