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JLPT N1 Science & Technology Vocabulary (2026)

Complete JLPT N1 Science & Technology vocabulary with readings and example sentences (65 words).

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This category collects 65 advanced N1 words drawn from physics, electronics, materials science, and computing, the technical register used in science journalism, engineering documentation, and the abstract reading passages that distinguish N1 from N2. Many of these words rarely surface in conversational Japanese but recur throughout N1 reading comprehension sections built around technology and scientific explanation.

This article is part of our JLPT N1 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 65 words with the Science & Technology Vocabulary deck in Onigiri Anki.

Physics & Electromagnetic Phenomena (15)

Core physics vocabulary covering waves, fields, and particles, which is the register N1 reading passages use for popular-science explanations of technologies like superconductors or optical instruments.

waveform波形hakei

波形が画面に表示された。 — The waveform was displayed on the screen.

interference干渉kanshou

電波は周囲の機器の干渉を受けることがある。 — Radio waves can be affected by interference from nearby devices.

transmission透過touka

このガラスは光をほとんど透過する。 — This glass transmits almost all light.

reflection反射hansha

太陽光の反射がまぶしかった。 — The reflection of sunlight was dazzling.

electromagnetic電磁denji

電磁波は通信にも使われている。 — Electromagnetic waves are also used in communication.

induction誘導yuudou

看護師は患者を誘導した。 — The nurse guided the patient.

resonance共振kyoushin

その橋は共振で崩れた。 — The bridge collapsed due to resonance.

quantum量子ryoushi

量子の理論は理解が難しい。 — Quantum theory is difficult to understand.

elementary particle素粒子soryuushi

研究者は学生たちに素粒子を説明した。 — The researcher explained elementary particles to the students.

fluid dynamics流体力学ryuutairikigaku

彼は大学で流体力学を専攻した。 — He majored in fluid dynamics at university.

superconductivity超伝導choudendou

その研究室では低温下で超伝導の研究をしている。 — The laboratory is researching superconductivity at low temperatures.

luminescence発光hakkou

その材料は加熱すると発光した。 — The material began to emit light when heated.

vacuum真空shinkuu

その実験は真空中で行われた。 — The experiment was conducted in a vacuum.

scattering散乱sanran

粒子は散乱して広がります。 — The particles spread by scattering.

electric charge電荷denka

その物体に電荷が蓄えられました。 — An electric charge was accumulated in the object.

Electronics, Circuits & Power (11)

Terms for electronic components, conduction, and power systems that appear constantly in N1 passages about energy infrastructure, batteries, and consumer electronics.

integration集積shuuseki

情報は一か所に集積されている。 — The information has been accumulated in one place.

heat transfer伝熱dennetsu

この材料では伝熱が思ったより速い。 — Heat transfer in this material is surprisingly fast.

thermal conduction熱伝導netsudendou

金属を温めると熱伝導が高まる。 — When metal is heated, thermal conduction increases.

insulation絶縁zetsuen

感電を防ぐために絶縁が重要だ。 — Insulation is important to prevent electric shock.

electrical conduction導電douden

このワイヤーは導電性が高い。 — This wire has high electrical conductivity.

semiconductor半導体handoutai

半導体はスマートフォンに欠かせない。 — Semiconductors are indispensable for smartphones.

integrated circuit集積回路shuusekikairo

集積回路はさらに小さくなった。 — The integrated circuit became even smaller.

circuit回路kairo

この回路は単純だが、よく動く。 — This circuit is simple, but it works well.

power generation発電hatsuden

新しい発電所が発電を開始した。 — The new power plant started generating electricity.

energy storage蓄電chikuden

この電池は蓄電容量が大きい。 — This battery has a large storage capacity.

discharge放電houden

コンデンサーがすぐに放電した。 — The capacitor discharged quickly.

Materials & Structural Properties (11)

Vocabulary describing how materials withstand stress, heat, and structural demands, essential for N1 passages on manufacturing, product durability, and materials science.

catalyst触媒shokubai

この反応では、酵素が触媒として働く。 — The enzyme acts as a catalyst for this reaction.

resistance耐性taisei

人によって、ストレスに対する耐性は違う。 — People differ in their resistance to stress.

robust堅牢kenrou

この橋は地震にも耐えうる堅牢な構造です。 — This bridge has a robust structure that can withstand earthquakes.

fine-scale微細bisai

この顕微鏡は材料の微細な構造を映し出します。 — The microscope shows the fine-scale structure of the material.

minute微小bishou

結果は微小な変化でも左右されます。 — Even minute changes can affect the result.

homogeneous均質kinshitsu

その試料は均質で、比較しやすいです。 — The samples are homogeneous and easy to compare.

multilayer多層tasou

この工場は多層構造を採用して、断熱性を高めている。 — This factory has adopted a multilayer structure to improve thermal insulation.

heat resistance耐熱tainetsu

この塗料は耐熱性に優れている。 — This coating has excellent heat resistance.

fracture破壊hakai

地震で壁が破壊された。 — The earthquake caused the wall to be destroyed.

streamlined shape流線形ryuusenkei

新しい電車は流線形をしている。 — The new train is streamlined.

airtight sealing密閉mippei

彼は瓶を密閉した。 — He sealed the bottle airtight.

