Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1 Vocabulary: Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Are you starting your Japanese journey with Minna no Nihongo lesson 1 vocabulary but feeling overwhelmed by lesson 1 vocabulary? You’re not alone! This lesson is the foundation for JLPT N5 and everyday conversations. In this guide, you’ll learn:

✅ 100+ essential words from Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1
✅ Clear English meanings, romaji, and kanji
✅ Example sentences for real-life usage
✅ FREE downloadable PDF for offline study
✅ Pro tips to memorize vocabulary faster

Read More: Minna no Nihongo Lesson 2 Vocabulary and Grammar

Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1 Vocabulary

Hiragana/Katakana	Romaji	English Translation
わたし	Watashi	Who / Who (polite)
あなた	Anata	You
あのひと	ano hito	That person (he/she)
あのひと	ano hito	That person (he/she)
みなさん	minasan	Everyone
せんせい	sensei	Teacher / Professor
がくせい	gakusei	Student
かいしゃいん	kaishain	Company employee
ぎんこういん	ginkouin	Bank employee
いしゃ	isha	Doctor
けんきゅうしゃ	kenkyuusha	Researcher
だいがく	daigaku	University
びょういん	byouin	Hospital
だれ / どなた |	Nice to meet you	Who / Who (polite)
はい / いいえ	hai / iie	Yes / No
しつれいですが	shitsurei desu ga	Excuse me, but…
おなまえは？	onamae wa?	What is your name?
はじめまして	hajimemashite	Please take care of me.
Teacher/Professor	yoroshiku onegaishimasu	Thanks.
どうぞ	douzo	Please (offering)
どうも	duomo	Thanks

Why Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1 Vocabulary Matters

Before diving into the words, understand why this lesson is crucial:

• It covers basic greetings, numbers, and everyday terms.
• Mastering these words helps you introduce yourself, ask questions, and understand simple sentences.
• It’s the first step toward JLPT N5 certification.

✅ (New to Japan?) Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Learning Japanese.)

Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1 Vocabulary List

1. Greetings & Basic Phrases

Japanese	Romaji	English
こんにちは	Konnichiwa	Hello
ありがとう	Arigatou	Thank you
すみません	Sumimasen	Excuse me / Sorry

Example Sentence:

• こんにちは！ わたしは がくせい です。
  (Konnichiwa! Watashi wa gakusei desu.)
  → “Hello! I am a student.”

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2. Numbers (1-10)

Age	Hiragana
1	いっさい*
2	にさい
3	さんさい
4	よんさい
5	ごさい
6	ろくさい
7	ななさい
8	はっさい*
9	きゅうさい
10	じゅっさい*
11	じゅういっさい*
20	にじゅっさい*
30	さんじゅっさい*
Question?	なんさい/　おいくつ

✅Pro Tip: Practice using numbers every day!

3. Common Nouns

Japanese	Kanji	English
ほん	本	Book
つくえ	机	Desk
いぬ	犬	Dog

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4. Basic Verbs

Japanese	Romaji	English
たべます	Tabemasu	To eat
のみます	Nomimasu	To drink
いきます	Ikimasu	To go

Example:

• わたしは ごはんを たべます。
  (Watashi wa gohan o tabemasu.)
  → “I eat rice.”

Here are some of the essential words you’ll encounter in Lesson 1:

1. Watashi (わたし) – I, me
   This is a basic pronoun used in formal situations. Example: わたしは学生です。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu – I am a student.)
2. Anata (あなた) – You
   Commonly used to address someone politely. Example: あなたは先生ですか。 (Anata wa sensei desu ka? – Are you a teacher?)
3. Sensei (先生) – Teacher
   Sensei is often used to refer to someone who teaches or is a master in a specific field.
4. Gakusei (学生) – Student
   This term is crucial for any beginner. Example: わたしは学生です。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu – I am a student.)
5. Kaisha (会社)—Company
   This information is particularly useful for conversations about professions. Example: かいしゃいんです。 (Kaishain desu – I am a company employee.)
6. Hajimemashite (はじめまして) – Nice to meet you
   Use when introducing yourself.
7. Douzo yoroshiku (どうぞよろしく) – Please take care of me
   This is a courteous way to conclude your introduction.

