Lesson 4 Vocabulary and Meanings: Minna no Nihongo

Mastering basic Japanese verbs and time-related expressions is a crucial step for any beginner. In Lesson 4 of Minna no Nihongo, the focus shifts toward daily routines, business hours, and learning how to tell time. Whether you are preparing for the JLPT N5 or just starting your language journey, this vocabulary list is essential.

What You Will Learn in Lesson 4

Daily Verbs: Essential actions like waking up, working, and sleeping.
Time Expressions: How to say "now," "AM/PM," and specific minutes.
Places & Institutions: Vocabulary for banks, libraries, and department stores.
Days of the Week & Relative Time: Mastering words like "yesterday," "today," and "tomorrow."

Vocabulary List: Lesson 4 (Minna no Nihongo)

No.	Japanese (Hiragana/Katakana)	English Meaning
1	おきます	to wake up
2	ねます	to sleep
3	はたらきます	to work
4	やすみます	to rest / take a break
5	べんきょうします	to study
6	おわります	to finish
7	デパート	department store
8	ぎんこう	bank
9	ゆうびんきょく	post office
10	としょかん	library
11	びじゅつかん	art museum
12	かいぎ	meeting
13	しけん	exam
14	やすみ	holiday / rest
15	いま	now
16	～じ	hour (o’clock)
17	～ふん / ～ぷん	minutes
18	はん	half (30 minutes)
19	なんじ	what time
20	なんぷん / なんふん	how many minutes
21	ごぜん	AM / morning
22	ごご	PM / afternoon
23	あさ	morning
24	ひる	noon / daytime
25	ばん / よる	evening / night
26	おととい	day before yesterday
27	きのう	yesterday
28	きょう	today
29	あした	tomorrow
30	あさって	day after tomorrow
31	けさ	this morning
32	こんばん	tonight
33	～まい	counter for flat objects
34	まいにち	every day
35	まいあさ	every morning
36	まいばん	every night
37	ばんごう	number
38	なんばん	what number
39	たいへん	very / difficult / tough
40	たいへんですね	that’s tough / I see
41	おねがいします	please / request
42	やまとびじゅつかん	Yamato Art Museum
43	アップルぎんこう	Apple Bank

Conclusion

Understanding these words will help you build sentences using the ~kara ~made (from... until...) grammar structure and talk about your daily schedule. Keep practicing these terms daily to improve your Japanese fluency!

Pro Tip: Try to write five sentences about your daily routine using verbs like hatarakimasu and benkyou-shimasu to reinforce what you've learned today.