JLPT N5 Kanji List — With a Story for Every Character
Around 100 kanji is the usual N5 expectation, and this is our set of 99 — each with its meaning, its on'yomi and kun'yomi readings, its stroke count, the words it actually shows up in, and a mnemonic written specifically for it.
The mnemonics are the point of this page. Every kanji here gets two things: a pictograph, which tells you what the shape literally looks like, and a story, which is a short absurd scene that encodes the reading. 人 is two legs striding along, seen from the side. 私 is a stalk of grain with an arm curling it back toward your own chest — what I keep for me. These are ours; we wrote them, and they are consistent from the first character to the last, which matters more than any individual one being clever.
Why a story beats repetition
Writing a character fifty times teaches your hand, not your memory. The reason it feels like studying is that it is effortful — but effort spent on the wrong channel does not stick. What actually fails when you try to recall a kanji is one of three things: you cannot retrieve the shape, you cannot retrieve the meaning, or you cannot retrieve the reading. A pictograph fixes the first two by tying shape to meaning. A story fixes the third by putting the sound inside an event you can replay.
The stories are deliberately silly. That is not decoration — a scene that is absurd, physical and slightly wrong is far more retrievable than a tasteful one, because there is nothing else in your memory competing with it. If one of ours does not land for you, replace it. A mnemonic you invented beats a better mnemonic you were given, every time.
What order to learn them in
The list is grouped by theme — numbers, days and the calendar, people, directions, size and position, nature, actions, and so on — because kanji that share a domain also share components and show up in the same sentences. Numbers and days first is the standard advice and it is right: they are high frequency, visually simple, and you will see them on every menu, ticket and sign in Japan within an hour of landing.
One warning about readings. Every kanji here lists an on'yomi and a kun'yomi, and it is tempting to memorise both as a pair. Don't. Readings are best absorbed through the words they appear in — learn 学生 (gakusei, student) and 大学 (daigaku, university), and the ガク reading of 学 arrives free and correctly attached. The reading columns are here for reference when a word surprises you, not as a list to drill.
Numbers
one
Story: Lay one chopstick flat on the table: a single line. That’s 一 — ichi. 一つ (hitotsu) is “one thing.”
- 一 — ichi · one
- 一つ — hitotsu · one (thing)
りんごを 一つ ください。
ringo o hitotsu kudasai — One apple, please.
two
Story: Two chopsticks laid side by side — ni! 二つ (futatsu) is “two things.”
- 二 — ni · two
- 二つ — futatsu · two (things)
二じ です。
niji desu — It’s two o’clock.
three
Story: Stack three chopsticks — san! Even a “sandwich” hides san. 三つ (mittsu).
- 三 — san · three
- 三人 — san-nin · three people
三人 います。
san-nin imasu — There are three people.
four
Story: A mouth-shaped box (口) traps two legs (儿) — they can’t escape, so they yell “YON!”. shi / yon.
- 四 — yon · four
- 四つ — yottsu · four (things)
四じ に あいましょう。
yoji ni aimashō — Let’s meet at four.
five
Story: A criss-crossed spool sits pinched between two lines — “GO!”. 五つ (itsutsu) is five.
- 五 — go · five
- 五つ — itsutsu · five (things)
五じ です。
goji desu — It’s five o’clock.
six
Story: A pointy-roofed hut on two stilts — “ROCK-u” (roku) music blasts from inside. 六つ (muttsu).
- 六 — roku · six
- 六じ — roku-ji · six o’clock
六じ に おきます。
roku-ji ni okimasu — I get up at six.
seven
Story: A hook slashes the air — “NANA” the ninja cuts seven times. shichi / nana.
- 七 — nana · seven
- 七じ — shichi-ji · seven o’clock
七じ に かえります。
shichi-ji ni kaerimasu — I go home at seven.
eight
Story: Two lines spread wide like a mountain’s base — “HA-chi!” it sneezes. 八つ (yattsu).
