JLPT N4 adjectives cover 43 essential words — a mix of い-adjectives (feelings, physical descriptions) and な-adjectives (abstract qualities, situations). Building on the N5 い-Adjectives and な-Adjectives guides, N4 adds more nuanced, abstract vocabulary.

This article is part of our JLPT N4 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 43 words with the N4 Adjectives deck in Onigiri Anki.

Feelings & Reactions — い-Adjectives (8)

These い-adjectives express emotional states and reactions, building on N5 feeling vocabulary with more nuance.

happy嬉しいureshii

あなたに会えて嬉しいです。 — I am happy to meet you.

sad悲しいkanashii

このニュースを聞いて悲しいです。 — I feel sad about this news.

sleepy眠いnemui

今朝はとても眠いです。 — I am very sleepy this morning.

embarrassing / shy恥ずかしいhazukashii

人前で話すのは恥ずかしいです。 — Speaking in front of people is embarrassing.

lonely寂しいsabishii

夜は寂しいです。 — I feel lonely at night.

scary怖いkowai

この犬は怖いです。 — This dog is scary.

amazingすごいsugoi

あの映画はすごいです。 — That movie is amazing.

wonderful素晴らしいsubarashii

この景色は素晴らしいです。 — This view is wonderful.

Physical & Descriptive — い-Adjectives (12)

Texture, depth, and quality descriptions — these words add precision to N4-level descriptions of objects and places.

shallow浅いasai

この川は浅いです。 — This river is shallow.

deep深いfukai

この川は深いです。 — This river is deep.

thick厚いatsui

この本は厚いです。 — This book is thick.

beautiful (formal)美しいutsukushii

あの庭は美しいです。 — That garden is beautiful.

hard / stiff硬いkatai

このいすは硬いです。 — This chair is hard.

soft柔らかいyawarakai

このまくらは柔らかいです。 — This pillow is soft.

bitter苦いnigai

このコーヒーは苦いです。 — This coffee is bitter.

fine / detailed細かいkomakai

細かいところをよく見てください。 — Please look at the details carefully.

correct正しいtadashii

あなたの答えは正しいです。 — Your answer is correct.

rare / unusual珍しいmezurashii

この花は珍しいです。 — This flower is rare.

terribleひどいhidoi

きのうの天気はひどかったです。 — Yesterday's weather was terrible.

noisyうるさいurusai

となりの部屋はうるさいです。 — The next room is noisy.

Abstract Qualities — な-Adjectives (10)

These な-adjectives describe abstract concepts like importance, necessity, and sufficiency — common in formal N4 reading passages.

easy簡単kantan

この問題は簡単です。 — This problem is easy.

important大切taisetsu

家族は大切です。 — Family is important.

necessary必要hitsuyou

旅行にはパスポートが必要です。 — A passport is necessary for travel.

special特別tokubetsu

今日は特別な日です。 — Today is a special day.

enough / sufficient十分juubun

これで十分です。 — This is enough for me.

free / freedom自由jiyuu

この部屋は自由に使えます。 — You are free to use this room.

serious / diligent真面目majime

彼は真面目な学生です。 — He is a serious student.

enthusiastic熱心nesshin

彼女は日本語の勉強に熱心です。 — She is enthusiastic about studying Japanese.

unfortunate / regrettable残念zannen

今日雨が降って、残念です。 — It is unfortunate that it is raining today.

ordinary / regular普通futsuu

今日は普通の日です。 — Today is a normal day.

Situational — な-Adjectives (10)

These な-adjectives describe situations and circumstances — safety, politeness, appropriateness — frequently tested in N4 listening dialogues.

dangerous危険kiken

この道は夜危険です。 — This road is dangerous at night.

safe / safety安全anzen

日本は安全な国です。 — Japan is a safe country.

polite / careful丁寧teinei

彼は丁寧に説明しました。 — He explained politely.

rude失礼shitsurei

遅れるのは失礼です。 — It is rude to be late.

strange / odd変hen

それは変な話です。 — That is a strange story.

impossible / unreasonable無理muri

今日は終わるのは無理です。 — It is impossible to finish today.

hindrance / in the way邪魔jama

ここに立つと邪魔です。 — You are in the way when you stand here.

sudden / urgent急kyuu

会社から急な電話がありました。 — I got an urgent call from my company.

no goodだめdame

ここで走るのはだめです。 — It is no good to run in this place.

thriving / popular盛んsakan

この町は盛んです。 — This town is thriving.

N4 Adjectives Build on N5 Patterns

The grammar rules don't change from N5 to N4 — い-adjectives still conjugate with かった/くない, and な-adjectives still need な before a noun. What changes is vocabulary sophistication: N4 adds abstract concepts (無理, 十分, 邪魔) that describe situations rather than simple physical traits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is だめ the same as no good/don't?

だめ (dame) is a versatile な-adjective meaning "no good" or expressing prohibition. だめです can mean "that's not allowed" or "that won't work," depending on context — very common in spoken Japanese.

What is the difference between 必要 and 大切?

必要 (hitsuyou) means necessary/required — a practical requirement. 大切 (taisetsu) means important/precious — often emotional or valued significance. パスポートが必要です (a passport is required) vs 家族は大切です (family is precious).

Practice All 43 N4 Adjectives

Import the N4 Adjectives deck into Onigiri Anki and master emotional, descriptive, and situational vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Start on Web

JLPT N4 Adjectives List: 43 Essential Adjectives (2026)