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N3 · 中級 · Intermediate

N3 essential words
& phrases

3,355 words and phrases for the Intermediate level — the bridge between basic conversation and the harder reading material at N2.

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Term
ああ言う
(ああいう)
ああいう

That kind of; like that

愛
あい

Deep, profound love or affection.

相変わらず
あいかわらず

As usual, as ever, or the same as always.

愛情
あいじょう

Deep affection and nurturing love

愛する
あいする

To love deeply or cherish.

合図
あいず

A signal, sign, or cue given to initiate a specific action.

間中
あいだじゅう

Throughout the entire duration; all during the whole time

彼奴
(あいつ)
あいつ

Informal term for that guy or thing, implying familiarity or disdain

相手
あいて

The other party, partner, or opponent.

生憎
(あいにく)
あいにく

Unfortunately; unluckily; used to politely express regret over bad timing or circumstances.

愛用
あいよう

habitual use of a favorite item

青白い
あおじろい

Sickly pale or bluish-white

明かす
あかす

To reveal a secret or stay up all night until dawn

明かり
あかり

Illumination or a source of light.

空き
あき

Vacancy, opening, or free time.

明らか
あきらか

Obvious, evident, or clear; distinct and easy to understand.

諦める
あきらめる

to give up on a hope or resign oneself to a situation

飽きる
あきる

To get tired of; to lose interest

呆れる
あきれる

To be dumbfounded or exasperated by foolish behavior or absurdity

握手
あくしゅ

The act of shaking hands, or figurative reconciliation and cooperation.

欠伸
(あくび)
あくび

A yawn; the act of yawning due to sleepiness or boredom.

明け方
あけがた

Dawn or daybreak; the time when the sky begins to lighten before sunrise.

上げ
あげ

A rise, increase, or lift.

揚げ
あげ

Deep-fried food or fried tofu pouch

憧れ
あこがれ

Deep admiration or yearning for an ideal.

憧れる
あこがれる

To yearn for, long for, or admire.

足首
あしくび

Ankle (literally ‘foot neck’).

味わう
あじわう

To taste, savor, or deeply experience.

預かり
あずかり

Temporary custody or holding of an item

預かり所
あずかりじょ, あずかりしょ

Baggage check counter or cloakroom

預かる
あずかる

To look after, keep, or hold something temporarily for someone else.

預ける
あずける

To entrust, deposit, leave in care, or lean one’s weight against

汗
あせ

Sweat, perspiration, or condensation forming on surfaces.

与える
あたえる

To formally give or bestow, or to cause an abstract effect or influence.

温まる
あたたまる, あったまる

To warm up or become warm, physically or emotionally

温める
あたためる, あっためる

To warm up food or liquids, incubate, or nurture a plan.

当たり
あたり

A successful hit, win, or correct guess; a rate per unit; the physical sensation of contact.

辺り
あたり

Vicinity, surroundings, or approximately around a place, time, or option.

当たり前
あたりまえ

Natural, reasonable, or obvious; a matter of course.

当たる
あたる

To strike, make contact, be correct, win, or correspond to.

彼方此方
(あちこち)
あちこち

Here and there, scattered across locations, or out of logical order.

悪化
あっか

Worsening or deterioration of a condition or situation

あっさり
あっさり

Light, simple, or done easily without fuss.

あっという間
あっというま

In the blink of an eye; the brief moment it takes to say ‘Ah’.

あっという間に
あっというまに

In the blink of an eye; in an instant.

熱々
あつあつ

Piping hot (food) or lovey-dovey (couple)

扱い
あつかい

Treatment, handling, or dealing with someone or something.

扱う
あつかう

To handle, treat, carry products, or cover a topic.

集まり
あつまり

A gathering, meeting, or assembly.

当てる
あてる

To hit a target, apply to a surface, guess correctly, or call on someone.

跡
あと

Physical traces, marks, or remains left behind.

穴
あな

A physical hole or opening; metaphorically a flaw, deficit, or long shot.

あなた方
あなたがた

Polite plural ‘you’ used to address a group in formal or official settings.

暴れる
あばれる

To act violently, rampage, or thrash around.

溢れる
あふれる

To overflow physically, or to be brimming with emotions or people.

油
あぶら

Liquid oil used for cooking, fuel, or machinery

甘やかす
あまやかす

To spoil or pamper someone through excessive leniency.

余りに
(あまりに)
あまりに

Excessively; so much that…

誤って
あやまって

By mistake; accidentally.

誤り
あやまり

Factual error or mistake, typically used in formal or written contexts.

誤る
あやまる

To make a mistake, err, or choose the wrong course of action.

荒い
あらい

Rough, wild, coarse, or reckless

粗い
あらい

Coarse texture, lack of detail, or sloppy work.

予め
(あらかじめ)
あらかじめ

In advance; beforehand (often implies necessary preparation)

嵐
あらし

A severe storm or figurative uproar.

争い
あらそい

Conflict, dispute, or competition.

争う
あらそう

To compete, contend, or dispute.

新た
あらた

Formal ‘new’ or ‘renewed’ applied to abstract concepts, fresh starts, or replacements.

改めて
あらためて

Formally, properly, or again at a later time

改める
あらためる

To formally change, revise, inspect, or do again properly.

凡ゆる
(あらゆる)
あらゆる

All, every, or all possible

表す
あらわす

To express thoughts or feelings, or to represent and signify.

現れる
あらわれる

To appear, come into sight, or become visible.

有難い
(ありがたい)
ありがたい

Grateful or thankful; describing a situation as welcome or a blessing.

有りがち
(ありがち)
ありがち

Common, prone to happen, or predictable.

或る
(ある)
ある

A pre-noun modifier indicating a certain specific but unnamed entity.

或いは
(あるいは)
あるいは

Formal term meaning ‘or’ (alternatively) or ‘perhaps’ (possibly).

ある意味で
あるいみで

In a sense; in a way.

ある意味では
あるいみでは

In a sense, or from a certain point of view.

彼是
(あれこれ)
あれこれ, かれこれ

This and that, various things; or roughly/nearly (regarding time)

あれだけ
あれだけ

That much, or to that extent.

あれ程
(あれほど)
あれほど

To that extent; that much

合わせる
あわせる

To match, combine, or bring things together.

慌てる
あわてる

To become flustered, panic, or act in a frantic rush.

案
あん

A plan, proposal, draft, or thought-out idea.

案外
あんがい

Unexpectedly or surprisingly; contrary to expectations

暗記
あんき

Memorization; learning by heart.

暗号
あんごう

Secret code, cipher, or password

安定
あんてい

Stability, steadiness, or equilibrium.

案内
あんない

Guidance, leading the way, or providing information and notices.

アップ
アップ

Refers to an increase, upload, close-up shot, or warm-up.

アピール
アピール

Emphasizing a selling point or making a public plea.

アンケート
アンケート

Questionnaire, survey, or poll.