The JLPT N5 requires recognizing approximately 100 fundamental Kanji characters. Rather than cramming an alphabetical list or tackling stroke orders blindly, this guide presents all 100 characters arranged into 20 five-kanji thematic lessons. Each entry includes core English meanings, on'yomi (Chinese-derived) and kun'yomi (native Japanese) readings, and a beginner-safe worked compound word.

Open the 100 N5 Kanji practice workspace

How to Study These Lessons

  1. Focus on the character shape and core meaning. Connect the visual radical (like 日 for sun/day or 木 for tree) to its meaning.
  2. Learn the example word. Kanji readings make the most sense when learned as part of real words rather than abstract lists of sounds.
  3. Notice on'yomi versus kun'yomi. Kun'yomi readings typically appear when a kanji stands alone as a native word (e.g. 水 = mizu), while on'yomi readings typically appear in multi-kanji compounds.
  4. Practice 5 kanji per session. Completing one 5-kanji lesson per sitting keeps recall strong without fatigue.

Lesson 1: Numbers one through five

Recognize the first five number kanji and one practical reading for each.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
一 one いち ひと 一つ (ひとつ) — one thing
二 two に ふた 二つ (ふたつ) — two things
三 three さん み 三つ (みっつ) — three things
四 four し よ, よん 四つ (よっつ) — four things
五 five ご いつ 五つ (いつつ) — five things

Lesson 2: Numbers six through ten

Complete the basic number sequence with six through ten.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
六 six ろく む 六つ (むっつ) — six things
七 seven しち なな 七つ (ななつ) — seven things
八 eight はち や 八つ (やっつ) — eight things
九 nine きゅう ここの 九つ (ここのつ) — nine things
十 ten じゅう とお 十 (とお) — ten things

Lesson 3: Amounts, yen, and people

Read common amount building blocks, the yen symbol, and the character for a person.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
百 hundred ひゃく — 百円 (ひゃくえん) — one hundred yen
千 thousand せん — 千円 (せんえん) — one thousand yen
万 ten thousand まん — 一万円 (いちまんえん) — ten thousand yen
円 yen えん — 百円 (ひゃくえん) — one hundred yen
人 person じん, にん ひと 人 (ひと) — person

Lesson 4: Days and familiar words

Meet five useful characters connected to days and already familiar beginner words.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
日 day にち, じつ ひ, か 日 (ひ) — day
月 month げつ, がつ つき 一月 (いちがつ) — January
火 fire か ひ 火 (ひ) — fire
水 water すい みず 水 (みず) — water
本 book ほん — 本 (ほん) — book

Lesson 5: Calendar and time extensions

Complete the weekday elements and add the core characters for year and clock time.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
木 tree もく, ぼく き 木 (き) — tree
金 gold きん, こん かね お金 (おかね) — money
土 soil ど, と つち 土 (つち) — soil
年 year ねん とし 一年 (いちねん) — one year
時 time じ とき 一時 (いちじ) — one o'clock

Lesson 6: People and family

Read the core characters for child, woman, man, father, and mother.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
子 child し, す こ 子ども (こども) — child
女 woman じょ おんな 女の人 (おんなのひと) — woman
男 man だん, なん おとこ 男の人 (おとこのひと) — man
父 father ふ ちち 父 (ちち) — father
母 mother ぼ はは 母 (はは) — mother

Lesson 7: Places and directions

Recognize the five directional and position characters used on signs and maps.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
上 up じょう うえ 上 (うえ) — up
下 down か, げ した 下 (した) — down
中 inside ちゅう なか 中 (なか) — inside
左 left さ ひだり 左 (ひだり) — left
右 right う, ゆう みぎ 右 (みぎ) — right

Lesson 8: Everyday verbs

Connect five essential action characters with their familiar okurigana endings.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
行 go こう, ぎょう い 行く (いく) — to go
来 come らい く 来る (くる) — to come
食 eat しょく た 食べる (たべる) — to eat
見 see けん み 見る (みる) — to see
聞 hear ぶん, もん き 聞く (きく) — to hear

Lesson 9: Everyday adjectives

Read common descriptive characters for size, price, and newness.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
大 big だい, たい おお 大きい (おおきい) — big
小 small しょう ちい, こ 小さい (ちいさい) — small
高 high こう たか 高い (たかい) — high
安 cheap あん やす 安い (やすい) — cheap
新 new しん あたら 新しい (あたらしい) — new

