JLPT N3 adjectives cover 57 essential words — a shift toward more formal な-adjectives (many ending in 的, -teki, "-like/-ical"), nuanced い-adjectives, and personality/character descriptions. This category reflects the more abstract, formal register expected at N3.

This article is part of our JLPT N3 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 57 words with the N3 Adjectives deck in Onigiri Anki.

Formal な-Adjectives (10)

Many of these end in 的 (teki), turning a noun into an adjective meaning "-like" or "-ical" — a highly productive N3 pattern.

effective効果的koukateki

この方法はとても効果的です。 — This method is very effective.

fundamental基本的kihonteki

これは基本的な原則です。 — This is a fundamental principle.

global国際的kokusaiteki

これは国際的な問題です。 — This is a global issue.

general一般的ippanteki

これは一般的なルールです。 — This is a general rule.

proactive / positive積極的sekkyokuteki

彼は積極的に発言します。 — He speaks up proactively.

concrete / specific具体的gutaiteki

具体的な例を挙げてください。 — Please give a concrete example.

passive消極的shoukyokuteki

彼女は授業では消極的です。 — She is passive in class.

excellent; outstanding優秀yuushuu

彼女は優秀な学生です。 — She is an excellent student.

accurate正確seikaku

正確な時間を教えてください。 — Please tell me the exact time.

certain; reliable確実kakujitsu

この情報は確実です。 — This information is certain.

Descriptive い-Adjectives (10)

These い-adjectives add nuance to descriptions of people, places, and situations beyond basic N4/N5 vocabulary.

smart, wise賢いkashikoi

彼女は賢い人です。 — She is a smart person.

sharp, keen鋭いsurudoi

このナイフは鋭いです。 — This knife is sharp.

steep, rugged険しいkewashii

その山道は険しいです。 — The mountain path is steep.

detailed, knowledgeable詳しいkuwashii

友達はコンピューターに詳しいです。 — My friend is knowledgeable about computers.

strict, severe厳しいkibishii

先生は厳しいです。 — The teacher is strict.

suspicious怪しいayashii

あの人は怪しいです。 — That person looks suspicious.

nostalgic; dearなつかしいnatsukashii

この歌はなつかしいです。 — This song feels nostalgic.

quiet; gentle; docileおとなしいotonashii

うちの犬はおとなしいです。 — My dog is gentle.

persistent; insistentしつこいshitsukoi

そんなにしつこいです。 — That's so persistent.

painful / hard苦しいkurushii

おなかが苦しいです。 — I have a stomach ache.

Personality & Character (10)

These words describe character traits and behavior — common in N3 passages about people and relationships.

honesty正直shoujiki

人との関係では正直さが大切です。 — Honesty is important in relationships.

calmness冷静reisei

緊急のときは冷静でいてください。 — Please stay calm in an emergency.

seriousness真剣shinken

彼は真剣に話を聞きました。 — He listened with great seriousness.

honest; straightforward素直sunao

私には素直に話してください。 — Please speak honestly to me.

calm; gentle穏やかodayaka

今日は海が穏やかでした。 — The sea was calm today.

lively活発kappatsu

活発な子どもが公園で遊んでいます。 — The lively child is playing in the park.

splendid / admirable立派rippa

あなたの先生は立派です。 — Your teacher is splendid.

important大事daiji

早く寝ることは大事です。 — It is important to sleep early.

troublesome; bothersome面倒mendou

雨の日に外へ行くのは面倒です。 — It is troublesome to go out in the rain.

troublesome / nuisance迷惑meiwaku

人に迷惑をかけないでください。 — Please do not cause trouble to others.

Situational Descriptions (10)

These な-adjectives describe circumstances, quality, and abstract states — frequently used in formal N3 writing.

unexpected意外igai

結果は意外でした。 — The result was unexpected.

certain / sure確かtashika

彼が来るのは確かです。 — It is certain that he will come.

clear; obvious明らかakiraka

彼が今日は来ないのは明らかです。 — It is clear that he is not coming today.

fresh新鮮shinsen

この果物は新鮮でおいしいです。 — This fruit is fresh and delicious.

suitable; proper適当tekitou

このサイズは私に適当です。 — This size is suitable for me.

safe; unhurt無事buji

家族は無事に帰りました。 — My family returned home safely.

comfortable快適kaiteki

この部屋は快適です。 — This room is comfortable.

subtle; delicate微妙bimyou

このスープの味は微妙です。 — The taste of this soup is hard to describe.

fair公平kouhei

彼は公平な判断をしました。 — He made a fair decision.

strange; peculiar奇妙kimyou

その話は奇妙です。 — That story is strange.

The 的 (-teki) Pattern: A Productive N3 Suffix

Adding 的 (teki) to many nouns creates a な-adjective meaning "-like/-ical/-related to": 基本 (basic/foundation) → 基本的 (fundamental), 国際 (international) → 国際的 (global), 具体 (concreteness) → 具体的 (concrete/specific). Recognizing this pattern lets you decode many unfamiliar N3 adjectives on the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 積極的 and 消極的?

These are direct opposites: 積極的 (sekkyokuteki) means proactive/positive/assertive. 消極的 (shoukyokuteki) means passive/reserved/negative. Both describe approach to action or participation and are frequently contrasted in N3 passages about personality and workplace behavior.

Why do so many N3 adjectives end in 的?

的 is one of the most productive suffixes in Japanese for creating abstract, formal adjectives from nouns. N3 marks the point where learners need to recognize and produce this pattern fluently, since it's extremely common in written and formal Japanese.

Practice All 57 N3 Adjectives

Import the N3 Adjectives deck into Onigiri Anki and master formal and descriptive vocabulary with spaced repetition.

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JLPT N3 Adjectives List: 57 Essential Adjectives (2026)