- 八 — hachi · eight
- 八じ — hachi-ji · eight o’clock
八じ に ねます。
hachi-ji ni nemasu — I sleep at eight.
nine
Story: A hook curls back like a puppy chasing its tail — “kyuu!”. 九つ (kokonotsu).
- 九 — kyū · nine
- 九じ — ku-ji · nine o’clock
九じ です。
ku-ji desu — It’s nine o’clock.
ten
Story: Cross two sticks into a “+”: ten fingers meet in the middle. jū / tō.
- 十 — jū · ten
- 二十 — ni-jū · twenty
十じ に ねます。
jū-ji ni nemasu — I sleep at ten.
hundred
Story: Pop a hat (一) on a white pearl (白) and it multiplies to a hundred — hyaku! 三百 (sanbyaku).
- 百 — hyaku · hundred
- 三百 — sanbyaku · three hundred
百円 です。
hyaku-en desu — It’s 100 yen.
thousand
Story: Cross one stroke over ten (十) and it balloons to a thousand — “sen!”. 千円 (sen-en).
- 千 — sen · thousand
- 千円 — sen-en · 1,000 yen
千円 です。
sen-en desu — It’s 1,000 yen.
ten thousand
Story: A single swoosh so huge it scoops up ten-thousand of everything — “MAN!”. 一万 (ichiman).
- 万 — man · ten thousand
- 一万 — ichi-man · ten thousand
一万円 です。
ichiman-en desu — It’s 10,000 yen.
yen; circle
Story: A coin so perfectly round it gets boxed up for the bank — the yen, en. 百円 (hyaku-en).
- 円 — en · yen
- 五百円 — go-hyaku-en · 500 yen
これは 五百円 です。
kore wa go-hyaku-en desu — This is 500 yen.
Days & calendar
moon; month
Story: A crescent moon peeks through two clouds — tsuki. One moon-cycle = a month: 月よう日 (getsuyōbi), Monday.
- 月 — tsuki · moon / month
- 月よう日 — getsuyōbi · Monday
月が きれいです。
tsuki ga kirei desu — The moon is beautiful.
fire
Story: A bonfire spits sparks left and right — hi! 火よう日 (kayōbi) is fire-day, Tuesday.
- 火 — hi · fire
- 火よう日 — kayōbi · Tuesday
火に きを つけて。
hi ni ki o tsukete — Careful of the fire.
water
Story: A river forks and splashes — mizu! 水よう日 (suiyōbi) is water-day, Wednesday.
- 水 — mizu · water
- 水よう日 — suiyōbi · Wednesday
水を のみます。
mizu o nomimasu — I drink water.
tree; wood
Story: A trunk with branches up and roots below — ki, a tree. 木よう日 (mokuyōbi) is Thursday.
- 木 — ki · tree
- 木よう日 — mokuyōbi · Thursday
大きい 木 が あります。
ōkii ki ga arimasu — There is a big tree.
gold; money
Story: Dig under a roof and strike two gold nuggets — kin! 金よう日 (kinyōbi), Friday, is payday.
- 金 — kane · money / gold
- 金よう日 — kinyōbi · Friday
お金が ありません。
okane ga arimasen — I have no money.
earth, soil
Story: A sprout-cross pokes from the flat earth — tsuchi, soil. 土よう日 (doyōbi) is Saturday.
- 土 — tsuchi · soil
- 土よう日 — doyōbi · Saturday
土よう日 に あいましょう。
doyōbi ni aimashō — Let’s meet on Saturday.
year
Story: Every harvest, one more “toshi” (year) piles onto your back — nen. 一年 (ichinen).
- 年 — toshi · year
- 一年 — ichi-nen · one year
ことしは いい 年 です。
kotoshi wa ii toshi desu — This is a good year.
time; o’clock
Story: Watch the sun (日) crawl past the temple (寺) to read the time — toki / ji. 何時 (nanji)?
