Demon Slayer Japanese vocabulary: 60 words from the first episodes
Tanjiro trains as a demon slayer after demons kill his family and turn his sister Nezuko into one, hoping to save her. Words like 鬼 (demon) and 刀 (sword) fit the Taisho-era setting. His polite, earnest speech is easy to follow.
About 67% of the words below are JLPT N5–N4, so Demon Slayer is manageable once you have the basics down.
- Episodes 1–3
- 946 subtitle lines checked
- 60 words
- N5–N4: 67%
How this list was made: we went through the Japanese subtitles of the first 3 episodes, reduced every word to its dictionary form, dropped names, sound effects and grammar particles, and kept the words that come up most. Each word has one short line from the show.
JLPT N5 31 words · the first words any course teaches
- 妹いもうと imoutoN5
younger sister
妹を治す？ 敵を見つける？Can a weakling who can't take the initiative in such a situation heal his sister?!
- 人ひと hitoN5
person; people
人食い鬼は そうやって増える
- 山やま yamaN5
mountain; hill; mine
ここから 山の麓の家まで下りてくることNow find your way back to that house at the bottom of the mountain.
- 死ぬしぬ shinuN5
to die
お前の家族は 死んでなかったかもしれないyour family might not have ended up dead.
- 違うちがう chigauN5
to differ; to be different; to be distinct
違うのかもしれないdifferent from others.
- 今日きょう kyouN5
today; this day; these days
“今日は”というより 最近 毎日 素振りWell, I say "today", but I've been doing this pretty much every day as of recently.
- 何なに naniN5
what
お前のほうこそ 何をしている
- 行くいく ikuN5
to go; to move; to head
今日も町に行くの？
- 言ういう iuN5
to say; to utter; to declare
その女の子は“真菰”と言った
- 今いま imaN5
now; the present time; just now
そんなのは今することじゃない
- 強いつよい tsuyoiN5
strong; potent; competent
でも バカみたいに強いBut he's ridiculously strong!
- 分かるわかる wakaruN5
to understand; to know
よし 分かる… 分かるぞ！
- いいいい iiN5
good; fine; OK
夜が明ける前に戻ればいいんだな
- もうもう mouN5
already; anymore; again
鱗滝さんのにおいは もう覚えたI've already memorised Urokodaki's scent!
- もっともっと mottoN5
more; even more; longer
前に進め もっと速く足を動かせ！
- 体からだ karadaN5
body; torso; trunk
お前の体は何も分かってない
- 来るくる kuruN5
to come
俺が あと半日 早く来ていれば
- 誰だれ dareN5
who
俺が誰も傷つけさせない
- なぜなぜ nazeN5
why; how; for what reason
なぜ 斧を振らなかった？
- 頭あたま atamaN5
head; hair; mind
まさか頭から腕が生えるなんて
- 教えるおしえる oshieruN5
to teach; to instruct; to tell
そして 10ある水の型 全てを お前に教えるI will teach you all ten Water Breathing forms.
- 男おとこ otokoN5
man; male; fellow
男が わめくな 見苦しい
- つけるつける tsukeruN5
to attach; to join; to connect
今日から日記をつけることにした
- 入るはいる hairuN5
to enter; to come in; to go in
腹に力が入ってないって怒られて
- 家族かぞく kazokuN5
family
家族の敵を討つこともできないor get revenge for your family!
- 大丈夫だいじょうぶ daijoubuN5
okay; all right
禰豆子！ 大丈夫か？
- 前まえ maeN5
in front; before; earlier
前に… 進めない これ以上！
- 持つもつ motsuN5
to hold; to take; to carry
今日は 刀を持って山下りToday, I did the usual while carrying a sword.
- いつもいつも itsumoN5
always; all the time; at all times
いつも 炭治郎を見てるよThey're always watching over you, Tanjirou.
