JLPT N5 Kanji: Complete List with Meanings and Readings
Complete JLPT N5 Kanji list with all 80 essential characters, meanings, readings, and study tips. Master beginner Japanese Kanji for JLPT N5 exam success with this comprehensive guide.
Preparing for the JLPT N5 exam? Mastering the 80 essential N5 Kanji is crucial for success. This comprehensive guide covers every kanji you need, with meanings, readings, and effective study strategies.
What is JLPT N5 Kanji?
JLPT N5 is the beginner level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. The N5 level requires knowledge of approximately 80 kanji characters - the fundamental building blocks of Japanese reading and writing.
Why These 80 Kanji Matter
- ✅ Foundation for all future kanji learning
- ✅ Most frequently used characters in basic Japanese
- ✅ Essential for N5 reading comprehension
- ✅ Used in everyday situations (numbers, time, directions)
- ✅ Gateway to N4 and beyond
Good News: 80 kanji is very achievable! With consistent study, most learners master these in 2-3 months.
Complete JLPT N5 Kanji List by Category
Numbers (10 Kanji)
Essential for counting, money, dates, and time.
| Kanji | Meaning | Readings | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | one | いち、ひと(つ) | 一つ (hitotsu - one item) |
| 二 | two | に、ふた(つ) | 二人 (futari - two people) |
| 三 | three | さん、みっ(つ) | 三日 (mikka - 3rd day) |
| 四 | four | し、よん、よっ(つ) | 四時 (yoji - 4 o'clock) |
| 五 | five | ご、いつ(つ) | 五月 (gogatsu - May) |
| 六 | six | ろく、むっ(つ) | 六本 (roppon - six items) |
| 七 | seven | しち、なな(つ) | 七日 (nanoka - 7th day) |
| 八 | eight | はち、やっ(つ) | 八百 (happyaku - 800) |
| 九 | nine | きゅう、ここの(つ) | 九時 (kuji - 9 o'clock) |
| 十 | ten | じゅう、とお | 十分 (juppun - 10 minutes) |
Study Tip: Learn these first! They appear everywhere in Japanese.
Time & Calendar (13 Kanji)
| Kanji | Meaning | Readings | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 日 | sun, day | にち、ひ、か | 今日 (kyou - today) |
| 月 | moon, month | げつ、がつ、つき | 一月 (ichigatsu - January) |
| 火 | fire, Tuesday | か、ひ | 火曜日 (kayoubi - Tuesday) |
| 水 | water, Wednesday | すい、みず | 水曜日 (suiyoubi - Wednesday) |
| 木 | tree, Thursday | もく、き | 木曜日 (mokuyoubi - Thursday) |
| 金 | gold, Friday | きん、かね | 金曜日 (kinyoubi - Friday) |
| 土 | soil, Saturday | ど、つち | 土曜日 (doyoubi - Saturday) |
| 年 | year | ねん、とし | 今年 (kotoshi - this year) |
| 時 | time, hour | じ、とき | 何時 (nanji - what time) |
| 分 | minute, part | ふん、ぷん、わ(かる) | 十分 (juppun - 10 minutes) |
| 半 | half | はん | 半分 (hanbun - half) |
| 毎 | every | まい | 毎日 (mainichi - every day) |
| 今 | now | こん、いま | 今 (ima - now) |
Study Tip: Days of the week use elements (sun, moon, fire, water, wood, gold, soil)!
