JLPT N3 vocabulary (lessons 1–30)
342 words, lesson by lesson. A word met again in a later N3 lesson is listed once, where it first appears. Part 1 of 7: 1–30 · 31–60 · 61–90 · 91–120 · 121–150 · 151–180 · 181–190.
1 · The Morning Pitch Meeting
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 編集 | へんしゅう | editing, compilation |
| 方針 | ほうしん | policy, objective |
| 提案 | ていあん | proposal, suggestion |
| 企画 | きかく | project, plan |
| 採用 | さいよう | adoption, acceptance |
| 記事 | きじ | article, news story |
| 締め切り | しめきり | deadline |
| 扱う | あつかう | to handle, deal with |
| 物価 | ぶっか | commodity prices |
| 変動 | へんどう | fluctuation, change |
| 根拠 | こんきょ | basis, foundation of evidence |
| 認める | みとめる | to recognize, approve |
2 · Sorting the Lead-Alloy Type Slugs
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 活字 | かつじ | movable printing type, lead slug |
| 文選 | ぶんせん | picking type from the case |
| 分類 | ぶんるい | classification, categorization |
| 順番 | じゅんばん | sequential order |
| 整頓 | せいとん | orderly arrangement |
| 部首 | ぶしゅ | kanji radical |
| 同音異義語 | どうおんいぎご | homophone |
| 混ざる | まざる | to become mixed, blended |
| 紛らわしい | まぎらわしい | confusing, easily mistaken |
| 慎重 | しんちょう | prudent, discreet |
| 保管 | ほかん | safekeeping, storage |
| 棚 | たな | shelf, rack |
3 · The Telegram Wire Arrives
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 電報 | でんぽう | telegram |
| 至急 | しきゅう | urgent, pressing |
| 受信 | じゅしん | reception of message |
| 照合 | しょうごう | cross-checking, collation |
| 記録 | きろく | official record, document |
| 航路 | こうろ | shipping lane, sea route |
| 寄港 | きこう | stopping at port |
| 遅延 | ちえん | delay, postponement |
| 貨物 | かもつ | freight, cargo |
| 発生 | はっせい | outbreak, occurrence |
| 確実 | かくじつ | certainty, reliability |
| 発信源 | はっしんげん | transmission source |
4 · The Proofreader’s Red Cinnabar Seal
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 校正 | こうせい | proofreading, correction |
| 誤植 | ごしょく | typographical error, misprint |
| 指摘 | してき | pointing out |
| 朱筆 | しゅひつ | red correction brush/pen |
| 訂正 | ていせい | correction, revision |
| 句読点 | くとうてん | punctuation marks |
| 配置 | はいち | layout, spatial arrangement |
| 見落とす | みおとす | to overlook, fail to notice |
| 矛盾 | むじゅん | contradiction, inconsistency |
| 一致 | いっち | conformity, agreement |
| 刷り出し | すりだし | first galley pull/proof |
| 確認 | かくにん | confirmation, verification |
5 · Inking the Roller Bed
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 印刷 | いんさつ | printing, presswork |
| ムラ | ムラ | unevenness, patchiness |
| 均一 | きんいつ | uniform, even |
| 粘度 | ねんど | viscosity |
| 塗布 | とふ | coating, application |
| 調整 | ちょうせい | adjustment, tuning |
| 機械 | きかい | machine, machinery |
| 摩擦 | まさつ | friction, rubbing |
| 付着 | ふちゃく | sticking, adhesion |
| 汚れ | よごれ | smudge, stain |
| 点検 | てんけん | inspection, check |
6 · Formatting the Column Widths
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 段組 | だんぐみ | column layout |
| 行間 | ぎょうかん | line spacing |
| 均等 | きんとう | equal, uniform |
| 余白 | よはく | margin, blank space |
| 境界 | きょうかい | boundary, border |
