Japanese Katakana Words List – Foreign Words

Japanese Katakana Words List – Foreign Words

Written by Cruise Bogedin

This is a list of katakana words, aka foreign words that have been adopted into Japanese language using the カタカナ alphabet system.

These foreign words are also known as 外来語 (gairaigo). A large majority of them come from English, but there are also many words influenced from Portuguese, French, German, etc.

Many of the words maintain a similar meaning to the original word, but other words take on a completely new meaning in Japanese. These are known as 和製英語 (wasei eigo).

Japanese Katakana Words Complete Study Guide

#RomajiJapaneseGrammar MeaningLevel
1 afurika Africa N4
2 ajia Asia N4
3 akusesarii accessory N4
4 amerika America N4
5 anaunsaa announcer N4
6 apaato apartment N5
7 arubaito part-time job N4
8 arukooru alcohol N4
9 basu bus N5
10 bataa butter​ N5
11 beddo bed N5
12 beru bell N4
13 biru building N4
14 boorupen ball-point pen N5
15 botan button N5
16 chekku to check N4
17 depaato department store N5
18 doa door N5
19 erebeetaa elevator N5
20 esukareetaa escalator N4
21 fakkusu fax N4
22 firumu film N5
23 fooku fork N5
24 garasu a glass N4
25 gasorin gasoline; petrol N4
26 gasorin sutando petrol station N4
27 gasu petrol N4
28 gitaa guitar N5
29 gomi rubbish N4
30 guramu gram N5
31 handobaggu handbag N4
32 hankachi handkerchief​ N5
33 hoteru hotel N5
34 jamu jam N4
35 kaaten curtain N4
36 kamera camera N5
37 kappu cup N5
38 karee curry N5
39 karendaa calendar N5
40 keeki cake N4
41 kiro guramu kilogram N5
42 kiro meetoru kilometer N5
43 konpyuuta computer N4
44 konsaato concert N4
45 koohii Coffee N5
46 kooto coat N5
47 kopii copy; photocopy N5
48 koppu glass (drinking vessel); tumbler​ N5
49 kurasu class N5
50 macchi match N5
51 meetoru metre; meter N5
52 naifu knife N5
53 nekutai tie; necktie N5
54 nooto notebook N5
55 nyuusu news N5
56 ootobai motorcycle N4
57 paatii party N5
58 paato part; part time N4
59 pan bread N5
60 peeji page N5
61 pen pen N5
62 petto pet N5
63 piano piano N4
64 poketto pocket N5
65 posuto post N5
66 purezento present; gift N4
67 puuru swimming pool N5
68 rajiio radio N5
69 reji cashier​ N4
70 rekoodo record N5
71 resutoran restaurant N5
72 sandaru sandal N4
73 sandoicchi sandwich N4
74 sarada salad N4
75 seetaa sweater; jumper N5
76 shatsu shirt N5
77 shawaa shower N5
78 sofuto soft N4
79 sukaato skirt N5
80 sukuriin screen N4
81 supootsu sport; sports N5
82 supuun spoon N5
83 surippa slipper; slippers N5
84 sustsukeesu suitcase N4
85 suteeki steak N4
86 sutereo stereo N4
87 sutoobu heater; stove N5
88 suutsu suit N4
89 taipu type,style N4
90 takushii taxi N5
91 teeburu table N5
92 teepu tape N5
93 teepu rekoodaa tape recorder N5
94 tenisu tennis N4
95 terebi television; TV​ N5
96 tesuto examination; quiz; test N5
97 toire toilet N5
98 waapuro word processor N4
99 wai shatsu shirt N5
100 zero zero N5

Total Japanese Katakana Words Lessons (101)

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*NOTE* Officially, there are no kanji, vocabulary, or grammar lists for the JLPT. As a result, it is not possible to be certain which kanji, words, or grammar will or will not appear in a given test. Our study lists are based on prior test data and comparisons with other available lists of JLPT kanji, vocabulary, grammar, etc.

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