JLPT N5 Kanji List with Readings — 93 Cards
N5 is the most basic level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. It covers hiragana, katakana, a small set of simple kanji and the everyday words and sentence patterns needed to handle short, simple situations. This kanji list is made for complete beginners and anyone who has just started learning Japanese.
Below are 93 JLPT N5 kanji study entries, including 一, 二三四五, 六七八九十, 百千万. Kanji with their readings, meanings and the common words that use them.
How to use this list
- Learn each kanji together with the words it appears in, not as an isolated character.
- Note both the on-yomi (Chinese-derived) and kun-yomi (native Japanese) readings, and which one a compound uses.
- Practise writing the strokes in the correct order — it helps you recognise and remember the shape.
JLPT N5 kanji — full list
| Kanji / word | Meaning, reading and notes |
|---|---|
| 一 | いち / ひと — one 一日 (ついたち) = 1st 一人 (ひとり) = alone |
| 二三四五 | に、さん、し/よ、ご two, three, four, five |
| 六七八九十 | ろく、なな、はち、きゅう、じゅう six–ten |
| 百千万 | ひゃく = 100 せん = 1,000 まん = 10,000 (Japan's key unit) |
| 日 | にち/か/ひ — day/sun 今日 (きょう) = today 日本 = Japan 日曜日 = Sunday |
| 月 | がつ/つき — month/moon 一月 = January 月曜日 = Monday |
| 年 | ねん/とし — year 今年 = this year 来年 = next year |
| 時 | じ/とき — o'clock/time 三時 = 3 o'clock 時間 = duration |
| 分 | ふん/ぷん — minute 三十分 = 30 min 半分 = half |
| 人 | じん/にん/ひと — person 日本人 = Japanese 三人 = 3 people |
| 女 | じょ/おんな — woman 女の子 = girl 彼女 = she/girlfriend |
| 男 | だん/おとこ — man 男の子 = boy 彼 = he/boyfriend |
| 子 | し/こ — child 子ども = children 女の子/男の子 |
| 大 | だい/おお — big/great 大きい = big 大学 = university 大好き = love |
| 小 | しょう/ちい — small 小さい = small 小学校 = primary school |
| 先生 | せんせい — teacher 先 (before) + 生 (born) = "born before" |
| 学生 | がくせい — student 学 (study) + 生 (life) 大学生 = university student |
| 山 | さん/やま — mountain 富士山 = Mt Fuji 火山 = volcano |
| 川 | せん/かわ — river (looks like flowing water) |
| 海 | かい/うみ — sea 海外 = overseas 日本海 = Sea of Japan |
| 空 | くう/そら — sky/air/empty 空港 = airport 空手 = karate |
| 火水木 | ひ/か、みず、き/もく fire, water, tree Tue, Wed, Thu in days of week |
| 花 | か/はな — flower 花見 = cherry blossom viewing 花火 = fireworks |
| 国 | こく/くに — country 外国 = foreign country 中国 = China |
| 東西南北 | ひがし/にし/みなみ/きた east/west/south/north 東京 = Tokyo (east capital) |
| 食 | しょく/た — eat/food 食べる = to eat 定食 = set meal 外食 = eating out |
| 飲 | いん/の — drink 飲む = to drink 飲み物 = beverage |
| 見 | けん/み — see/look 見る = to see 花見 = flower viewing |
| 聞 | ぶん/き — hear/listen 聞く = to listen 新聞 = newspaper |
| 話 | わ/はなし — speak 話す = to speak 電話 = telephone |
| 読 | どく/よ — read 読む = to read 読書 = reading books |
| 書 | しょ/か — write 書く = to write 書道 = calligraphy |
| 語 | ご/かた — language 日本語 = Japanese 英語 = English |
| 行 | こう/い — go 行く = to go 旅行 = travel 銀行 = bank |
| 来 | らい/く — come 来る = to come 来月/来年/来週 |
| 出 | しゅつ/で — exit 出る = to exit 出口 = exit sign |
