In this article, we will see a complete list of ideograms or Kanji from N5 used in the JLPT, the Japanese language proficiency test. A total of 167 Kanji organized by the number of strokes and with their kun and on readings.
We did not include the romanized readings, as it does not make much sense to do so. If you are already studying N5, your minimum obligation is to know the readings of hiragana and katakana. Luckily, we will also provide a simplified list with romaji.
Table of Contents
Do N5 Kanji have meanings?
First of all, we do not want you to get stuck on the idea that Japanese ideograms have their own meanings. Most of the time, they only convey a certain idea or concept according to the words they compose.
An ideogram alone will not convey the idea of absolutely anything; the meanings you will see in this article are only of some words and similar ones that they compose. Get it out of your head that ideograms have meanings!
For example, the ideogram [人] person is used to compose various words related to humanity, population, man, human, and anything related. Clearly, when we see this ideogram, we remember person, and it literally means that alone, but most ideograms do not have a meaning when they are alone.
For example, the ideogram [食] used to write verbs like to eat [食べる] is also present in various words related to food, but alone it means nothing. It only conveys the idea and concept of food.
I believe that N5 is one of the few levels in the list of ideograms where a large part of them forms a word by themselves. In this case, the main ones are numbers, colors, positions, and others. Still, it conveys more ideas than a single meaning.
List of ideograms and Kanji N5
The translation is done from English to Japanese and has several meanings in a single ideogram. This does not necessarily mean that this kanji means this, but that perhaps a word composed with this kanji has this meaning.
Japanese ideograms generally tend to convey the idea of something; it may not make sense to imagine this idea in isolation. The translations may not be 100% accurate; if you want to dig deeper, we recommend jisho.
Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>
| Strokes | N5 Kanji | Meaning | Kun Yomi | On Yomi |
| 1 | 一 | one, a radical (no.1) | ひと-、 ひと.つイチ、 イツ | |
| 2 | 人 | person | ひと、 -り、 -と | ジン、 ニン |
| 2 | 十 | ten | とお、 と | ジュウ、 ジッ、ジュッ |
| 2 | 二 | two, two radicals (no. 7) | ふた、 ふた.つ、 ふたたび | ニ、 ジ |
| 2 | 九 | nine | ここの、 ここの.つ | キュウ、 ク |
| 2 | 入 | enter, insert | い.る、 -い.る、 -い.り、 い.れる、 -い.れ、 はい.る | ニュウ、 ジュ |
| 2 | 八 | eight, eight radicals (no. 12) | や、 や.つ、 やっ.つ、 よう | ハチ |
| 2 | 七 | Seven | なな、 なな.つ、 なの | シチ |
| 3 | 大 | big, large | おお-、 おお.きい、 -おお.いに | ダイ、 タイ |
| 3 | 三 | three | み、 み.つ、 みっ.つ | サン、 ゾウ |
| 3 | 上 | above, up | うえ、 -うえ、 うわ-、 かみ、 あ.げる、 -あ.げる、 あ.がる、 -あ.がる、あ.がり、 -あ.がり、 のぼ.る、 のぼ.り、 のぼ.せる、のぼ.す、 たてまつ.る | ジョウ、 ショウ、シャン |
| 3 | 子 | child, sign of the rat, 23:00 – 01:00, first sign of the Chinese zodiac | こ、 -こ、 ね | シ、 ス、 ツ |
| 3 | 下 | below, low, descend, give, low, inferior | した、 しも、 もと、 さ.げる、 さ.がる、 くだ.る、 くだ.り、 くだ.す、 -くだ.す、 くだ.さる、 お.ろす、 お.りる | カ、 ゲ |
| 3 | 小 | small little | ちい.さい、 こ-、お-、 さ- | ショウ |
| 3 | 山 | mountain | やま | サン、 セン |
| 3 | 女 | woman female | おんな、 め | ジョ、 ニョ、 ニョウ |
| 3 | 川 | radical of stream, river, river or river of three times (no. 47) | かわ | セン |
| 3 | 千 | thousand | ち | セン |
