How many kanji do you need for N3?
Most estimates put the N3 total at about 650 kanji. That count is cumulative: it includes everything from N5 and N4. Our three sets add up to 641 kanji: 81 at N5, 174 at N4 and 386 at N3.
So N3 is the biggest single step so far. You learn more new kanji for N3 than for N5 and N4 combined. That's why N3 often feels like a wall, and why a steady daily routine matters more here than at the lower levels.
Is there an official JLPT N3 kanji list?
No. The JLPT stopped publishing official kanji and vocabulary lists when the test was revised in 2010. Every N3 list, including this one, is based on older test guidelines, past test content and teaching experience. That's why lists for the same level can differ by dozens of kanji.
Some kanji move between levels from list to list. A few everyday kanji in our N3 set, like 寒 (cold), 晩 (evening) and 猫 (cat), are at N4 on some other lists. Kanji like 政, 経, 報 and 確 appear on every N3 list. If you study the kanji below in real words, small differences between lists won't hurt you on test day.
How to read the tables
- On'yomi are written in katakana and kun'yomi in hiragana, as in dictionaries. For a refresher on when each one is used, see on'yomi vs kun'yomi.
- Parentheses show okurigana, the hiragana written after the kanji. しら(べる) means the word is written 調べる and read しらべる.
- A hyphen means the reading only appears as part of a longer word, as a prefix or suffix.
- A dash (—) means the kanji has no reading of that type in common use. 議 has no kun'yomi, for example, and 箱 has no on'yomi.
- "In compounds" marks a meaning the kanji mostly has inside longer words. 察 means "police" in 警察, but you won't see it alone with that meaning.
At N3, the on'yomi start to matter much more. Many new words are two-kanji compounds read with on'yomi, like 経済 (keizai), 政治 (seiji) and 必要 (hitsuyō). Learn the readings that show up in the words you study, and skip rare ones for now.
JLPT N3 kanji list by topic
The 386 kanji are split into 25 topic groups. Within each group, the kanji are listed roughly from most to least common.
Government and politics
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 政 |
government, politics; running a state |
セイ, ショウ |
まつりごと |
| 議 |
discussion, debate; deliberating (in a meeting) |
ギ |
— |
| 民 |
the people, citizens; folk, the public |
ミン |
たみ |
| 制 |
system, structure; to control, restrain |
セイ |
— |
| 治 |
to govern, keep in order; to heal, cure |
ジ, チ |
おさ(める), おさ(まる), なお(る), なお(す) |
| 権 |
right (legal), privilege; power, authority |
ケン, ゴン |
— |
| 官 |
government official; government (as an institution); organ (of the body) |
カン |
— |
| 王 |
king, monarch; champion (in compounds) |
オウ |
— |
| 君 |
you (to an equal or junior); ruler, lord |
クン |
きみ |
Law, crime and danger
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 法 |
law, rule; method, way |
ホウ, ハッ, ホッ |
— |
| 規 |
rule, regulation; standard, norm |
キ |
— |
| 害 |
harm, damage; injury |
ガイ |
— |
| 警 |
to warn, caution; to guard; police (in compounds) |
ケイ |
— |
| 守 |
to protect, defend; to keep (a promise), obey; to guard |
シュ, ス |
まも(る), もり |
| 察 |
to guess, sense; to observe, inspect; police (in compounds) |
サツ |
— |
| 殺 |