| 収める | おさめる | to fit (into), put away |
| 基準 | きじゅん | standard, criterion |
| 変更 | へんこう | modification, change |
| 縮小 | しゅくしょう | reduction, scaling down |
| 拡大 | かくだい | expansion, enlargement |
| 割付 | わりつけ | page makeup, layout dummy |
| 制限 | せいげん | limit, restriction |
7 · Sourcing the Paper Stock
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 用紙 | ようし | blank paper, form |
| 供給 | きょうきゅう | supply, provision |
| 予算 | よさん | budget, estimate |
| 質 | しつ | quality, nature |
| 耐久性 | たいきゅうせい | durability |
| 破れる | やぶれる | to tear, rip |
| 納入 | のうにゅう | delivery of goods |
| 契約 | けいやく | contract, agreement |
| 妥協 | だきょう | compromise |
| 経費 | けいひ | expenses, expenditure |
| 節約 | せつやく | economizing, saving |
8 · The City Desk Interview Log
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取材 | しゅざい | news coverage, interviewing |
| 証言 | しょうげん | testimony, statement |
| 筆記 | ひっき | taking notes, writing down |
| 聴取 | ちょうしゅ | hearing, listening to |
| 市街 | しがい | urban area, city streets |
| 路線 | ろせん | transit route, track line |
| 延伸 | えんしん | extension (of a line or route) |
| 住民 | じゅうみん | residents, citizens |
| 反応 | はんのう | reaction, response |
| 詳細 | しょうさい | specific details |
| 速報 | そくほう | bulletin, quick news flash |
| 配布 | はいふ | distribution |
9 · Regulating the Lead Melting Furnace
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鋳造 | ちゅうぞう | metal casting, founding |
| 鉛 | なまり | lead metal |
| 合金 | ごうきん | alloy |
| 溶解 | ようかい | melting, liquefaction |
| 坩堝 | るつぼ | melting pot, crucible |
| 凝固 | ぎょうこ | solidification, hardening |
| 換気 | かんき | ventilation |
| 毒性 | どくせい | toxicity |
| 不良品 | ふりょうひん | defective unit |
| 冷却 | れいきゃく | cooling, refrigeration |
| 温度計 | おんどけい | thermometer |
| 鋳型 | いがた | casting mold, matrix |
10 · Editorial Conflict over Anonymous Tips
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 投書 | とうしょ | letter to the editor |
| 匿名 | とくめい | anonymity, pseudonym |
| 信憑性 | しんぴょうせい | credibility, authenticity |
| 裏付け | うらづけ | corroborating evidence |
| 掲載 | けいさい | publication, printing an article |
| 責任 | せきにん | responsibility, liability |
| 損害 | そんがい | damage, financial loss |
| 疑惑 | ぎわく | suspicion, doubt |
| 追及 | ついきゅう | pressing an inquiry, pursuing (a wrongdoer) |
| 拒絶 | きょぜつ | refusal, rejection |
| 真偽 | しんぎ | truth or falsehood |
11 · Cleaning Dried Ink Off the Type Blocks
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 洗浄 | せんじょう | washing, cleaning |
| 溶剤 | ようざい | solvent, solution |
| 浸す | ひたす | to immerse, soak |
| 除去 | じょきょ | removal, elimination |
| 摩耗 | まもう | wear and tear, abrasion |
| 刷毛 | はけ | bristle brush |
| 丁寧 | ていねい | thorough, meticulous |
| 乾燥 | かんそう | drying, dehydration |
| 輪郭 | りんかく | outline, contour |
| 損なう | そこなう | to damage, harm |
| 揮発 | きはつ | evaporation, volatilization |
| 換気扇 | かんきせん | ventilation fan |
12 · Cross-Referencing Historic Market Precedents
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 年代記 | ねんだいき | chronicle, annals |
| 閲覧 | えつらん | reading, perusal (of records) |
| 過去 | かこ | the past |
| 周期 | しゅうき | cycle, periodicity |
