First words: nature, verbs, adjectives
Small lists, learned well, beat long lists abandoned. These are the first words in the deck — chosen because they show up everywhere, including in every Ghibli film ever made.
Nature words
Section titled “Nature words”| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 水 | みず | water |
| 山 | やま | mountain |
| 川 | かわ | river |
| 空 | そら | sky |
| 雨 | あめ | rain |
| 木 | き | tree |
| 花 | はな | flower |
| 森 | もり | forest |
| 朝 | あさ | morning |
| 夜 | よる | night |
朝、森を歩きます。 — In the morning, I walk through the forest.
First verbs
Section titled “First verbs”| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる | たべる | to eat |
| 飲む | のむ | to drink |
| 行く | いく | to go |
| 来る | くる | to come |
| 見る | みる | to see, to watch |
| 聞く | きく | to listen, to ask |
| 読む | よむ | to read |
| 書く | かく | to write |
| 話す | はなす | to speak |
| 歩く | あるく | to walk |
友だちと話します。 — I talk with a friend.
First adjectives
Section titled “First adjectives”| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大きい | おおきい | big |
| 小さい | ちいさい | small |
| 高い | たかい | tall; expensive |
| 安い | やすい | cheap |
| 新しい | あたらしい | new |
| 古い | ふるい | old (things, not people) |
| 楽しい | たのしい | fun, enjoyable |
| 静か（な） | しずか | quiet |
この本は古いですが、楽しいです。 — This book is old, but it’s fun.