Complete List of JLPT N5 Kanji
We compiled the complete list of JLPT N5 Kanji as it is the first step for systematic preparation to study for JLPT N5 certification.
You need to remember 80 Kanji to pass the Kanji test with flying colors for JLPT N5. It is not difficult if you make a daily target to remember at least 3 to 5 kanji daily. Considering this, we have prepared the complete list for JLPT Kanji here.
It may be tempting to memorize the easiest Kanji characters with fewer strokes first. However, we recommend a mixed approach to learning and remembering them. The reason for this is to put a balanced weight on the brain and also keep up the motivation. Learning these Kanji with a mixed number of strokes maintains the feeling that we are learning the complicated ones and meeting the target of your day.
Considering the above, we have listed the JLPT N5 Kanji and their meanings in a scientific manner with their number of strokes. The list includes the On’yomi, or Chinese pronunciations, frequently used when a specific Kanji is combined with another for a word, and the Kun’yomi, or Japanese pronunciations, for the independent Kanji reading.
List of 80 Kanji Characters for JLPT N5 Level
| # | Kanji | On’yomi | Kun’yomi | Meaning of the Kanji | Number of Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 日 | nichi (ニチ), jitsu (ジツ) | hi (ひ), -bi (-び), -ka (-か) | day, sun, Sunday, counter for days | 4 |
| 2 | 一 | ichi (イチ) | hito-tsu (ひと-つ) | one | 1 |
| 3 | 国 | koku (コク) | kuni (くに) | country | 8 |
| 4 | 人 | jin (ジン), nin (ニン) | hito (ひと) | person, human | 2 |
| 5 | 年 | nen (ネン) | toshi (とし) | year | 6 |
| 6 | 大 | dai (ダイ), tai (タイ) | oo-kii (おお-きい) | large, big | 3 |
| 7 | 十 | juu (ジュウ) | tou (とお), to (と) | 10, ten, 10 | 2 |
| 8 | 二 | ni (ニ), ji (ジ) | futa-tsu ふた(つ) | 2, two | 6 |
| 9 | 本 | hon (ホン) | moto (もと) | book, truth; reality; actuality; fact as in 本当 (ほんとう), counter for long or cylindrical things | 5 |
| 10 | 中 | chuu (チュウ) | naka (なか), uchi (うち), ata-ru (あた-る) | in, inside, middle, mean, center | 4 |
| 11 | 長 | chou (チョウ) | naga-i (なが-い, osa (おさ) | long, leader (as in 社長 (しゃちょう), superior/senior [as in 長官 (ちょうかん / chōkan and in 長老 (ちょうろう / chōrō)] | 8 |
| 12 | 出 | shutsu (シュツ), sui (スイ) | de-ru (で-る), da-su (だ-す) | exit, leave, go out | 5 |
| 13 | 三 | san (サン) | mi-tsu (み-つ) | 3, three | 3 |
| 14 | 時 | ji (ジ) | toki (とき), -doki (-どき) | time, hour | 10 |
| 15 | 行 | kou (コウ), gyou (ギョウ), an (アン) | i-ku (い-く), yu-ku (ゆ-く), okona-u (おこな-う) | go, act | 6 |
| 16 | 見 | ken (ケン) | mi-ru (み-る), mi-seru (み-せる) | see, look at, visible | 7 |
| 17 | 月 | getsu (ゲツ), gatsu (ガツ) | tsuki (つき) | month, moon | 4 |
