Adjectives & Descriptions

Introduction

Building on the basic adjectives from N5, N4 introduces a richer palette of descriptive words. You'll learn to express subtler qualities — from 複雑な (complex) to 正確な (accurate) — that let you describe the world with much greater nuance.

These adjectives appear constantly in everyday conversation and are essential for the JLPT N4 reading section.

Themes

All JLPT N4 Vocabulary in This Chapter (97)

1. 複雑 ふくざつ Complex; complicated; intricate. Describes things that have many interrelated parts or are difficult to understand.
2. 簡単 かんたん Simple; easy; uncomplicated. Describes tasks, concepts, or items that require little effort to understand or do.
3. 正確 せいかく Accurate; correct; precise; exact. Describes something that is free from errors or closely matches the truth.
4. 十分 じゅうぶん Enough; sufficient; plenty; adequate. Indicates that something meets the required amount or level.
5. 不足 ふそく Insufficiency; shortage; lack; deficit. A state where something falls short of what is needed.
6. 豊か ゆたか Abundant; plentiful; rich; ample. Describes a state of having more than enough of something.
7. 貧しい まずしい Poor; needy; impoverished. Describes a lack of material wealth or resources.
8. 幸福 こうふく Happiness; well-being; joy; blessedness. A state of deep contentment and fulfilment.
9. 立派 りっぱ Splendid; fine; impressive; admirable. Describes something or someone worthy of respect and praise.
10. 珍しい めずらしい Rare; uncommon; unusual; curious. Describes something not often seen or encountered.
11. 普通 ふつう Normal; ordinary; regular; usual; average. Describes what is standard or expected in a given context.
12. 特別 とくべつ Special; particular; extraordinary; exceptional. Describes something that stands out from the ordinary.
13. 不自然 ふしぜん Unnatural; artificial; affected; strained. Describes something that does not seem natural or genuine.
14. 正式 せいしき Formal; official; proper; legitimate. Describes something that follows established rules or protocols.
15. 具体的 ぐたいてき Concrete; specific; definite; tangible. Describes ideas or information presented in a clear, detailed manner.
16. 抽象的 ちゅうしょうてき Abstract. Describes concepts or ideas that exist in thought rather than having a physical or concrete form.
17. 一般的 いっぱんてき General; common; typical; popular. Describes what is widely accepted or standard in society.
18. 個人的 こじんてき Personal; individual; private. Describes something relating to a single person rather than a group.
19. 突然 とつぜん Sudden; abrupt; unexpected. Describes something that happens without warning or prior indication.
20. 偶然 ぐうぜん Coincidence; chance; accident; by chance. Describes something that happens without planning or intention.
21. 必ず かならず Always; without exception; certainly; without fail. Indicates something will definitely happen or must be done.
22. きっと きっと Surely; undoubtedly; almost certainly; most likely. Expresses strong confidence that something will happen.
23. おそらく おそらく Probably; most likely; in all likelihood; I suspect. Expresses a moderate level of confidence in a prediction.
24. ほとんど ほとんど Almost; nearly; mostly; practically; virtually. Indicates that something is very close to being complete or total.
25. わずか わずか A little; a few; slight; meagre; tiny. Describes a very small amount or degree.
26. ますます ますます Increasingly; more and more. Expresses a continuing trend that intensifies over time.
27. やがて やがて Before long; soon; shortly; eventually. Indicates something will naturally happen after some time passes.
28. ついに ついに Finally; at last; in the end. Marks the conclusion of a long-awaited event or process.
29. まさか まさか No way!; by no means; surely not! Expresses strong surprise or disbelief at something unexpected.
30. なるべく なるべく As much as possible; wherever practicable; if possible. Used when expressing a preference or ideal action.
31. せっかく せっかく With much effort; at great pains; taking the trouble to do something. Often implies it would be a waste not to take advantage.
32. わざわざ わざわざ Expressly; especially; going to special trouble to do something. Emphasises that an action required extra effort.
33. いちいち いちいち One by one; every single thing; each and every. Often carries a nuance of annoyance at excessive detail.
34. しっかり しっかり Tightly; firmly; securely; properly. Describes doing something with steadiness and reliability.
35. はっきり はっきり Clearly; plainly; distinctly. Describes something being unambiguous or easy to perceive.
36. ぴったり ぴったり Tightly; closely; exactly; perfectly fitting. Describes a precise match or snug fit.
37. すっきり すっきり Refreshingly; with a feeling of relief; clean and tidy. Describes a pleasant sense of clarity or lightness.
38. たいてい たいてい Usually; generally; for the most part. Describes what happens in most cases.
39. とうとう とうとう Finally; at last; in the end. Emphasises that something happened after a prolonged period.
40. もし もし If; in case; supposing. Introduces a hypothetical or conditional situation.
41. 非常に ひじょうに Extremely; very; exceedingly. A formal way to express a high degree of something.
42. 柔らかい やわらかい Soft; tender; flexible. Describes something that yields easily to pressure or touch.
43. だめ だめ No good; useless; hopeless; must not. Used to express that something is unacceptable or will not work.