| 比較 | ひかく | comparison |
| 統計 | とうけい | statistics |
| 類似 | るいじ | resemblance, analogy |
| 前例 | ぜんれい | precedent |
| 推移 | すいい | change over time, transition |
| 発掘 | はっくつ | unearthing, excavation |
| 参照 | さんしょう | cross-reference, consultation |
| 確証 | かくしょう | definite proof, corroboration |
13 · Composing the Front-Page Masthead
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 題字 | だいじ | title lettering, masthead |
| 枠組み | わくぐみ | framework, frame structure |
| 木版 | もくはん | woodblock cut |
| 楔 | くさび | wedge |
| 固定 | こてい | fastening, locking in place |
| 水平 | すいへい | horizontal, level |
| 垂直 | すいちょく | vertical, perpendicular |
| 圧力 | あつりょく | pressure, mechanical force |
| 歪み | ゆがみ | warp, distortion, skew |
| 金属 | きんぞく | metal |
| 締め具 | しめぐ | clamp, fastener |
| 頑丈 | がんじょう | sturdy, robust |
14 · The Rush Wire from the Stock Exchange
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取引所 | とりひきじょ | stock/commodity exchange |
| 相場 | そうば | market price, quotation |
| 急落 | きゅうらく | sharp drop, plunge |
| 高騰 | こうとう | steep jump, price surge |
| 差し替える | さしかえる | to replace, substitute |
| 版面 | はんめん | type page surface, print area |
| 破棄 | はき | disposal, tearing up, discarding |
| 判断 | はんだん | judgment, decision |
| 緊迫 | きんぱく | tension, urgency |
| 読者 | どくしゃ | reader |
| 利益 | りえき | benefit, profit |
| 即時 | そくじ | immediate, instantaneous |
15 · Calibrating the Steam Boiler Pressure
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 汽缶 | きかん | steam boiler |
| 蒸気圧 | じょうきあつ | vapor/steam pressure |
| 弁 | べん | valve |
| 逃がす | にがす | to vent, let escape |
| 給水 | きゅうすい | water supply, feed water |
| 爆発 | ばくはつ | explosion, burst |
| 監視 | かんし | monitoring, surveillance |
| 針 | はり | needle (of a gauge) |
| 指示 | しじ | indication; instruction |
| 限界 | げんかい | limit |
| 燃料 | ねんりょう | fuel |
| 安定 | あんてい | stability, equilibrium |
16 · The Fact-Checking Discrepancy
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食い違い | くいちがい | discrepancy, clash |
| 桁 | けた | numerical digit, column |
| 逆転 | ぎゃくてん | reversal, inversion |
| 重大 | じゅうだい | grave, critical |
| 過失 | かしつ | oversight, accidental error |
| 発見 | はっけん | discovery, detection |
| 停止 | ていし | halting, suspension |
| 原稿 | げんこう | manuscript draft |
| 筆跡 | ひっせき | handwriting |
| 慌てる | あわてる | to panic, lose composure |
| 再確認 | さいかくにん | re-verification |
17 · Replacing Worn Kanji Matrices
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 頻度 | ひんど | frequency of use |
| 欠損 | けっそん | chip, breakage, deficit |
| 鮮明 | せんめい | clear, vivid, legible |
| 廃棄 | はいき | scrapping, discarding |
| 代替 | だいたい | substitution, replacement |
| 補充 | ほじゅう | replenishment |
| 刻印 | こくいん | engraving, stamped impression |
| 判別 | はんべつ | distinguishing, discerning |
| 爪 | つめ | claw, nail; catch |
| 予備 | よび | reserve, spare |
| 寿命 | じゅみょう | lifespan |
18 · Drafting the Editorial Column (Shisetsu)
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 社説 | しゃせつ | editorial column |
| 主張 | しゅちょう | claim, advocacy |
| 中立 | ちゅうりつ | neutrality, impartiality |
| 論理 | ろんり | logic, reasoning |