People & Relationships (8 Kanji)
| Kanji | Meaning | Readings | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人 | person | じん、にん、ひと | 人 (hito - person) |
| 男 | man | だん、おとこ | 男性 (dansei - male) |
| 女 | woman | じょ、おんな | 女性 (josei - female) |
| 子 | child | し、こ | 子供 (kodomo - child) |
| 母 | mother | ぼ、はは | 母 (haha - my mother) |
| 父 | father | ふ、ちち | 父 (chichi - my father) |
| 友 | friend | ゆう、とも | 友達 (tomodachi - friend) |
| 先生 | teacher | せんせい | 先生 (sensei - teacher) |
Directions & Places (12 Kanji)
| Kanji | Meaning | Readings | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 上 | up, above | じょう、うえ、あ(がる) | 上 (ue - above) |
| 下 | down, below | か、げ、した、お(りる) | 下 (shita - below) |
| 中 | middle, inside | ちゅう、なか | 中 (naka - inside) |
| 外 | outside | がい、そと | 外 (soto - outside) |
| 左 | left | さ、ひだり | 左 (hidari - left) |
| 右 | right | う、ゆう、みぎ | 右 (migi - right) |
| 前 | front, before | ぜん、まえ | 前 (mae - front) |
| 後 | behind, after | ご、あと、うし(ろ) | 後ろ (ushiro - behind) |
| 東 | east | とう、ひがし | 東京 (toukyou - Tokyo) |
| 西 | west | せい、にし | 西 (nishi - west) |
| 南 | south | なん、みなみ | 南 (minami - south) |
| 北 | north | ほく、きた | 北 (kita - north) |
Basic Actions & States (10 Kanji)
| Kanji | Meaning | Readings | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 見 | see, look | けん、み(る) | 見る (miru - to see) |
| 聞 | hear, listen | ぶん、き(く) | 聞く (kiku - to hear/ask) |
| 食 | eat | しょく、た(べる) | 食べる (taberu - to eat) |
| 飲 | drink | いん、の(む) | 飲む (nomu - to drink) |
| 行 | go | こう、い(く) | 行く (iku - to go) |
| 来 | come | らい、く(る) | 来る (kuru - to come) |
| 出 | exit, go out | しゅつ、で(る) | 出る (deru - to go out) |
| 入 | enter | にゅう、はい(る) | 入る (hairu - to enter) |
| 立 | stand | りつ、た(つ) | 立つ (tatsu - to stand) |
| 休 | rest | きゅう、やす(む) | 休む (yasumu - to rest) |
School & Learning (8 Kanji)
| Kanji | Meaning | Readings | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 学 | study, learning | がく、まな(ぶ) | 学生 (gakusei - student) |
| 校 | school | こう | 学校 (gakkou - school) |
| 生 | life, birth | せい、い(きる) | 学生 (gakusei - student) |
| 先 | ahead, previous | せん、さき | 先生 (sensei - teacher) |
| 本 | book, origin | ほん、もと | 本 (hon - book) |
| 語 | language | ご、かた(る) | 日本語 (nihongo - Japanese) |
| 文 | sentence, writing | ぶん、もん | 作文 (sakubun - essay) |
| 字 | character, letter | じ | 漢字 (kanji - Chinese character) |
Daily Life & Objects (19+ Kanji)
| Kanji | Meaning | Readings | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大 | big | だい、おお(きい) | 大きい (ookii - big) |
| 小 | small | しょう、ちい(さい) | 小さい (chiisai - small) |
| 高 | high, tall, expensive | こう、たか(い) | 高い (takai - expensive/tall) |
| 安 | cheap, peaceful | あん、やす(い) | 安い (yasui - cheap) |
| 新 | new | しん、あたら(しい) | 新しい (atarashii - new) |
| 古 | old | こ、ふる(い) | 古い (furui - old) |
| 長 | long | ちょう、なが(い) | 長い (nagai - long) |
| 白 | white | はく、しろ(い) | 白い (shiroi - white) |
| 赤 | red | せき、あか(い) | 赤い (akai - red) |
| 青 | blue | せい、あお(い) | 青い (aoi - blue) |
| 円 | yen, circle | えん | 百円 (hyakuen - 100 yen) |
| 車 | car, vehicle | しゃ、くるま | 車 (kuruma - car) |
| 駅 | station | えき | 駅 (eki - station) |
| 店 | shop | てん、みせ | 店 (mise - shop) |
| 買 | buy | ばい、か(う) | 買う (kau - to buy) |
| 物 | thing | ぶつ、もの | 食べ物 (tabemono - food) |
| 天 | heaven, sky | てん | 天気 (tenki - weather) |
| 気 | spirit, energy | き | 元気 (genki - healthy) |
| 山 | mountain | さん、やま | 山 (yama - mountain) |
How to Study N5 Kanji Effectively
1. Learn Radicals First
Many kanji share common components (radicals). Understanding these makes learning easier.
Example:
- 語 (language) has 言 (say/speak) radical
- 話 (talk) also has 言 radical
- Pattern: Speech-related kanji use 言!
2. Study in Context
Don't memorize isolated characters. Learn them in words and sentences.
Example:
- Don't just learn 食 (eat)
- Learn: 食べる (taberu - to eat), 食べ物 (tabemono - food), 食事 (shokuji - meal)
3. Write, Write, Write!
Handwriting dramatically improves retention.
