JLPT N5 Kanji List - All 112 Characters You Need To Know

If you've set your sights on acing the JLPT N5 exam, one thing's for sure - getting a firm grip on kanji is non-negotiable. Don't worry, though; we're here to make your journey smoother with our comprehensive guide to all kanji characters you need to conquer for the test.

Read also:

• JLPT N4 Kanji List - All Kanji You Need to Learn
• Complete Hiragana and Katakana Chart With All 112 Characters
• JLPT N5 Vocabulary List - All 748 Words You Need to Know
  

 

JLPT N5 - What's the Big Deal?

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is the gold standard of Japanese language proficiency, recognized worldwide. As the first significant milestone in this journey, the JLPT N5 test is your ticket to showcasing your growing command of the language. By mastering the JLPT N5 kanji, you'll not only be prepared for the exam but also have a solid foundation to engage with basic Japanese texts and conversations.

In JLPT N5, kanji holds its own. The test assesses your ability to understand and use the kanji in various contexts. Moreover, understanding kanji opens up a world of vocabulary, boosting your reading comprehension and communication skills. So, mastering these characters is a giant leap toward a top-notch JLPT N5 score.

 

How Many Kanji For JLPT N5?

You'll be disappointed, but there's no official answer. The JLPT official organizers do not say how many kanji will be in the test, or which ones. But usually, it's around 80 to 100 kanji. 

In our JLPT N5 Kanji list below, we've included 112 kanji characters. Why 112 and not 80 or 100? Well, as we mentioned the JLPT doesn't mention which kanji will be included. Some kanji can be included in a year, not in the next one. And vice-versa.

With 112 kanji, you should be covered for all eventualities. 

All kanjis included in the list are beginner-level, and you will find them in a lot of very common vocabulary words. Actually after learning all these 112 kanji, you should be able to read around 30% of all Japanese texts!

 

The Twin Pillars of Kanji: Onyomi and Kunyomi readings

Each kanji character has two types of readings: Onyomi (Chinese-based) and Kunyomi (Japanese-based).

1. Onyomi reading

Onyomi refers to the Chinese-based readings of kanji characters. These readings were adopted from the original Chinese pronunciations when the characters were introduced to Japan. Onyomi readings are used when kanji characters appear together.

Example:

• 休日 --> きゅうじつ = holiday
• 電車 --> でんしゃ-->  = train

2. Kunyomi reading

Kunyomi refers to the native Japanese readings of kanji characters. These readings are used when kanji characters appear on their own (or with hiragana).

In the Kunyomi column in the table below, the hiragana characters in brackets stay as hiragana, whereas the rest of the word is usually written in kanji.

Example:

• ひと(つ) --> 一つ = one thing
• た(べる) --> 食べる = to eat

 

Hacks for Kanji Memorization

We're not going to lie... Learning kanji will take time. But it's doable. Repetition and consistency are key when learning kanji characters. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Consistent Practice: Make kanji practice a daily habit. The more you see and use these characters, the more they will stick. Try to have them in front of your eyes as often as possible.
2. Flashcards: Flashcards are great to test your memorization of kanji meanings and readings.
3. Writing Practice: Nowadays with technology all around us, learning how to write kanji is not an obligation anymore. But writing kanji by hand can help solidify your memory.

 

The JLPT N5 Kanji Poster

Before we jump into the complete list below, I want to show you our N5 Kanji Poster.

On Hirakan (this website) we create products to help you learn and remember Japanese easily. This is a passion project run by myself (Yann) and Ryo, Japanese designer.

The JLPT N5 Kanji Poster is a product I really wish I had when I was started studying Japanese. It contains all the 112 kanji needed for JLPT N5. It would have saved me so much headaches, learning kanji only to forget them the day after. At least with this poster, you'll have them constantly in front of your eyes so that you can keep reviewing them and stop forgetting them.

The design looks great too (thanks to Ryo) so it will feel like a real piece of decoration rather than a classroom poster.

Click here to check the N5 Kanji Poster

 

Your JLPT N5 Kanji Playbook

Finally, what you've been waiting for. Here are the 112 kanji you need to learn for the JLPT N5.

We've arranged the kanji list by category, making it easier to group and remember characters with related meanings.

