Communication & Expression

Introduction

Advanced Japanese communication is not just about speaking clearly. It is also about implication, framing, transmission, and the subtle ways information is interpreted, withheld, or emphasised. This chapter gathers vocabulary for those moves.

It is especially helpful for learners reading editorials, criticism, interviews, and formal discussion where the act of saying something matters as much as the content itself.

Themes

All JLPT N1 Vocabulary in This Chapter (101)

1. 合い言葉 あいことば Password; watchword; shared motto or slogan. A word or phrase used for mutual identification or to signal shared purpose.
2. 阿吽の呼吸 あうんのこきゅう Perfect synchronisation between two people; unspoken mutual understanding. The intuitive coordination of partners who need no words.
3. 明かし あかし Proof; evidence; testimony; a demonstration or pledge that attests to truth.
4. 揚げ足取り あげあしとり Fault-finding; catching someone in a slip of the tongue; nitpicking at another's words rather than engaging with substance.
5. 暗号化 あんごうか Encryption; encoding; ciphering. The process of converting data or messages into a coded form.
6. 言い得て妙 いいえてみょう Aptly put; well said; a felicitous expression. Describes a turn of phrase that captures something perfectly.
7. 言い掛かり いいがかり False accusation; unfounded complaint; trumped-up charge. Picking a fight with baseless or exaggerated claims.
8. 言い伝え いいつたえ Oral tradition; legend; folklore; something handed down through generations by word of mouth.
9. 言い逃れ いいのがれ Evasion; excuse-making; prevarication; alibi. Talking one's way out of responsibility through clever or dishonest speech.
10. 言い分 いいぶん One's say; one's argument or position; complaint; excuse. What one has the right or need to express.
11. 言い寄る いいよる To make romantic advances; to court someone; to approach someone with declarations of affection.
12. 意見交換 いけんこうかん Exchange of views; sharing of opinions; consultation. A discussion where participants express their perspectives to each other.
13. 意思疎通 いしそつう Communication; mutual understanding; the successful transmission of intention or meaning between people.
14. 以心伝心 いしんでんしん Telepathy; tacit understanding; heart-to-heart communication without words. Conveying meaning through pure mutual understanding.
15. 一言居士 いちげんこじ A person who always has something to say; an opinionated person who must comment on everything.
16. 慇懃 いんぎん Courteous; polite; civil. Can also describe excessively formal or obsequious politeness that masks contempt.
17. 訴え うったえ Appeal; complaint; lawsuit; plea. A formal or emotional statement seeking redress, justice, or action.
18. 紆余曲折 うよきょくせつ Twists and turns; complications; a winding, roundabout course of events with many setbacks and unexpected developments.
19. 恨み言 うらみごと Bitter words; words of resentment; complaints spoken from a deep sense of grievance or having been wronged.
20. 売り言葉 うりことば Provocative remark; fighting words; a heated or aggressive comment made to provoke a reaction.
21. 婉曲表現 えんきょくひょうげん Euphemism; indirect expression; circumlocution. A roundabout way of phrasing something to soften or obscure its meaning.
22. お茶を濁す おちゃをにごす To be evasive; to give a vague answer; to fudge an issue. To muddy the waters rather than address something directly.
23. 解読 かいどく Deciphering; decoding; reading and interpreting something encoded, obscure, or complex.
24. 核心を突く かくしんをつく To get to the heart of the matter; to hit the nail on the head; to make a penetrating remark that cuts to the core.
25. 諫言 かんげん Admonition; remonstrance; honest counsel given to a superior to correct a wrong course of action.
26. 決め台詞 きめぜりふ Catchphrase; signature line; killer line. A memorable phrase associated with a particular person, character, or role.
27. 曲解 きょっかい Misinterpretation; distortion; twisting of meaning. Deliberately or carelessly construing something contrary to its intent.
28. 苦言 くげん Bitter truth; frank criticism; harsh but well-intentioned advice. Words that are unpleasant to hear but necessary to say.
29. 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.
30. 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.
31. 口先 くちさき Lip service; mere words; glib talk that is not backed by action.
32. 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.
33. 訓示 くんじ Instructions; admonition; a formal address from a superior conveying guidance or directives.
34. 言外 げんがい What is implied but left unsaid; subtext; between the lines. The meaning that exists outside or beyond the words themselves.