| 3 | 土 | soil, earth, land, turkey | つち | ド、 ト |
| 3 | 万 | ten thousand, 10,000 | よろず | マン、 バン |
| 4 | 日 | day, sun, Japan, counter for days | ひ、 -び、 -か | ニチ、 ジツ |
| 4 | 中 | inside, middle, half, center | なか、 うち、 あた.る | チュウ |
| 4 | 月 | month moon | つき | ゲツ、 ガツ |
| 4 | 五 | five | いつ、 いつ.つ | ゴ |
| 4 | 円 | circle, yen, round | まる.い、 まる、 まど、 まど.か、 まろ.やか | エン |
| 4 | 六 | six | む、 む.つ、 むっ.つ、 むい | ロク、 リク |
| 4 | 今 | now | いま | コン、 キン |
| 4 | 水 | water | みず、 みず- | スイ |
| 4 | 午 | noon, sign of the horse, 11am-1pm, seventh sign of the Chinese zodiac | うま | ゴ |
| 4 | 木 | tree wood | き、 こ- | ボク、 モク |
| 4 | 天 | sky, imperial | あまつ、 あめ、 あま- | テン |
| 4 | 火 | fire | ひ、 -び、 ほ- | カ |
| 4 | 友 | friend | とも | ユウ |
| 4 | 父 | father | ちち | フ |
| 5 | 本 | book, present, main, origin, true, real, counter for long cylindrical things | もと | ホン |
| 5 | 出 | go out, exit, leave, extinguish, stand out | で.る、 -で、 だ.す、 -だ.す、 い.でる、 い.だす | シュツ、 スイ |
| 5 | 生 | life, genuine, birth | い.きる、 い.かす、い.ける、 う.まれる、 うま.れる、う.まれ、 うまれ、う.む、 お.う、 は.える、 は.やす、き、 なま、 なま-、 な.る、 な.す、 む.す、 -う | セイ、 ショウ |
| 5 | 四 | four | よ、 よ.つ、 よっ.つ、 よん | シ |
| 5 | 外 | outside | そと、 ほか、 はず.す、 はず.れる、と- | ガイ、 ゲ |
| 5 | 北 | north | きた | ホク |
| 5 | 半 | half, half, odd number, semi-, part- | なか.ば | ハン |
| 5 | 白 | white | しろ、 しら-、 しろ.い | ハク、 ビャク |
| 5 | 右 | right | みぎ | ウ、 ユウ |
| 5 | 左 | left | ひだり | サ、 シャ |
| 5 | 母 | mother | はは、 も | ボ |
| 6 | 年 | year, counter for years | とし | ネン |
| 6 | 行 | going, journey, carry out, conduct, act, line, bank | い.く、 ゆ.く、 -ゆ.き、 -ゆき、 -い.き、 -いき、 おこな.う、 おこ.なう | コウ、 ギョウ、 アン |
| 6 | 気 | spirit, mind, air, atmosphere, mood | いき | キ、 ケ |
| 6 | 百 | hundred | もも | ヒャク、 ビャク |
| 6 | 先 | before, ahead, previous, future, precedence | さき、 ま.ず | セン |
| 6 | 名 | name, noted, distinguished, reputation | な、 -な | メイ、 ミョウ |
| 6 | 西 | west, Spain | にし | セイ、 サイ、 ス |
| 6 | 休 | rest, day off, retire, sleep | やす.む、 やす.まる、 やす.める | キュウ |
| 6 | 毎 | each | ごと、 -ごと.に | マイ |
| 7 | 見 | see, hopes, chances, idea, opinion, look, visible | み.る、 み.える、み.せる | ケン |
| 7 | 来 | come, due, next, cause, become | く.る、 きた.る、きた.す、 き.たす、き.たる、 き、 こ | ライ、 タイ |
| 7 | 男 | male | おとこ、 お | ダン、 ナン |
| 7 | 車 | car | くるま | シャ |
| 7 | 何 | what | なに、 なん、 なに-、 なん- | カ |
| 8 | 国 | country | くに | コク |
| 8 | 長 | long, leader, superior, senior | なが.い、 おさ | チョウ |
| 8 | 金 | gold | かね、 かな-、 -がね | キン、 コン、 ゴン |
| 8 | 学 | study, learning, science | まな.ぶ | ガク |
| 8 | 東 | east | ひがし | トウ |
| 8 | 雨 | rain | あめ、 あま-、 -さめ | ウ |
| 9 | 後 | behind, return, after | のち、 うし.ろ、 うしろ、 あと、 おく.れる | ゴ、 コウ |
| 9 | 前 | in front, before | まえ、 -まえ | ゼン |
| 9 | 食 | eat food | く.う、 く.らう、た.べる、 は.む | ショク、 ジキ |
| 9 | 南 | south | みなみ | ナン、 ナ |
| 10 | 時 | hour, time | とき、 -どき | ジ |
| 10 | 高 | high, tall, expensive | たか.い、 たか、 -だか、 たか.まる、たか.める | コウ |
| 10 | 校 | exam, school, print, proof, correction | コウ、 キョウ | |
| 10 | 書 | write | か.く、 -が.き、 -がき | ショ |
| 12 | 間 | interval, space | あいだ、 ま、 あい | カン、 ケン |
| 13 | 話 | story, conversation | はな.す、 はなし | ワ |
| 13 | 電 | electricity | デン | |
| 14 | 語 | word, speech, language | かた.る、 かた.らう | ゴ |
| 14 | 聞 | hear, ask, listen | き.く、 き.こえる | ブン、 モン |
| 14 | 読 | read | よ.む、 -よ.み | ドク、 トク、 トウ |
Simplified and romanized N5 kanji list
Below we have a list of the same N5 ideograms simplified with only one common meaning and a standard romanization as reading. You might want to start with this list, although we recommend the previous one.
