く JLPT N1 Vocabulary

Kana く

1. 屈折 くっせつ Refraction; the bending of a wave (light, sound) as it passes from one medium to another of different density. Also used figuratively for...
2. 苦言 くげん Bitter truth; frank criticism; harsh but well-intentioned advice. Words that are unpleasant to hear but necessary to say.
3. 口裏を合わせる くちうらをあわせる To get one's story straight; to collude on a shared account; to agree on a version of events beforehand.
4. 口車に乗る くちぐるまにのる To be taken in by smooth talk; to be sweet-talked into something; to fall for glib persuasion.
5. 口先 くちさき Lip service; mere words; glib talk that is not backed by action.
6. 口八丁 くちはっちょう Glib tongue; smooth talker; a person exceptionally skilled at talking their way through any situation.
7. 訓示 くんじ Instructions; admonition; a formal address from a superior conveying guidance or directives.
8. 口惜しい くちおしい Vexing; frustrating; mortifying. Expresses the feeling of bitter regret at a near-miss or outcome one cannot accept.
9. 口汚い くちぎたない Foul-mouthed; abusive; vulgar in speech. Describes a person or manner of speaking that uses crude, offensive, or insulting language.
10. 口さがない くちさがない Gossipy; sharp-tongued; fond of spreading malicious talk. Describes someone who talks carelessly or critically about others without restr...
11. 口幅ったい くちはばったい Presumptuous; impudent; bold in speech. Describes saying something beyond one's station or speaking with more confidence than one's posit...
12. くどい くどい Verbose; repetitive; long-winded; overly insistent; gaudy or heavy (of taste or colour). Describes excess in speech, flavour, or visual d...
13. 食い扶持 くいぶち Living expenses; livelihood; mouths to feed. The cost of feeding and sustaining oneself or one's family; by extension, income sufficient ...
14. 口伝 くでん Oral tradition; oral instruction; knowledge, technique, or lore transmitted verbally from teacher to student across generations.
15. 薫陶 くんとう Education; edification; mentoring; the gradual formation of a person's character and abilities through the sustained influence of a teach...
16. 訓読み くんよみ Kun'yomi; the native Japanese reading of a kanji character, as opposed to the Sino-Japanese (on'yomi) reading.
17. 空虚 くうきょ Emptiness; void; hollowness. Refers to a state of being devoid of substance, meaning, or content.
18. 空疎 くうそ Empty; hollow; vacuous; futile. Describes something that lacks substance, depth, or real value.
19. 空白 くうはく Blank; void; vacuum; gap. Denotes an empty space, a missing period of time, or an unfilled position.
20. 空理空論 くうりくうろん Abstract theory; armchair argument; impractical theorising. Refers to ideas that are logically coherent but completely detached from real...
21. 苦悩 くのう Anguish; suffering; agony; distress. Deep mental or spiritual torment arising from difficult circumstances or inner conflict.
22. 繰り返し くりかえし Repetition; recurrence; iteration. The act of doing or occurring again, whether deliberate or unintentional.
23. 繰言 くりごと Repetitive complaint; grumbling; nagging. Refers to repeatedly voicing the same grievance or lament.
24. クーデター クーデター Coup d'état; military takeover. The sudden, violent, or illegal seizure of power from a government, typically carried out by a faction of...
25. 蔵 くら Storehouse; warehouse; cellar; treasury. A traditional thick-walled Japanese building for storing valuables, food, or goods.
26. 空洞化 くうどうか Hollowing out; the process by which the core substance, industry, or population of something is removed, leaving an empty shell.
27. 草の根 くさのね Grassroots; originating from or involving ordinary citizens at the local or community level, as opposed to elite institutions or top-down...
28. 口利き くちきき Mediation; intercession; influence peddling. Using personal connections or position to facilitate something for another, often implying i...
29. 口止め くちどめ Gag order; silencing; hushing up. The act of ordering or pressuring someone to keep silent about something.
30. 黒幕 くろまく Mastermind; wire-puller; behind-the-scenes power. A person who pulls strings from the shadows without appearing directly involved.
31. 苦渋 くじゅう Bitterness; anguish; painful decision. The deeply unpleasant feeling of being forced to choose between difficult options or endure hardship.
32. 屈託 くったく Worry; care; concern; dejection. A weight on the mind from accumulated anxieties or cares, often resulting in a subdued or downcast demea...
33. 食い込む くいこむ To bite into; to cut into; to dig into; to make inroads; to eat into a budget, market share, or personal time.
34. 食い止める くいとめる To check; to curb; to hold back; to halt the advance or spread of something; to prevent a negative phenomenon from progressing further.
35. 悔いる くいる To repent; to regret; to rue. Expresses deep remorse over a past action or decision, with a sense of lasting guilt.
36. くぐり抜ける くぐりぬける To get through; to pass through a tight spot; to survive; to slip through. Implies emerging on the other side of something constricting.
37. くぐる くぐる To pass through; to go under; to duck through; to dive under. Describes movement through a low, narrow, or enclosing space.
38. 燻る くすぶる To smoulder; to linger without outlet; to be stuck in a rut; to languish without recognition. Describes suppressed energy or frustration.
39. 崩れる くずれる To collapse; to crumble; to break down; to deteriorate. Describes physical or abstract structures losing their integrity.
40. 覆る くつがえる To be overturned; to be reversed; to be disproved; to capsize. Describes a sudden, decisive reversal of an established position or verdict.
41. 配る くばる To distribute; to hand out; to deal (cards); to pay attention. A versatile verb for spreading something among multiple recipients, includ...
42. 工面する くめんする To contrive; to manage to arrange; to scrape together funds or resources; to make do through ingenuity.
43. 繰り出す くりだす To march out en masse; to sally forth; to send out; to unleash a succession of moves or actions.
44. 繰り広げる くりひろげる To unfold; to spread out; to develop; to carry on. Describes a dynamic spectacle or contest playing out before an audience.