to kill; murder |
サツ, サイ, セツ |
ころ(す) |
| 捕 |
to catch, capture; to arrest |
ホ |
と(らえる), と(らわれる), と(る), つか(まえる), つか(まる) |
| 危 |
dangerous, risky; danger; to fear for |
キ |
あぶ(ない), あや(うい), あや(ぶむ) |
| 険 |
steep; dangerous, risky |
ケン |
けわ(しい) |
| 許 |
to allow, permit; to forgive; license (in compounds) |
キョ |
ゆる(す) |
| 罪 |
crime, offense; sin, guilt |
ザイ |
つみ |
| 犯 |
crime; to commit (a crime); criminal |
ハン |
おか(す) |
| 盗 |
to steal; theft |
トウ |
ぬす(む) |
Money, business and the economy
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 経 |
to pass (time, a place); to manage, run; economics (in compounds) |
ケイ, キョウ |
へ(る) |
| 支 |
to support, prop up; branch; to pay out |
シ |
ささ(える) |
| 産 |
to give birth; to produce, make; products, goods; assets, property |
サン |
う(む), う(まれる), うぶ- |
| 済 |
to finish, be done; to settle, pay off; economy (in compounds) |
サイ |
す(む), す(ます) |
| 資 |
funds, capital; resources, materials |
シ |
— |
| 利 |
benefit, advantage; profit, interest (money); useful, handy |
リ |
き(く) |
| 費 |
cost, expense; to spend, use up |
ヒ |
つい(やす), つい(える) |
| 収 |
to collect, take in; income, earnings; to store away |
シュウ |
おさ(める), おさ(まる) |
| 商 |
trade, business; merchant, dealer |
ショウ |
あきな(う) |
| 財 |
wealth, assets; property, goods |
ザイ, サイ |
— |
| 値 |
price; value, worth |
チ |
ね, あたい |
| 給 |
pay, salary; to give, supply; to serve (food) |
キュウ |
— |
| 富 |
wealth, riches; to be rich, abundant |
フ, フウ |
と(む), とみ |
| 払 |
to pay; to brush away, sweep off |
フツ |
はら(う) |
| 貧 |
poor; poverty |
ヒン, ビン |
まず(しい) |
Work and organizations
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 部 |
part, portion; section, department; club (at school) |
ブ |
— |
| 務 |
duty, work; to serve (in a role) |
ム |
つと(める), つと(まる) |
| 任 |
to leave (a task) to someone; duty, term of office |
ニン |
まか(せる), まか(す) |
| 係 |
person in charge; connection, relation |
ケイ |
かか(る), かかり |
| 局 |
bureau, office; broadcasting station; situation, state of affairs |
キョク |
— |
| 職 |
job, occupation; employment, work |
ショク |
— |
| 役 |
role, part; duty, post; use, usefulness |
ヤク, エキ |
— |
| 労 |
labor, hard work; trouble, effort; to thank for (one's work) |
ロウ |
— |
| 働 |
to work, labor |
ドウ |
はたら(く) |
| 責 |
responsibility; to blame, condemn; to press (someone) |
セキ |
せ(める) |
| 辞 |
to quit, resign; word, phrase; to decline |
ジ |
や(める) |
| 努 |
to try hard, make an effort |
ド |
つと(める) |
| 勤 |
to work (for), serve; to be employed |
キン, ゴン |
つと(める), つと(まる) |
People and relationships
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 夫 |
husband; man (in compounds) |
フ, フウ |
おっと |
| 様 |
way, manner; appearance, look; Mr., Ms. (polite suffix) |
ヨウ |
さま |
| 達 |
to reach, arrive at; skilled, expert; plural suffix for people |
タツ |
— |
| 客 |
guest, visitor; customer, client; passenger |
キャク, カク |
— |
| 師 |
teacher, master; expert, specialist |
シ |
— |
| 彼 |
he, him; boyfriend (in compounds) |
ヒ |
かれ, かの |
| 婦 |
woman, lady; wife |
フ |
— |
| 妻 |
wife |
サイ |
つま |
| 婚 |
marriage |
コン |
— |
| 老 |
old, aged; to grow old; the elderly |
ロウ |
お(いる), ふ(ける) |
| 娘 |
daughter; young woman, girl |
— |
むすめ |
| 祖 |
ancestor; grandparent; founder, originator |
ソ |
— |
| 皆 |
everyone, everybody; all |
カイ |
みな |
| 坊 |
little boy; monk |
ボウ, ボッ |