Plus, we've included Onyomi and Kunyomi readings along with vocabulary for each character to give you a well-rounded understanding:

 

Kanji related to Numbers

Kanji	Meaning	Onyomi	Kunyomi	Vocabulary
一	One	いち ichi	ひと(つ) hito(tsu)	一人 hitori (one person, alone)
二	Two	に ni	ふた(つ) futa(tsu)	二人 futari (two people)
三	Three	さん san	み(っつ) mi(ttsu)	三日 mikka (3rd day of the month)
四	Four	し shi	よ(っつ), よん yo(ttsu), yon	四日 yokka (4th day of the month)
五	Five	ご go	いつ(つ) itsu(tsu)	五日 itsuka (5th day of the month)
六	Six	ろく roku	む(っつ)、むい mu(ttsu), mui	六日 muika (6th day of the month)
七	Seven	しち shichi	なな(つ), なな nana(tsu), nana	七日 nanoka (7th day of the month)
八	Eight	はち hachi	や(っつ), よう ya(ttsu), you	八日 youka (8th day of the month)
九	Nine	きゅう, く kyuu, ku	ここの(つ) kokono(tsu)	九日 kokonoka (9th day of the month)
十	Ten	じゅう juu	とう, とお tou, too	十日 tooka (10th day of the month)
百	Hundred	ひゃく hyaku	—	百円 hyakuen (100 yen)
五	Five	ご go	いつ(つ) itsu(tsu)	五日 itsuka (5th day of the month)
千	Thousand	せん sen	ち chi	千円、千葉県 senen, chibaken (1,000 yen), (Chiba prefecture)
万	Ten thousand	まん man	—	一万円、万年筆 ichimanen, mannenpitsu (10,000 yen), (fountain pen)
億	Hundred-million	おく oku	ー	一億円 ichiokuen (100,000,000 yen)

 

 

Kanji related to Time 

Kanji	Meaning	Onyomi	Kunyomi	Vocabulary
日	Day, sun	にち, じつ nichi, jitsu	ひ, か hi, ka	日曜日、休日 nichiyoubi, kyuujitsu (Sunday), (holiday)
週	Week	しゅう shuu	—	来週、週末 raishuu, shuumatsu (next week), (weekend)
月	Month, moon	げつ, がつ getsu, gatsu	つき tsuki	月、月曜日 tsuki, getsuyoubi (moon), (Monday)
年	Year	ねん nen	とし toshi	今年、去年 kotoshi, kyonen (this year), (last year)
時	Time, hour	じ ji	とき toki	何時、時々 nanji, tokidoki (what time), (sometimes)
間	Interval	かん kan	あいだ, ま aida, ma	時間 jikan (time)
分	Minute, part, understand	ぶん, ふん, ぶ bun, fun, bu	わ(かる) wa(karu)	２分、 自分、 分かる nifun, jibun, wakaru (two minutes), (oneself), (to understand)
午	Noon	ご go	ご	午前 gozen (morning, A.M.)
前	Before	ぜん zen	まえ mae	前回、駅前 zenkai, ekimae (last time), (front of the station)
後	After	ご, こう go, kou	あと, うし ato, ushi	後で、後ろ atode, ushiro (after), (behind)
今	Now	こん kon	いま ima	今回、今 konkai, ima (this time), (now)
先	Previous	せん sen	さき saki	先週、先生 senshuu, sensei (last week), (teacher)
来	Next, come	らい rai	く(る) ku(ru)	来月、来る raigetsu, kuru (next month), (to come)
毎	Every	まい mai	ごと goto	毎日 mainichi (every day)

 

 

