NANA Japanese vocabulary: 60 words from the first episodes
Two young women named Nana meet on a train to Tokyo, then end up sharing an apartment. Their everyday Japanese is adult, with conversations about love and music as well as city life.
About 75% of the words below are JLPT N5–N4, so NANA is a friendly start if you know your kana and a little grammar.
- Episodes 1–3
- 1,171 subtitle lines checked
- 60 words
- N5–N4: 75%
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 36 words · the first words any course teaches
- 私わたし watashiN5
I; me
私たちの出会いを覚えてる？
- 何なに naniN5
what
何 叫んでんの 今 仕事中！
- いいいい iiN5
good; fine; OK
あっ 私 片付ける いいよ
- もうもう mouN5
already; anymore; again
もう行っちゃったのかなI guess it's already gone
- 行くいく ikuN5
to go; to move; to head
何してんだ 奈々 行くぞ
- 友達ともだち tomodachiN5
friend; companion
何？ 君たち 友達なの？what? Are you guys friends?
- 言ういう iuN5
to say; to utter; to declare
奈々ちゃん 好きって言ってたろ
- 男おとこ otokoN5
man; male; fellow
男友達がいっぱい…I have a lot of male friends...
- 見るみる miruN5
to see; to look; to watch
あんたのこと ひと目 見て
- 分かるわかる wakaruN5
to understand; to know
そんなの… 分かってるもんThat's... I understand.
- 来るくる kuruN5
to come
観光に来られても 売りがない
- 今いま imaN5
now; the present time; just now
今 思うと偽名かもしれないし
- 人ひと hitoN5
person; people
何だ 東京の人かと思った
- よいよい yoiN5
good; excellent; fine
よかったら 今度 来てください
- 飲むのむ nomuN5
to drink; to swallow; to take
飲む 飲むdrink drink
- 出るでる deruN5
to leave; to exit; to go out
ばかばかしくって 涙も出ないよ
- 早いはやい hayaiN5
early; fast
…より４カ月も早く4 months earlier than...
- 大丈夫だいじょうぶ daijoubuN5
okay; all right
あっ すいません 大丈夫…
- うちうち uchiN5
home; my family; inside
高倉君は うち どこ？
- はいはい haiN5
yes; okay
はい あの 映画は好きです
- 学校がっこう gakkouN5
school
だって うちから学校 遠いんだもんBecause school is far from my house.
- 自分じぶん jibunN5
myself; yourself; oneself
自分のことは 自分でやるから
- 寝るねる neruN5
to sleep; to go to bed; to lie in bed
まさか ずっと寝てたんか？Did you sleep the whole time?
- 違うちがう chigauN5
to differ; to be different; to be distinct
何か 凡人と違うオーラを感じるI feel an aura that's different from ordinary people.
- 一緒いっしょ isshoN5
together; one lump; one mixture
今度の日曜とか暇だったら 一緒に見に行かな…If you have free time next Sunday, let's go see it together...
- 聞くきく kikuN5
to hear; to listen; to ask
そうなんだけど 聞いてよThat's right, but hear me out.
- 部屋へや heyaN5
room; chamber; apartment
同じ部屋で寝るのは 危険かもしれないIt might be dangerous to sleep in the same room.
- 仕事しごと shigotoN5
work; job; labor
何 叫んでんの 今 仕事中！
- ありがとうありがとう arigatouN5
thank you; thanks
ご乗車いただき ありがとうございますThank you for coming on board.
- こっちこっち kotchiN5
suddenly; abruptly; unexpectedly
俺は こっちのベッドで寝る
- 知るしる shiruN5
to know; to be aware; to be conscious
名前も知らない人だった
- いついつ itsuN5
when; at what time; how soon
いつごろ 終わるかな？
- 着くつく tsukuN5
to arrive at; to reach; to sit on
真っすぐ行けば ホテルに着くよIf you go straight, you'll arrive at the hotel.
- 時間じかん jikanN5
time; hour; period
あー もう こんな時間か
- 大学だいがく daigakuN5
university; college; former imperial university of Japan
大学じゃなくて 専門学校でもいいんだろ？Isn't it okay to go to a vocational school instead of a university?
- ちょっとちょっと chottoN5
a little; just a moment
ちょっとはあるけどAlthough there is a little
JLPT N4 9 words · still beginner territory
- 思うおもう omouN4
to think; to consider; to believe
これは やっぱり運命だと思う
- 彼かれ kareN4
he; him; boyfriend
私は 彼を本気で愛していたし
- 泣くなく nakuN4
to cry; to shed tears; to weep
アハハ 何 お前 泣いてんの？
- 全然ぜんぜん zenzenN4
at all; in the slightest; wholly
髪型とか服とか全然違うし ポリシー ねえなTheir hairstyles and clothes are completely different, and their policies aren't that great.
- 頑張るがんばる ganbaruN4
to persevere; to persist; to keep at it
まあ せいぜい頑張れよ 何それ
- 決めるきめる kimeruN4
to decide; to choose; to determine
勝手に決めるな！Don't decide arbitrarily!
- 気き kiN4
spirit; mind; heart
気が遠くなりそうなくらい痛い
- 戻るもどる modoruN4
to turn back; to return; to go back
じゃあ 私 自分の部屋に戻るから
- 受けるうける ukeruN4
to receive; to get; to catch
来年 もっぺん受けてみるよ
JLPT N3 7 words · intermediate
- お前おまえ omaeN3
you (rough, familiar)
お前も誘ってやろうかと思って
- 何でなんで nandeN3
why?; what for?; how?
っていうか お前 何で泣くの？
- 章しょう shouN3
chapter; section; medal
章司って… もう呼び捨て
- すてきすてき sutekiN3
lovely; wonderful; charming
こんな すてきなとこに そんな安く住めるなんて夢みたい！It's like a dream to be able to live in such a wonderful place at such a low price!
- やめるやめる yameruN3
to stop; to quit
いたたた… やめて しみる
- ごめんなさいごめんなさい gomennasaiN3
I'm sorry; my apologies; excuse me
あ… 大丈夫です ごめんなさいAh... it's okay, I'm sorry.
- 人間にんげん ningenN3
human being; human; person
なるほど そうか 同じ人間として
JLPT N2–N1 4 words · advanced
- やっぱりやっぱり yappariN2
after all; in the end; as one would expect
フフッ やっぱりねHehe, as expected.
- とことこ tokoN1
place; spot (casual ところ)
早いとこ酔っ払ってしまおう
- ごめんごめん gomenN2
I'm sorry; my apologies; excuse me
ごめん えっ？Sorry, eh?
- 爽やかさわやか sawayakaN2
fresh; refreshing; invigorating
だって 爽やかなんだもんBecause it's refreshing.
Show and story words 4 words · not on the JLPT lists, but this series leans on them
- 東京とうきょう toukyou
Tokyo
これからは 東京の空の下でFrom now on, under the Tokyo sky
- あんたあんた anta
you (casual, often rude)
私は あんたとは違うの
- 俺おれ ore
I; me (casual, masculine)
いや 俺は 淳子のこと
- やっぱやっぱ yappa
as expected; after all (casual)
じゃあ やっぱクラブかな
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