— |
| 俺 |
I, me (masculine, casual) |
— |
おれ |
Body, health and sleep
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 首 |
neck; chief, head (of a group); capital city (in compounds) |
シュ |
くび |
| 指 |
finger; to point at, point out; to direct |
シ |
ゆび, さ(す) |
| 面 |
face, mask; surface; side, aspect |
メン |
おも, おもて, つら |
| 頭 |
head; top, front; counter for large animals |
トウ, ズ, ト |
あたま, かしら |
| 顔 |
face; look, expression |
ガン |
かお |
| 背 |
back (of the body); height; to go against, disobey |
ハイ |
せ, せい, そむ(く), そむ(ける) |
| 熱 |
heat; fever; enthusiasm, passion |
ネツ |
あつ(い) |
| 薬 |
medicine, drug; chemical |
ヤク |
くすり |
| 息 |
breath; to rest; son (in compounds) |
ソク |
いき |
| 痛 |
pain, ache; to hurt; painful, severe |
ツウ |
いた(い), いた(む), いた(める) |
| 寝 |
to sleep, go to bed; to lie down |
シン |
ね(る), ね(かす) |
| 吸 |
to breathe in; to suck, sip; to absorb |
キュウ |
す(う) |
| 歯 |
tooth, teeth |
シ |
は |
| 疲 |
to get tired; fatigue, exhaustion |
ヒ |
つか(れる) |
| 腹 |
stomach, belly; anger (in idioms) |
フク |
はら |
| 眠 |
to sleep; sleepy |
ミン |
ねむ(る), ねむ(い) |
| 耳 |
ear; hearing |
ジ |
みみ |
| 髪 |
hair (on the head) |
ハツ |
かみ |
| 匂 |
smell, scent |
— |
にお(う) |
| 喉 |
throat |
コウ |
のど |
| 痩 |
get thin, lose weight |
ソウ |
や(せる) |
Feelings and wishes
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 感 |
feeling, sense; to feel, be moved |
カン |
— |
| 情 |
feelings, emotion; sympathy, kindness; facts, situation |
ジョウ, セイ |
なさ(け) |
| 念 |
thought, feeling; wish, desire; care, attention |
ネン |
— |
| 好 |
to like, be fond of; good, nice |
コウ |
この(む), す(く) |
| 望 |
to hope, wish for; to look out over |
ボウ, モウ |
のぞ(む), もち |
| 苦 |
painful, hard; to suffer; bitter (taste); bad at (in compounds) |
ク |
くる(しい), くる(しむ), くる(しめる), にが(い), にが(る) |
| 愛 |
love, affection; to love, care for |
アイ |
— |
| 喜 |
to be glad, rejoice; joy, delight |
キ |
よろこ(ぶ), よろこ(ばす) |
| 幸 |
happiness; good luck, fortune |
コウ |
さいわ(い), さち, しあわ(せ) |
| 困 |
to be troubled, at a loss; hardship, difficulty |
コン |
こま(る) |
| 恐 |
fear, dread; to be afraid; respect, awe |
キョウ |
おそ(れる), おそ(ろしい) |
| 願 |
to wish, hope; request, plea |
ガン |
ねが(う) |
| 欲 |
to want, desire; greed, wanting |
ヨク |
ほっ(する), ほ(しい) |
| 笑 |
to laugh; to smile |
ショウ |
わら(う), え(む) |
| 夢 |
dream; vision, illusion |
ム |
ゆめ |
| 悲 |
sad; sorrow, grief |
ヒ |
かな(しい), かな(しむ) |
| 怒 |
to get angry; anger, rage; to scold |
ド |
いか(る), おこ(る) |
| 怖 |
to be scared; scary, frightening |
フ |
こわ(い) |
| 恥 |
shame; embarrassment, disgrace |
チ |
は(じる), はじ, は(じらう), は(ずかしい) |
| 慌 |
be flustered, rush |
コウ |
あわ(てる), あわ(ただしい) |
Thinking, judging and deciding
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 定 |
to decide, set; fixed, settled |
テイ, ジョウ |
さだ(める), さだ(まる), さだ(か) |
| 選 |
to choose, pick; to elect (by vote) |
セン |
えら(ぶ) |
| 決 |
to decide, make up one's mind; to settle (an issue) |
ケツ |
き(める), き(まる) |
| 調 |
to check, look into; tone, condition; to arrange, put in order |
チョウ |
しら(べる), ととの(う), ととの(える) |
| 要 |
essential point; to need, require |
ヨウ |
い(る), かなめ |
| 解 |
to solve, answer; to understand; to undo, untie |
カイ, ゲ |
と(く), と(かす), と(ける) |
| 判 |
to judge, decide; judgment, verdict; stamp, seal |
ハン, バン |
— |
| 認 |
to recognize, admit; to approve, accept |
ニン |
みと(める) |
| 確 |
