Start with words you'll actually use
When you're starting Japanese, it's tempting to just go through a frequency list. But the most useful words for beginners aren't always the most common words overall — they're the ones you'll encounter and use in daily situations.
Here are 50 essential words organized by category, with example sentences to help you remember them in context.
Greetings and basics
These are the words you'll use from day one. Master these and you can already have basic interactions.
hello / good afternoon
thank you
excuse me / sorry
yes
no
please (when requesting)
People and pronouns
I / me
friend
teacher
person
child / children
Daily actions
These verbs cover the core of everyday life. Learn both the dictionary form and the ます form.
to eat
to drink
to go
to come
to see / to watch
to listen / to ask
to speak / to talk
to read
to write
to buy
Places
house / home
school
station
store / shop
company
Time words
today
tomorrow
yesterday
now
morning
night / evening
Food and drink
water
tea
rice / meal
fish
meat
Useful adjectives
big / large
small / little
new
tall / expensive
cheap / inexpensive
good
delicious
Question words
what
where
when
who
why
how much (price)
Essential expressions
I understand / got it
okay / all right
How to memorize these words
Don't try to memorize all 50 at once. Pick 5-10 words per day and focus on using them in context.
The best approach: Learn a word, then try to use it in a sentence. Even a simple one counts. When you review tomorrow, say the word in a sentence again — different sentence each time.
Tip
Japanese SenSei teaches all of these words (and 750+ more for N5) through natural conversation. Instead of studying a list, you encounter words as your teacher uses them — the way you'd learn from a real person.
What's next?
Once you're comfortable with these 50 words, you have a solid foundation. Next steps:
- Learn the te-form of verbs (this unlocks dozens of grammar patterns)
- Start reading simple Japanese sentences
- Have your first basic conversation
The journey of a thousand kanji begins with a single word.
Ready to start learning?
Japanese SenSei teaches you through real conversation on Telegram — free to start, no app download needed.