| 入 | にゅう/はい — enter 入る = to enter 入口 = entrance sign |
| 上下 | うえ/した above / below 上手 = skilled 下手 = unskilled |
| 左右 | ひだり/みぎ left / right |
| 中外 | なか/そと inside / outside 中国/外国 |
| 前後 | まえ/うしろ (or あと) before/front / after/behind 午前/午後 = AM/PM |
| 出口 / 入口 | でぐち = EXIT いりぐち = ENTRANCE Most important kanji signs in Japan! |
| 駅 | えき — train station 駅前 = in front of station |
| 館 | かん — building/hall 図書館、映画館、美術館 水族館、大使館 |
| 電話 | でんわ — telephone 電 (electricity) + 話 (speak) |
| 地下鉄 | ちかてつ — subway 地 (ground) + 下 (below) + 鉄 (iron) |
| 新幹線 | しんかんせん — bullet train 新 (new) + 幹 (trunk) + 線 (line) |
| 一番 | いちばん — number one / most 一番好き = favourite 一番大きい = biggest |
| 大学 | だいがく — university 大 (big) + 学 (study) |
| 上手 / 下手 | じょうず / へた skilled / unskilled (above hand / below hand) |
| 先 | さき / せん — previous, ahead 先生 = せんせい (teacher) 先週 = せんしゅう (last week) |
| 生 | い / せい / しょう — life, birth, raw 学生 = がくせい (student) 誕生日 = たんじょうび (birthday) |
| 年 | とし / ねん — year 今年 = ことし (this year) 来年 = らいねん (next year) |
| 時 | じ / とき — time, hour 時間 = じかん (time/hours) 時々 = ときどき (sometimes) |
| 間 | あいだ / かん — between, interval 時間 = じかん (time) 人間 = にんげん (human being) |
| 見 | みる — to see, to look 見る = to see 花見 = はなみ (cherry blossom viewing) |
| 話 | はなし / わ — talk, story 電話 = でんわ (telephone) 話す = はなす (to speak) |
| 読 | よむ — to read 読む = to read 読書 = どくしょ (reading books) |
| 書 | かく / しょ — to write, book 書く = to write 図書館 = としょかん (library) |
| 食 | たべる / しょく — eat, food 食べる = to eat 食べ物 = たべもの (food) |
| 飲 | のむ / いん — to drink 飲む = to drink 飲み物 = のみもの (beverage) |
| 買 | かう — to buy 買う = to buy 買い物 = かいもの (shopping) |
| 高 | たかい / こう — tall, expensive, high 高い = expensive/tall 高校 = こうこう (high school) |
| 安 | やすい / あん — cheap, safe, peace 安い = cheap 安全 = あんぜん (safe/safety) |
| 長 | ながい / ちょう — long 長い = long 社長 = しゃちょう (company president) |
| 新 | あたらしい / しん — new 新しい = new 新聞 = しんぶん (newspaper) |
| 古 | ふるい / こ — old 古い = old 中古 = ちゅうこ (secondhand) |
| 白 | しろい / はく — white 白い = white 白黒 = しろくろ (black & white) |
| 黒 | くろい / こく — black 黒い = black 黒板 = こくばん (blackboard) |
| 赤 | あかい / せき — red 赤い = red 赤ちゃん = あかちゃん (baby) |
| 母 | はは / ぼ — mother (humble) 母 = my mother おかあさん = mother (respectful) |
| 父 | ちち / ふ — father (humble) 父 = my father おとうさん = father (respectful) |
| 友 | とも / ゆう — friend 友だち = ともだち (friend) 親友 = しんゆう (close friend) |
| 学 | まなぶ / がく — study, learning 学生 = がくせい (student) 学校 = がっこう (school) |
| 気 | き — spirit, energy, air 元気 = げんき (healthy/energetic) 天気 = てんき (weather) 気持ち = きもち (feeling) |
| 赤 (あか) | red 🔴 — 赤ちゃん = baby ("red one") |
| 青 (あお) | blue/green 🔵 — 青空 = blue sky, 青春 = youth |
| 白 (しろ) | white ⚪ — 白米 = white rice, 告白 = confession |
| 黒 (くろ) | black ⚫ — 黒板 = blackboard, 黒字 = profit |
| 黄色 (きいろ) | yellow 🟡 — 黄金 = gold |
| 茶色 (ちゃいろ) | brown — literally "tea colour" |
| 青春 (せいしゅん) | youth / springtime of life ❤️ |
| 告白 (こくはく) | confession of love — "white announcement" |