This list below was just generated; if you want a more accurate and corrected list of N5 Kanji, try the previous one that is in hiragana and katakana.
Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>
| N5 Kanji | Romaji | Meaning |
| 雨 | Ame | Rain |
| 安 | An | Cheap |
| 足 | Ashi | Foot |
| 後 | Ato | Behind |
| 分 | Bun | Part |
| 父 | Chichi | Father |
| 長 | Chō | Chief |
| 中 | Chū | Middle |
| 大 | Dai | |
| 出 | De | Going out |
| 電 | Den | Lightning |
| 土 | Do | Earth |
| 道 | Dō | Road |
| 駅 | Eki | Station |
| 円 | En | Yen |
| 学 | Gaku | Learning |
| 月 | Gatsu | Month |
| 言 | Gen | Word |
| 五 | Go | Five |
| 語 | Go | Language |
| 行 | Gyō | Line |
| 八 | Hachi | Eight |
| 母 | Haha | Mother |
| 半 | Han | Half |
| 花 | Hana | Flower |
| 話 | Hanashi | Conversation |
| 左 | Hidari | Left |
| 東 | Higashi | East |
| 人 | Hito | Man |
| 本 | Hon | Book |
| 百 | Hyaku | 100 |
| 一 | Ichi | One |
| 今 | Ima | Now |
| 飲 | In | Drink |
| 古 | Inishie | Antiquity |
| 入 | Iri | Entering |
| 時 | Ji | Hour |
| 上 | Jō | |
| 十 | Jū | Ten |
| 火 | Ka | Tuesday |
| 会 | Kai | Meeting |
| 買 | Kai | Buying |
| 川 | Kawa | River |
| 気 | Ki | Spirit |
| 木 | Ki | Tree |
| 聞 | Kiki | Kiki |
| 金 | Kin | Money |
| 北 | Kita | North |
| 子 | Ko | Child |
| 校 | Kō | School |
| 高 | Kō | High |
| 口 | Kuchi | Mouth |
| 国 | Kuni | Country |
| 車 | Kuruma | Car |
| 休 | Kyū | Kyū |
| 九 | Kyū | Nine |
| 間 | Ma | 1.818 m |
| 前 | Mae | The last |
| 毎 | Mai | Each |
| 万 | Man | 10,000 |
| 目 | Me | Eye |
| 名 | Mei | Counter for people |
| 見 | Mi | See |
| 右 | Migi | Right |
| 耳 | Mimi | Ear |
| 南 | Minami | South |
| 店 | Mise | Merchant’s house |
| 水 | Mizu | Wednesday |
| 何 | Nan | what |
| 七 | Nana | Seven |
| 年 | Nen | Year |
| 二 | Ni | Two |
| 日 | Nichi | Sunday |
| 西 | Nishi | Spain |
| 女 | Onna | Woman |
| 男 | Otoko | Man |
| 来 | Rai | Next |
| 六 | Roku | Six |
| 魚 | Sakana | Fish |
| 先 | Saki | Previous |
| 三 | San | Three |
| 生 | Sei | Pure |
| 千 | Sen | 1,000 |
| 社 | Sha | Company |
| 新 | Shin | New |
| 白 | Shiro | White |
| 下 | Shita | Low |
| 書 | Sho | Document |
| 小 | Shō | Small |
| 少 | Shō | Small |
| 食 | Shoku | Meal |
| 週 | Shū | Week |
| 空 | Sora | Empty |
| 外 | Soto | Outside of |
| 多 | Ta | Multi- |
| 立 | Tate | Only |
| 手 | Te | Hand |
| 天 | Ten | Sky |
| 友 | Tomo | Friend |
| 午 | Uma | Horse |
| 山 | Yama | Mt |
| 読 | Yomi | Reading |
| 四 | Yon | Four |
N5 kanji videos
To conclude the article, I will leave some videos explaining the ideograms studied in N5 of the JLPT. Some videos are in English or Japanese, but they are easy to understand. I hope you enjoyed the article; if you did, share it and leave your comments. Thank you and see you next time!
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