100 Most Common Japanese Words

The 100 most common Japanese words, ranked by frequency. Function words and the handful of verbs and nouns you will use in every conversation.

The words you will meet in almost every Japanese sentence, so the first ones worth knowing cold. Drill all of them free, no account needed.

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100 words

#	Freq	Word	Translation	Part of speech	Qualifications
1	1	のof, 's (links two nouns)	of, 's (links two nouns)	particle	-
2	2	にto, at, in (destination, time, place of existence)	to, at, in (destination, time, place of existence)	particle	-
3	3	かquestion marker (turns a sentence into a question)	question marker (turns a sentence into a question)	particle	-
4	4	とand (between nouns); with (together with)	and (between nouns); with (together with)	particle	-
5	5	ことthing, matter (something abstract)	thing, matter (something abstract)	noun	-
6	6	ないthere is no, not have; not (negative ending)	there is no, not have; not (negative ending)	adjective	-
7	7	いいgood, fine	good, fine	adjective	-
8	8	何what	what	pronoun	-
9	9	あなたyou	you	pronoun	-
10	10	このthis (before a noun)	this (before a noun)	determiner	-
11	11	はtopic marker (as for ...)	topic marker (as for ...)	particle	-
12	12	をobject marker	object marker	particle	-
13	13	がsubject marker	subject marker	particle	-
14	14	でat, in (where something happens); by, with (means)	at, in (where something happens); by, with (means)	particle	-
15	15	もalso, too	also, too	particle	-
16	16	よsentence ending: you know, I tell you	sentence ending: you know, I tell you	particle	-
17	17	ねsentence ending: right?, isn't it?	sentence ending: right?, isn't it?	particle	-
18	18	するto do	to do	verb	-
19	19	いるto be, to exist (people and animals)	to be, to exist (people and animals)	verb	-
20	20	あるto be, to exist (things); to have	to be, to exist (things); to have	verb	-
21	21	ですam, is, are (polite)	am, is, are (polite)	other	-
22	22	私I, me	I, me	pronoun	-
23	23	人person	person	noun	-
24	24	学生student	student	noun	-
25	25	先生teacher	teacher	noun	-
26	26	日本Japan	Japan	proper-noun	-
27	27	名前name	name	noun	-
28	28	はいyes	yes	interjection	-
29	29	いいえno	no	interjection	-
30	30	さんMr, Ms (polite suffix after a name)	Mr, Ms (polite suffix after a name)	bound-morpheme	-
31	31	これthis (one), near me	this (one), near me	pronoun	-
32	32	それthat (one), near you	that (one), near you	pronoun	-
33	33	あれthat (one) over there	that (one) over there	pronoun	-
34	34	どれwhich (one)	which (one)	pronoun	-
35	35	そのthat (before a noun), near you	that (before a noun), near you	determiner	-
36	36	あのthat (before a noun), over there	that (before a noun), over there	determiner	-
37	37	ここhere	here	pronoun	-
38	38	そこthere, near you	there, near you	pronoun	-
39	39	どこwhere	where	pronoun	-
40	40	誰who	who	pronoun	-
41	41	行くto go	to go	verb	-
42	42	来るto come	to come	verb	-
43	43	見るto see, to look at, to watch	to see, to look at, to watch	verb	-
44	44	言うto say	to say	verb	-
45	45	分かるto understand	to understand	verb	-
46	46	思うto think, to feel (that)	to think, to feel (that)	verb	-
47	47	知るto know (usually as 知っている); to find out	to know (usually as 知っている); to find out	verb	-
48	48	今now	now	noun	-
49	49	本当truth; really	truth; really	noun	-
50	50	ありがとうthank you	thank you	interjection	-