35. 言質 げんち A verbal commitment; one's word; a statement that can be held as a pledge or promise.
36. 言質を取る げんちをとる To obtain a verbal commitment; to hold someone to their word; to get a binding statement from someone.
37. 公言 こうげん Public declaration; avowal; openly stating something before others.
38. 高言 こうげん Boasting; bragging; big talk. Grandiose statements that exceed what one can actually deliver.
39. 口述 こうじゅつ Oral statement; dictation; a verbal rather than written account or explanation.
40. 告白 こくはく Confession; declaration; admission. An honest disclosure of feelings, secrets, or wrongdoing.
41. 言葉を濁す ことばをにごす To speak evasively; to be deliberately vague; to equivocate rather than giving a clear answer.
42. 御託 ごたく Tedious, long-winded talk; pompous excuses; tiresome self-justifying speech.
43. 戯れ言 ざれごと Joke; jest; witticism; playful banter. A light-hearted remark not meant to be taken seriously.
44. 釈然 しゃくぜん Fully convinced; satisfied; a feeling of clarity and resolution. Most commonly used in the negative (釈然としない) to express lingering doubt o...
45. 洒落 しゃれ Pun; wordplay; witticism. Also used to mean fashionable or stylish (お洒落). In communication contexts, refers specifically to verbal wit an...
46. 進言 しんげん Advice offered to a superior; recommendation; counsel directed upward in a hierarchy.
47. 諄々 じゅんじゅん Earnestly; patiently; at length. Describes the manner of explaining or advising someone carefully and repeatedly.
48. 叙述する じょじゅつする To describe; to narrate; to give an account of something in detail.
49. 捨て台詞 すてぜりふ Parting shot; a cutting remark delivered as one leaves; a sharp retort flung before walking away.
50. 折衝 せっしょう Negotiation; bargaining; give-and-take between parties with differing interests.
51. 説得 せっとく Persuasion; convincing someone to accept a viewpoint or take a course of action. Implies sustained effort to change another's mind or beh...
52. 切々 せつせつ Earnestly; passionately; pleadingly. Describes an appeal or expression that conveys deep emotion and sincerity, often with a sense of des...
53. 煽動 せんどう Incitement; agitation; instigation; deliberately stirring up emotions or actions in a crowd, often for political or inflammatory purposes.
54. 舌禍 ぜっか Trouble or disaster caused by careless speech; verbal indiscretion; a scandal arising from ill-chosen words.
55. 齟齬 そご Discrepancy; disagreement; misalignment; a mismatch between two parties' expectations, accounts, or intentions that leads to conflict or ...
56. 疎通 そつう Communication; mutual understanding; the free flow of ideas or feelings between people or groups. Often used in contexts where that flow ...
57. 多弁 たべん Talkativeness; loquacity; the quality of speaking much or too much. Can describe both neutral verbosity and excessive, unnecessary chatter.
58. 多弁になる たべんになる To become talkative; to start talking a lot. Describes a shift in behaviour where someone who was previously quiet or reserved begins spe...
59. 玉虫色 たまむしいろ Iridescent colour; by extension, deliberately vague or ambiguous; crafted to mean different things to different people. Often used to des...
60. 打診 だしん Sounding out; a preliminary inquiry or feeler to gauge another party's interest or opinion before making a formal proposal. Also means me...
61. 駄洒落 だじゃれ A bad pun; a corny or groan-worthy play on words. Typically refers to a pun that is deliberately or unintentionally weak, eliciting groan...
62. 仲介 ちゅうかい Mediation; intermediation; brokerage. Acting as a go-between to facilitate a deal, negotiation, or agreement between two parties.
63. 直言 ちょくげん Speaking frankly; plain speaking; saying directly what one thinks without softening or evasion. Implies a forthright, sometimes blunt com...
64. 鶴の一声 つるのひとこえ An authoritative pronouncement that settles a debate or decision; the boss's final word that ends all discussion. Literally, the single c...
65. 丁重 ていちょう Polite; courteous; respectful; showing careful and attentive consideration for another person. Used to describe communication or treatmen...
66. 伝達 でんたつ Communication; transmission; conveyance. The act of passing information, instructions, or signals from one person, system, or place to an...
67. 問い合わせ といあわせ An inquiry; an enquiry; a query or request for information directed to a company, institution, or individual.
68. 問い詰める といつめる To press with questions; to cross-examine; to corner someone through relentless questioning until they have no room to evade.
