Japanese Vocabulary for Everyday Problems You’ll Actually Use

Everyday life doesn’t always go as planned. You might oversleep, forget something at home, get stuck in traffic, or suddenly realize your phone battery is dead.

In this article, you’ll learn 10 useful Japanese words and expressions for common everyday problems, with natural examples to help you talk about those little moments when things go wrong.

Level: Beginner–Intermediate

Japanese Vocabulary for Everyday Problems

忘れ物（わすれもの）

Meaning: something left behind / forgotten item

忘れ物 refers to something you accidentally leave somewhere or forget to bring with you. It can be used for anything from an umbrella to a wallet or phone.

Examples:

・電車の中に忘れ物をしてしまった。
I accidentally left something on the train.

・出かける前に、忘れ物がないか確認しよう。
Let’s check that we haven’t forgotten anything before we leave.

寝坊（ねぼう）

Meaning: oversleeping / sleeping in too late

寝坊 means waking up later than you intended, especially when it causes you to be late for work, school, or an appointment. 寝坊する is the common verb form.

Examples:

・今朝寝坊して、朝ごはんを食べる時間がなかった。
I overslept this morning and didn’t have time for breakfast.

・明日は早いから、寝坊しないようにしないと。
I have an early start tomorrow, so I need to make sure I don’t oversleep.

渋滞（じゅうたい）

Meaning: traffic jam / traffic congestion

渋滞 refers to heavy road traffic that causes vehicles to move slowly or stop. 渋滞する and 渋滞にはまる are both commonly used expressions.

Examples:

・高速道路が渋滞しているみたい。
It looks like there’s heavy traffic on the highway.

・渋滞にはまって、約束の時間に遅れてしまった。
I got stuck in traffic and ended up being late.

品切れ（しなぎれ）

Meaning: out of stock

品切れ means that a store currently doesn’t have a particular product available. You’ll often see it on signs, online shops, or product pages.

Examples:

・買いたかった商品が品切れだった。
The item I wanted to buy was out of stock.

・人気があるみたいで、しばらく品切れが続いている。
It seems to be popular, and it’s been out of stock for a while.

充電切れ（じゅうでんぎれ）

Meaning: dead battery / running out of charge

充電切れ means that a phone or other rechargeable device has run out of power. You can also naturally say 充電が切れる.

Examples:

・スマホが充電切れになって、連絡できなかった。
My phone died, so I couldn’t contact anyone.

・出かける前に充電しないと、途中で充電が切れそう。
If I don’t charge it before I leave, the battery might die while I’m out.

道に迷う（みちにまよう）

Meaning: to get lost

道に迷う means losing your way or not knowing how to get to your destination. It’s useful when walking, driving, or exploring an unfamiliar place.

Examples:

・駅からホテルまでの途中で道に迷った。
I got lost on the way from the station to the hotel.

・初めて行く場所だから、道に迷わないように地図を見ておこう。
It’s my first time going there, so I’ll check the map so I don’t get lost.

間に合わない（まにあわない）

Meaning: not to make it in time / to be too late

間に合わない is used when you won’t arrive or finish something by the required time. The positive form, 間に合う, means “to make it in time.”

Examples:

・急がないと電車に間に合わないよ。
If we don’t hurry, we won’t make the train.

・このペースだと締め切りに間に合わないかもしれない。
At this rate, we might not make the deadline.

壊れる（こわれる）

Meaning: to break / stop working

壊れる is used when an object, machine, or device breaks or stops working properly. For example, you can use it for a phone, computer, air conditioner, or appliance.

Examples:

・急にエアコンが壊れた。
The air conditioner suddenly broke.

・このパソコン、また壊れたの？
Did this computer break again?

なくす

Meaning: to lose / misplace something

なくす means losing something you had with you, such as your keys, wallet, or ticket. It’s different from 忘れ物, which focuses on leaving something behind somewhere.

Examples:

・家の鍵をなくしてしまった。
I lost my house key.

・旅行中にパスポートをなくさないように気をつけてね。
Be careful not to lose your passport while traveling.

遅刻（ちこく）

Meaning: being late / arriving late

遅刻 means arriving later than the expected or scheduled time. 遅刻する is commonly used for being late to work, school, meetings, appointments, and other scheduled events.

Examples:

・電車が遅れて、仕事に遅刻した。
The train was delayed, so I was late for work.

・明日は大事な会議があるから、遅刻しないように早めに出よう。
There’s an important meeting tomorrow, so I’ll leave early to make sure I’m not late.

Try It in a Real Conversation

You don’t need to memorize all of them at once. Start by noticing these expressions when you hear or read Japanese, and try using one or two of them the next time you talk about the weather.