JLPT N2 Daily Life — Advanced Vocabulary (2026)
Complete JLPT N2 Daily Life — Advanced vocabulary with readings and example sentences (72 words).
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This set covers 72 N2-level words for describing homes and daily domestic life: housing types, water and utility systems, building maintenance, household chores, appliances, and the more abstract vocabulary used to evaluate how someone lives. At N2 this topic moves past concrete N3 basics like room or kitchen into the more specific, often written vocabulary found in real estate listings, maintenance notices, and reading passages about housing conditions.
This article is part of our JLPT N2 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 72 words with the Daily Life — Advanced Vocabulary deck in Onigiri Anki.
Housing Types & Layout (13)
Nouns for describing where and how people live - rental vs. detached housing, floor plans, and the standard room types (Japanese- vs. Western-style rooms, bathroom, toilet) that show up constantly in N2 reading passages and real estate listings.
新しい住まいに引っ越したいです。 — I want to move to a new home.
部屋を使いやすくするために、間取りを変えました。 — We changed the floor plan to make the room easier to use.
浴室は廊下の左側にあります。 — The bathroom is on the left side of the hallway.
便所はきれいに使ってください。 — Please keep the toilet clean.
駅の近くに新しい住居を見つけました。 — I found a new dwelling near the station.
賃貸のアパートを探しています。 — I am looking for a rental apartment.
このアパートの賃料は高いです。 — The rent for this apartment is expensive.
あの集合住宅はとても古いです。 — That apartment building is very old.
祖父母は一戸建てに住んでいます。 — My grandparents live in a detached house.
リビングで話しました。 — We talked in the living room.
私たちは旅館の和室に泊まりました。 — We stayed in a Japanese-style room at the inn.
ベッドがあるので、洋室を選びました。 — I chose a Western-style room because it has a bed.
古い本は納戸に入れてください。 — Please put the old books in the storage room.
Plumbing & Utility Bills (18)
Vocabulary for a home's water and energy infrastructure - supply and drainage systems, bath and washroom fixtures - plus the everyday cost nouns needed to read about utility bills and conservation efforts.
換気のために窓を開けてください。 — Please open the window for ventilation.
今年の夏は節電を心がけています。 — We are trying to save electricity this summer.
雨が少ないので、節水が必要です。 — Because there has been little rain, we need to save water.
光熱費が思ったより高いです。 — The utility costs are higher than I expected.
業者が配管を点検しました。 — The contractor checked the piping.
この浴室は排水が悪いです。 — The drainage in this bathroom is poor.
給湯が急に止まりました。 — The hot-water supply stopped suddenly.
この浴槽は私には少し小さめです。 — This bathtub is a little small for me.
湯船に長くつかりました。 — I soaked in the bathtub for a long time.
洗面所で顔を洗いました。 — I washed my face in the washroom.
便器にひびが入っています。 — The toilet bowl is cracked.
冬は便座が冷たいです。 — The toilet seat is cold in winter.
洗面台で顔を洗いました。 — I washed my face at the washstand.
工事のために給水が止まりました。 — The water supply was stopped because of construction work.
給排水の工事はもうすぐ終わります。 — The water supply and drainage work will be finished soon.
今月の電気代はいつもより高かったです。 — My electricity bill was higher than usual this month.
今月の水道代は思ったより高かったです。 — The water bill was higher than I expected.
暖房をよく使ったので、ガス代が高くなりました。 — Because I used the heater a lot, my gas bill became higher.
Building Maintenance & Renovation (14)
Terms for keeping a building in good condition over time, from routine inspection and upkeep to full-scale renovation and the vocabulary of aging structures - a frequent topic in N2 passages on housing policy and property management.
この建物は老朽化が進んでいます。 — This building is showing signs of aging.
この機械は維持費が高いです。 — The maintenance cost of this machine is high.
車の手入れが必要です。 — The car needs care.
古い橋は修繕が必要です。 — The old bridge needs repair.
このコートは補修が必要です。 — This coat needs some mending.
その店は改装のために休んでいます。 — The store is closed for remodeling.
その家は増築する予定です。 — They are planning an extension to the house.
部屋の模様替えをしました。 — I rearranged my room.
整備士は車を丁寧に点検しました。 — The mechanic inspected the car carefully.
この機械には定期的な保守が必要です。 — This machine needs regular maintenance.
この製品は耐久性が高いです。 — This product is highly durable.
その屋根は老朽化が進んでいます。 — The roof is deteriorating with age.