44. 一生懸命 いっしょうけんめい Very hard; with utmost effort; with all one's might. Describes putting maximum effort into something.
45. 今度 こんど This time; next time; near future; one of these days. Refers to the current or upcoming occasion.
46. 大事 だいじ Important; valuable; precious. Describes something that matters greatly and should be treated with care.
47. ちっとも ちっとも Not at all; not in the least; not one bit. Used with negative verbs to express total absence.
48. 深い ふかい Deep; profound. Describes physical depth or abstract profundity.
49. できるだけ できるだけ As much as possible; if at all possible. Used to express doing something to the greatest extent one can.
50. 盛ん さかん Prosperous; flourishing; active; thriving. Describes something in a vigorous or lively state.
51. 浅い あさい Shallow; not deep. Also used figuratively to mean superficial or limited in experience.
52. 残念 ざんねん Regrettable; disappointing; unfortunate. Expresses a feeling of regret or disappointment.
53. 丁寧 ていねい Polite; courteous; careful; thorough. Describes behaviour, speech, or work done with care.
54. さっき さっき A little while ago; just now. Refers to a short time in the recent past.
55. 再来月 さらいげつ The month after next. Used for planning and scheduling beyond the coming month.
56. 決して けっして Never; by no means; not in the least. A strong negative adverb always used with negative verb forms.
57. 昔 むかし The old days; the past; long ago. Refers to a time considerably before the present.
58. どんどん どんどん Rapidly; steadily; one after another. Describes continuous and vigorous progression.
59. 一度 いちど Once; one time. Also used to mean for once or at some point when suggesting someone try something.
60. 変 へん Strange; odd; peculiar; weird. Describes something unusual or out of the ordinary.
61. もちろん もちろん Of course; certainly; naturally. Used to affirm something as obvious or self-evident.
62. 確か たしか If I remember correctly; I think; certain; definite; reliable.
63. 以内 いない Within; no more than; less than. Indicates a limit or boundary not exceeded.
64. 細かい こまかい Small; fine; detailed; minute. Describes something consisting of small parts or done with great attention.
65. すっかり すっかり Completely; entirely; thoroughly. Indicates that something has happened to its full extent.
66. よろしい よろしい Good; fine; all right. The honorific form of いい/良い, used in polite and formal contexts.
67. 今夜 こんや This evening; tonight. Refers to the nighttime of the current day.
68. 皆 みな Everyone; all; everybody. Refers to all members of a group.
69. 昼間 ひるま Daytime; during the day. The period between morning and evening when it is light outside.
70. 再来週 さらいしゅう The week after next. Used for scheduling and planning beyond the coming week.
71. 最近 さいきん Recently; lately; nowadays. Refers to the near past up to the present.
72. ひどい ひどい Terrible; awful; cruel; harsh. Describes something extremely bad or unfair.
73. なかなか なかなか Very; considerably; quite; fairly. Expresses that something exceeds expectations, either positively or negatively.
74. ずいぶん ずいぶん Extremely; very much; considerably; awfully. Indicates a degree that is more than expected.
75. ぜひ ぜひ By all means; certainly; definitely; without fail. Used to express a strong wish or recommendation.
76. うち うち Inside; within; while; among. Refers to an inner scope — of time, space, or group membership.
77. ため ため For the sake of; in order to; because of. Indicates purpose, benefit, or cause.
78. まず まず First of all; to start with; to begin with. Indicates the first step in a sequence of actions.
79. 正しい ただしい Correct; right; proper; accurate. Describes something that conforms to rules, facts, or standards.
80. それほど それほど To that degree; that much; so. Often used with negatives to mean 'not that much.'
81. 危険 きけん Danger; risk; hazard. Describes a situation or thing that could cause harm.
82. そろそろ そろそろ Soon; before long; gradually; slowly. Indicates something is about to happen or should happen now.
83. そんなに そんなに So much; to such a degree; like that. Refers to a degree associated with something previously mentioned.
84. 昼休み ひるやすみ Lunch break; noon recess. The midday rest period at schools and workplaces.
85. 最も もっとも Most; extremely; the -est. The superlative degree marker in formal contexts.
86. この間 このあいだ The other day; recently; a while ago. Refers to an unspecified recent past time.
87. 眠い ねむい Sleepy; drowsy. The physical sensation of wanting to sleep.
88. ほど ほど Degree; extent; about; approximately. Indicates the extent or limit of something.
89. もうすぐ もうすぐ Very soon; in a few moments; any minute now. Indicates something is about to happen imminently.
90. このごろ このごろ These days; nowadays; recently; lately. Refers to the current period in contrast to before.
91. 途中 とちゅう On the way; midway; in the middle of. Indicates being partway through a journey or process.
92. 安全 あんぜん Safety; security. The state of being free from danger or risk.
93. にくい にくい Hard to; difficult to. A suffix attached to verb stems to express difficulty.
94. ソフト ソフト Soft; gentle; software. A versatile loanword for soft textures, mild flavours, and computer programs.
95. だいぶ だいぶ Fairly; considerably; pretty much; to a large extent. Indicates a significant degree of change or state.
96. 楽しみ たのしみ Pleasure; enjoyment; something to look forward to. Describes anticipated joy or a source of happiness.
97. 偶に たまに Occasionally; once in a while; rarely.