- 時 — toki · time
- 何時 — nan-ji · what time
今 何時 ですか。
ima nan-ji desu ka — What time is it now?
minute; to divide
Story: Slice an hour into little pieces with a blade — each sliver a minute, fun / pun. 五分 (gofun).
- 分 — fun · minute
- 五分 — go-fun · five minutes
十五分 まって ください。
jū-go-fun matte kudasai — Please wait 15 minutes.
half
Story: Chop it right down the centre into two even halves — han. 半分 (hanbun); 一時半 (ichi-ji han).
- 半 — han · half
- 半分 — hanbun · half
六時半 に おきます。
roku-ji han ni okimasu — I get up at 6:30.
every
Story: Every single morning the same routine repeats, again and again — mai. 毎日 (mainichi).
- 毎日 — mainichi · every day
- 毎朝 — maiasa · every morning
毎日 日本語を べんきょうします。
mainichi nihongo o benkyō shimasu — I study Japanese every day.
week
Story: Loop once around the calendar road (辶) and a whole week has gone by — shū. 今週 (konshū).
- 週 — shū · week
- 来週 — raishū · next week
来週 とうきょうへ 行きます。
raishū Tōkyō e ikimasu — I’ll go to Tokyo next week.
interval; between
Story: Sunlight (日) slips through a gate’s (門) crack — the space/time between, aida / kan. 時間 (jikan).
- 間 — aida · between
- 時間 — jikan · time / hours
時間が ありません。
jikan ga arimasen — I don’t have time.
noon
Story: The noon sun stabs straight down like a pestle — go. 午前 (gozen) = a.m., 午後 (gogo) = p.m.
- 午前 — gozen · a.m. / morning
- 午後 — gogo · p.m. / afternoon
午後 三時 に あいましょう。
gogo san-ji ni aimashō — Let’s meet at 3 p.m.
Self & people
person
Story: Freeze a person mid-stride: one leg swung forward, one trailing back, leaning into the walk. That little striding figure IS 人. hito / jin — and 日本人 (nihon-jin) is a 'Japan-person', i.e. Japanese.
- 人 — hito · person
- 三人 — san-nin · three people
あの 人は だれですか。
ano hito wa dare desu ka — Who is that person?
I, me; private
Story: On the left, a stalk of grain (禾); on the right, an arm curling it back toward your own chest (厶). What I rake in and keep for ME is 私 — watashi, 'I'.
- 私 — watashi · I, me
私は にほんが すきです。
watashi wa nihon ga suki desu — I like Japan.
friend
Story: Two hands reach across and clasp — a firm handshake frozen in ink. That bond is a friend, tomo. Your 友だち (tomodachi) is your buddy.
- 友だち — tomodachi · friend
友だちと あそびます。
tomodachi to asobimasu — I play with my friend.
study, learning
Story: A little child (子) sits under a roof that sparkles with new ideas — that's studying, 学. A study-person 学生 (gakusei) is a student; a big-study 大学 (daigaku) is a university.
- 学生 — gakusei · student
- 大学 — daigaku · university
にほんごを 学びます。
nihongo o manabimasu — I study Japanese.
life; to be born; student
Story: A fresh green sprout shoves up through the soil line — new life bursting out. That's 生, sei. A 先生 (sensei) is someone whose life came 'before' yours: a teacher.
- 学生 — gakusei · student
- 先生 — sensei · teacher
この やさいは 生です。
kono yasai wa nama desu — This vegetable is raw.
man, male
Story: Flex some muscle (力) out in the paddy (田) — otoko, a man; dan. 男の人 (otoko no hito).
- 男 — otoko · man
- 男の人 — otoko no hito · man
あの 男の人は だれですか。
ano otoko no hito wa dare desu ka — Who is that man?
woman, female
Story: A person kneels with arms crossed elegantly — onna, woman; jo. 女の人 (onna no hito).
