JLPT N2 Vocabulary

N2 vocabulary skews specific and technical rather than thematic: school subjects, measurements, shop types, and everyday business words. This list follows that real pattern instead of forcing it into broad topics like business or politics.

Test Strategy: Particles

Like N3 and N1, the N2 exam is scored out of 180 points across three sections: Language Knowledge/Grammar (0-60), Reading (0-60), and Listening (0-60). N2's overall pass mark is 90 out of 180, but you also need at least 19 points in each section individually, so a strong section can't cover for a weak one.

By N2, most particle basics should already be automatic. The particles below are less about the core rule and more about the edge cases that still trip learners up at this level. Spend your limited prep time on the patterns that repeat across many sentences, and don't chase every gray-area exception.

Learn These Solidly

"depending on, by means of"
Marks a cause, method, or varying condition. Shows up constantly in formal writing.
"toward, in contrast to"
Marks who or what an action or attitude is directed at.
"through, throughout"
Marks a means or a span of time something happens across.
"about, concerning"
Marks the topic being discussed. Very consistent in meaning.

Skip When Unsure

"at, in, regarding"
A formal stand-in for ni or de that shifts nuance in ways that are easy to overthink.
"regarding, over (a dispute)"
Common in news writing but easy to confuse with ni tsuite in casual study.

If a question hinges on one of these two, take your best guess and move on. Chasing certainty here costs more time than it's worth.

One More Thing: Talk, Don't Just Memorize

At N2, word lists start running into a real problem: the vocabulary gets more specific and technical, and no two learners need the same specific words. The better move from here is to let your own conversations, reading, and interests decide what you learn next, using an app, an AI chat partner, or a real person as a live dictionary instead of only working through static lists.

Academic Subjects and School Life

"science (as a school subject)"
Comes up in conversations about school curriculum.
"humanities"
One of the three broad academic divisions in Japanese schooling.
"social science"
The second of those three broad divisions.
"natural science"
The third of the three, covering physics, biology, and the like.
"academic department, course of study"
Used when specifying what someone studies.
"academic ability"
Comes up in conversations about test scores and school performance.
"graduate school"
Useful for talking about education beyond a bachelor's degree.
"school building"
A concrete, everyday campus word.
"schoolyard, campus grounds"
The outdoor counterpart to kousha.
"school excursion, field trip"
A common word from school life.

Measurements, Shapes and Motion

"radius"
A basic geometry term that comes up in technical conversation.
"circumference"
Pairs naturally with hankei in any geometry discussion.
"ellipse"
Another basic shape term.
"speed"
A more technical word for speed than hayasa.
"speed per hour"
Specifically used for describing speed in km/h or mph.
"acceleration, speeding up"
Comes up in both driving and general change-of-pace contexts.
"acceleration (as a measurable quantity)"
The more technical, physics-flavored version of kasoku.
"rotation, turning"
Used for anything that spins or turns.
"to roll, to fall over"
Describes an object moving on its own.
"to roll something"
The transitive partner to korogaru.

Shops and Commerce

"bookshop"
A specific, common type of store.
"trading company"
Comes up in business and career conversations.
"small shop, store"
A general, everyday word for a small business.
"kiosk, stand"
The small shop you'd find at a station or event venue.
"shop selling Western-style clothing"
A specific store-type word.
"shop, store"
A casual, everyday synonym for a small store.
"buying and selling"
Used for describing trade or transactions in general.
"sales, turnover"
Comes up whenever discussing how much a business sold.
"sales performance, demand"
Describes how well something is selling.
"special sale"
A common word on store signage.

Meetings and Business Manners

"banquet, party"
Common word for a work or group celebration.
"opening (of a meeting or event)"
Marks the formal start of something.
"closing (of a meeting or event)"
The natural opposite of kaikai.
"gathering, assembly"
Used when telling people where and when to meet.
"meeting, rally"
A slightly larger or more formal gathering than shuugou.
"emcee, meeting host"
The person who runs a meeting or event.
"waiting room"
Common in clinics, offices, and stations.
"to arrange to meet"
Useful for making plans with someone.
"counter, teller window"
Where you'd go to ask questions or handle paperwork.
"business card"
An essential item in Japanese business culture.

People, Family and Appearance

"pale, bluish-white"
Describes someone looking unwell.
"deathly pale, deep blue"
A stronger version of aojiroi, or literally deep blue.
"pure white, blank"
Used for both color and describing a blank mind or page.
"gray or white hair"
Comes up in descriptions of age or appearance.
"transparent"
Used for both literal and figurative clarity.
"fast talking"
Describes someone who speaks quickly.
"mean, unkind"
A common word for describing unkind behavior.
"eldest son"
Useful in family and inheritance conversations.
"parents"
A more formal word than ryoushin for mother and father.
"youth, young people"
Used when talking about young people as a group.

Nation, Geography and Infrastructure

"bullet train"
Comes up constantly in travel conversation.
"king, monarch"
Useful in news and history conversations.
"national, state-run"
Used for national museums, universities, parks, and the like.
"nationality, citizenship"
Comes up on forms and in conversations about identity.
"the Orient, East Asia"
A broad regional term used in cultural conversation.
"the equator"
A basic geography term.
"peninsula"
Useful in geography and news about specific regions.
"transport, transportation"
Comes up in logistics and shipping conversation.
"blood transfusion"
A specific medical term that shows up in news and drama.
"lumber, timber"
Comes up in construction and trade conversation.