この建物には新しい設備があります。 — This building has new facilities.
事務所に新しい備品を買いました。 — We bought new supplies for the office.
Household Chores & Daily Necessities (10)
Everyday domestic tasks and the physical items tied to them - locking up, tidying, cooking, laundry basics, and disposing of large trash - the practical vocabulary of actually running a household.
この戸棚は収納がたくさんあります。 — This cupboard has a lot of storage space.
寝る前に、いつも戸締まりをします。 — I always lock up before going to bed.
会議のあとで、片付けをしました。 — After the meeting, I did some tidying up.
私は毎日炊事をします。 — I do the cooking every day.
消耗品がなくなる前に買ってください。 — Please buy the consumables before they run out.
衣類をたたんでからしまいます。 — I fold my clothes before putting them away.
寝具は一週間に一度洗います。 — I wash the bedding once a week.
寝間着に着替えて寝ます。 — I change into my nightwear and go to bed.
来週、市が粗大ごみを回収します。 — The city will collect bulky trash next week.
子どもは毎日のしつけで礼儀を学びます。 — Children learn manners through daily discipline.
Appliances & Furniture (7)
Concrete nouns for the appliances and furniture found in a typical home, from rice cookers to shoe cabinets, grounding more abstract N2 reading passages in physical, everyday detail.
食卓に食器を置いてください。 — Please put the dishes on the dining table.
新しい店で家電を買いました。 — I bought home appliances at the new store.
炊飯器でご飯を炊きました。 — I cooked rice in the rice cooker.
電子レンジで昼ご飯を温めました。 — I warmed up my lunch in the microwave oven.
皿を食器棚にしまいました。 — I put the plates in the dish cupboard.
靴を下駄箱に入れました。 — I put my shoes in the shoe cabinet.
この部屋の照明器具は明るいです。 — The lighting fixture in this room is bright.
Lifestyle, Comfort & Values (10)
Abstract, evaluative vocabulary for characterizing how someone lives - frugal vs. extravagant, tidy vs. lived-in, comfortable vs. uncomfortable - the kind of language N2 passages use to describe a household or lifestyle rather than just list its parts.
私の暮らし向きは少し良くなりました。 — My living standard has improved.
水を浪費するのはよくありません。 — Wasting water is not good.
将来のために倹約することは大切です。 — Saving money for the future is important.
彼は贅沢なホテルが好きです。 — He likes a luxury hotel.
彼女の話し方は慎ましいです。 — Her way of speaking is modest.
彼は質素な食事を好みます。 — He prefers simple meals.
この病院はいつも清潔で衛生的です。 — This hospital is always clean and hygienic.
この椅子は居心地がいいです。 — This chair is comfortable.
この部屋は生活感があります。 — This room has a lived-in feel.
このアパートは住み心地がとてもいいです。 — This apartment is very comfortable to live in.
The 給 prefix, and casual vs. formal water words
Several words here share the kanji 給 (to supply): 給水 (water supply), 給湯 (hot-water supply), and 給排水 (water supply and drainage) combine it with 排水 (drainage) to name the two directions water moves through a building - worth learning as a set rather than three unrelated items. Separately, 湯船 and 浴槽 both mean 'bathtub,' but 湯船 is the everyday spoken word (literally 'hot-water boat'), while 浴槽 is the neutral, more formal term used in real estate listings and appliance specs; the same casual-versus-formal split runs between 洗面 (washing up, in general) and 洗面台 (washstand, the actual fixture).
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 便所, 便器, and 便座?
便所 (benjo) is the toilet as a room or place, a slightly dated word now mostly replaced by トイレ in speech. 便器 (benki) is the toilet bowl itself, and 便座 (benza) is specifically the seat - the part named in ads for heated seats (温水洗浄便座). Recognizing all three lets you read real estate descriptions and appliance manuals precisely instead of guessing from context.
How do 修繕, 補修, 改装, and 増築 differ?
修繕 (shuuzen) means repairing something that's broken, 補修 (hoshuu) is patching or reinforcing a weak spot before it fails, 改装 (kaisou) is remodeling for a new look or function and is often cosmetic, and 増築 (zouchiku) specifically means physically extending a building's footprint. In an N2 reading passage about housing, these distinctions usually signal whether the described work is reactive repair or a planned upgrade.
Practice All 72 Daily Life — Advanced Vocabulary Words
Import the Daily Life — Advanced Vocabulary deck into Onigiri Anki and master this category with spaced repetition.