- 女 — onna · woman
- 女の人 — onna no hito · woman
女の人が 二人 います。
onna no hito ga futari imasu — There are two women.
child
Story: A tiny bundled baby waves its arms — ko, a child; shi. 男の子 (otoko no ko) is a boy.
- 子 — ko · child
- 女の子 — onna no ko · girl
子どもが あそんで います。
kodomo ga asonde imasu — The children are playing.
father
Story: Dad’s two hands cross, swinging an axe to work — chichi. お父さん (otōsan) is “father.”
- 父 — chichi · (my) father
- お父さん — otōsan · father
父は かいしゃいんです。
chichi wa kaishain desu — My father is an office worker.
mother
Story: Two dots mark a nursing mother — haha. お母さん (okāsan) is “mother.”
- 母 — haha · (my) mother
- お母さん — okāsan · mother
母は せんせいです。
haha wa sensei desu — My mother is a teacher.
ahead; previous
Story: One foot lunges out ahead of the pack — saki, ahead; sen. 先生 (sensei), “born-before,” is a teacher.
- 先生 — sensei · teacher
- 先週 — senshū · last week
先生は やさしいです。
sensei wa yasashii desu — The teacher is kind.
Directions
east
Story: See the sun (日) caught in a tree’s (木) branches at dawn — the east, higashi. 東京 (Tōkyō), the “eastern capital.”
- 東 — higashi · east
- 東京 — Tōkyō · Tokyo
東京 に すんでいます。
Tōkyō ni sunde imasu — I live in Tokyo.
west
Story: A bird flops into its nest while the sun sinks — nishi, west. 西口 (nishiguchi), the west exit.
- 西 — nishi · west
- 西口 — nishi-guchi · west exit
えきの 西口 で あいましょう。
eki no nishi-guchi de aimashō — Let’s meet at the west exit.
south
Story: Plants huddle in a warm shed, all facing the sunny south — minami! Warm and bright.
- 南 — minami · south
- 南口 — minami-guchi · south exit
みなみの まちは あたたかいです。
minami no machi wa atatakai desu — Southern towns are warm.
north
Story: Two people press their backs together, shivering, backs to the cold — kita, north.
- 北 — kita · north
- 北口 — kita-guchi · north exit
きたは さむいです。
kita wa samui desu — The north is cold.
left
Story: A craftsman’s left hand grips a ruler to measure — hidari, left.
- 左 — hidari · left
- 左手 — hidari-te · left hand
左に まがって ください。
hidari ni magatte kudasai — Please turn left.
right
Story: The right hand lifts a rice-ball to your mouth (口) — migi, right.
- 右 — migi · right
- 右手 — migi-te · right hand
右に えきが あります。
migi ni eki ga arimasu — There’s a station on the right.
front; before
Story: Slice the mooring rope and the boat surges FORWARD — mae, front/before. 午前 (gozen), a.m.
- 前 — mae · front / before
- 名前 — namae · name
えきの 前で まって います。
eki no mae de matte imasu — I’m waiting in front of the station.
behind; after
Story: Take a tiny step and drag a thread behind you — ushiro / ato, behind/after. 午後 (gogo), p.m.
- 後 — ato · after
- 午後 — gogo · afternoon / p.m.
ごはんの 後で テレビを 見ます。
gohan no ato de terebi o mimasu — I watch TV after meals.
outside
Story: At dusk (夕) you slip OUT the door — soto, outside; gai. 外国 (gaikoku) is an “outside” country.
- 外 — soto · outside
- 外国 — gaikoku · foreign country
外は さむいです。
soto wa samui desu — It’s cold outside.
Size & position
big, large
Story: A person plants their feet and throws both arms out as wide as they possibly can, yelling 'it was THIS big!'. Those flung-open arms are 大 — big. ōkii / dai; 大学 (daigaku), a 'big-school', is a university.
- 大きい — ōkii · big
- 大学 — daigaku · university
大きい いぬが すきです。
ōkii inu ga suki desu — I like big dogs.
small, little
Story: A tiny centre post with two little flecks shaved off its sides — barely anything left. That's small, chiisai / shō. 小さい means small, and 小学校 is the 'little' (elementary) school.
