JLPT N5: Common Vocabulary Mistakes

Adjectives

Confusion	Detailed Explanation	Japanese Examples
あつい vs からい atsui vs karai	あつい: describes high temperature (weather, object, liquid) and also hot to the touch. からい: describes spicy or piquant taste. Common mistake: saying カレーはあついです for "the curry is spicy".	今日きょうはあついです。 kyō wa atsui desu. It's hot today. このカレーはからいです。 kono karē wa karai desu. This curry is spicy.
さむい vs つめたい samui vs tsumetai	さむい: ambient temperature, weather, feeling cold in the air. つめたい: cold objects to the touch (drinks, surfaces). Don't confuse atmospheric context and physical contact.	冬ふゆはさむいです。 fuyu wa samui desu. Winter is cold. 水みずがつめたいです。 mizu ga tsumetai desu. The water is cold (to the touch).
あおい vs みどり aoi vs midori	あおい: means "blue" but is also used for certain "greens" (traffic lights, young shoots, green vegetables). みどり: green exclusively. Cultural trap: Japanese say 信号しんごうがあおい for a green light and あおいやさい for green vegetables.	空そらはあおいです。 sora wa aoi desu. The sky is blue. 信号しんごうがあおいです。 shingō ga aoi desu. The traffic light is green. 葉はっぱはあおいです。 happa wa aoi desu. The young leaves are green. 木きがみどりです。 ki ga midori desu. The tree is green.
高たかい takai	Double meaning: "tall/high in height" AND "expensive/costly". Always check the context to know if we're talking about vertical size or price.	山やまが高たかいです。 yama ga takai desu. The mountain is high. この本ほんは高たかいです。 kono hon wa takai desu. This book is expensive.
高たかい vs 大おおきい takai vs ōkii	高たかい: vertical height, upward dimension. 大おおきい: overall size, volume, "big/large" in a general way (length, width, height combined).	この本ほんは高たかいです。 kono hon wa takai desu. This book is expensive. この本ほんは大おおきいです。 kono hon wa ōkii desu. This book is big (in volume).
大おおきい vs 多おおい ōkii vs ōi	大おおきい: physical size (objects, spaces). 多おおい: numerous quantity, many elements. Don't confuse size and number.	犬いぬが大おおきいです。 inu ga ōkii desu. The dog is big. 犬いぬが多おおいです。 inu ga ōi desu. There are many dogs.
やすい yasui	Double meaning: "cheap/inexpensive" when it's a standalone adjective AND "easy to do" when it comes right after a verb (in the masu form without masu, yomimasu becomes yomi+yasui).	この本ほんはやすいです。 kono hon wa yasui desu. This book is cheap. この本ほんは読よみやすいです。 kono hon wa yomiyasui desu. This book is easy to read.
きれい kirei	Polysemy: "beautiful/pretty" AND "clean". Can describe aesthetic appearance or cleanliness. Context is essential to understand the meaning.	花はながきれいです。 hana ga kirei desu. The flower is beautiful. 部�ruby>屋へやがきれいです。 heya ga kirei desu. The room is clean/beautiful.

Verbs

Confusion	Detailed Explanation	Japanese Examples
いる vs ある iru vs aru	いる: living beings (humans, animals). ある: objects, plants, concepts. Common mistake: using ある for people.	犬いぬがいます。 inu ga imasu. There is a dog. 机つくえがあります。 tsukue ga arimasu. There is a desk.
わかる vs 知しる wakaru vs shiru	わかる: to understand, state of comprehension. 知しる: to learn information, to come to know. わかる describes a result, 知しる describes the action of acquiring knowledge.	日本語にほんごがわかります。 nihongo ga wakarimasu. I understand Japanese. 彼かれを知しっています。 kare o shitte imasu. I know him.
覚おぼえる vs 覚おぼえている oboeru vs oboete iru	覚おぼえる: action of memorizing, learning by heart. 覚おぼえている: state of remembering, having in memory. Distinction between one-time action vs continuous state.	単語たんごを覚おぼえます。 tango o oboemasu. I'm learning/memorizing vocabulary. 名前なまえを覚おぼえています。 namae o oboete imasu. I remember the name.
見みる vs 見みえる miru vs mieru	見みる: to look/watch voluntarily, conscious action. 見みえる: to be visible, to be able to see (involuntary, capability). Volition vs spontaneity.	映画えいがを見みます。 eiga o mimasu. I watch a movie. 富士山ふじさんが見みえます。 fujisan ga miemasu. Mount Fuji is visible (we can see it).
聞きく vs 聞きこえる kiku vs kikoeru	聞きく: to listen voluntarily, conscious action. 聞きこえる: to hear, perceive a sound (involuntary, capability). Intention vs passive perception.	音楽おんがくを聞ききます。 ongaku o kikimasu. I listen to music. 声こえが聞きこえます。 koe ga kikoemasu. I hear a voice.
早はやい vs 速はやい hayai vs hayai	早はやい: early in time (morning, moment). 速はやい: fast in speed (vehicle, movement). Same pronunciation, different kanji. Tricky homophones.	朝あさが早はやいです。 asa ga hayai desu. The morning is early. 電車でんしゃが速はやいです。 densha ga hayai desu. The train is fast.

Particles

Confusion	Detailed Explanation	Japanese Examples
に vs で ni vs de	に: destination, arrival point, specific moment, existence. で: place of action, means/tool, reason. Trap: both indicate a place but に = where we go/are, で = where we do something.	学校がっこうに行いきます。 gakkō ni ikimasu. I go to school (destination). 学校がっこうで勉強べんきょうします。 gakkō de benkyō shimasu. I study at school (place of action).

Other (register, nuances)

Confusion	Detailed Explanation	Japanese Examples
上手じょうず vs 下手へた jōzu vs heta	上手じょうず: skilled, competent. 下手へた: clumsy, not skilled. Attention: saying 上手じょうず about yourself = impolite, boastful. Use it only to compliment others.	日本語にほんごが上手じょうずですね。 nihongo ga jōzu desu ne. Your Japanese is good (compliment to someone). 私わたしは下手へたです。 watashi wa heta desu. I'm not skilled (humble).