JLPT N2 vocabulary list
220 core JLPT N2 words, each with its reading and meaning, studied with real spaced repetition. Free, no signup, works in your browser.
N2 vocabulary turns abstract and formal — the compound verbs, abstract nouns and written-register words you meet in news and argument. Each card shows the word, its reading, and a precise English meaning, none of it repeated from N3. Tap any group to study it with the forgetting-curve scheduling that times each review to memory.
N2 verbs
Study these 20 →- 占めるしめるto occupy, to account for (a proportion)
- 及ぼすおよぼすto exert, to cause (an effect on)
- 及ぶおよぶto reach, to extend to, to amount to
- 伴うともなうto accompany, to be accompanied by
- 備えるそなえるto prepare for, to furnish with
- 応じるおうじるto respond to, to comply with
- 費やすついやすto spend, to expend (time, money)
- 占ううらなうto tell fortunes, to forecast
- 兼ねるかねるto combine, to serve as both
- 挑むいどむto challenge, to take on (a contest)
- 略すりゃくすto abbreviate, to omit
- 操るあやつるto manipulate, to operate, to handle
- 蓄えるたくわえるto store up, to save, to accumulate
- 妨げるさまたげるto obstruct, to hinder, to disturb
- 免れるまぬがれるto escape, to avoid, to be exempted from
- 営むいとなむto run (a business), to carry on
- 強いるしいるto force, to compel
- 省くはぶくto omit, to cut out, to save (effort)
- 施すほどこすto give (aid), to administer, to carry out
- 授けるさずけるto grant, to confer, to teach
N2 verbs II
Study these 20 →- 示すしめすto show, to indicate, to point out
- 訴えるうったえるto appeal, to sue, to complain of
- 逆らうさからうto go against, to disobey, to resist
- 試みるこころみるto attempt, to try out
- 省みるかえりみるto reflect on, to look back on oneself
- 保つたもつto keep, to maintain, to preserve
- 担うになうto bear, to shoulder (a duty or burden)
- 支えるささえるto support, to hold up, to prop
- 築くきずくto build up, to establish (a relationship, fortune)
- 嘆くなげくto grieve, to lament, to deplore
- 補うおぎなうto make up for, to supplement, to compensate
- 誇るほこるto be proud of, to boast of
- 怠るおこたるto neglect, to be negligent in
- 嫌うきらうto dislike, to detest, to avoid
- 促すうながすto urge, to prompt, to encourage
- 蓄積するちくせきするto accumulate, to build up
- 把握するはあくするto grasp, to comprehend, to get a handle on
- 検討するけんとうするto examine, to consider, to review
- 達するたっするto reach, to attain, to amount to
- あふれるto overflow, to be filled with
N2 verbs III
Study these 20 →- 改めるあらためるto change, to reform, to revise
- 確かめるたしかめるto confirm, to make sure
- 認めるみとめるto recognize, to admit
- 求めるもとめるto seek, to request, to demand
- 防ぐふせぐto prevent, to defend against
- 含むふくむto contain, to include
- 属するぞくするto belong to
- 応えるこたえるto respond to, to live up to
- 異なることなるto differ, to be different
- 重なるかさなるto be piled up, to overlap
- 繰り返すくりかえすto repeat
- 取り組むとりくむto tackle, to work on
- 見直すみなおすto review, to reconsider
- 用いるもちいるto use, to make use of
- 諦めるあきらめるto give up, to abandon
- 似合うにあうto suit, to match
- 従うしたがうto follow, to obey
- 逃げるにげるto flee, to escape
- 解くとくto solve, to untie