- 小さい — chiisai · small
- 小学校 — shōgakkō · elementary school
この とりは 小さいです。
kono tori wa chiisai desu — This bird is small.
up, above, on
Story: A short stroke perched ON TOP of the baseline — up above. That's 上, ue. 上手 (jōzu), literally 'above-hand', means skilful.
- 上 — ue · above, up
- 上手 — jōzu · skillful
つくえの 上に ほんが あります。
tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu — There is a book on the desk.
down, below, under
Story: Now flip it: a stroke dangling BELOW the line — down under. That's 下, shita. 下手 (heta), 'below-hand', means clumsy.
- 下 — shita · below, under
- 地下 — chika · underground
いすの 下に ねこが います。
isu no shita ni neko ga imasu — There is a cat under the chair.
middle, inside
Story: Drive a spear clean through the dead-centre of a box — thunk, right in the MIDDLE. naka / chū. China even calls itself 中国 (chūgoku), the 'middle kingdom'.
- 中 — naka · inside
- 中学 — chūgaku · middle school
かばんの 中に なにが ありますか。
kaban no naka ni nani ga arimasu ka — What is in the bag?
Nature & weather
mountain
Story: Three jagged peaks poke at the sky — yama, mountain; san. 富士山 (Fuji-san).
- 山 — yama · mountain
- 富士山 — Fuji-san · Mt. Fuji
山に のぼります。
yama ni noborimasu — I climb the mountain.
river
Story: Three ribbons of water rush downhill — kawa, a river; sen.
- 川 — kawa · river
- 小川 — ogawa · stream
川で およぎます。
kawa de oyogimasu — I swim in the river.
rice field
Story: From a helicopter, a paddy carved into four wet squares — ta. 田んぼ (tanbo) is a rice field.
- 田 — ta · rice field
- 田んぼ — tanbo · paddy
田で こめを つくります。
ta de kome o tsukurimasu — They grow rice in the paddy.
heaven, sky
Story: Stretch your arms wide (大) and draw the sky’s ceiling overhead — ten. 天気 (tenki), weather.
- 天気 — tenki · weather
- 天 — ten · sky / heaven
きょうの 天気は いいです。
kyō no tenki wa ii desu — Today’s weather is good.
spirit; air; energy
Story: Wisps of steam curl off hot rice — ki, spirit/air. 元気 (genki) means “lively / well.”
- 元気 — genki · healthy / lively
- 天気 — tenki · weather
お元気ですか。
o-genki desu ka — How are you? (Are you well?)
rain
Story: Four fat drops fall from a boxed-in cloud — ame, rain; u.
- 雨 — ame · rain
雨が ふって います。
ame ga futte imasu — It’s raining.
sky; empty
Story: Look up through a gap and there’s nothing but wide-open sky — sora; kū. It also means “empty.”
- 空 — sora · sky
- 空気 — kūki · air
空が あおいです。
sora ga aoi desu — The sky is blue.
flower
Story: Under a tuft of grass, a bud transforms and bursts open — hana, a flower; ka. 花見 (hanami).
- 花 — hana · flower
- 花見 — hanami · flower-viewing
きれいな 花 ですね。
kirei na hana desu ne — What a pretty flower!
Actions
to come
Story: The wheat ripens and everyone COMES to harvest — kuru, to come; rai. 来週 (raishū), next week.
- 来る — kuru · to come
- 来週 — raishū · next week
ともだちが うちに 来ます。
tomodachi ga uchi ni kimasu — A friend is coming over.
to return, go home
Story: At day’s end your feet spin around and head home — kaeru, to return; ki. 帰ります (kaerimasu).
- 帰る — kaeru · to return home
- 帰り — kaeri · the way home
六時に うちへ 帰ります。
roku-ji ni uchi e kaerimasu — I go home at six.
to buy
Story: Throw a net over a pile of shell-coins (貝) and haul in your shopping — kau, to buy; bai.