| 説得力 | せっとくりょく | persuasiveness |
| 語彙 | ごい | vocabulary, lexicon |
| 表現 | ひょうげん | linguistic expression |
| 批判 | ひはん | critique, criticism |
| 妥当 | だとう | appropriate, valid |
| 読者層 | どくしゃそう | readership demographic |
| 意図 | いと | intention, aim |
| 推敲 | すいこう | polishing, revision of text |
19 · The Ink Roller Clearance Gap
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 間隔 | かんかく | clearance gap, spacing |
| 隙間 | すきま | gap, crack |
| 偏り | かたより | imbalance, unevenness |
| 測定 | そくてい | measurement |
| 道具 | どうぐ | tool |
| 軸受 | じくうけ | mechanical bearing |
| ネジ | ネジ | screw, bolt |
| 微調整 | びちょうせい | micro-adjustment, fine-tuning |
| 改善 | かいぜん | improvement |
| 濃度 | のうど | density, concentration |
| 掠れ | かすれ | ink fading, faint print |
20 · Handling Sensitive Police Blotter Records
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 警察 | けいさつ | police |
| 発表 | はっぴょう | public announcement |
| 事件 | じけん | incident, crime case |
| 被害者 | ひがいしゃ | victim |
| 容疑者 | ようぎしゃ | suspect |
| 権利 | けんり | legal rights |
| 侵害 | しんがい | infringement, violation |
| 報道 | ほうどう | news report, journalism |
| 倫理 | りんり | ethics, morality |
| 伏せる | ふせる | to keep hidden, withhold |
| 逮捕 | たいほ | arrest |
| 捜査 | そうさ | criminal investigation |
21 · Setting the Headline Font Sizes
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 見出し | みだし | headline, heading |
| 特大 | とくだい | extra-large size |
| 強調 | きょうちょう | emphasis, stressing |
| 視覚 | しかく | visual sense, sight |
| 効果 | こうか | effect, visual impact |
| 支え | ささえ | support, prop |
| 崩壊 | ほうかい | collapse |
| 配分 | はいぶん | allocation, proportion |
| 衝撃 | しょうげき | shock, impact |
| 注目 | ちゅうもく | public attention, notice |
| 活字箱 | かつじばこ | type-slug case |
| 組み合わせ | くみあわせ | combination |
22 · Courier Route Planning Under Bad Weather
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 配達 | はいたつ | delivery |
| 経路 | けいろ | path, transit route |
| 悪天候 | あくてんこう | bad weather, inclement conditions |
| 冠水 | かんすい | flooding, submersion |
| 回避 | かいひ | evasion, detour |
| 防水 | ぼうすい | waterproofing |
| 油紙 | あぶらがみ | oiled parchment, wax paper |
| 束 | たば | bundle, stack |
| 濡損 | ぬれそん | water damage to cargo |
| 地図 | ちず | map |
| 時間帯 | じかんたい | time slot, period |
| 迅速 | じんそく | promptness, swiftness |
23 · Apprentice Finger-Dexterity Drill
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 修練 | しゅうれん | rigorous practice, drilling |
| 速度 | そくど | speed, velocity |
| 感覚 | かんかく | sensory perception, touch |
| 溝 | みぞ | groove |
| 識別 | しきべつ | identification, telling apart |
| 能率 | のうりつ | efficiency, productivity |
| 向上 | こうじょう | improvement, elevation |
| 疲労 | ひろう | fatigue |
| 反復 | はんぷく | repetition, drill |
| 習慣 | しゅうかん | habit, custom |
| 指先 | ゆびさき | fingertips |
| 正確 | せいかく | precision, accuracy |
24 · Verifying the Statistical Crop Yield Table
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 収穫 | しゅうかく | crop harvest, yield |
| 計算 | けいさん | calculation, arithmetic |
| 合計 | ごうけい | total sum |
| 官報 | かんぽう | official government gazette |
| 誤り | あやまり | error, mistake |
| 単位 | たんい | unit of measure |
