Beginning Vocabulary: Classroom Objects

Since many of you using these lessons are probably in a class of some sort, I think it's appropriate to include a decently complete list of common classroom objects. Most of these words are good general vocab as well.

Writing Utensils and Surfaces

Kana	Romaji	English	Notes
えんぴつ	enpitsu	pencil
けしゴム	keshigomu	eraser	keshi means "erase" while gomu comes from the French word for "rubber"
ペン	pen	pen
ボールペン	boorupen	ball pen	if you need to be more specific
マジック	majikku	marker	from "magic marker"
チョーク	chooku	chalk
こくばん	kokuban	blackboard
ホワイトボード	howaitoboodo	whiteboard	"white" as a borrowed word always includes the ho at the beginning
ふで	fude	brush	brush for writing, not a hairbrush, etc.
かみ	kami	paper
げんこうようし	genkou youshi	Japanese composition paper	has a box for each character
ぶんぼうぐ・ぶんぐ	bunbougu/bungu	stationary	can refer to writing tools in general

Arts and Crafts, Tools

いろがみ	irogami	colored paper	iro means "color"
おりがみ	origami	origami (paper)	ori means "fold"
はさみ	hasami	scissors
のり	nori	glue, past
ホッチキス	hotchikisu	stapler	from the name "Hotchkiss", as described in the linked article
ステープル	suteepuru	staple
クリップ	kurippu	paper clip
バインダー	baindaa	binder

Books

ほん	hon	book
えほん	ehon	picture book
きょうかしょ	kyoukasho	textbook	this is the same kyou as in kyoushitsu （教）
ノート	nooto	notebook
じしょ・じてん	jisho/jiten	dictionary	jisho is usually used for simply "dictionary", while jiten is preferred for specific types ex. わえいじてん "Japanese-English dictionary", えいわじてん "English-Japanese Dictionary"

Electronics

でんき	denki	light	also means "electricity"
でんわ	denwa	telephone
テレビ	terebi	TV	contraction of "television"
ＣＤ（シーディー）	shiidii	CD
ＣＤ（シーディー）プレイヤー	shiidii pureiyaa	CD player
ＤＶＤ（ディーブイディー）	diibuidii	DVD	"vi" is often transcribed as "bui" in loanwords
ＤＶＤ（ディーブイディー）プレイヤー	diibuidii pureiyaa	DVD player
リモコン	rimokon	remote control
パソコン	pasokon	computer	contraction of "personal computer"
プロジェクター	purojekutaa	projector
でんしじしょ	denshi jisho	electronic handheld dictionary

Around the Room

へや	heya	room
きょうしつ	kyoushitsu	classroom	this is the same kyou as in kyoukasho （教）
ゆか	yuka	floor
かべ	kabe	wall
てんじょう	tenjou	ceiling
ドア	doa	door
まど	mado	window
とけい	tokei	clock/watch
つくえ	tsukue	desk
いす	isu	chair

Related Lessons

The Copula "Desu"

Questions and Negation

Demonstratives: the Ko-so-a-do Series

Question Words

See Also

Basic Japanese Vocabulary