- 買う — kau · to buy
- 買い物 — kaimono · shopping
パンを 買います。
pan o kaimasu — I buy bread.
to exit, leave
Story: A sprout shoves up and OUT of the earth, then out again — deru, to leave; shutsu. 出口 (deguchi).
- 出る — deru · to leave / exit
- 出口 — deguchi · exit
七時に うちを 出ます。
shichi-ji ni uchi o demasu — I leave home at seven.
to enter
Story: Duck under the slanted cave-mouth to go IN — hairu, to enter; nyū. 入口 (iriguchi).
- 入る — hairu · to enter
- 入口 — iriguchi · entrance
へやに 入ります。
heya ni hairimasu — I enter the room.
to stand
Story: Plant both feet on the floor and STAND up tall — tatsu, to stand; ritsu.
- 立つ — tatsu · to stand
- 立ち — tachi · standing
ここに 立って ください。
koko ni tatte kudasai — Please stand here.
to rest; holiday
Story: A tired traveler flops against a tree to REST — yasumu; kyū. 休み (yasumi) is a day off.
- 休む — yasumu · to rest
- 休み — yasumi · holiday / day off
きょうは 休みです。
kyō wa yasumi desu — Today is a day off.
to talk; story
Story: Let your tongue (舌) fling words (言) around — hanasu, to talk; wa. 電話 (denwa), telephone.
- 話す — hanasu · to speak
- 電話 — denwa · telephone
日本語を 話します。
nihongo o hanashimasu — I speak Japanese.
to read
Story: Run your eyes along a line of words (言) and “sell” them to your brain — yomu, to read; doku.
- 読む — yomu · to read
- 読み — yomi · reading
本を 読みます。
hon o yomimasu — I read a book.
to write
Story: Grab a brush and sweep ink across the page — kaku, to write; sho. 辞書 (jisho), a dictionary.
- 書く — kaku · to write
- 辞書 — jisho · dictionary
なまえを 書いて ください。
namae o kaite kudasai — Please write your name.
to hear, listen, ask
Story: Press your ear (耳) to the gate (門) and eavesdrop — kiku, to hear/ask; bun.
- 聞く — kiku · to listen / ask
- 聞き — kiki · listening
おんがくを 聞きます。
ongaku o kikimasu — I listen to music.
to wait
Story: Your feet (彳) halt at the temple (寺) gate and you WAIT — matsu, to wait; tai.
- 待つ — matsu · to wait
- 待ち — machi · waiting
ちょっと 待って ください。
chotto matte kudasai — Please wait a moment.
to hold, carry
Story: Your hand (扌) grips a temple (寺) offering and HOLDS it — motsu, to hold/have; ji.
- 持つ — motsu · to hold / have
- 持ち — mochi · holding
かばんを 持って います。
kaban o motte imasu — I’m holding a bag.
Describing words
tall, high; expensive
Story: A pagoda stacks floor on floor, its roof way up high — takai, tall/expensive; kō. 高校 (kōkō).
- 高い — takai · tall / expensive
- 高校 — kōkō · high school
この ビルは 高いです。
kono biru wa takai desu — This building is tall.
cheap; peaceful
Story: A woman relaxes safe under her roof (宀), calm and thrifty — yasui, cheap; an.
- 安い — yasui · cheap
- 安心 — anshin · relief / peace of mind
この みせは 安いです。
kono mise wa yasui desu — This shop is cheap.
new
Story: A sharp axe (斤) splits fresh green wood — atarashii, new; shin. 新聞 (shinbun), the newspaper.
- 新しい — atarashii · new
- 新聞 — shinbun · newspaper
新しい くつを 買いました。
atarashii kutsu o kaimashita — I bought new shoes.
old
Story: A story so OLD that ten (十) generations of mouths (口) retold it — furui, old; ko.
