Core words: Stage 1

222 words for small talk, getting to know someone and saying what you think; half of them rank in the top 1,815 of spoken Japanese.

222 words in 55 chunks, learned alongside Stage 1 of the main list. Start with Hungry, thirsty, sleepy, drunk and use Next at the bottom of each page.

1. 1Hungry, thirsty, sleepy, drunkVerbs: the bodysuku get hungry (stomach); empty out, get less crowdedkawaku dry, get dry; get thirsty (nodo ga kawaku)nemuru sleep, fall asleepyopparau get drunk
2. 2Clothes and weightVerbs: home and routinekiru wear, put on (shirts, jackets, dresses)niau suit, look good onfutoru put on weight, get fatyaseru lose weight, get thin
3. 3Inviting and introducingVerbs: talkingyobu call (over); invite; send for; call (by a name)shoukai suru introduce; recommendsasou invite; ask outkotowaru refuse, turn down; say no
4. 4Knowing and rememberingVerbs: thinking and feelingshiranai don't know; not know (someone)omoidasu remember, recall; be reminded ofkanchigai suru get the wrong idea; mistake (one thing for another)rikai suru understand
5. 5Hopes, worries, regretsVerbs: thinking and feelingkitai suru expect; hope for; count ongaman suru put up with; hold back; hold it inkoukai suru regretnayamu worry about; agonise over; be torn
6. 6Excited and movedVerbs: thinking and feelingmoriagaru liven up, get lively; get excited (as a group)kandou suru be moved, be touchedkoufun suru get excited, get worked up
7. 7Hurt, down or angryVerbs: thinking and feelingochikomu feel down, be depressedkizutsuku get hurt (feelings); get damagedmukatsuku be pissed off; be annoyingharadatsu be infuriating; get angry
8. 8Panic and nervesVerbs: thinking and feelingaseru panic, feel rushed; be impatientawateru panic, be flustered; rushbibiru get scared, be startled; chicken outyudan suru let one's guard down, get careless
9. 9Noticing and guessingVerbs: thinking and feelingkizuku notice, realiseomoitsuku think of, come up with (an idea)yosou expectation, guess; predictionomoikomu assume, be convinced (of something wrong)
10. 10Meeting and marryingVerbs: dealing with peoplekekkon suru get married; marriagedeau meet (for the first time), come acrossrikon suru get divorced; divorceshiriau get to know, meetpuropoozu suru propose (marriage); marriage proposal
11. 11Dating and breaking upVerbs: dealing with peopletsukiau go out with, date; keep someone companywakareru break up; part, say goodbyekokuhaku suru confess one's feelings, ask someone outmoteru be popular romantically, get a lot of attention
12. 12Joking aroundVerbs: dealing with peoplefuzakeru mess around, joke aroundukeru be funny, get a laugh; go down wellwaraeru be hilarious; can laugh (about it)karakau tease, make fun of
13. 13Work and keep goingVerbs: change, start and endhataraku work (at a job)tsuzuku continue; go on; lastnareru get used to
14. 14Living your lifeVerbs: life and livingikiru live; be alivekurasu live; get bysugosu spend (time)
15. 15Girls boys men womenPeopleonna no ko girlotoko no ko boyotoko no hito manonna no hito woman
16. 16When I was littleLife and timekodomo no koro when I was a kid; childhoodchiisai koro when I was littleano koro back then; in those daystouji at the time; back then
17. 17Relief and worryMind and feelingsanshin suru be relieved; feel at easefuan anxious; uneasy; anxietymanzoku suru be satisfied; satisfactionfuman complaint; dissatisfaction
18. 18Shock and hard timesMind and feelingsshokku shock; upset; hurtjigoku hell; a nightmareomoi o suru go through (a feeling); have a (hard, lonely...) time
19. 19Likes and loveMind and feelingskyoumi nai not interested; don't care aboutren'ai romance; love life; datingkonomi taste; preference; typeshitto suru be jealous; jealousy
20. 20School stagesPlaceskoukou high schoolshougakkou elementary school; primary schoolchuugaku middle school; junior highkyoushitsu classroom; class, lessons (for a hobby or skill)
21. 21Meeting new peoplePlacesjimoto hometown; local areashusshin where you're from; hometownjikoshoukai self-introductionrenrakusaki contact details
22. 22Eating and drinking outPlaceskafe caféizakaya izakaya; Japanese pubresutoran restaurant
23. 23Popular dishesFood and drinkkaree curry; curry and riceraamen ramensushi sushiudon udon (thick wheat noodles)
24. 24Jobs and days offWork and schoolyasumi day off; holiday; break; absencebaito part-time job; part-timerkyuuryou pay; salary
25. 25School lifeWork and schoolkurasu class (group of students); levelsotsugyou suru graduate; finish schoolbu club (at school); departmentshikaku qualification; licence; the right (to do something)
26. 26Hobbies and showsFree time and techshumi hobby; taste (in things)dorama TV drama; TV seriesbangumi TV or radio show; programfan fan (of someone or something)sakuhin a work (film, book, art)
27. 27Videos, manga, social mediaFree time and techdouga video (clip, online)manga manga; comicsesu enu esu social mediakyara character (in a story or game); someone's personazasshi magazine
28. 28Songs and gigsFree time and techkyoku song; piece of music; tuneraibu gig; concert; live showkaraoke karaoke
29. 29Sad and missingAdjectives: feelingssabishii lonely; sad to be apart; (a place) emptykanashii sadkawaisou poor thing; pitiful; that's sad (for them)natsukashii that takes me back; nostalgic