- 遅いおそい osoiN5
slow; late; too late
人であるから 傷の治りも遅くSince they're human, their wounds are slow to heal,
- 家いえ ieN5
house; residence; dwelling
鬼は… 家の中には入ってこないのか？These demons wouldn't come inside your house, would they?
JLPT N4 9 words · still beginner territory
- 力ちから chikaraN4
force; strength; might
刃の向きと 刀を振るとき込める力の方向はThe blade's orientation must be in perfect alignment with the force of your swing.
- 血ち chiN4
blood; ancestry; lineage
口や手に 血は付いていなかったand there was no blood on her mouth or hands.
- 頑張るがんばる ganbaruN4
to persevere; to persist; to keep at it
しっかりするんだ！ 頑張れ！
- ダメだめ dameN4
no good; not serving its purpose; useless
買わないとダメだな 新しいのを
- 子こ koN4
child; kid; teenager
真菰は 少し変わった子だった
- 思うおもう omouN4
to think; to consider; to believe
死ぬかもしれないと 何度も思う
- 戻るもどる modoruN4
to turn back; to return; to go back
夜が明ける前に戻ればいいんだな
- 気き kiN4
spirit; mind; heart
十分 気をつけます
- すごいすごい sugoiN4
amazing; incredible
そしたら すごく体温が上がって
JLPT N3 13 words · intermediate
- 鬼おに oniN3
ogre; demon; oni
じゃあ… みんな 鬼に食われちまうThen, everyone would get eaten up by the demons.
- お前おまえ omaeN3
you (rough, familiar)
当然 俺も お前を尊重しない
- 殺すころす korosuN3
to kill; to slay; to murder
妹を殺す お前は腹を切って死ぬFirst, you kill your sister!
- においにおい nioiN3
smell; scent; odour
鱗滝さんのにおいは もう覚えたI've already memorised Urokodaki's scent!
- 刀かたな katanaN3
sword; katana; scalpel
今日は 刀を持って山下りToday, I did the usual while carrying a sword.
- 人間にんげん ningenN3
human being; human; person
なんで鬼と人間が つるんでるんだ！Why the fuck's a demon in cahoots with a human?
- 食うくう kuuN3
to eat; to live; to make a living
禰豆子は人を食ったりしない！
- やめるやめる yameruN3
to stop; to quit
だから やめろって！
- 呼吸こきゅう kokyuuN3
breathing; respiration; knack
呼吸を整えて 罠のにおいを嗅ぎ分けろGet your breathing under control and sniff out each and every trap!
- 助けるたすける tasukeruN3
to save; to rescue; to spare
助けてやれなくて ごめんな…I'm so sorry I couldn't save you.
- 絶対ぜったい zettaiN3
absolutely; definitely; unconditionally
それだけは絶対にあってはならない
- あとあと atoN3
after; later; the rest
俺が あと半日 早く来ていれば
- 岩いわ iwaN3
rock; boulder; crag
岩を斬ってるからな！Strong enough to cut through boulders!
JLPT N2–N1 1 words · advanced
- 斬るきる kiruN2
to kill using a blade; to slice; to lop
俺の仕事は 鬼を斬ることだ
Show and story words 6 words · not on the JLPT lists, but this series leans on them
- 俺おれ ore
I; me (casual, masculine)
俺じゃないって言っただろ！
- 兄ちゃんにいちゃん niichan
big brother; young man
兄ちゃんが助けてやる！I swear your big brother will save you no matter what!
- わしわし washi
I; me (old men)
わしの言っていることが分かるか？
- 殺るやる yaru
to do someone in; to bump someone off
鬼殺隊 その数 およそ数百名
- 罠わな wana
trap; snare; trick
呼吸を整えて 罠のにおいを嗅ぎ分けろGet your breathing under control and sniff out each and every trap!
- 治すなおす naosu
to cure; to heal
妹を治す？ 敵を見つける？Can a weakling who can't take the initiative in such a situation heal his sister?!
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