Kanji related to People, Places, & Things

Kanji	Meaning	Onyomi	Kunyomi	Vocabulary
人	Person	じん, にん jin, nin	ひと hito	アメリカ人、外人 amerikajin, gaijin (American person), (foreigner)
男	Man	だん, なん dan, nan	おとこ otoko	男の子、男性 otokonoko, dansei (boy), (male)
女	Woman	じょ jo	おんな onna	女の子、女性 onnanoko, josei (girl), (female)
子	Child	し shi	こ ko	子供、菓子屋 kodomo, kashiya (child), (kashiya)
母	Mother	ぼ bo	はは haha	母 haha (mother)
父	Father	ふ fu	ちち chichi	父 chichi (father)
友	Friend	ゆう yuu	とも tomo	友達 tomodachi (friend)
本	Book, Origin	ほん hon	もと moto	日本、本当 nihon, hontou (Japan), (reality)
気	Spirit	き ki	—	元気 genki (lively, fine)
生	Life	せい, しょう sei, shou	い(きる), う(まれる) i(kiru), u(mareru)	生徒、生きる seito, ikiru (pupil), (to live)
車	Car	しゃ sha	くるま kuruma	車、電車 kuruma, densha (car), (train)
語	Language	ご go	かた(る) kata(ru)	英語、日本語 eigo, nihongo (English), (Japanese)
耳	Ear	じ ji	みみ mimi	耳 mimi (ear)
手	Hand	しゅ shu	て te	手紙、選手 tegami, senshu (letter), (athlete)
足	Foot	そく soku	あし、た(す) ashi, ta(su)	足 ashi (foot)
目	Eye	もく moku	め me	目 me (eye)
口	Mouth	こう kou	くち kuchi	入り口 iriguchi (entrance)
店	Shop	てん ten	みせ mise	喫茶店 kissaten (coffee shop)
駅	Station	えき eki	—	駅弁 ekiben (station bento)
道	Street	どう dou	みち michi	道、道具 michi, dougu (road), (tool)
国	Country	こく koku	くに kuni	国、外国 kuni, gaikoku (country), (foreign)
学	Study	がく gaku	まな(ぶ) mana(bu)	大学、学ぶ daigaku, manabu (university), (to learn)
校	School	こう kou	—	学校 gakkou (school)
名	Name	めい, みょう mei, myou	な na	名前 namae (name)
円	Yen, circle	えん en	まる(い) maru(i)	円い marui (round)
半	Half	はん han	なか(ば) naka(ba)	半分 hanbun (half)
全	All	ぜん zen	まった(く), すべて matta(ku), sube(te)	全然、全く zenzen, mattaku (completely, not at all), (really)
何	What	か ka	なん, なに nan, nani	何、何日 nani, nannichi (what), (what day)

 

 

Kanji related to Nature & Directions

Kanji	Meaning	Onyomi	Kunyomi	Vocabulary
火	Fire	か ka	ひ hi	火、火曜日 hi, kayoubi (fire), (Tuesday)
水	Water	すい sui	みず mizu	水、水曜日 mizu, suiyoubi (water), (Wednesday)
木	Tree	もく moku	き ki	木、木曜日 ki, mokuyoubi (tree), (Thursday)
金	Money, gold	きん kin	かね kane	金、金曜日 kane, kinyoubi (money), (Friday)
土	Earth	ど, to	つち tsuchi	土地、土曜日 tochi, doyoubi (land), (Saturday)
海	Sea	かい kai	うみ umi	海、海外 umi, kaigai (sea), (overseas)
川	River	せん sen	かわ kawa	川 kawa (river)
山	Mountain	さん san	やま yama	山、富士山 yama, fujisan (mountain), (Mt Fuji)
花	Flower	か ka	はな hana	花火、花粉症 hanabi, kafunshou (fireworks), (hay fever)
天	Heaven	てん ten	あめ, あま ame, ama	天気 tenki (weather)
空	Sky, empty	くう kuu	そら, あける sora, a(keru)	空、空港 sora, kuukou (sky), (airport)
晴	Sunny	せい sei	は(れ) ha(re)	晴れ hare (sunny)
雨	Rain	う u	あめ ame	雨 ame (rain)
雪	Snow	せつ setsu	ゆき yuki	雪 yuki (snow)
雲	Cloud	うん un	くも kumo	曇り kumori (cloudy)
風	Wind	ふう fuu	かぜ kaze	風、台風 kaze, taifuu (wind), (taiphoon)
電	Electricity	でん den	—	電気 denki (electricity)
外	Outside	がい gai	そと,はず(れる) soto, hazu(reru)	外、外国 soto, gaikoku (outside), (foreign country)
内	Inside	ない nai	うち uchi	内、車内 uchi, shanai (inside), (inside the car/train)
上	Above	じょう jou	うえ, あ(げる) ue, a(geru)	上、上手 ue, jouzu (above), (good at)
下	Below	か, げ ka, ge	した、く(だる) shita, ku(daru)	下、下さい shita, kudasai (below), (please)
右	Right	ゆう yuu	みぎ migi	右 migi (right)
左	Left	さ sa	ひだり hidari	左 hidari (left)
中	Middle	ちゅう, じゅう chuu, juu	なか naka	中、中学校 naka, chuugakkou (middle, in), (junior high school)
北	North	ほく	きた kita	北 kita (north)
西	West	せい, さい sei, sai	にし nishi	西 nishi (west)
東	East	とう tou	ひがし higashi	東、東京 higashi, toukyou (East), (Tokyo)
南	South	なん nan	みなみ minami	南 minami (south)