| 比率 | ひりつ | ratio, proportion |
| 確定 | かくてい | final settlement, confirmation |
| 表 | ひょう | table, chart, matrix |
| 正確性 | せいかくせい | accuracy, correctness |
25 · The Emergency Plate Chase Clamp
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 異音 | いおん | abnormal noise, strange rattle |
| 緊急 | きんきゅう | emergency, urgency |
| 制動 | せいどう | braking, stopping motion |
| 枠 | わく | frame |
| 緩む | ゆるむ | to loosen, become slack |
| 鉄片 | てっぺん | piece of iron |
| 締め直す | しめなおす | to retighten |
| 大事故 | だいじこ | major accident |
| 防止 | ぼうし | prevention |
| 即座 | そくざ | immediate, on the spot |
26 · Navigating the Trade Guild Embargo Notice
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 同業者 | どうぎょうしゃ | peer in trade, guild member |
| 組合 | くみあい | trade union, merchant guild |
| 通達 | つうたつ | official notification, directive |
| 注記 | ちゅうき | note, annotation |
| 但し書き | ただしがき | proviso, disclaimer clause |
| 独占 | どくせん | monopoly, exclusivity |
| 取引 | とりひき | commercial transaction |
| 抵触 | ていしょく | legal conflict, contravention |
| 配慮 | はいりょ | consideration, forethought |
| 公表 | こうひょう | official announcement |
| 条件 | じょうけん | condition, stipulation |
27 · Ink Viscosity Adjustments for Night Dampness
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 湿度 | しつど | humidity |
| 変質 | へんしつ | deterioration, chemical change |
| 粘り | ねばり | tackiness, viscosity, stickiness |
| 添加 | てんか | addition, supplement |
| 松脂 | まつやに | pine rosin, resin |
| 配合 | はいごう | compounding, blending ratio |
| 滲み | にじみ | ink bleed, blurring |
| 均質 | きんしつ | homogeneity, uniformity |
| 実験 | じっけん | experiment |
| 保つ | たもつ | to preserve, maintain state |
28 · Preparing the Evening Broadside Dummy
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 台紙 | だいし | paste-up board, mounting sheet |
| 貼り付け | はりつけ | pasting, sticking down |
| 均衡 | きんこう | balance |
| 視線 | しせん | gaze, line of sight |
| 折り目 | おりめ | paper fold line, crease |
| 分割 | ぶんかつ | division, partitioning |
| 美観 | びかん | aesthetic appearance |
| 密集 | みっしゅう | crowding, density |
| 完成 | かんせい | completion |
| 見本 | みほん | sample, specimen |
29 · Interviewing the Harbor Grain Inspector
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 検査官 | けんさかん | customs inspector, auditor |
| 倉庫 | そうこ | warehouse |
| 穀類 | こくるい | grains, cereals |
| 腐敗 | ふはい | spoilage, decay, decomposition |
| 隠蔽 | いんぺい | cover-up, concealment |
| 現場 | げんば | the scene, the site |
| 実態 | じったい | actual condition, reality |
| 追究 | ついきゅう | close investigation |
| 証拠 | しょうこ | evidence |
30 · Apprentice Type-Drop Blunder & Rapid Sort
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 転倒 | てんとう | tumbling, tripping over |
| 散乱 | さんらん | scattering, dispersion |
| 混乱 | こんらん | chaos, disarray |
| 回収 | かいしゅう | retrieval, gathering up |
| 損傷 | そんしょう | damage, injury |
| 仕分け | しわけ | sorting, classification |
| 焦る | あせる | to rush, lose composure |
| 冷静 | れいせい | calm, presence of mind |
| 磁石 | じしゃく | magnet |
| 拾い集める | ひろいあつめる | to pick up, gather together |
| 被害 | ひがい | damage, casualty |
| 最小限 | さいしょうげん | minimum |