Tips to Memorize Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1 Vocabulary

1. Flashcards
   Use flashcards to write the Japanese word on one side and the meaning on the other. Apps like Anki are great for this.
2. Practice Daily Conversations
   Role-play scenarios like introductions or asking professionals with a language partner or in front of a mirror.
3. Watch Japanese Media
   Listen to how these words are used in Japanese TV shows or movies to improve your listening skills.
4. Write Your Sentences
   Create sentences using the vocabulary to internalize grammar and usage.

Why Focus on Minna no Nihongo, Lesson 1?

Lesson 1 sets the foundation for your Japanese language skills. The textbook and everyday conversations will utilize the basic vocabulary and sentence structures introduced in this lesson. Mastering these words ensures a smooth transition to subsequent lessons.

FREE Download: Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1 PDF

Want all 100+ words in one place? Grab your FREE PDF cheat sheet below!

📥 Download Now (Includes romaji, kanji, and example sentences)

Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1 Grammar

In this lesson, we will explore the は particle, も particle, and の particle, and the usage of the verbs です and ですか.

N1はN2です。
We have a different sentence structure than in English grammar. In English, we use subject + verb + object. But in Japanese, we use subject + object + verb. This will be demonstrated in the examples.　The particle-は, though written as は, is pronounced as わ.

は particle
It is a topic marker, i.e., it talks about the word (N1) before it. And the word (N2) after it is the main focus. That means N2 is described or defined by N1. The example will provide greater clarity. It is like starting a sentence with as for or speaking of.

です。
It helps to judge the character of N1.　It is like “is, am, or are” in the English language.
Example: さくらさんは せんせいです。
Ms. Sakura is a teacher.

Here, the は particle focuses on the fact that Ms. Sakura (topic) is a teacher (main focus).
私は教師です。
I am a teacher.
Note: ～さん　is used for respecting the person. But we don’t use ～さん in our name.
私はサントスです。

N1はN2じゃありません。
じゃありません is the negation of です. It is similar to the English language’s “isn’t, ain’t, aren’t” construction. Formally, ではありません is used.

Example: さくらさんは せんせい じゃありません/ではありません。
　　　　　Ms. Sakura is not a teacher.
私は教師じゃありません/ではありません。
I’m not a teacher.

か-particle
The か particle is used for questioning or forming by adding か to the end of a verb (です and others). Japanese does not use the “?” mark, unlike English. “.” is used after か to end the sentence.

Example: さくらさんは せんせい ですか。
Is Ms. Sakura a teacher?
To answer the question, はい is used for yes, and いいえ is used for no. いいえ is not pronounced individually, but the いい is pronounced as a (long sound). To answer the above question, let us see an example.
Yes: はい、せんせいです。
　　　　　　 Yes, Ms. Sakura is a teacher.
No: いいえ、先生じゃありません。
No, Ms. Sakura is not a teacher.

だれ/どなた：
だれ and どなた　are used for asking with the interrogative “who.” どなた is more polite than だれ.
Ex: あのひとは　だれ　ですか。
　 あの方はどなたですか。 (polite)
Who is that man?
Ans: さくらさんです。
　　　That’s　Ms. Sakura.

N+も
If the current statement is the same as the previous statement, we use　the も particle after the noun instead of the は particle. も means also or too.

Ex:　さくらさんは　せんせい　です。
　　 Ms. Sakura is a teacher.
サントスさんも先生です。
Mr. Santos is also a teacher.

N1のN2
The の particle is used to modify a noun. N2 belongs to N1.
Ex: さくらさんは　にほんだいがくの　せんせい　です。
Ms. Sakura is a teacher at Japan University.

何歳/おいくつ
Both なんさい and おいくつ are used to ask someone’s age, with おいくつ being more polite. おいくつ is more polite than なんさい.
Ex: さくらさんは　なんさい/おいくつ　ですか。
How old is Ms. Sakura?
Ans: にじゅうごさいです。
He is 25 years old.
Let’s learn how to express age using a table.

Conclusion

Minna no Nihongo Lesson 1 vocabulary is your first step toward fluency in Japanese. By mastering these essential words and phrases, you’ll build the confidence to introduce yourself and start simple conversations. Consistent practice will make these terms second nature, facilitating your Japanese language journey.