Lesson 10: Nature, weather, and places

Finish the first 50 N5 kanji with mountain, river, sky, rain, and country.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
山 mountain さん やま 山 (やま) — mountain
川 river せん かわ 川 (かわ) — river
空 sky くう そら 空 (そら) — sky
雨 rain う あめ 雨 (あめ) — rain
国 country こく くに 国 (くに) — country

Lesson 11: Movement, reading, and writing

Read five core action characters for exiting, entering, reading, writing, and buying.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
出 exit しゅつ で, だ 出る (でる) — to exit
入 enter にゅう はい, い 入る (はいる) — to enter
読 read どく よ 読む (よむ) — to read
書 write しょ か 書く (かく) — to write
買 buy ばい か 買う (かう) — to buy

Lesson 12: Speech, posture, and rest

Recognize the characters for saying, speaking, standing, resting, and waiting.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
言 say げん, ごん い 言う (いう) — to say
話 speak わ はな, はなし 話す (はなす) — to speak
立 stand りつ た 立つ (たつ) — to stand
休 rest きゅう やす 休む (やすむ) — to rest
待 wait たい ま 待つ (まつ) — to wait

Lesson 13: Minutes, intervals, and weeks

Read time expressions for minutes, half hours, durations, weeks, and daily routines.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
分 minute ふん, ぶん わ 五分 (ごふん) — five minutes
半 half はん なか 一時半 (いちじはん) — one thirty
間 interval かん あいだ 一時間 (いちじかん) — one hour
週 week しゅう — 一週間 (いっしゅうかん) — one week
毎 every まい — 毎日 (まいにち) — every day

Lesson 14: Before, now, after, and noon

Connect relative time and position characters used in schedules and directions.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
先 ahead せん さき 先生 (せんせい) — teacher
今 now こん, きん いま 今 (いま) — now
前 before ぜん まえ 前 (まえ) — front
後 after ご, こう あと, うし 後ろ (うしろ) — behind
午 noon ご — 午前 (ごぜん) — morning

Lesson 15: School, friends, and names

Read the core characters behind student, teacher, school, friend, and name.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
学 study がく まな 学生 (がくせい) — student
生 life せい, しょう い, う 先生 (せんせい) — teacher
校 school こう — 学校 (がっこう) — school
友 friend ゆう とも 友だち (ともだち) — friend
名 name めい, みょう な 名前 (なまえ) — name

Lesson 16: Writing, language, and questions

Recognize characters for sentence, character, language, what, and old.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
文 sentence ぶん, もん ふみ 文 (ぶん) — sentence
字 character じ あざ 文字 (もじ) — letter
語 language ご かた 日本語 (にほんご) — Japanese language
何 what か なに, なん 何 (なに) — what
古 old こ ふる 古い (ふるい) — old

Lesson 17: Stations, transport, and shops

Read the characters seen on train signs, roads, and storefronts.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
駅 station えき — 駅 (えき) — station
車 car しゃ くるま 車 (くるま) — car
電 electricity でん — 電車 (でんしゃ) — train
道 road どう みち 道 (みち) — road
店 shop てん みせ 店 (みせ) — shop

Lesson 18: Compass directions and outside

Recognize company, outside, and the cardinal directions north, south, and east.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
社 company しゃ やしろ 会社 (かいしゃ) — company
外 outside がい そと 外 (そと) — outside
北 north ほく きた 北 (きた) — north
南 south なん みなみ 南 (みなみ) — south
東 east とう ひがし 東 (ひがし) — east

Lesson 19: West, weather, and body

Read west, weather words (天気, 元気), and the characters for hand and foot.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
西 west せい, さい にし 西 (にし) — west
天 heavens てん あめ 天気 (てんき) — weather
気 spirit き, け — 元気 (げんき) — healthy
手 hand しゅ て 手 (て) — hand
足 foot そく あし, た 足 (あし) — foot

Lesson 20: Eyes, ears, mouth, and colors

Complete the 100 N5 kanji with eye, ear, mouth, white, and blue.

Kanji Meaning On'yomi Kun'yomi Example Word
目 eye もく め 目 (め) — eye
耳 ear じ みみ 耳 (みみ) — ear
口 mouth こう, く くち 口 (くち) — mouth
白 white はく, びゃく しろ 白い (しろい) — white
青 blue せい, しょう あお 青い (あおい) — blue

Next Steps in Your Japanese Path

With all 100 N5 Kanji recognized, combine your characters with the 300 N5 vocabulary words and the 25 N5 sentence builder lessons. Ready for more? Explore the JLPT N4 Foundation Guide to preview the next 25 kanji.

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