| 18 | 分 | bun (ブン), fun, (フン), (ブ) | wa-keru (わ-ける) | minute, divide, separate, share | 4 |
| 19 | 後 | go (ゴ), kou (コウ) | nochi (のち), ushi-ro-) (うし-ろ), ato (あと) | after, behind, rear, back | 9 |
| 20 | 前 | zen (ゼン) | mae (まえ) | in front, before | 9 |
| 21 | 生 | sei (セイ), shou (ショウ) | i-kiru (い-きる), u-mu (う-む), o-u (お-う), ha-eru (は-える), nama (なま) | live, life, be born, raw | 5 |
| 22 | 五 | go (ゴ) | itsu-tsu (いつ-つ) | 5, five | 4 |
| 23 | 間 | kan (カン), ken (ケン) | aida (あいだ), ma (ま), ai (あい) | interval, space, between | 12 |
| 24 | 上 | jou (ジョウ), shou (ショウ), shan (シャン) | ue (うえ), uwa (うわ-), kami ( かみ), a-geru (あ-げる), nobo-ru (のぼ-る), tatematsu-ru (たてまつ-る) | up, above | 3 |
| 25 | 東 | tou (トウ) | higashi (ひがし) | east | 8 |
| 26 | 四 | shi (シ) | yo-tsu (よ-つ), yon (よん) | 4, four | |
| 27 | 今 | kon (コン), kin (キン) | ima (いま) | now | 4 |
| 28 | 金 | kin (キン), kon (コン), gon (ゴン) | kane (かね), kana (かな-), gane (-がね) | gold, currency (お金 / okane), Friday (金曜日 / Kinyobi) | 8 |
| 29 | 九 | kyuu (キュウ), ku (ク) | kokono-tsu (ここの-つ) | 9, nine | 2 |
| 30 | 入 | nyuu (ニュウ) | i-ru (い-る), hai-ru (はい-る) | enter, insert | 2 |
| 31 | 学 | gaku (ガク) | mana-bu (まな-ぶ) | study, learning | 8 |
| 32 | 高 | kou (コウ) | taka-i (たか-い) | tall, high, expensive | 10 |
| 33 | 円 | en (エン) | maru-i (まる-い) | Japanese yen (symbol: ¥) | 4 |
| 34 | 子 | shi (シ), su (ス), tsu (ツ) | ko (こ), ne (ね) | child, first sign in the Chinese zodiac: the Rat | 3 |
| 35 | 外 | gai (ガイ), ge (ゲ) | soto (そと), hoka (ほか), hazu-su (はず-す), to- (と-) | outside, outer | 5 |
| 36 | 八 | hachi (ハチ) | ya-tsu (や-つ), you (よう) | 8, eight | 2 |
| 37 | 六 | roku (ロク) | mu-tsu (む-つ), mui (むい) | 6, six | 4 |
| 38 | 下 | ka (カ), ge (ゲ) | shita (した), shimo (しも), moto (もと), sa-geru (さ-げる), kuda-ru (くだ-る), o-rosu (お-ろす) | under, down, below, down, descend [下り (kudari)] | 3 |
| 39 | 来 | rai (ライ), tai (タイ) | ku-ru (く-る), kita-ru (きた-る), ki (き), ko (こ) | come | 7 |
| 40 | 気 | ki (キ), ke (ケ) | iki (いき) | air, atmosphere, spirit, mind | 7 |
| 41 | 小 | shou (ショウ) | chii-sai (ちい-さい), ko- (こ-), o- (お-), sa- (さ-) | little, small | 6 |
| 42 | 七 | shichi (シチ) | nana-tsu (なな-つ), nano (なの) | 7, seven | 2 |
| 43 | 山 | san (サン), sen (セン) | yama (やま) | mountain | 4 |
| 44 | 話 | wa (ワ) | hana-su (はな-す), hana-shi (はな-し) | talk, speak | 3 |
| 45 | 女 | jo (ジョ) | onnna (おんな), me (め) | woman, female | 13 |
| 46 | 北 | hoku (ホク) | kita (きた) | north | 5 |
| 47 | 午 | go (ゴ) | uma (うま) | noon, seventh sign in the Chinese zodiac: the Horse | 4 |
| 48 | 百 | hyaku (ヒャク), byaku (ビャク) | momo (もも) | 100, hundred | 6 |
| 49 | 書 | sho (ショ) | ka-ku (か-く) | write | 10 |
| 50 | 先 | sen (セン) | saki (さき), ma-zu (ま-ず) | ahead, previous, before | 6 |