69. 遠回し とおまわし Indirect; roundabout; euphemistic. Describes a way of speaking or expressing something that avoids stating the matter directly, often to ...
70. 訥弁 とつべん Halting or inarticulate speech; the quality of being a poor or slow speaker. Used to describe someone who struggles to express themselves...
71. 堂々巡り どうどうめぐり Going round in circles; a discussion or negotiation that keeps returning to the same point without resolution. Getting nowhere despite co...
72. 内密 ないみつ Secret; confidential; private; in confidence. Describes something communicated or handled privately, without others being made aware.
73. 泣き言 なきごと Whining; complaining; griping. Spoken laments or excuses that express weakness or self-pity rather than taking constructive action.
74. 念押し ねんおし Confirmation; double-checking; pressing a point to make sure it is understood. Re-emphasising something to ensure no misunderstanding ari...
75. 能弁 のうべん Eloquent; fluent; articulate. The quality of speaking with skill, clarity, and persuasiveness. Often used to describe a gifted public spe...
76. 歯に衣着せぬ はにきぬきせぬ Outspoken; frank; not mincing words. Describes a manner of speaking that is blunt and direct without softening the message.
77. 罵倒 ばとう Abuse; denunciation; verbal attack. The act of harshly condemning or insulting someone with strong, aggressive language.
78. 皮肉る ひにくる To speak sarcastically; to be ironic; to make cutting or caustic remarks. A verb form of 皮肉, used when someone deliberately says the oppo...
79. 誹謗 ひぼう Slander; defamation; libel; vilification. The act of making false or malicious statements to damage someone's reputation.
80. 不言実行 ふげんじっこう Action without words; acting without boasting or preaching. Doing what must be done quietly, without talking about it beforehand.
81. 腑に落ちない ふにおちない Unconvincing; not making sense; hard to accept. Describes a feeling of dissatisfaction when an explanation fails to satisfy or logically ...
82. 腑に落ちる ふにおちる To make sense; to be convincing; to be satisfying. The feeling of something finally clicking and settling in one's understanding.
83. 訃報 ふほう News of a death; obituary notice. Formal notification that someone has passed away, typically delivered through official or respectful ch...
84. 文面 ぶんめん Text; wording; content of a letter or document. The actual words used in a written message, as opposed to its spoken or implied meaning.
85. 返答 へんとう Reply; answer; response. A response given to a question, request, or communication.
86. 弁証 べんしょう Demonstration; proof; dialectics. The act of rationally establishing the truth of something through argumentation or logical proof.
87. 弁舌 べんぜつ Eloquence; oratory; speech; rhetoric. The ability or manner of speaking persuasively and fluently.
88. 弁明 べんめい Explanation; justification; defence; excuse. An attempt to clarify one's actions or position, often in response to criticism or accusation.
89. 暴言 ぼうげん Abusive language; violent words; rash remark. Extremely offensive, reckless, or violent speech that goes beyond acceptable norms.
90. 耳を傾ける みみをかたむける To listen attentively; to lend an ear; to pay close attention to what is being said.
91. 黙殺 もくさつ Ignoring; disregarding; killing by silence. Deliberately choosing not to respond or acknowledge something, effectively suppressing it.
92. 黙秘 もくひ Remaining silent; exercising the right to silence. Legally or deliberately refusing to speak or disclose information.
93. 文言 もんごん Wording; text; phrasing; the specific language used in an official or written document.
94. 問答無用 もんどうむよう No discussion needed; brooking no argument; beyond discussion. A declaration that debate or explanation is unnecessary and action will fo...
95. 揶揄 やゆ Ridicule; mockery; teasing; banter. The act of making fun of someone, especially in a way that humiliates or belittles them.
96. 有言実行 ゆうげんじっこう Doing what one says; being true to one's word; follow-through on stated intentions.
97. 雄弁 ゆうべん Eloquence; oratory; fluency. The ability to speak in a powerful, persuasive, and impressive manner.
98. 要約 ようやく Summary; abstract; abridgement; digest. A condensed version of a longer text or speech that captures its essential points.
99. 横槍 よこやり Interruption; interference; butting in. An unwelcome intrusion into a conversation, plan, or situation by an outside party.
100. 論述 ろんじゅつ Discussion; exposition; dissertation; setting out an argument in writing or speech. The structured explanation and development of a point...
101. 論破 ろんぱ Refutation; confutation; winning an argument by logically defeating the opposing position.