List: word usually written using kana alone
Words and expressions which are always written using hiragana or katakana.
popular JLPT N1 usually written using kana alone noun noun (generic) noun taking the genitive case particle ใฎ adjective (generic)
- male (animal, plant)
popular JLPT N3 usually written using kana alone adverb
- so to speak, so to call it, as it were
popular rarely used kanji form JLPT N4 noun noun (generic) usually written using kana alone
- wife
- garnish (esp. one served with sashimi), trimmings
- accompaniment, side (remark)
popular JLPT N3 noun noun (generic) noun or participle taking the aux. verb ใใ transitive verb intransitive verb usually written using kana alone
- betterment, improvement
- kaizen (Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement)
ๅฑฑใใพyamapopular search-only kana form JLPT N5 noun noun (generic) counter slang usually written using kana alone card games mahjong noun (prefix)
- mountain, hill
- mine
- (mountain) forest
- heap, pile, stack, mountain
- protruding or high part of an object, crown (of a hat), thread (of a screw), tread (of a tire)
- climax, peak, critical point
- guess, speculation, gamble
- (criminal) case, crime
- mountain climbing, mountaineering
- festival float (esp. one mounted with a decorative halberd)
- deck (from which players draw cards), draw pile, stock
- wall, wall tile
- wild
popular search-only kana form rarely used kanji form JLPT N4 noun noun (generic) usually written using kana alone
- island
- one's territory (of a sex worker, organized crime gang, etc.), one's turf
popular JLPT N5 noun noun (generic) adverb usually written using kana alone
- one person
- being alone, being by oneself
- being single, being unmarried
- by oneself, alone
- just, only, simply
popular JLPT N3 pronoun colloquial usually written using kana alone noun noun (generic) adverb interjection
- what
- you-know-what, that thing
- whatsit, whachamacallit, what's-his-name, what's-her-name
- penis, (one's) thing, dick
- (not) at all, (not) in the slightest
- what?, huh?
- hey!, come on!
- oh, no (it's fine), why (it's nothing), oh (certainly not)
popular noun noun (generic) usually written using kana alone archaic
- face, mug
- surface
- cheek meat
- cheek, cheeks
- surrounding area
้ฆใใณkubipopular rarely used kanji form JLPT N4 noun noun (generic) usually written using kana alone
- neck
- head
- dismissal (from a job), firing, sacking