JFT-Basic exists to check whether you can handle daily life in Japan, and for most candidates daily life means a workplace. The vocabulary reflects that, in all four sections.
You do not need industry jargon. You need the words that appear in every workplace regardless of sector.
Time, shifts and attendance
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ใใใจ | work, job |
| ใใใใ | company |
| ใใใใใ | factory |
| ใใ ใฃใใ / ใใใใ | going to / leaving work |
| ใใใฟ | day off, break |
| ใใใใใ | overtime |
| ใกใใ | being late |
| ใใใใ | shift change |
These carry the listening section. A clip about tomorrowโs start time is not testing rare vocabulary - it is testing whether you can hold two times in your head while a ใ tells you which applies.
Instructions you will be given
The exam loves instructions, because working life is made of them:
- ๏ฝใฆใใ ใใ - please do this
- ๏ฝใชใใงใใ ใใ - please do not do this
- ๏ฝใชใใใฐใชใใพใใ - you must
- ๏ฝใชใใฆใใใใงใ - you do not have to
- ๏ฝใฆใใใใงใใ - may I?
Those five patterns cover an enormous share of the Conversation and Expression section. The grammar you need sets them out properly.
Things and places
ใใใใใตใ (work clothes), ใญใใซใผ, ใใใ (machine), ใฉใใ (tools), ใซใใค (luggage, load), ใใใคใ (reception), ใใใใ (office), ใใ ใใใใใค (break room), ใฒใใใใใก (emergency exit).
Note how many are katakana. That is not an accident - see the katakana words that appear in the exam.
Reporting and asking
This is where candidates lose marks, because it is social rather than factual. The three situations that recur:
Reporting a problem. ใใใใ ใใใใพใใใ/ ใกใใฃใจ ใใใใใงใใใ
Asking permission. ไผใใงใใใใงใใใ/ ๆฉใๅธฐใฃใฆใใใใงใใใ
Leaving before others. ใๅ ใซๅคฑ็คผใใพใ - to which the reply is ใ็ฒใใใพใงใใ. This exchange appears constantly, in the exam and in life.
The politeness level is the whole test in these items. All the options will be grammatical; only one fits the relationship. More in Conversation and Expression and keigo basics for work.
How to learn it
Not by reading this list. By meeting the words in context repeatedly:
- Drill them with spaced repetition - fifteen minutes a day. How.
- Meet them again inside sentences, not alone. A word learned in isolation is recognised but not understood.
- Test them under pressure. Our free exam demo runs all four sections with exactly this vocabulary, on a 60-minute clock.
How many words in total is covered in how many words you need for JFT-Basic. The answer is smaller than most people fear, provided they are the right ones.