- 預けるあずけるto entrust, to deposit, to leave in someone's care
N2 adjectives
Study these 20 →- あいまいvague, ambiguous (na-adj)
- 明白めいはくobvious, clear, evident (na-adj)
- 妥当だとうvalid, appropriate, reasonable (na-adj)
- 豊富ほうふabundant, plentiful (na-adj)
- 微妙びみょうdelicate, subtle, tricky (na-adj)
- 強引ごういんforcible, pushy, high-handed (na-adj)
- 膨大ぼうだいenormous, vast, huge (na-adj)
- 深刻しんこくserious, grave (na-adj)
- 巧妙こうみょうclever, skillful, ingenious (na-adj)
- 勝手かってselfish, one's own convenience (na-adj)
- 鈍感どんかんinsensitive, dull, thick-skinned (na-adj)
- わずらわしいtroublesome, bothersome (i-adj)
- 乏しいとぼしいscarce, lacking, meager (i-adj)
- 著しいいちじるしいremarkable, striking, marked (i-adj)
- 情けないなさけないpathetic, shameful, miserable (i-adj)
- 用心深いようじんぶかいcautious, wary, prudent (i-adj)
- 頼もしいたのもしいreliable, dependable, promising (i-adj)
- そそっかしいcareless, hasty, scatterbrained (i-adj)
- みっともないunsightly, disgraceful, shameful (i-adj)
- くどいtedious, repetitive, overly insistent (i-adj)
N2 adjectives II
Study these 20 →- 重要じゅうようimportant, crucial
- 必要ひつようnecessary
- 適切てきせつappropriate, suitable
- 確実かくじつcertain, reliable, sure
- 明確めいかくclear, definite, explicit
- 正確せいかくaccurate, precise
- 複雑ふくざつcomplicated, complex
- 単純たんじゅんsimple, plain
- 順調じゅんちょうsmooth, favorable, going well
- 強烈きょうれつintense, strong, severe
- 穏やかおだやかcalm, gentle, mild
- 荒いあらいrough, wild, violent
- 貴重きちょうprecious, valuable
- 鮮やかあざやかvivid, brilliant, skillful
- 幅広いはばひろいwide-ranging, broad
- 細かいこまかいfine, detailed, small
- 等しいひとしいequal, equivalent
- 鋭いするどいsharp, keen, acute
- 勇ましいいさましいbrave, courageous, valiant
- 心強いこころづよいreassuring, encouraging
N2 nouns
Study these 20 →- 傾向けいこうtendency, trend, inclination
- 現象げんしょうphenomenon
- 矛盾むじゅんcontradiction, inconsistency
- 前提ぜんていpremise, precondition, assumption
- 根拠こんきょbasis, grounds, foundation
- 概念がいねんconcept, notion
- 要素ようそelement, factor, component
- 範囲はんいrange, scope, extent
- 観点かんてんviewpoint, perspective, standpoint
- 傾斜けいしゃslope, incline, gradient
- 意図いとintention, aim, purpose
- 趣旨しゅしpurport, gist, point (of an argument)
- 手段しゅだんmeans, method, measure
- 対象たいしょうobject, target, subject (of study)
- 仕組みしくみstructure, mechanism, arrangement
- 焦点しょうてんfocus, focal point
- 本質ほんしつessence, true nature
- 特徴とくちょうcharacteristic, distinctive feature
- 効率こうりつefficiency
- 規模きぼscale, scope, magnitude
N2 nouns II
Study these 20 →- 制度せいどsystem, institution, scheme
- 政策せいさくpolicy (political)
- 需要じゅようdemand (economic)
- 供給きょうきゅうsupply (economic)
- 貿易ぼうえきtrade, commerce (international)
- 財政ざいせいfinances, financial affairs
- 格差かくさgap, disparity, inequality
- 世論よろんpublic opinion
- 権利けんりright, privilege (legal)
- 制限せいげんrestriction, limit
- 対策たいさくcountermeasure, response measure
- 現状げんじょうpresent condition, status quo
- 課題かだいissue, task, challenge to address
- 資源しげんresources (natural)
- 費用対効果ひようたいこうかcost-effectiveness
- 雇用こようemployment, hiring
- 福祉ふくしwelfare, well-being
- 賠償ばいしょうcompensation, indemnity, reparation
- 統計とうけいstatistics
- 輸出ゆしゅつexport