sure, certain; to make sure, check |
カク |
たし(か), たし(かめる) |
| 必 |
certainly, without fail; necessary, must |
ヒツ |
かなら(ず) |
| 疑 |
to doubt; suspicion, question |
ギ |
うたが(う) |
| 断 |
to refuse, turn down; to cut off; to decide firmly |
ダン |
た(つ), ことわ(る) |
| 想 |
thought, idea; to imagine, think of |
ソウ, ソ |
— |
| 非 |
not, non-, un-; wrong, fault |
ヒ |
— |
| 識 |
to know, recognize; knowledge; to tell apart |
シキ |
— |
| 否 |
no, not; to deny, reject |
ヒ |
いな |
| 覚 |
to remember, learn; to wake up; to sense, perceive |
カク |
おぼ(える), さ(ます), さ(める) |
| 賛 |
to agree, approve; to praise |
サン |
— |
| 迷 |
to get lost; to be unsure, hesitate; trouble, nuisance (in compounds) |
メイ |
まよ(う) |
| 忘 |
to forget |
ボウ |
わす(れる) |
| 誤 |
mistake, error; to mislead |
ゴ |
あやま(る) |
| 慣 |
to get used to; habit, custom |
カン |
な(れる), な(らす) |
| 可 |
can, possible; approve |
カ |
— |
Speaking and communication
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 表 |
surface, outside; chart, table; to express, show |
ヒョウ |
おもて, あらわ(す), あらわ(れる) |
| 記 |
to write down, record; account, chronicle |
キ |
しる(す) |
| 報 |
report, news; to inform; reward, return |
ホウ |
むく(いる) |
| 告 |
to tell, announce; to report, notify |
コク |
つ(げる) |
| 信 |
to believe, trust; faith; signal, message |
シン |
— |
| 論 |
argument, discussion; theory, view |
ロン |
— |
| 示 |
to show, point out; to indicate |
ジ, シ |
しめ(す) |
| 談 |
conversation, talk; to discuss |
ダン |
— |
| 説 |
to explain; theory, view; story |
セツ, ゼイ |
と(く) |
| 声 |
voice; sound, cry |
セイ, ショウ |
こえ, こわ- |
| 伝 |
to pass on, tell; to transmit, spread; tradition, legend |
デン |
つた(わる), つた(える), つた(う) |
| 申 |
to say (humble); to apply, request |
シン |
もう(す) |
| 呼 |
to call (out); to invite, call for; to breathe out |
コ |
よ(ぶ) |
| 頼 |
to ask (a favor), request; to rely on, depend on; trust |
ライ |
たの(む), たの(もしい), たよ(る) |
| 招 |
to invite; to wave over, beckon; to bring about |
ショウ |
まね(く) |
| 礼 |
thanks, gratitude; bow; manners, etiquette |
レイ, ライ |
— |
| 叱 |
scold |
シツ |
しか(る) |
| 挨 |
greeting (as in 挨拶); push close |
アイ |
— |
| 拶 |
greeting (as in 挨拶); press close |
サツ |
— |
Nature, weather and animals
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 石 |
stone, rock |
セキ, シャク, コク |
いし |
| 葉 |
leaf, leaves (of a plant) |
ヨウ |
は |
| 景 |
view, scenery; scene; economic conditions (in compounds) |
ケイ |
— |
| 候 |
weather, climate; season; candidate (in compounds) |
コウ |
そうろう |
| 光 |
light, ray; to shine, glow; sightseeing (in compounds) |
コウ |
ひか(る), ひかり |
| 馬 |
horse |
バ |
うま, ま |
| 草 |
grass; weeds; plants |
ソウ |
くさ |
| 晴 |
to clear up (weather); sunny, fine; to be cleared (of doubt) |
セイ |
は(れる), は(らす) |
| 陽 |
sun, sunlight; positive (in physics, medicine) |
ヨウ |
— |
| 雪 |
snow |
セツ |
ゆき |
| 吹 |
to blow (wind, breath); to play (a wind instrument) |
スイ |
ふ(く) |
| 鳴 |
to cry, sing (animals, birds); to ring, sound |
メイ |
な(く), な(る), な(らす) |
| 煙 |
smoke; smoking (tobacco) |
エン |
けむ(る), けむり, けむ(い) |
| 寒 |
cold (weather) |
カン |
さむ(い) |
| 猫 |
cat |
ビョウ |
ねこ |
Home, food and everyday things
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 米 |
rice (the grain); the US, America (short form) |
ベイ, マイ |
こめ |
| 宅 |
house, home; one's residence |
タク |
— |
| 席 |
seat; place, occasion (a gathering) |
セキ |
— |
