100+ JLPT Kanji N5 - Basic Kanji list for beginners (2025)

Kanji N5 list for beginners

In the context of the JLPT, Kanji N5 refers to the Kanji characters required to be known at the N5 level, the lowest level of Japanese proficiency. The list above includes 100 JLPT Kanji N5 for the easiest JLPT level. They are fundamental Kanji characters that are commonly used in everyday situations.

These Kanji are essential for basic communication and understanding in Japanese. Kanji N5 level are those that you would frequently encounter in basic written materials, such as signs, menus, and simple texts. Learning this basic Kanji list will help you get familiar with basic Japanese and prepare well for the JLPT N5. The table below shows you the 100 basic Kanji for JLPT N5 learners, including Kanji, their readings and meanings.

KanjiOnyomi ReadingKunyomi ReadingMeaning
ニチ, ジツ ひ, -び, -か Sun, Day
ゲツ, ガツ つき Moon, Month
キン, コン かね, かな- Gold, Money
スイ みず Water
Fire
モク, ボク Tree, Wood
ド, ト つち Earth, Soil
シャ くるま Car, Vehicle
モン Gate
デン Rice field
サン やま Mountain
セン かわ River
あめ, あま- Rain
テン あめ Heaven
いき Spirit, Air
ちち Father
はは Mother
わたし, わたくし I, Private
ケイ, キョウ あに Older brother
あね Older sister
テイ おとうと Younger brother
マイ いもうと Younger sister
イチ, イツ ひと- One
ふた Two
サン み, みっ- Three
よ, よん Four
いつ Five
ロク む, むっ- Six
シチ なな, なの Seven
ハチ や, やっ- Eight
キュウ, ク ここの Nine
ジュウ とお, と Ten
ヒャク もも Hundred
セン Thousand
マン よろず Ten thousand
エン まる, えん Yen, Circle
ネン とし Year
ハン なか- Half
ブン, フン わ-ける Minute, To divide
とき Time, Hour
ジン, ニン ひと Person
ジョ, ニョ おんな Woman
セイ, ショウ い-きる, う-まれる Life, To be born
Child
ガク まな-ぶ Study, Learning
セン さき Previous, Ahead
ハク, ビャク しろ, しら- White
コウ, ク くち Mouth
セキ, シャク いし Stone
シュ Hand
ソク あし, た-, た-りる Foot, Leg, Enough
みみ Ear
モク, ボク め, ま- Eye
タイ からだ Body
ジョウ うえ, うわ- Up, Above
カ, ゲ した, さ- Down, Below
チュウ なか Middle, Inside
ダイ, タイ おお-, おおきい Big, Large
ショウ ちい-さい, こ- Small
ホン もと Book, Origin
リョク, リキ ちから Power, Strength
なに, なん- What
シュツ で-る To exit, To go out
ニュウ い-る, はい-る To enter
メイ あ-かり Bright, Light
キュウ やす-む Rest
コウ この-む, す-く Like, To be fond of
ダン, ナン おとこ Man, Male
カン, ケン あいだ, ま Interval, Space
ガン いわ Rock
ハタ, バタ はた, はたけ Field
シン もり Forest
リン はやし Woods
みぎ Right
ひだり Left
トウ ひがし East
西 セイ, サイ にし West
ホク きた North
ナン みなみ South
ガイ そと Outside
エキ Station
カイ, エ あ-う Meeting, Association
ナイ うち Inside
チョウ なが-い Long, Leader
コウ たか-い High, Expensive
メイ Name
コウ, ギョウ い-く, ゆ-く To go, To conduct
ライ く-る To come
ショク た-べる To eat
ケン み-る To see, To look
ブン き-く To hear, To listen
ドク よ-む To read
ショ か-く To write
はな-す To speak, To talk
うま Noon
ゼン まえ Before, In front
あと, うし-ろ After, Behind
マイ ごと Every
コウ School
かた-る Language, Word
コン, コ いま Now
デン Electricity
コク くに Country

The table of 100 Kanji N5 for beginners

Download these Kanji N5 cheat sheets below for studying later!

100+ JLPT Kanji N5 - Basic Kanji list for beginners (1)

100 basic Kanji N5 list for free download

100+ JLPT Kanji N5 - Basic Kanji list for beginners (2)

Basic Kanji N5 chart for free download

Tips to learn Kanji N5

Practice methods for learning Kanji N5 often include writing characters repeatedly to memorize stroke order, using mnemonic devices to aid memory, and associating Kanji with vocabulary words and example sentences.

Learn Kanji N5 through mnemonics

Kanji can be tricky, but they're also full of stories waiting to be told. Create mnemonics or visual images to associate with each character to make them more memorable. The more creative, the better!

Learn Kanji N5 with vocabulary

There’s a common misunderstanding that Kanji is a separate part of Japanese alongside vocabulary and grammar. No, it’s not. Kanji is basically the written form of words, and it only makes sense to learn them in the context of a word, not in a vacuum.

Kanji have multiple readings and meanings but you are not required to memorize all of them if you acquire them through vocabulary. For instance, the Kanji character “先”: In the word 先生 meaning teacher, the Kanji “先” is pronounced as “せん - sen,” while in the word “先ず” meaning first, it is pronounced as “ま - ma.”

Learn Kanji N5 with stroke orders

Learning Kanji N5 through stroke order is an effective method that not only helps in memorizing the characters but also ensures correct and efficient handwriting. With MochiKanji - Learn Japanese, you can:

  • - Write Kanji N5 with orders step-by-step with a detailed guide.
  • - See the Onyomi and Kunyomi reading, meaning, how to write each Kanji. - Remember Kanji fast with our Spaced-repetition system. MochiKanji will remind you to revise Kanji at the best time called - Golden Time.
  • - Remember Kanji fast with our Spaced-repetition system. MochiKanji will remind you to revise Kanji at the best time called - Golden Time.
  • - Save related words into your digital notebook to review later. As mentioned above, Learning Kanji with vocabulary is one of the most efficient ways to remember Kanji. You can understand how a Kanji can be read and its meaning in real contexts.

Now let's start writing your first Kanji N5 and conquer JLPT next time!

100+ JLPT Kanji N5 - Basic Kanji list for beginners (2025)
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