30. 30Fine, grateful, awkwardAdjectives: feelingsheiki fine; okay; not botheredarigatai much appreciated; a big help; gratefulkimazui awkward; uncomfortable (between people)
31. 31Tough and tiringAdjectives: feelingsmendokusai what a pain; such a hassle; can't be botheredtsurai hard; painful (emotionally); roughkitsui tough; hard (on you); tight (clothes); harsh (words)shindoi exhausting; tough; worn outkurushii painful; hard to breathe; hard to bear
32. 32Losing and missing outAdjectives: feelingskuyashii frustrating; gutted; gallingurayamashii jealous; envious; lucky younasakenai pathetic; shameful; miserableoshii so close!; a shame; a waste
33. 33All-in feelingsAdjectives: feelingsdaikirai hate; really dislikehisshi desperate; frantic; all-outmuchuu hooked on; crazy about; absorbed intamaranai irresistible; amazing; unbearable
34. 34How your body feelsAdjectives: feelingsnemui sleepykimochi warui gross; creepy; (I) feel sickkimochi ii feels good; pleasant; refreshingdarui sluggish; heavy and tired; run-downkayui itchy
35. 35Skill and praiseAdjectives: peopletokui good at; strong pointheta bad at; unskillederai good for you; admirable; important (person)rippa admirable; fine; impressiveyuushuu excellent; very capable; top (student, worker)
36. 36Serious or sloppyAdjectives: peoplemajime serious; diligent; earnesttekitou sloppy; half-hearted; randomshinken serious; earnest; for realiikagen sloppy; irresponsible; (iikagen ni shite) enough already
37. 37Looks and styleAdjectives: peoplekakkoii cool; good-looking; stylishwakai youngoshare stylish; fashionable; trendy (place)oniai well-matched; suits you
38. 38Strict, selfish and meanAdjectives: peoplekibishii strict; harsh; tough (situation)wagamama selfish; spoiled; demandingzurui unfair; sly; no fair!ijiwaru mean; nasty; spiteful
39. 39Kind and closeAdjectives: peopleshinsetsu kind; helpfulnaka ii get along well; closetayori ni naru reliable; someone you can count onshitashii close; on familiar terms
40. 40Strange and surprisingAdjectives: things and situationsokashii strange, odd, wrong; funnyigai unexpected, surprisingfushigi strange, mysterious; puzzlingayashii suspicious, fishy; doubtful
41. 41Waste and no pointAdjectives: things and situationsmuda no use, pointless; a wastemottainai what a waste; too good to wasteimi nai pointless, there's no pointdou shiyou mo nai hopeless, nothing can be done; useless (person)
42. 42Rare, common, alikeAdjectives: things and situationsmezurashii rare, unusualyoku aru common, happens a lotsokkuri just like, the spitting image ofbetsubetsu separate, separately
43. 43Calling things badAdjectives: things and situationssaitei the worst, awful; at least, minimumkudaranai stupid, silly, worthlessmashi better (of bad options), less badbimyou iffy, so-so; hard to say; subtledasai uncool, tacky, lame
44. 44Still, already, originallyAdverbs: manner and certaintyaikawarazu as always; same as ever; stillmotomoto originally; to begin with; by naturetokku ni long ago; already (well before now)imada ni still (even now); to this day
45. 45Suddenly and all at onceAdverbs: manner and certaintytotsuzen suddenly; out of nowhereikinari suddenly; out of the blue; right offitsu no ma ni ka before I knew it; without noticingikki ni all at once; in one go
46. 46Why and somehowAdverbs: manner and certaintynaze whyittai (what, why) on earthnandaka somehow; kind of; for some reasonnazeka for some reasonnantonaku somehow; for no particular reason; vaguely
47. 47As usual, basicallyAdverbs: manner and certaintyitsumo doori as usual; the usual wayshotchuu all the time; constantlykihonteki ni basically; as a rule
48. 48Very and reallyDegree wordstottemo very; really; somechakucha super; extremely; a total messzuibun quite; a lot; reallyshinu hodo to death; incredibly
49. 49So-so and fairlyDegree wordsmaamaa so-so; not bad; now, nowsokosoko fairly; reasonably; decentsorenari reasonably; in its own way; as you'd expectaru teido to some extent; a certain amount
50. 50Feelings as soundsSound and feeling wordsdokidoki suru heart pounding; be nervous; be thrilledwakuwaku suru be excited; can't waitiraira suru be irritated; get annoyedgakkari suru be disappointed; be let downhotto suru be relieved; feel at ease
51. 51Early, last-minute, hecticSound and feeling wordshayame a bit early; earlier than usualgirigiri just barely; at the last minute; cutting it closebatabata suru be hectic; rush aroundnonbiri suru take it easy; relax; be laid-back
52. 52And thenConnectorssore kara and then; after that; since thensoshite and; and thensoshitara and then (it turned out); in that casesono ato after that; afterwards
53. 53Even so and butConnectorstada but, only thing is; just, onlysore demo even so; stilldakara tte just because (that doesn't mean); even sosore ni shite mo even so; still, (but) reallysono kawari instead; in exchange; but then
54. 54Changing the subjectConnectorstokoro de by the waysore yori more importantly; never mind thatchinami ni by the way; just so you knowsate well then; now
55. 55Rephrasing and hedgingConnectorstte iu ka I mean; or rather; actuallygyaku ni on the contrary; if anything; actuallyaru imi in a sense; in a waymushiro rather; if anythingiwayuru so-called; what you'd call