Home & Living

Introduction

Your home is where you'll use Japanese most naturally. This chapter covers the vocabulary for rooms, furniture, appliances, and the everyday objects that fill a Japanese household.

Knowing these words makes daily life in Japan — or even describing your own home — much easier.

Themes

All JLPT N5 Vocabulary in This Chapter (56)

1. 家 いえ House; residence; dwelling. Refers to a physical building where someone lives.
2. うち うち One's house; one's home; one's family; one's household. Refers to the speaker's own home or family.
3. 部屋 へや Room; chamber. A general word for any room inside a building.
4. 台所 だいどころ Kitchen. The room or area in a home where food is prepared and cooked.
5. お風呂 おふろ Bath; bathtub. Refers to both the act of bathing and the bath itself.
6. トイレ トイレ Toilet; restroom; bathroom; lavatory. The most common and neutral word for a bathroom.
7. 玄関 げんかん Entrance; front door; entryway. The entrance area of a Japanese home where shoes are removed.
8. 庭 にわ Garden; yard; courtyard. An outdoor area around a home, often with plants or landscaping.
9. 窓 まど Window. An opening in a wall or roof that lets in light and air.
10. ドア ドア Door. A Western-style hinged door, as opposed to a Japanese sliding door.
11. 戸 と Door, especially a Japanese-style sliding door. Also refers to shutters and panels.
12. 階段 かいだん Stairs; stairway; staircase. A set of steps for going between floors.
13. エレベーター エレベーター Elevator; lift. A machine that carries people between floors in a building.
14. テーブル テーブル Table. A flat surface with legs used for eating, working, or placing items.
15. 椅子 いす Chair; seat; stool; bench. Any piece of furniture designed for sitting.
16. ベッド ベッド Bed. A Western-style raised bed with a frame and mattress.
17. 机 つくえ Desk. A table used for studying, writing, or working.
18. 本棚 ほんだな Bookshelves; bookshelf; bookcase. A piece of furniture with shelves for storing books.
19. たんす たんす Chest of drawers; bureau; cabinet; dresser. Traditional Japanese storage furniture with drawers.
20. ラジオ ラジオ Radio. A device for receiving and playing broadcast audio programmes.
21. 電話 でんわ Telephone call; phone call; telephone. Both the device and the act of calling.
22. 時計 とけい Clock; watch; timepiece. Any device that shows the time.
23. カメラ カメラ Camera. A device used to take photographs or record video.
24. 電気 でんき Electricity; electric light. Refers to both electrical power and room lighting.
25. エアコン エアコン Air conditioner; air conditioning; aircon. A device that cools or heats indoor air.
26. 冷蔵庫 れいぞうこ Refrigerator; fridge. An essential kitchen appliance for storing food and drinks.
27. 洗濯機 せんたくき Washing machine; clothes washer. A standard household appliance for cleaning laundry.
28. かばん かばん Bag; satchel; briefcase. A general term for any type of bag carried by hand or on the shoulder.
29. 傘 かさ Umbrella; parasol. Used for protection from both rain and sun.
30. 鍵 かぎ Key. Used for locking and unlocking doors, drawers, and other secured items.
31. 財布 さいふ Wallet; purse; coin purse. A personal item for carrying money, cards, and identification.
32. はさみ はさみ Scissors; shears; clippers. A cutting tool with two blades.
33. コップ コップ Glass; drinking glass; tumbler. A vessel used for drinking water, juice, and other beverages.
34. 皿 さら Plate; dish; platter. A flat vessel used for serving and eating food.
35. 茶碗 ちゃわん Rice bowl; tea cup. A ceramic bowl primarily used for eating rice in Japanese meals.
36. 箸 はし Chopsticks. The primary eating utensil in Japanese cuisine.
37. スプーン スプーン Spoon. A common utensil used for eating soups, curries, and desserts.
38. フォーク フォーク Fork. A utensil with prongs used for eating Western-style food.
39. ナイフ ナイフ Knife. A cutting utensil used for eating and food preparation.
40. 新聞 しんぶん Newspaper. A daily or periodical publication containing news, articles, and information.
41. 雑誌 ざっし Magazine; journal; periodical. A publication issued at regular intervals containing articles and images.
42. 元 もと Origin; source; beginning. Refers to the base, root, or starting point of something.
43. 辞書 じしょ Dictionary; lexicon. A reference book containing words and their definitions.
44. ノート ノート Notebook; exercise book; copy-book. A bound collection of blank pages for writing notes.
45. ペン ペン Pen. A writing instrument that uses ink.
46. 鉛筆 えんぴつ Pencil. A wooden writing instrument with a graphite core.
47. 紙 かみ Paper. A thin material used for writing, printing, and wrapping.
48. 手紙 てがみ Letter; note. A written message sent to someone, typically by post.
49. 切手 きって Postage stamp. A small piece of paper affixed to mail to indicate payment of postage.
50. 封筒 ふうとう Envelope. A flat paper container used for enclosing letters and documents.
51. 写真 しゃしん Photograph; photo; picture. Used broadly for any kind of photographic image.
52. 花 はな Flower; blossom; bloom. One of the most culturally significant words in Japanese.
53. 石鹸 せっけん Soap. A basic household item used for washing hands and body.
54. タオル タオル Towel. A common household item used for drying hands, body, and face.
55. お金 おかね Money. The standard polite word for money in everyday Japanese.
56. 荷物 にもつ Luggage; baggage; package. Refers to any carried belongings or parcels.