This is part of Krys Suzuki’s ongoing series on preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, and the second to focus on kanji. The first kanji-related JLPT article can be found here. Links to the rest of the series follow at the end of the article.
What You’ll Need to Study JLPT Kanji
- JLPT Kanji study guide
- Grid notebook
- Multi-colored pen
- imiwa? app (or similar kanji dictionary)
- Anki app
- Optional: Kanji Poster
- Optional: Kanji Flashcards or Index Cards
Only Study JLPT Kanji for Your Level!
While there are plenty of great kanji study books out there, you want to get one that’s specific to your test level. The reason is to avoid spending extra time studying extra kanji that won’t appear on your test.
Luckily, there are just as many great JLPT-specific books and tools out there to choose from! You can use the Kanji guide from any of the JLPT study guides I mentioned in my previous article. Then, make sure you have enough time to study them all! (I go more into detail on designing a study game plan here).
Number of JLPT Kanji You Should Know By Level
- N5: ~100 kanji
- N4: ~300 kanji
- N3: ~650 kanji
- N2: ~1,000 kanji
- N1: ~2,000 kanji
What’s On The Test?
Note that there isn’t a specific kanji-only section on the test, rather kanji questions are peppered in with vocabulary, grammar, and reading. I recommend previewing a sample test or two to get an idea of what you might see at your level.
Kanji Questions You’re Likely to See:
- Reading: you select the correct reading (in hiragana)
- Meaning: you select the correct definition for a kanji compound
- Word synonyms: you select the word with the same or similar meaning
- Similar kanji: you select the correct kanji from a list of similar ones
- Reading section: kanji questions may also appear in the reading section
Note: The reading section is in natural Japanese, meaning there will likely be a lot of kanji there, too. Though there may not be specific questions about the kanji readings or meaning, knowing kanji WILL help you breeze through the reading section easily, as well as understand the contents and questions.
Using Your JLPT Kanji Guide
For the purpose of this article, I will be showing examples with my book of preference, JLPTๆฅๆฌ่ช่ฝๅ่ฉฆ้จใฟใผใฒใใN1ๆผขๅญ (JLPT Target N1 Kanji). (If you’re studying for the N1 or N2 level, I highly recommend this series! Unfortunately, they don’t have books at the N1, N2, or N3 levels).
There are three important things you should be looking for when choosing a kanji guide:
- On-yomi (Chinese reading, usually written in katakana [ใซใฟใซใ])
- Kun-yomi (Japanese reading, usually written in hiragana [ใฒใใใช])
- Meaning (preferably with example vocabulary)
As a bonus, if your study guide also includes information on radicals, then you’re all set! If they don’t, however, don’t fret – that’s why we’re also going to talk about one of my favorite apps, imiwa?.
Studying JLPT Kanji: Recommended Steps
Break down your kanji study session into manageable parts. I personally study 10 kanji per day for about an hour. Below I detail how I divide and arrange that time.
Note: The following is just a guideline. You may need to devote more or less time to any one of these areas depending on your level, progress, and available time.
