JLPT
JLPT N4 Kanji — the next step.
The JLPT N4 is the elementary-intermediate step beyond N5. The kanji portion covers roughly 300 cumulative characters. Here's what to expect and how long it takes.
N4≈300 kanji · ≈1,500 vocab · ≈400–600 study hours
A taste of the N4 set
A representative sample of N4 kanji. All in the free tier.
魚
鳥
馬
犬
牛
羊
肉
茶
酒
米
野
菜
花
森
海
空
雲
雪
寒
暑
病
院
薬
医
者
家
族
兄
弟
姉
妹
父
母
夫
妻
親
友
事
仕
店
売
買
貸
借
答
問
質
意
味
終
What N4 actually covers
~300 kanji cumulative
Adds ~200 kanji on top of N5: weather, food, family relationships, health, transactions, and the verbs of everyday life.
~1,500 vocabulary words
Roughly double N5's vocabulary. Enough to hold a basic everyday conversation about plans, opinions, and routines.
Real short-form reading
Short articles, simple emails, restaurant menus, common signs. The first level where reading feels practical.
How long it takes & what you need
Most learners reach N4 readiness in 400–600 of total study time from zero, including vocabulary, grammar, and listening. The kanji portion alone, at the standard 3–10 new-per-day pace, runs from 8 to 16 weeks, plus review time.
In KanjiKanji Modern, N4 content is included in the Free tier. No subscription required to complete this level.
The JLPT has not published an official kanji list since the 2010 redesign. Counts cited here follow community-curated approximations from JLPT preparation textbooks (Genki, Minna no Nihongo, Tofugu) and analyses of past exams.
See also: Pricing · What is spaced repetition?
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