JLPT N5 Kanji List With Readings and Meanings

There is no official JLPT N5 kanji list, because the JLPT stopped publishing lists in 2010. Common study lists contain about 80 kanji, and larger ones reach 103. The list below covers 79 core kanji with meanings and readings, grouped by theme. Learn each one inside real words, not alone. If you are preparing for N5, this page gives you a starting list, an honest answer on how many kanji to expect, and a way to learn them without burning out. How many kanji are on the JLPT N5? It depends on which list you follow. The JLPT stopped releasing official lists in 2010, so every N5 list is reconstructed from past exams and prep materials. That is why you see different counts: About 80 kanji: several popular study sites list 79 or 80 kanji for N5. 103 kanji: other lists, such as the one at JLPTStudy and Nihongo Master, count 103. Roughly 100: many guides simply say "around 100" to stay safe. The same split shows up at N4. One community comparison found 245 kanji cumulative for N4 on one set of lists and 284 on another. The practical takeaway: treat any list as a guide, not a guarantee, and expect a few characters in the reading section that are not on your list. Test passages usually show readings for harder kanji. The JLPT is multiple choice, so you only need to recognize kanji and know their readings and meanings. You do not need to write them by hand. The N5 kanji list The 79 kanji below are grouped by theme, which makes them easier to remember than a long frequency-ordered table. Readings are the most common ones, not every possible reading. On'yomi (Chinese readings) are shown in katakana, kun'yomi (Japanese readings) in hiragana. Numbers and money Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi 一 one イチ ひと(つ) 二 two ニ ふた(つ) 三 three サン み(っつ) 四 four シ よん, よ(っつ) 五 five ゴ いつ(つ) 六 six ロク むっ(つ) 七 seven シチ なな(つ) 八 eight ハチ やっ(つ) 九 nine キュウ, ク ここの(つ) 十 ten ジュウ とお 百 hundred ヒャク 千 thousand セン ち 万 ten thousand マン 円 yen, circle エン まる(い) 金 gold, money キン かね Time Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi 日 day, sun ニチ, ジツ ひ, か 月 month, moon ゲツ, ガツ つき 年 year ネン とし 時 time, hour ジ とき 今 now コン いま 午 noon ゴ 前 before, front ゼン まえ 後 after, behind ゴ, コウ のち, あと, うし(ろ) 半 half ハン なか(ば) 毎 every マイ 間 between, interval カン あいだ, ま People and family Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi 人 person ジン, ニン ひと 男 man ダン おとこ 女 woman ジョ おんな 子 child シ こ 友 friend ユウ とも 父 father フ ちち 母 mother ボ はは 名 name メイ な Nature Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi 山 mountain サン やま 川 river セン かわ 水 water スイ みず 火 fire カ ひ 木 tree モク き 土 earth, soil ド つち 天 heaven, sky テン あま 雨 rain ウ あめ Directions and position Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi 東 east トウ ひがし 西 west セイ, サイ にし 南 south ナン みなみ 北 north ホク きた 上 up, above ジョウ うえ 下 down, below カ, ゲ した 中 middle, inside チュウ なか 外 outside ガイ そと 右 right ウ みぎ 左 left サ ひだり Places and things Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi 国 country コク くに 学 study ガク まな(ぶ) 校 school コウ 本 book, origin ホン もと 電 electricity デン 車 car, wheel シャ くるま 語 language ゴ かた(る) 気 spirit, air キ Verbs Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi 行 go コウ, ギョウ い(く) 見 see ケン み(る) 来 come ライ く(る) 出 exit, go out シュツ で(る), だ(す) 入 enter ニュウ い(る), はい(る) 生 life, birth セイ, ショウ い(きる), う(まれる), なま 話 talk ワ はな(す) 書 write ショ か(く) 聞 hear, ask ブン き(く) 食 eat ショク た(べる) 読 read ドク よ(む) 休 rest キュウ やす(む) Adjectives and others Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi 大 big ダイ, タイ おお(きい) 小 small ショウ ちい(さい), こ 長 long チョウ なが(い) 高 high, expensive コウ たか(い) 白 white ハク しろ(い) 先 previous, ahead セン さき 何 what カ なに, なん How should I learn the N5 kanji? Aim for three to five new kanji a day, plus review, which covers the list in about a month. A few habits make that stick: Learn kanji inside words. Study 学校 (がっこう, school) and 先生 (せんせい, teacher) rather than 学, 校, 先 and 生 separately. Both words use only kanji from this list. Group by theme. The tables above are organized so you can learn numbers one day and directions the next. Use spaced repetition. Review new kanji after one day, three days and a week. A deck or app saves you from scheduling it yourself. Learn one or two readings at first. For exampl…