 

 

Kanji related to Verbs

Kanji	Meaning	Onyomi	Kunyomi	Vocabulary
見	See	けん ken	み(る) mi(ru)	見る、見せる miru, miseru (to see), (to show)
聞	Hear	もん, ぶん mon, bun	き(く) ki(ku)	聞く kiku (to listen, to hear)
書	Write	しょ jo	か(く) ka(ku)	書く、辞書 kaku, jisho (to write), (dictionary)
言	Say	げん gen	い(う) i(u)	言う iu (to say)
話	Talk	わ wa	はなし, はな(す) hanashi, hana(su)	話す、電話 hanasu, denwa (to talk), (telephone)
読	Read	どく doku	よ(む) yo(mu)	読む yomu (to read)
行	Go	こう kou	い(く), おこな(う) i(ku), okona(u)	行く、銀行 iku, ginkou (to go), (bank)
買	Buy	ばい bai	か(う) ka(u)	買う、買い物 kau, kaimono (to buy), (shopping)
出	Exit	しゅつ shuu	で(る), だ(す) de(ru), da(su)	出る、出口 deru, deguchi (to exit), (exit)
入	Enter, put in	にゅう nyuu	はい(る), い(れる) hai(ru), i(reru)	入る、立ち入り禁止 (to enter), (no entry)
食	Eat	しょく shoku	た(べる) ta(beru)	食べる、食事 taberu, shokuji (to eat), (meal)
飲	Drink	いん in	の(む) no(mu)	飲む、飲み物 nomu, nomimono (to drink), (beverage)
休	Rest	きゅう kyuu	やす(む), やす(み) yasu(mu), yasu(mi)	休む、休日 yasumu, kyuujitsu (to rest), (holiday)
会	Meet	かい kai	あ(う) a(u)	会う、会社 au, kaisha (to meet), (company)

 

 

Kanji related to Adjectives

Kanji	Meaning	Onyomi	Kunyomi	Vocabulary
多	A lot	た ta	おお(い) oo(i)	多い、多分 ooi, tabun (many), (probably)
少	A little	しょう shou	すこ(し), すく(ない) suko(shi), suku(nai)	少し sukoshi (a little)
古	Old	こ ko	ふる(い) furu(i)	古い furui (old)
新	New	しん shin	あたら(しい) atara(shii)	新しい、新聞 atarashii, shinbun (new), (newspaper)
大	Big	だい, たい dai, tai	おお(きい) oo(kii)	大きい、大変 ookii, taihen (big), (very, terribly)
小	Small	しょう shou	ちい(さい)、こ chii(sai), ko	小さい chiisai (small)
長	Long, leader	ちょう chou	なが(い) naga(i)	長い、部長 nagai, buchou (long), (manager)
短	Short	たん tan	みじか(い) mijika(i)	短い mijikai (short)
遠	Far	えん en	とお(い) too(i)	遠い tooi (far)
近	Near	きん, こん kin, kon	ちか(い) chika(i)	近い、近く chikai, chikaku (close), (near)
白	White	はく haku	しろ, しろ(い) shiro, shiro(i)	白い、面白い shiroi, omoshiroi (white), (interesting)
黒	Black	こく koku	くろ、くろ(い) kuro, kuro(i)	黒、真っ黒 kuro, makkuro (black), (pitch black)
高	Expensive, high	こう kou	たか(い) taka(i)	高い takai (expensive, tall)
安	Cheap, safety	あん an	やす(い) yasu(i)	安い、安心 yasui, anshin (cheap), (relief)

 

So there you have it, the complete list of JLPT N5 kanji. Remember, learning kanji is difficult, for sure. But it's also very rewarding. You'll see yourself being to read more and more materials, like manga in Japanese. What was gibberish before will slowly start to make sense and become natural. So don't give up, be consistent, use the resources at hand like our N5 Kanji Poster, and happy studying!