Daily Practice:
- Write each kanji 10 times
- Follow proper stroke order
- Use grid paper for proper proportions
4. Use Spaced Repetition
Review kanji at increasing intervals:
- Day 1: Learn new kanji
- Day 2: Review
- Day 4: Review
- Day 7: Review
- Day 14: Review
- Day 30: Review
KanaDojo's progress tracking automatically helps with this!
5. Learn Multiple Readings
Most kanji have multiple readings (on'yomi and kun'yomi).
Example - 日:
- にち (nichi) - in 日本 (nihon - Japan)
- ひ (hi) - in 日 (hi - day)
- か (ka) - in 二日 (futsuka - 2nd day)
Start with the most common reading, then expand.
6. Group by Theme
Study related kanji together:
- Days of week: 日月火水木金土
- Family: 父母子
- Directions: 東西南北上下左右
7. Use Mnemonics
Create memorable stories for complex kanji.
Example - 休 (rest): "A person (人) resting against a tree (木) = 休"
Study Schedule: 80 Kanji in 2 Months
Week 1-2: Numbers & Time (23 kanji)
- Days 1-3: Numbers 一-十
- Days 4-7: Time & calendar kanji
- Daily: 3-4 new kanji, review all previous
Week 3-4: People & Directions (20 kanji)
- Days 8-10: People kanji
- Days 11-14: Direction kanji
- Daily practice: Write sentences using learned kanji
Week 5-6: Actions & School (18 kanji)
- Days 15-17: Action verbs
- Days 18-21: School-related kanji
- Practice: Read simple texts with furigana
Week 7-8: Daily Life & Review (19 kanji + review)
- Days 22-28: Remaining kanji
- Days 29-35: Comprehensive review
- Practice: Take mock N5 reading tests
Week 9-10: Intensive Practice
- Mix all 80 kanji randomly
- Focus on weak areas
- Speed drills with KanaDojo Blitz Mode
Common N5 Kanji Mistakes
1. Similar-Looking Kanji
Confusing pairs:
- 目 (eye) vs 日 (day)
- 土 (soil) vs 士 (samurai)
- 大 (big) vs 犬 (dog)
Solution: Write them side-by-side, note differences
2. Reading Confusion
Example - 生:
- せい in 先生 (sensei)
- なま in 生ビール (nama biiru)
Solution: Learn words, not isolated readings
3. Stroke Order Errors
Wrong stroke order makes kanji look wrong and slows you down.
Solution: Use proper resources, practice mindfully
Practice with KanaDojo
Ready to master N5 kanji? KanaDojo offers:
- All 80 N5 kanji organized and ready
- Multiple practice modes
- Detailed progress tracking
- Spaced repetition built-in
Training Modes:
- Pick Mode - Recognize meanings
- Input Mode - Type readings
- Blitz Mode - Speed challenges
- Gauntlet Mode - Master all 80!
JLPT N5 Exam Tips
Kanji Reading Section
- 01Context is key - Use surrounding words to guess readings
- 02Eliminate wrong answers - Often 2-3 choices are clearly wrong
- 03Trust your first instinct - Usually correct
- 04Mark and return - Don't waste time on hard ones
Kanji Writing Section
- 01Stroke order matters - Proper order creates proper shapes
- 02Practice speed writing - Exam is timed!
- 03Double-check readings - Easy to confuse similar kanji
- 04Use context - Grammar and sentence structure give hints
After N5: What's Next?
Once you master these 80 kanji:
- ✅ You can read basic Japanese texts
- ✅ You're ready for N4 (adds ~250 more kanji)
- ✅ You have a foundation for all future learning
- ✅ You can start reading children's books and manga
Continue your journey:
- JLPT N4 Kanji List - Next level
- Japanese Vocabulary - Build word power
- JLPT Study Guides - Comprehensive prep
Conclusion
The 80 JLPT N5 kanji are your foundation for reading Japanese. With consistent practice using spaced repetition, context-based learning, and writing practice, you can master all of them in 2-3 months.
Remember:
- Start with numbers and time (most useful)
- Write each kanji repeatedly
- Learn in context, not isolation
- Use spaced repetition
- Practice daily, even if just 15 minutes
Ready to start? Begin practicing N5 Kanji on KanaDojo now - organized, trackable, and completely free!
Need more help? Check our complete Kanji guide or FAQ page!