JLPT N5 · Beginner
JLPT N5 Kanji List
All 82 kanji for the JLPT N5, grouped in the order to learn them. Each one comes with its meaning, its readings in kana and romaji, how many strokes it takes, and a page showing how to write it stroke by stroke.
The two kanji that write 日本, Japan.
One to ten, the base of every larger number.
Japanese numbers in kanji: all fourteen on one page
- 一oneOnいち ichiKunひと（つ） hito(tsu)Strokes1
- 二two, 2Onに ni, じ jiKunふた（つ） futa(tsu), ふたたび futatabiStrokes2
- 三three, 3Onさん sanKunみ（つ） mi(tsu)Strokes3
- 四four, 4Onし shiKunよ（つ） yo(tsu), よん yonStrokes5
- 五five, 5Onご goKunいつ（つ） itsu(tsu)Strokes4
- 六six, 6Onろく rokuKunむ（つ） mu(tsu), むい muiStrokes4
- 七seven, 7Onしち shichiKunなな（つ） nana(tsu), なの nanoStrokes2
- 八eight, 8Onはち hachiKunや（つ） ya(tsu), よう yōStrokes2
- 九nine, 9Onきゅう kyū, く kuKunここの（つ） kokono(tsu)Strokes2
- 十ten, 10Onじゅう jūKunとお tō, と toStrokes2
3.Big numbers and money
Hundred, thousand and ten thousand, and 円, the yen.
Hour, year, month, noon and half.
Person, woman, man, child, mother, father and friend.
6.Describing things
Big, small, tall, long, white and hot.
- 大large, bigOnだい dai, たい taiKunおお（きい） ō(kii)Strokes3
- 小little, smallOnしょう shōKunちい（さい） chii(sai), こ koStrokes3
- 高tall, high, expensiveOnこう kōKunたか（い） taka(i)Strokes10
- 長long, leader, superiorOnちょう chōKunなが（い） naga(i), おさ osaStrokes8
- 白whiteOnはく haku, びゃく byakuKunしろ（い） shiro(i)Strokes5
- 暑hot (weather)Onしょ shoKunあつ（い） atsu(i)Strokes12
Sky, fire, water, tree, earth, mountain, river and rain.
- 天heavens, sky, imperialOnてん tenKunあまつ amatsuStrokes4
- 火fireOnか kaKunひ hi, び bi, ほ hoStrokes4
- 水waterOnすい suiKunみず mizuStrokes4
- 木tree, woodOnぼく boku, もく mokuKunき ki, こ koStrokes4
- 土soil, earth, groundOnど do, と toKunつち tsuchiStrokes3
- 山mountainOnさん san, せん senKunやま yamaStrokes3
- 川river, streamOnせん senKunかわ kawaStrokes3
- 雨rainOnう uKunあめ ame, あま amaStrokes8
East, west, south and north.
Go, come, see, go out, enter, read, write, talk, hear, eat, live and rest, plus 気, spirit.
- 行going, journey, carry outOnこう kō, ぎょう gyōKunい（く） i(ku), ゆ（く） yu(ku), おこな（う） okona(u)Strokes6
- 来come, due, nextOnらい rai, たい taiKunくる kuru, き ki, こ koStrokes7
- 見see, hopes, chancesOnけん kenKunみ（る） mi(ru), み（せる） mi(seru)Strokes7
- 出exit, leave, go outOnしゅつ shutsu, すい suiKunで（る） de(ru), だ（す） da(su)Strokes5
- 入enter, insertOnにゅう nyūKunい（る） i(ru), はい（る） hai(ru)Strokes2
- 読to readOnどく doku, とく toku, とう tōKunよ（む） yo(mu)Strokes14
- 書writeOnしょ shoKunかく kakuStrokes10
- 話tale, talkOnわ waKunはな（す） hana(su), はなし hanashiStrokes13
- 聞to hear, to listen, to askOnぶん bun, もん monKunき（く） ki(ku)Strokes14
- 食eat, foodOnしょく shoku, じき jikiKunく（う） ku(u), た（べる） ta(beru)Strokes9
- 生life, genuine, birthOnせい sei, しょう shōKunい（きる） i(kiru), う（む） u(mu), お（う） o(u) +2 moreStrokes5
- 気spirit, mind, airOnき ki, け keKunいき ikiStrokes6
- 休rest, day off, retireOnきゅう kyūKunやす（む） yasu(mu)Strokes6
10.Places and positions
Country and school, and where things are: in, above, below, in front, behind, between and outside.
