JLPT N3 feelings and personality vocabulary covers 44 essential words — from personality traits (性格, 態度) to complex emotional states (後悔, 満足, 恐怖). This is the largest emotional-vocabulary category on the N3, essential for reading passages about personal experiences and relationships.

This article is part of our JLPT N3 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 44 words with the N3 Feelings & Personality deck in Onigiri Anki.

Personality Traits (8)

These words describe character and inner qualities — frequently used in N3 reading passages about people.

impression印象inshou

彼女の第一印象はよかったです。 — Her first impression was good.

attitude態度taido

彼の態度は失礼でした。 — His attitude was rude.

personality性格seikaku

彼は明るい性格です。 — He has a cheerful personality.

confidence自信jishin

私は日本語に自信があります。 — I have confidence in my Japanese.

courage勇気yuuki

彼は先生に聞く勇気がありました。 — He had the courage to ask the teacher.

curiosity好奇心koukishin

その話を聞いて、好奇心がわきました。 — My curiosity grew when I heard that story.

pride誇りhokori

私は自分の仕事に誇りを持っています。 — I feel pride in my work.

seriousness本気honki

彼は日本語の勉強に本気です。 — He is serious about studying Japanese.

Emotions (10)

Complex emotional states beyond basic happy/sad — this vocabulary is essential for nuanced N3-level comprehension.

anxiety不安fuan

将来が不安です。 — I am anxious about the future.

dissatisfaction不満fuman

その結果に不満を感じました。 — I felt dissatisfaction with the result.

fear恐怖kyoufu

その音を聞いて、恐怖を感じました。 — I felt fear when I heard that sound.

satisfaction満足manzoku

その結果に満足しました。 — I was satisfied with the result.

regret後悔koukai

あんなことを言って、後悔しました。 — I regret saying that.

nervousness緊張kinchou

面接の前に緊張しました。 — I was nervous before the interview.

sadness悲しみkanashimi

彼の悲しみがよくわかりました。 — I could feel his sadness.

joy喜びyorokobi

彼女の成功は私に大きな喜びをくれました。 — Her success brought me great joy.

anger怒りikari

彼は怒りをこらえて話しました。 — He spoke while holding back his anger.

deep emotion感動kandou

その映画に感動しました。 — I was deeply moved by that movie.

Mental States & Cognition (10)

These words describe internal cognitive processes — understanding, judgment, trust — common in N3 essays and opinion passages.

patience / endurance我慢gaman

痛みを我慢しました。 — I endured the pain.

concentration集中shuuchuu

集中するために、静かな場所で勉強しました。 — I studied in a quiet place to concentrate.

leeway余裕yoyuu

予定にはまだ余裕があります。 — We still have some leeway in the schedule.

reflection反省hansei

まちがいのあとで、自分の行動を反省しました。 — After the mistake, I reflected on my actions.

understanding理解rikai

この問題について、もっと理解する必要があります。 — I need to understand this problem better.

acceptance納得nattoku

私は彼の説明に納得しました。 — I accepted his explanation.

judgment判断handan

よく考えて判断してください。 — Please think carefully and make a judgment.

trust信頼shinrai

私は先生を信頼しています。 — I trust my teacher.

hope希望kibou

まだ希望があります。 — There is still hope.

consciousness / awareness意識ishiki

私はその音に意識を向けました。 — I focused my attention on that sound.

Suru-Nouns: One Word, Two Uses

Most words in this category (緊張, 満足, 我慢, 理解) are suru-nouns — they work as standalone nouns (緊張, nervousness) or as verbs with する (緊張する, to feel nervous). Learning both forms doubles your usable vocabulary from a single word.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 理解 and 納得?

理解 (rikai) means intellectual understanding — grasping facts or logic. 納得 (nattoku) means accepting or being convinced — an emotional/personal sense of agreement. You can 理解 an explanation without feeling 納得 about it.

Is 我慢 the same as patience?

我慢 (gaman) is closer to "endurance" or "enduring hardship" than the English word "patience." It carries a cultural connotation of stoically bearing difficulty without complaint, a concept deeply embedded in Japanese culture.

Practice All 44 N3 Feelings & Personality Words

Import the N3 Feelings & Personality deck into Onigiri Anki and master emotional vocabulary with spaced repetition.

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JLPT N3 Feelings & Personality Vocabulary: 44 Essential Words (2026)