| 赤字 (あかじ) | financial loss / in the red ❌ |
| 黒字 (くろじ) | profit / in the black ✅ |
| 円 | えん — yen (currency) |
| 百 | ひゃく — hundred |
| 千 | せん — thousand |
| 万 | まん — ten thousand |
| 店 | みせ / テン — shop, store |
| 買う | かう — to buy |
| 売る | うる — to sell |
| 駅 | えき — (train) station |
Practice questions
Test yourself with 6 sample questions from the JLPT N5 kanji quiz in the app. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. A menu shows 定食 (ていしょく, teishoku). What is this?
- Today's special
- Takeaway
- Chef's recommendation
- Set meal
Show answer
Answer: Set meal
定食 = set meal. 定 (fixed) + 食 (food). Typically includes a main dish, rice, miso soup, and pickles at a fixed price — the most common lunch option at Japanese restaurants.
2. You see 地下鉄 (ちかてつ, chikatetsu) on a sign. What is it?
- Overground train
- Taxi stand
- Bus terminal
- Subway
Show answer
Answer: Subway
地下鉄 = subway. 地 (ground) + 下 (below) + 鉄 (iron/steel). "Steel thing below the ground" — a perfectly descriptive name.
3. Which compound means "university"?
- 大学 (だいがく, daigaku)
- 高校 (こうこう, kōkō)
- 小学校 (しょうがっこう, shōgakkō)
- 中学校 (ちゅうがっこう, chūgakkō)
Show answer
Answer: 大学 (だいがく, daigaku)
大学 = university. 大 (big) + 学 (study). School system: 小学校 (primary) → 中学校 (middle) → 高校 (high school) → 大学 (university).
4. 青春 (seishun) means?
- Youth / springtime of life
- Blue sky
- Early morning
- Spring rain
Show answer
Answer: Youth / springtime of life
青春 = youth. One of the most emotionally resonant words in Japanese — used in dramas, songs, and everyday speech about younger days.
5. 茶色 (ちゃいろ, chairo) means?
- Dark tea
- Beige
- Olive green
- Brown
Show answer
Answer: Brown
Brown = "tea colour" in Japanese! 茶 = tea, 色 = colour. Japan's poetic way of naming a colour after a daily drink.
6. 円 means:
- Shop
- Bank
- Station
- Yen
Show answer
Answer: Yen
円 (えん) is Japan's currency, yen.
Study JLPT N5 kanji in the free app
A Star Japanese turns this list into lessons, flashcards with spaced repetition, quizzes and listening practice with real Japanese voices — plus timed JLPT N5 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this the official JLPT N5 kanji list?
There is no single official kanji list for the JLPT, so this is a study list built from the A Star Japanese JLPT N5 lessons. It focuses on what learners at this level are most likely to meet.
How should I study the JLPT N5 kanji?
Learn each kanji together with the words it appears in, not as an isolated character. Note both the on-yomi (Chinese-derived) and kun-yomi (native Japanese) readings, and which one a compound uses. Practise writing the strokes in the correct order — it helps you recognise and remember the shape.
How can I practise JLPT N5 kanji for free?
Download A Star Japanese for free on iPhone or Android. It has lessons, flashcards with spaced repetition, quizzes, listening practice with real Japanese voices and timed JLPT mock exams — with no ads.