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Basic Japanese Vocabulary #8 : facility -施設(しせつ)-

Written by Kaori sensei

Today, We will study Basic Japanese vocabulary related to “facility ” in your town that will appear on the JLPT N5. Use infographics, flashcards, and practice tests to study effectively. Get ready!

Note:Think of your town and try to describe it!

Many of the words here are facilities and buildings you will definitely need if you decide to live in Japan, rather than travel. After all, traveling and living are really different. Let’s check out some of the places you will need to live. First, tell me about your city! Send us your Essay in the comments section.

Infographic:

Facility

Facility in Japanese
English translationJapanese
hospital病院(びょういん)
post office郵便局(ゆうびんきょく)
hotelホテル
bank銀行(ぎんこう)
library図書館(としょかん)
movie theater映画館(えいがかん)
embassy大使館(たいしかん)
police station交番(こうばん)
park公園(こうえん)
Facility in Japanese

The kanji for “館(かん)” means “pavilion. This kanji is often used for buildings. Also, Japan is famous for “returning lost money and mobile phones” because everyone delivers them to police stations. There are always one at each station or area.

Store

Store name in Japanese
English translationJapanese
restaurantレストラン
post office喫茶店(きっさてん)
hotelコンビニ
bankスーパー
libraryデパート
movie theater本屋(ほんや)
embassy花屋(はなや)
police stationでんき屋(や)
park公園(こうえん)
Facility in Japanese

The kanji “屋(や)” means store. If you add “屋(や)” to what they are selling, it is usually the name of a store. Additionally, The JLPT exam uses “喫茶店(きっさてん)” for coffee shop, but to be honest, this may not be practical. When native speakers hear the word “喫茶店(きっさてん)” , they think of an old-fashioned café. These days, “カフェ” is often used in katakana.

Building

building name in Japanese
English translationJapanese
homeうち
houseいえ
school学校(がっこう)
university大学(だいがく)
swimming poolプール
path, road, way道(みち)
bridge橋(はし)
gate門(もん)
station駅(えき)
bus stopバス停(てい)
building in Japanese

People often ask me about the difference between ”うち” and ”いえ”. In Japanese speech style and culture, the idea of ”うち(inside)” and “そと(outside)” is a very important function. “うち” has the meaning of a place to which one belongs. Japanese people have a very strong sense of belonging and collectivity. We sometimes say “うち の かぞく (my family)” or “うち の かいしゃ (my company). When we simply say “うち”, we often refer to our own home.

Flash card video

Practice test video

Recommendation books for JLPT

Here, you can add your training with using these book for JLPT N5.

The Preparatory Course for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test: N5 Reading

Please check this article too.

Keep learning…!

Lastly, the JLPT vocabulary is about 800 words. So, continuous daily study is key. Check out the others, and keep building your vocabulary!

About the author

Kaori sensei

Japanese online teacher, live in Kamakura, Japan. She is currently working as a language teacher and online Japanese experience host to introduce Japanese culture to the world. She originally worked as an engineer at a Japanese company, so she is familiar with Japanese business culture too.

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