- 古い — furui · old
- 中古 — chūko · secondhand
この 本は 古いです。
kono hon wa furui desu — This book is old.
long; chief
Story: An elder’s long hair streams down and down — nagai, long; chō. It also means “boss”: 社長 (shachō).
- 長い — nagai · long
- 社長 — shachō · company president
かみが 長いです。
kami ga nagai desu — (Your) hair is long.
white
Story: A lone sunbeam whitens all it touches — shiroi, white; haku. 白い かみ (shiroi kami).
- 白い — shiroi · white
- 白 — shiro · white
白い くるまが すきです。
shiroi kuruma ga suki desu — I like white cars.
Everyday basics
sun, day
Story: Picture the sun caught inside a little window, glowing once per day. Each sunrise is one 日. Japan loved it so much it named itself 日本 (nihon), the sun's origin.
- 日本 — nihon · Japan
- 今日 — kyō · today
きょうは いい 日ですね。
kyō wa ii hi desu ne — It is a nice day today, isn't it?
book; origin, main
Story: Take the tree 木 and slash one line across its base — you have marked the ROOT, where everything begins. Books are the root of knowledge, so 本 means book. moto / hon.
- 本 — hon · book
- 日本 — nihon · Japan
本を よみます。
hon o yomimasu — I read a book.
now
Story: A roof pulled snugly over this very instant, trapping it before it can slip away — right NOW. ima / kon. And 今日 (kyō) is 'today'.
- 今 — ima · now
- 今日 — kyō · today
今 なんじですか。
ima nanji desu ka — What time is it now?
what
Story: A person (亻) turns mid-step, hauling a load, and blurts 'huh, WHAT is that?' — nani / nan — so 何ですか (nan desu ka) asks 'what is it?'
- 何 — nani · what
- 何時 — nan-ji · what time
これは 何ですか。
kore wa nan desu ka — What is this?
name
Story: It’s dusk (夕), too dark to see, so you call out your NAME with your mouth (口) — na; mei. 名前 (namae).
- 名前 — namae · name
- 有名 — yūmei · famous
お名前は なんですか。
o-namae wa nan desu ka — What is your name?
electricity
Story: A storm cloud (雨) cracks a jagged bolt — den, electricity! 電車 (densha), 電話 (denwa).
- 電車 — densha · train
- 電話 — denwa · telephone
電車で 会社へ 行きます。
densha de kaisha e ikimasu — I go to work by train.
language; to tell
Story: Words (言) tumble out of five (五) chattering mouths (口) — a language, go. 日本語 (nihongo).
- 語 — go · language
- 日本語 — nihongo · Japanese (language)
日本語を べんきょうします。
nihongo o benkyō shimasu — I study Japanese.
to meet; association
Story: Pull everyone under one roof to gather — au, to meet; kai. 会います (aimasu); 会社 (kaisha).
- 会う — au · to meet
- 会社 — kaisha · company
えきで ともだちに 会います。
eki de tomodachi ni aimasu — I meet a friend at the station.
Places & travel
school
Story: Wooden beams (木) lashed together in a neat criss-cross (交) — the sturdy frame of a school building. kō; a 学校 (gakkō) is a school.
- 学校 — gakkō · school
- 高校 — kōkō · high school
まいにち 学校へ いきます。
mainichi gakkō e ikimasu — I go to school every day.
(train) station
Story: Long ago a messenger would gallop up, leap off his tired 馬 (horse) and grab a fresh one. That horse-swap post grew into the train station — eki. See you at 東京駅 (Tokyo Station)!
- 駅 — eki · station
- 駅前 — eki-mae · in front of the station
駅で ともだちに あいます。
eki de tomodachi ni aimasu — I meet a friend at the station.
car, vehicle, wheel
Story: Stare straight down at an old wooden cart: a body in the centre, an axle spearing through, a wheel bulging on each side. That top-down shape is 車. Hop in your kuruma — 電車 (densha) is the 'electric car', a train.
