JLPT N2 I-Adjectives Vocabulary (2026)
Complete JLPT N2 I-Adjectives vocabulary with readings and example sentences (30 words).
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This set covers 30 JLPT N2 i-adjectives, many of them descriptive, feeling-laden words like おぞましい, けたたましい, and おびただしい that must be learned as whole units rather than read off familiar kanji. N2 reading and vocabulary sections lean heavily on exactly this kind of nuance-carrying adjective, where distinguishing near-synonyms such as 危うい versus あぶなっかしい or 心地よい versus 快い is a frequent source of exam questions.
This article is part of our JLPT N2 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 30 words with the I-Adjectives Vocabulary deck in Onigiri Anki.
Extreme Degree & Intensity (6)
Adjectives that describe the scale or force of a change, quantity, or event, such as 著しい progress, おびただしい amounts, or はげしい storms, a register that shows up constantly in N2 news articles and formal reports.
彼の表情に著しい変化がありました。 — There was a remarkable change in his expression.
彼を信じたのは甚だしい間違いでした。 — It was an extreme mistake to trust him.
すさまじい嵐がこの地域をおそいました。 — A tremendous storm hit the area.
今年はおびただしい雨が降りました。 — There was an enormous amount of rain this year.
彼女の進歩はめざましいです。 — Her progress has been remarkable.
昨夜は雨がはげしかったです。 — The rain was very intense last night.
Precarious, Doubtful & Confusing (7)
Words for situations, people, or objects that cannot quite be trusted or pinned down: 危うい and あぶなっかしい mark something on the verge of failing, あやしい and いぶかしい mark something arousing suspicion, and 紛らわしい and ややこしい mark things too similar or tangled to sort out cleanly.
山道は危うい状態でした。 — The mountain path was in a precarious state.
あの橋はあぶなっかしいので、渡らないでください。 — That bridge looks risky, so please do not cross it.
あの店はあやしいです。 — That shop looks suspicious.
彼の説明はいぶかしいです。 — His explanation seems suspicious.
夜に一人で行くのはこころもとないです。 — I feel uneasy about going alone at night.
この標識は紛らわしいので、どちらへ行けばいいかわかりません。 — This sign is confusing, so I cannot tell which way to go.
この手続きはややこしいので、時間がかかります。 — This procedure is complicated, so it takes time.
Character & Impressions of People (6)
Adjectives that judge a person's conduct or the impression it leaves, ranging from admirable (潔い, 頼もしい, しぶとい) to contemptible (ずるい, むごい, 憎らしい), vocabulary that recurs often in N2 reading passages about relationships and workplace conduct.
彼は潔くその申し出を断りました。 — He acted with a refreshing decisiveness and rejected the offer.
あなたのお兄さんはとても頼もしいです。 — Your older brother is very reliable.
彼女は最後までしぶとく頑張りました。 — She kept persevering stubbornly until the end.
大変な仕事をほかの人にまかせるのはずるいです。 — It's unfair to leave the hard work to others.
あのように彼を責めるのはむごいです。 — It is cruel to blame him like that.
弟は憎らしいことを言います。 — My little brother says something annoying.
Sensory & Visceral Reactions (7)
Words for an immediate physical or gut reaction to what is seen, heard, or remembered, spanning the pleasant (心地よい, 快い, 懐かしい), the jarring (けたたましい, まぶしい), and the repellent (おぞましい, みすぼらしい).
この部屋は心地よいです。 — This room is pleasant and comfortable.
先生から快い返事をいただきました。 — I received a courteous reply from my teacher.
この歌は懐かしいです。 — This song is nostalgic.
夜中に赤ちゃんがけたたましく泣きました。 — The baby let out a shrill cry in the middle of the night.
冬の太陽はまぶしいです。 — The winter sun is dazzling.
ごみのにおいがおぞましかったです。 — The smell from the trash was horrible.
彼はみすぼらしい服を着ていました。 — He was wearing shabby clothes.
Scarcity, Ease & Suitability (4)
Practical judgment words for whether something is sufficient, simple, or a good fit: 乏しい and すくない mark a shortage, while たやすい and ふさわしい evaluate difficulty and appropriateness, vocabulary common in essay-style N2 passages that weigh options.
締め切りまで時間が乏しいです。 — We have little time before the deadline.
電車の席は少ないです。 — There are few seats on the train.
このレシピはだれでも作りやすく、たやすいです。 — This recipe is easy for anyone to make.
このいすは会議室にふさわしいです。 — This chair is suitable for the meeting room.
The -しい Suffix Pattern
Two-thirds of this list, from 著しい and すさまじい to おぞましい and まぶしい, end in ~しい or its voiced variant ~じい, as in すさまじい. This suffix is the most productive way Japanese turns a subjective impression into an adjective, which is why it dominates emotion- and judgment-heavy words like 憎らしい (a feeling of hatred toward someone) and 頼もしい (a feeling of reliability) rather than purely objective properties. A useful contrast sits just outside the pattern: むごい shares its kanji 酷い with the far more common ひどい, but where ひどい covers anything merely bad, as in ひどい天気, むごい is reserved for deliberate cruelty, as in むごい仕打ち.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 心地よい and 快い? Both seem to mean 'pleasant.'
心地よい describes a physical or environmental sensation, such as a comfortable breeze or temperature, as in 心地よい風. 快い more often describes an agreeable feeling or willingness, especially in the fixed phrase 快く引き受ける, to willingly take something on. Treat 心地よい as sensory comfort and 快い as agreeable acceptance.
How is あぶなっかしい different from 危うい? They both seem to mean 'dangerous.'
危うい is the more literal, formal word for something genuinely on the brink of danger or failure, as in 命が危うい, one's life is in danger. あぶなっかしい is more colloquial and describes something that merely looks unstable or clumsy, like a child's first wobbly steps, so the danger is more about appearance than actual peril.
Practice All 30 I-Adjectives Vocabulary Words
Import the I-Adjectives Vocabulary deck into Onigiri Anki and master this category with spaced repetition.