Measurement, Detection & Data Analysis (10)

Precision and measurement vocabulary used throughout N1 passages that discuss sensors, quality control, and statistical reasoning about experimental data.

detection検知kenchi

そのシステムは異常をすぐに検知した。 — The system quickly detected the abnormality.

high precision高精度kouseido

この機械は高精度な測定を行えます。 — This machine can perform high-precision measurements.

critical point臨界点rinkaiten

その系は臨界点付近で不安定になった。 — The system became unstable near the critical point.

deviation偏差hensa

二つの測定値には大きな偏差があった。 — There was a large deviation between the two measurements.

error誤差gosa

計算にはまだ誤差がある。 — There is still some error in the calculation.

extraction抽出chuushutsu

必要なデータだけを抽出した。 — We extracted only the necessary data.

accumulation蓄積chikuseki

日々の練習で知識が蓄積された。 — Knowledge accumulated through daily practice.

outlier異常値ijouchi

その点は異常値として扱われた。 — That point was treated as an outlier.

signal processing信号処理shingoushori

この装置では信号処理が重要だ。 — In this device, signal processing is important.

surveying測量sokuryou

私たちは工事の前に測量を行っている。 — We are conducting a survey before construction.

Automation, AI & Control Systems (11)

Vocabulary for automated and intelligent systems, the core register for N1 passages on robotics, self-driving vehicles, and software reliability.

braking制動seidou

安全な制動には、しっかりしたブレーキ操作が必要だ。 — Safe braking requires solid brake operation.

redundancy冗長性jouchousei

そのネットワークは、十分な冗長性を持たせて設計された。 — The network was designed with enough redundancy.

redundant冗長jouchou

その説明は冗長だ。 — That explanation is redundant.

sequential逐次chikuji

データは逐次処理される。 — The data are processed sequentially.

redundant path冗長経路jouchoukeiro

安全のために冗長経路が用意されている。 — Redundant paths are provided for safety.

obstacle障害物shougaibutsu

倒れた木が障害物になった。 — A fallen tree became an obstacle.

machine learning機械学習kikaigakushuu

機械学習は今、多くの分野で使われている。 — Machine learning is now used in many fields.

artificial intelligence人工知能jinkouchinou

人工知能が私たちの仕事を効率よくしている。 — Artificial intelligence is helping us work more efficiently.

autonomy自律jiritsu

このロボットは自律して動く。 — This robot operates autonomously.

remote遠隔enkaku

医師は遠隔診療で患者を診察した。 — The doctor examined the patient via remote consultation.

synchronization同期douki

二つのシステムの同期は完了しました。 — The synchronization of the two systems was complete.

R&D Lifecycle & General Descriptors (7)

General-purpose engineering descriptors and product-development terms that recur across nearly every N1 science and technology passage regardless of the specific subject matter.

general purpose汎用hanyou

これは汎用の道具で、さまざまな場面で使えます。 — This is a general-purpose tool that can be used in many situations.

ripple effect波及効果hakyuukouka

その方針の変更は、業界全体に波及効果をもたらした。 — The policy change had a ripple effect across the entire industry.

dramatic飛躍的hiyakuteki

新しい技術で、効率が飛躍的に向上した。 — The new technology improved efficiency dramatically.

high efficiency高効率koukouritsu

電気代を抑えるため、高効率なシステムが必要です。 — We need a high-efficiency system to reduce electricity costs.

design設計sekkei

何度も修正して、設計を完成させた。 — We completed the design after many revisions.

prototype試作shisaku

まず試作を作ってから改良した。 — We made a prototype first and then improved it.

mass production量産ryousan

新型は来月から量産に入る。 — The new model will go into mass production next month.

冗長 means something different in an engineering sentence than in a conversation

In everyday Japanese, 冗長 (jouchou) is mildly critical: a report or speech described as 冗長 is padded and long-winded. In this word set, however, 冗長 and its derivatives 冗長性 (redundancy as a system property) and 冗長経路 (redundant path, e.g. a backup network route) carry no negative meaning at all — they describe deliberately duplicated components built in for fail-safety. A learner who only knows the conversational sense will misread 冗長性の高いシステム as criticism of bad design, when it actually praises a system's resilience. This split reading is worth internalizing before tackling any N1 passage on infrastructure, aviation, or software architecture, where 冗長 shows up almost exclusively in its positive engineering sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 微細 and 微小? Both get translated as 'tiny.'

微細 (bisai) emphasizes fineness of structure or detail, as in 微細な加工 (fine-scale machining) or fine surface texture. 微小 (bishou) emphasizes smallness of magnitude or scale, as in a 微小な誤差 (minute error) or a 微小な粒子 (tiny particle). In this list, 微細 fits naturally with 多層 in precision-manufacturing contexts, while 微小 fits with 誤差 and 偏差 in measurement contexts.

偏差 and 誤差 both appear in this list and both get glossed as 'error' — what's the actual difference?

誤差 (gosa) is the discrepancy between a measured value and the true or expected value, such as instrument error. 偏差 (hensa) is how far a data point sits from a reference point like a mean, and is the term behind 標準偏差 (standard deviation). A passage on a sensor system might use 誤差 for the sensor's inherent inaccuracy and 偏差 for how individual readings scatter around the norm, both in the same sentence with different roles.

Practice All 65 Science & Technology Vocabulary Words

Import the Science & Technology Vocabulary deck into Onigiri Anki and master this category with spaced repetition.