| 51 | 名 | mei (メイ), myou (ミョウ) | na-mae (な-まえ) | name | 6 |
| 52 | 川 | sen (セン) | kawa (かわ), -gawa (-がわ) | river, stream | 3 |
| 53 | 千 | sen (セン) | chi (ち) | 1,000, thousand | 3 |
| 54 | 水 | sui (スイ) | mizu (みず) | water | 4 |
| 55 | 半 | han (ハン) | naka-ba (なか-ば) | half | 5 |
| 56 | 男 | dan (ダン), nan (ナン) | otoko (oおとこ) | man, male | 7 |
| 57 | 西 | sei (セイ), sai (サイ) | nishi (にし) | west | 6 |
| 58 | 電 | den (デン) | electricity | 13 | |
| 59 | 校 | kou (コウ) | school | 10 | |
| 60 | 語 | go (ゴ) | kata-ru (かた-る), Hana-su (話-す) | word, language, speak (話す) | 14 |
| 61 | 土 | do (ド), to (ト) | tsuchi (つち) | earth, ground, soil | 3 |
| 62 | 木 | boku (ボク), moku (モク) | ki (き), ko- (こ-) | tree, wood | 4 |
| 63 | 聞 | bun (ブン), mon (モン) | ki-ku (き-く) | to hear; to listen | 14 |
| 64 | 食 | shoku (ショク), jiki (ジキ) | k-u (く-う), ta-beru (た-べる), ha-mu (は-む) | eat, food | 9 |
| 65 | 車 | sha (シャ) | kuruma (くるま) | car, vehicle | 7 |
| 66 | 何 | ka (カ) | nani (なに), nan (なん) | what | 7 |
| 67 | 南 | nan (ナン), na (ナ) | minami (みなみ) | south | 9 |
| 68 | 万 | man (マン), ban (バン) | 10,000, ten thousand | 3 | |
| 69 | 毎 | mai (マイ) | goto-ni (ごと-に) | every | 6 |
| 70 | 白 | haku (ハク), byaku (ビャク) | shiro-i (しろ-い) | white | 5 |
| 71 | 天 | ten (テン) | amatsu (あまつ) | heaven | 4 |
| 72 | 母 | bo (ボ) | haha (はは), kaa (かあ) | mother | 5 |
| 73 | 火 | ka (カ) | hi (ひ), -bi (-び), ho- (ほ-) | fire | 4 |
| 74 | 右 | u (ウ), yuu (ユウ) | migi (みぎ) | right (direction) | 5 |
| 75 | 読 | doku (ドク), toku (トク), tou (トウ) | yo-mu (よ-む) | to read | 14 |
| 76 | 友 | yuu (ユウ) | tomo-dachi (とも-だち) | friend | 4 |
| 77 | 左 | sa (サ), sha (シャ) | hidari (ひだり) | left | 5 |
| 78 | 休 | kyuu (キュウ) | yasu-mu (やす-む) | rest, day off, retire | 6 |
| 79 | 父 | fu (フ) | chichi (ちち), tou (とう) | father | 4 |
| 80 | 雨 | u (ウ) | ame (あめ), ama (あま) | rain | 8 |
Please remember to review this list of JLPT N5 Kanji during your preparation for subsequent Japanese Language Proficiency Tests, as the subsequent JLPT levels, including JLPT N4 Kanji to JLPT N1, will include all these Kanji characters as well.
You may also check the list of JLPT N3 Kanji.
Check other Kanji characters on the page “How to Learn Kanji.“ You may also like to read about the most common Kanji radicals.
A long-term ex-pat in Japan, Himanshu comes with an IT background in SAP consulting, IT Business Development, and then running the country operations of an IT consulting multinational. Himanshu is the co-founder and Managing Director of ReachExt K.K. and EJable.com. He is also an Advisory Board Member of a Silicon Valley AI/IoT startup.
For any queries, comments, or suggestions, Himanshu can be contacted by email @ [email protected].