N2 nouns III
Study these 20 →- 影響えいきょうinfluence, effect
- 状況じょうきょうsituation, circumstances
- 条件じょうけんcondition, terms
- 環境かんきょうenvironment
- 責任せきにんresponsibility
- 成果せいかresult, fruit, achievement
- 効果こうかeffect, efficacy
- 判断はんだんjudgment, decision
- 評価ひょうかevaluation, appraisal
- 方針ほうしんpolicy, course, guideline
- 義務ぎむduty, obligation
- 義理ぎりobligation, social duty
- 苦情くじょうcomplaint, grievance
- 業績ぎょうせきbusiness performance, achievements
- 利益りえきprofit, benefit
- 損失そんしつloss
- 競争きょうそうcompetition
- 交渉こうしょうnegotiation
- 契約けいやくcontract, agreement
- 故障こしょうbreakdown, malfunction
N2 nouns IV
Study these 20 →- 改善かいぜんimprovement
- 解決かいけつsolution, settlement
- 原因げんいんcause
- 結果けっかresult, outcome
- 過程かていprocess, course
- 目的もくてきpurpose, objective
- 目標もくひょうgoal, target
- 理由りゆうreason
- 立場たちばstandpoint, position
- 態度たいどattitude, manner
- 印象いんしょうimpression
- 感覚かんかくsense, sensation
- 記憶きおくmemory, recollection
- 知識ちしきknowledge
- 技術ぎじゅつtechnology, skill
- 情報じょうほうinformation
- 資料しりょうmaterials, data, documents
- 報告ほうこくreport
- 提案ていあんproposal, suggestion
- 義援金ぎえんきんrelief donation, charitable contribution
N2 adverbs & connectors
Study these 20 →- あらゆるall, every (kinds of)
- いわゆるso-called, what is called
- いずれeventually, sooner or later; either way
- あえてdaringly, deliberately, going so far as to
- 案の定あんのじょうjust as expected, sure enough
- いまさらnow (after all this time), at this late stage
- いっそうeven more, all the more
- せめてat least, at the very least
- とっくにlong ago, already (long since)
- あくまでto the end, persistently, strictly (speaking)
- 果たしてはたしてreally, as expected; (with question) I wonder if
- もはやalready, no longer, by now
- やむを得ずやむをえずunavoidably, having no other choice
- ちなみにincidentally, by the way
- むしろrather, if anything, sooner
- それゆえtherefore, for that reason (formal)
- ただちにimmediately, at once, directly
- ことごとくall, entirely, every single one
- とりわけespecially, above all
- おそらくprobably, very likely, perhaps
N2 adverbs II
Study these 20 →- 次第にしだいにgradually, by degrees
- 徐々にじょじょにgradually, slowly
- 一斉にいっせいにall at once, simultaneously
- 直接ちょくせつdirectly, in person
- 間接的かんせつてきindirect, indirectly
- 案外あんがいunexpectedly, contrary to expectation
- 意外にいがいにsurprisingly, unexpectedly
- 相当そうとうconsiderably, fairly, quite
- 一段といちだんとeven more, all the more
- 比較的ひかくてきcomparatively, relatively
- 確かたしかif I remember right, certainly
- 必ずしもかならずしもnot necessarily (with negative)
- めったにrarely, seldom (with negative)
- たびたびoften, repeatedly
- 再びふたたびagain, once more
- 現にげんにactually, in fact
- 実にじつにtruly, indeed, really
- 思わずおもわずinvoluntarily, unintentionally
- あらかじめin advance, beforehand
- 強いてしいてforcibly, daringly, if pressed
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A curated core of the highest-yield N2 items — not the full N2 list (the JLPT hasn't published an official one since 2010). Every card is checked against the N2 level, and against our N3 set so nothing is repeated from the level below.