How do you say "vocabulary" in Japanese?

語彙

goi

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "vocabulary" is 語彙 (goi).

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Pronunciation

Say go-I, just two syllables, short and clean, nothing like the long English word it translates.

Writing and usage

語彙 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

読書は語彙力を増やします。

dokusho ha goi chikara wo fuyashi masu.

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How to remember 語彙

Goi is tiny compared to the English word vocabulary, almost ironic - a short word for a huge collection of words.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 語彙

How do you pronounce 語彙?

Say go-I, just two syllables, short and clean, nothing like the long English word it translates.

Is 語彙 formal or casual?

語彙 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 語彙 written in Japanese?

語彙 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as goi.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Vocabulary" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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