| 具 |
tool, utensil; equipment; ingredient, filling (for food); concrete, specific |
グ |
— |
| 庭 |
garden, yard |
テイ |
にわ |
| 酒 |
alcohol, liquor; sake (Japanese rice wine) |
シュ |
さけ, さか- |
| 窓 |
window |
ソウ |
まど |
| 杯 |
cup, glass; counter for cups or glasses; toast (in compounds) |
ハイ |
さかずき |
| 箱 |
box, case |
— |
はこ |
| 靴 |
shoe(s) |
カ |
くつ |
| 鍋 |
pot, pan; hot-pot dish |
— |
なべ |
| 鍵 |
key; lock |
ケン |
かぎ |
| 箸 |
chopsticks |
— |
はし |
| 椅 |
chair |
イ |
— |
Places, sides and positions
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 市 |
city; market, marketplace |
シ |
いち |
| 内 |
inside, interior; within (a limit) |
ナイ, ダイ |
うち |
| 都 |
capital city; large city, metropolis |
ト, ツ |
みやこ |
| 際 |
occasion, time when; edge, border; between (parties), inter- |
サイ |
きわ |
| 側 |
side (of something); beside, nearby |
ソク |
がわ |
| 所 |
place, spot; office, station (as a suffix) |
ショ |
ところ |
| 横 |
side; horizontal, sideways; beside, next to |
オウ |
よこ |
| 港 |
port, harbor |
コウ |
みなと |
| 路 |
road, path; route, way |
ロ |
-じ |
| 園 |
garden; park; kindergarten (in compounds) |
エン |
その |
| 岡 |
hill (place names) |
— |
おか |
| 埼 |
cape (place names) |
— |
さい |
| 里 |
village, hometown |
リ |
さと |
Moving and traveling
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 進 |
to move forward, advance; to make progress |
シン |
すす(む), すす(める) |
| 向 |
to face, turn toward; direction, inclination |
コウ |
む(く), む(ける), む(かう), む(こう) |
| 流 |
to flow; current, stream; style, school (of art); to spread, circulate |
リュウ, ル |
なが(れる), なが(す) |
| 過 |
to go past, pass; too much, over-; past (time); error, fault |
カ |
す(ぎる), す(ごす), あやま(つ), あやま(ち) |
| 訪 |
to visit, call on |
ホウ |
おとず(れる), たず(ねる) |
| 乗 |
to ride, get on; to board; multiplication (math) |
ジョウ |
の(る), の(せる) |
| 追 |
to chase, run after; to follow; to add on |
ツイ |
お(う) |
| 落 |
to fall, drop; to drop, lose; to fail |
ラク |
お(ちる), お(とす) |
| 退 |
to step back, retreat; to leave, retire; to drive away |
タイ |
しりぞ(く), しりぞ(ける) |
| 渡 |
to cross over; to hand over, pass |
ト |
わた(る), わた(す) |
| 観 |
to see, watch; view, outlook; sightseeing (in compounds) |
カン |
— |
| 登 |
to climb, go up; to register, sign up; to appear (on stage) |
トウ, ト |
のぼ(る) |
| 飛 |
to fly; to jump; to skip over |
ヒ |
と(ぶ), と(ばす) |
| 降 |
to come down, get off; to fall (rain, snow); to surrender |
コウ |
お(りる), お(ろす), ふ(る) |
| 迎 |
to go and meet, welcome; to pick up (a guest) |
ゲイ |
むか(える) |
| 寄 |
to drop in, stop by; to come near; to send, donate |
キ |
よ(る), よ(せる) |
| 宿 |
lodging, inn; to stay (overnight); homework (in compounds) |
シュク |
やど, やど(る), やど(す) |
| 船 |
boat, ship |
セン |
ふね, ふな- |
| 途 |
way, road; on the way, midway; route |
ト |
— |
| 便 |
convenient, handy; mail, post; flight, scheduled service |
ベン, ビン |
たよ(り) |
| 留 |
to stay, remain; to fasten, hold in place; to be away (in compounds) |
リュウ, ル |
と(める), と(まる) |
| 戻 |
to go back, return; to put back, restore |
レイ |
もど(す), もど(る) |
| 越 |
to go over, cross; to exceed, pass; to move (house) |
エツ |
こ(す), こ(える) |
| 逃 |
to run away, escape; to let get away, miss |
トウ |
に(げる), に(がす), のが(す), のが(れる) |
| 到 |
to arrive, reach |
トウ |
— |
Time and order
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 現 |
present, current; to appear, show up; actual, real |