- 車 — kuruma · car
- 電車 — densha · train
車で かいしゃへ いきます。
kuruma de kaisha e ikimasu — I go to work by car.
go; conduct
Story: Look down on a crossroads from above — four ways open up. Pick one and GO: iku. 行きます (ikimasu) means 'go'; a 銀行 (ginkō) is where money 'goes' — a bank.
- 行く — iku · to go
- 銀行 — ginkō · bank
あした とうきょうへ 行きます。
ashita Tōkyō e ikimasu — Tomorrow I will go to Tokyo.
company; shrine
Story: Bow at the altar (礻) of the land-spirit — a shrine, yashiro; sha. It grew to mean “company”: 会社 (kaisha).
- 会社 — kaisha · company
- 社長 — shachō · company president
父は 会社へ 行きます。
chichi wa kaisha e ikimasu — My father goes to the company.
shop, store
Story: Under a broad roof (广) the wares are spread out to sell — mise, a shop; ten. 店員 (ten’in).
- 店 — mise · shop
- 店員 — ten’in · shop clerk
あの 店は 安いです。
ano mise wa yasui desu — That shop is cheap.
road, way
Story: Point your head (首) down the walking path (辶) and follow the road — michi, road/way; dō. 北海道 (Hokkaidō).
- 道 — michi · road / way
- 北海道 — Hokkaidō · Hokkaido
この 道を まっすぐ 行って ください。
kono michi o massugu itte kudasai — Go straight down this road.
country
Story: Fence (囗) off your treasure (玉) and you’ve made a country — kuni; koku. 外国 (gaikoku), 中国 (Chūgoku).
- 国 — kuni · country
- 外国 — gaikoku · foreign country
わたしの 国は インドです。
watashi no kuni wa Indo desu — My country is India.
Eat, drink, see
eat, food
Story: Lift the lid off a steaming bowl piled high on its little stand — dinner is served. 食 is that covered dish, and it means to eat. Itadakimasu! taberu / 食べます (tabemasu).
- 食べる — taberu · to eat
- 食事 — shokuji · a meal
あさごはんを 食べます。
asagohan o tabemasu — I eat breakfast.
drink
Story: The food radical (食) stands next to a person craning back with a wide-open mouth (欠) — glug, glug, glug. That's to drink, nomu — and a 飲み物 (nomimono) is a drink.
- 飲む — nomu · to drink
- 飲み物 — nomimono · a drink
まいあさ コーヒーを 飲みます。
maiasa kōhī o nomimasu — I drink coffee every morning.
see, look
Story: A big eye (目) wobbling along on two little legs — it trots off wherever you look. That's to see, miru. 見ます (mimasu) is 'see', and 花見 (hanami) is flower-viewing.
- 見る — miru · to see
- 花見 — hanami · flower-viewing
まいばん テレビを 見ます。
maiban terebi o mimasu — I watch TV every night.
Frequently asked questions
How many kanji do you need for JLPT N5?
About 100. As with vocabulary, there is no official published list, so the figure is reconstructed from past papers and textbooks. They are the highest-frequency, structurally simplest characters: numbers, days, directions, basic nature words and a handful of common verbs.
Do I need to be able to write N5 kanji by hand?
For the JLPT itself, no — the test is entirely multiple choice, so recognition is what is assessed. Handwriting is still worth some practice because it forces you to notice component structure, but it should not be your main study method at this level.
Should I learn kanji readings or meanings first?
Meaning and shape first, readings through vocabulary afterwards. Trying to memorise a bare list of on'yomi and kun'yomi for a character you have never seen in a word is the most common way beginners stall on kanji.
What is the difference between on'yomi and kun'yomi?
On'yomi is the reading borrowed from Chinese, used mostly in compound words made of two or more kanji. Kun'yomi is the native Japanese reading, used when the character stands alone or takes hiragana endings. You do not need to predict which applies — the word tells you, which is why words come first.