Opinions and beliefs. Lesson 21 teaches the words for thinking, saying, winning, and losing. Combined with new grammar, these let you report what people said, express what you believe, and talk about events and outcomes.

Now that Lesson 20 gave you casual speech, you have the tools to express opinions naturally — this lesson adds the vocabulary to back them up.

These words come from Minna no Nihongo, one of the most widely used Japanese textbooks for beginners. Each word here includes furigana readings, English meanings, example sentences, and native audio to help you review and practice alongside the textbook.

How to use this page

Every kanji in the word column is tappable — it opens a page showing every word that shares that character, so you can start noticing patterns across lessons. Tap a word's romaji or meaning to see example sentences where related vocabulary is linked for easy cross-reference.

You can switch between four Japanese voices (two male, two female) using the speaker button at the bottom of the screen, and change the Japanese font from the navigation bar to get comfortable reading different typefaces.

WordRomajiMeaningAudio
(おも)いますomoimasuthink
()いますiimasusay
()ちますkachimasuwin
()けますmakemasulose, be beaten
あります[お(まつ)りが~]arimasu [omatsuriga~][a festival] be held, take place
(やく)()ちますyakuni tachimasube useful
(うご)きますugokimasumove, work
やめます[(かい)(しゃ)を~]yamemasu [kaishawo~]quit or retire from [a company], stop, give up
()を つけますkiwo tsukemasupay attention, take care
(りゅう)(がく)しますryūgakushimasustudy abroad
むだ[な]muda [na]wasteful
(ふべ)便()[な]fuben [na]inconvenient
すごいsugoiawful, great (expresses astonishment or admiration)
ほんとうhontōtrue
うそusolie
(じど)(うし)()jidōshacar, automobile
(こう)(つう)kōtsūtransport, traffic
(ぶっ)()bukka[commodity] prices
(ほう)(そう)hōsō[commodity] prices
ニュースnyūsunews
アニメanimeanime (Japanese animated film)
マンガmangacomic book
デザインdezaindesign, artwork
(ゆめ)yumedream
(てん)(さい)tensaigenius
(しあ)()shiaigame, match (~を します : play a game/match)
(いけ)()ikenopinion
(はなし)hanashitalk, speech, what one says, story (~を します : talk, tell a story)
(ちき)(ゅう)chikyūearth
(つき)tsukimoon
(さい)(きん)saikinrecently, these days
たぶんtabunprobably, perhaps, maybe
きっとkittosurely, definitely
ほんとうにhontōnireally
そんなにsonnaninot so (used with negatives)
~に ついて~ni tsuiteabout ~, concerning ~
(ひさ)しぶりですね。hisashiburidesune.It's been a long time [since we last met].
~でも ()みませんか。~demo nomimasenka.How about drinking ~ or something?
もちろんmochironof course
もう (かえ)らないと……。mō kaeranaito…….I have to get home now......
アインシュタインainshutainAlbert Einstein (1879-1955)
ガガーリンgagārinYuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (1934-1968)
ガリレオgarireoGalileo Galilei (1564-1642)
キング(ぼく)()kingubokushiMartin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)
フランクリンfurankurinBenjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
かぐや(ひめ)kaguyahimePrincess Kaguya (heroine of the old Japanese folk tale 'Taketori Monogatari')
(てんじ)(んま)(つり)tenjinmatsuriTenjin Festival (a festival in Osaka)
(よし)(のや)()yoshinoyamaMt. Yoshino (a mountain in Nara Prefecture)
カンガルーkangarūkangaroo
キャプテン・クックkyaputen kukkuCaptain James Cook (1728-1779)
ヨーネンyōnena fictitious company