- 国countryOnこく kokuKunくに kuniStrokes8
- 学study, learning, scienceOnがく gakuKunまな（ぶ） mana(bu)Strokes8
- 校school, examOnこう kōStrokes10
- 中in, inside, middleOnちゅう chūKunなか naka, うち uchiStrokes4
- 上above, upOnじょう jō, しょう shō, しゃん shanKunうえ ue, うわ uwa, かみ kami +2 moreStrokes3
- 下below, down, descendOnか ka, げ geKunした shita, しも shimo, もと moto +3 moreStrokes3
- 前in front, beforeOnぜん zenKunまえ maeStrokes9
- 後behind, back, laterOnご go, こう kōKunのち nochi, うし（ろ） ushi(ro), あと atoStrokes9
- 間interval, spaceOnかん kan, けん kenKunあいだ aida, ま ma, あい aiStrokes12
- 外outsideOnがい gai, げ geKunそと soto, ほか hoka, はず（す） hazu(su)Strokes5
11.Everyday words
Name, minute, now, money, electricity, language, car, what, every, right, left, ahead and sword.
- 名name, noted, distinguishedOnめい mei, みょう myōKunな naStrokes6
- 分part, minute of time, understandOnぶん bun, ふん fun, ぶ buKunわ（ける） wa(keru)Strokes4
- 今now, the presentOnこん kon, きん kinKunいま imaStrokes4
- 金gold, moneyOnきん kin, こん kon, ごん gonKunかね kane, かな kana, がね ganeStrokes8
- 電electricity, electric poweredOnでん denStrokes13
- 語word, speech, languageOnご goKunかた（る） kata(ru)Strokes14
- 車car, wheelOnしゃ shaKunくるま kurumaStrokes7
- 何whatOnか kaKunなに nani, なん nanStrokes7
- 毎everyOnまい maiKunごと（に） goto(ni)Strokes6
- 右right (direction)Onう u, ゆう yūKunみぎ migiStrokes5
- 左leftOnさ sa, しゃ shaKunひだり hidariStrokes5
- 先before, ahead, previousOnせん senKunさき saki, ま（ず） ma(zu)Strokes6
- 刀sword, saber, knifeOnとう tōKunかたな katanaStrokes2
Practise the N5 kanji on paper
Every kanji on this list has a free practice sheet: its stroke order, its readings and eighty squares to write in, with guides in the first column. Take all 82 in one PDF, or print them one at a time as you reach them.
Paperback · 198 pages
Rather not print 82 pages?
Get them in one bound workbook, with stroke order, 132 practice squares each and a 14-week plan.
See the book on Amazon (opens in a new tab)Test yourself on the N5 kanji
A free quiz on all 82, or on one group at a time: pick the meaning, pick the reading, or pick the kanji. Mark the ones you got right as learned, and they join your spaced-repetition reviews.
Practise the N5 kanji in JLPT format: our own questions, shaped like the exam’s kanji questions, in 5 sets of 12.
Tan Dash is a free one-thumb game: the browser version plays the first 5 worlds (25 N5 kanji) and the iPhone app plays all 82, world by world. The app is free to start. The iPhone app is on the App Store (opens in a new tab).
Read the N5 kanji in a story
The Travels of Tan is a six-panel comic written entirely in N5 Japanese: every kanji in it is on this list, and a script checks that before an episode goes up. Each episode teaches a few words and links them back to their kanji.
- Episode 13おまつりThe festival人・子ども・食べる・出る・入る
- Episode 12としょかんでAt the library読む・書く・話す・聞く・名まえ
- Episode 11どっちですかWhich way?右・左・北・外・中
- Episode 10あつい なつの 日A hot summer day今年・来月・火よう日・土よう日・暑い
- Episode 9いま なんじですかWhat time is it?何時・半・午前・今・毎日
- Episode 8いくらですかHow much is it?百円・千円・一万円・高い・お金
- Episode 7いちばで かぞえますCounting at the market一つ・五つ・十
- Episode 6タンの かぞくと ともだちTan's family and friends父・母・友だち・男の子・女の子
- Episode 5東へ 行く 電車The train east電車・車・東・行く・来る
- Episode 4あめの 休みの 日A rainy day off雨・天気・休み・日・気
- Episode 3タンは 学校に 行きますTan goes to school学校・先生・学生・日本語・校
- Episode 2タンは 川を 見つけますTan finds the river川・水・下・小さい・白い
- Episode 1タンは 山に のぼりますTan climbs the mountain山・木・上・見る・大きい
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How many kanji are on the JLPT N5?
The JLPT has not published an official kanji list since the test was revised in 2010, so every N5 list, this one included, is a study list rather than an official syllabus. That is why they disagree: the lists you will find online run from about 80 kanji to more than 100.
Ours has 82, grouped by theme in the order we would teach them, starting with 日本 and the numbers.