Japanese Core 3K Vocab | Natural Audio, Mnemonics, and Type

Language/Japanese

Updated as of 12/22/2025

Deck Part 3 of 6

— Please download the latest version to have the best possible experience —



A mnemonic-powered Japanese vocabulary deck designed to make vocab words STICK

If you’ve ever felt that typical vocab decks are dry, forgettable, or confusing, this deck was built to fix that. Every card is handcrafted with:



Vivid mnemonics

Almost every word is paired with a powerful mnemonic to make it stick in your long term memory.

✔ HD image for every mnemonic

Vivid, high resolution images create an unforgettable visual for every mnemonic you read.

✔ Color-coded reinforcement

Colors highlight important things you should memorize to streamline your learning.

✔ Type to answer

Typing to answer maximizes memory recall. On by default but can be configured off. See Notes section below.

✔ High frequency words with native audio

Learn the most high use words in Japanese with clear native audio. Ordered from highest frequency to lowest.

✔ No more nasal "g" sounds

Practically every vocab deck in existence incorporates the 1980s NHK accent that makes Japanese "g sounds" sound nasal. Modern Japanese simply does not pronounce words this way anymore. I went out of my way to find real native sources and even some anime sources to better represent the modern pronunciation.

✔ Clear explanations

Clear explanations of grammar, context, nuance, tone, and usage written in plain English. Words that have similar definitions have simple explanations to differentiate between the two.

✔ Clean, intuitive kanji breakdowns

Kanji is broken down to explain how components combine to form the meaning.

✔ Pitch accent graphs

Learn the correct pitch from day one.

✔ Example sentences with native audio

Every sentence reinforces real usage of the word without overwhelming.

✔ Conjugation lists

Many words include conjugation examples.

✔ Corrected Japanese font

Kanji displays correctly regardless of the platform used. Credit to @JouzuJuls on YouTube for finding this issue.

✔ Built for long-term retention with FSRS

Using this deck, I personally maintain 92–95% retention across thousands of mature cards. You can do this too!

✔ Optimized for Desktop AND Mobile

I've carefully adjusted this deck to work great on any platform. Set zoom (magnification) to your preference for best results.



Notes

🔹 This is Part 3 (2,001-3000) in a larger 6 part series I am building.

🔹 Head to https://ankiweb.net/shared/by-author/1289095512 to get the next deck (4K) in this series.

🔹 If you do not like the type to answer function, go to Settings for the deck, choose card template, and change “{{type:Meaning}}” to “{{Meaning}}” in the card front. Done!

🔹 You can set furigana to no longer require a click to be visible on the front side by going to card template (or cards) > front side > and change "{{hint:Transliteration}}" to "{{Transliteration}}". I recommend leaving this off (default) so you're forced to look at the kanji.


I hope this deck makes learning Japanese faster, more intuitive, and more fun like it did for me.

Happy studying!



Content Note

Some mnemonics include strong language, adult humor, or absurd situations.
Nothing in this deck is meant to offend or target any individual or group.
All content exists purely for educational purposes. This deck is a WIP and you may encounter some small typos. Please contact me with any feedback you may have.



Link to the rest of my decks:

https://ankiweb.net/shared/by-author/1289095512



Support My Work ☕

I have poured countless hours into this project and will continue to do so out of the sole desire to make Japanese more accessible for everyone. These mnemonic decks will stay FREE forever.



If you want to show your support, you can buy me a coffee here. It's totally optional but sincerely appreciated.
https://ko-fi.com/kanjiguy

Sample Data

Index 2206
Word 足下
Reading あしもと
Meaning (one’s) step, (area around/under one’s) feet, (one’s) footing
Additional Information — refers to the ground area around your feet or your footing, but does NOT refer to the foot itself— used to warn people to watch their step or be careful around their feet— can also refer metaphorically to one’s footing or stability (e.g. in business or life)
Mnemonic 足 = foot, leg (あし)下 = below, under (もと)→ Foot (足) + below (下) = the ground area under the footOn the terrifying cliffside plank walk at Mt. Huashan, a reckless hiker named Hashimoto (あしもと) laughs off all the “Watch your step” signs.He takes one careless step...SLIP!He loses his footing and nearly plummets into the clouds below.As he clings to the chain for dear life, tourists scream:“HASHIMOTO!! (足下)!! WATCH YOUR STEP!!”
Part of Speech Noun (2)
Example Sentence 暗いので足下に気を付けてください。
Sentence Transliteration くらい ので あしもと に きをつけて ください。
Sentence Translation Please watch your step in the dark.
Word Audio
Sentence Audio
Pitch Accent URL http://www.gavo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ojad/eng/search/index/limit:100/word:足下
Pitch Accent No data available
Pitch Accent Graph あしもと
Index 2300
Word わくわく
Reading わくわく
Meaning excited, excitement, anticipation, thrill
Additional Information — refers to a bubbly, joyful sense of anticipation that makes your heart beat faster when something fun or exciting is coming up
Mnemonic When Pac-Man spots a super rare, glowing power pellet pulsing in the corner, his heart pounds in excitement and his eyes go wide with anticipation. He excitedly shouts out in his classic choppy voice:“WAKU WAKU (わくわく)!"
Part of Speech Adverb
Example Sentence 遠足が楽しみでわくわくしています。
Sentence Transliteration えんそく が たのしみ で わくわく して います。
Sentence Translation I'm looking forward to the field trip, and I'm excited.
Word Audio
Sentence Audio
Pitch Accent URL http://www.gavo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ojad/eng/search/index/limit:100/word:わくわく
Pitch Accent No data available.
Pitch Accent Graph わくわく
Index 2815
Word 学習
Reading がくしゅう
Meaning study, learning
Additional Information
Mnemonic
Part of Speech Verbal Noun
Example Sentence 今日は野外で学習した。
Sentence Transliteration きょう は やがい で がくしゅう した。
Sentence Translation We studied outdoors today.
Word Audio
Sentence Audio
Pitch Accent URL http://www.gavo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ojad/eng/search/index/limit:100/word:学習
Pitch Accent dictionary formがくしゅう
Pitch Accent Graph がくしゅう
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