ゲン |
あらわ(れる), あらわ(す) |
| 期 |
period, term; to expect, look forward to |
キ, ゴ |
— |
| 初 |
first, initial; the beginning |
ショ |
はじ(め), はじ(めて), はつ, うい-, -そ(める) |
| 予 |
in advance, beforehand; pre- |
ヨ |
— |
| 次 |
next, following; order, sequence; counter for rounds or times |
ジ, シ |
つ(ぐ), つぎ |
| 昨 |
yesterday, last (year); the previous one |
サク |
— |
| 歳 |
counter for years of age; year |
サイ, セイ |
— |
| 常 |
usual, normal; always, constant |
ジョウ |
つね, とこ- |
| 末 |
end, close (of a period); tip, end part; the latter part |
マツ, バツ |
すえ |
| 未 |
not yet; un- (not yet done) |
ミ |
— |
| 更 |
again, anew; to change, renew; even more (in compounds) |
コウ |
さら, ふ(ける), ふ(かす) |
| 刻 |
to carve, engrave; to chop finely; time, moment |
コク |
きざ(む) |
| 昔 |
long ago; the old days, the past |
セキ, シャク |
むかし |
| 晩 |
evening, night |
バン |
— |
Numbers, amounts and degree
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 回 |
counter for times, occurrences; to turn, go around |
カイ, エ |
まわ(る), まわ(す) |
| 全 |
all, every; whole, entire; complete, total |
ゼン |
まった(く), すべ(て) |
| 最 |
the most, -est; maximum, extreme |
サイ |
もっと(も) |
| 約 |
approximately, about; promise, agreement; to shorten, sum up |
ヤク |
— |
| 数 |
number, figure; to count; several, a few |
スウ, ス |
かず, かぞ(える) |
| 点 |
dot, mark; point, score; to light (a fire), turn on |
テン |
— |
| 件 |
matter, affair, case; counter for cases or items |
ケン |
— |
| 両 |
both, the two; a pair |
リョウ |
— |
| 位 |
rank, position; place (in a ranking); about, approximately |
イ |
くらい |
| 割 |
to divide, split; to break, crack; rate, ratio; ten percent |
カツ |
わ(る), わり, わ(れる), さ(く) |
| 番 |
number (in a series); one's turn; to watch over, guard |
バン |
— |
| 限 |
limit, bound; to limit, restrict |
ゲン |
かぎ(る) |
| 差 |
difference, gap; to hold up (an umbrella) |
サ |
さ(す) |
| 程 |
extent, degree; about, approximately; process (in compounds) |
テイ |
ほど |
| 満 |
full; to fill; satisfied; full (years of age) |
マン |
み(ちる), み(たす) |
| 積 |
to pile up, heap; to accumulate; area, volume (math) |
セキ |
つ(む), つ(もる) |
| 号 |
number, issue (of a magazine); sign, signal; call name |
ゴウ |
— |
| 余 |
extra, surplus; remainder, rest; over, more than |
ヨ |
あま(る), あま(す) |
| 等 |
and so on, etc.; equal; grade, class |
トウ |
ひと(しい) |
| 欠 |
to lack, be missing; absence; gap, flaw |
ケツ |
か(ける), か(く) |
| 幾 |
how many, how much; some, several |
キ |
いく- |
Joining, connecting and relating
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 連 |
to link, connect; to bring along (a person); a series, a chain |
レン |
つら(なる), つら(ねる), つ(れる) |
| 合 |
to fit, match; to combine, join; together |
ゴウ, ガッ, カッ |
あ(う), あ(わす), あ(わせる) |
| 相 |
each other, mutual; companion, partner; (government) minister |
ソウ, ショウ |
あい- |
| 関 |
to be related, involved; checkpoint, barrier |
カン |
せき, かか(わる) |
| 加 |
to add; to join (a group); to increase |
カ |
くわ(える), くわ(わる) |
| 続 |
to continue, keep going; to follow on, come next |
ゾク |
つづ(く), つづ(ける) |
| 共 |
together, jointly; both; co-, shared |
キョウ |
とも |
| 交 |
to mix, mingle; to exchange, trade; to cross, intersect |
コウ |
まじ(わる), まじ(える), ま(じる), ま(ざる), ま(ぜる), -か(う), か(わす) |
| 参 |
to take part; to visit (a shrine or grave); to refer to; to go, come (humble) |
サン |
まい(る) |
| 組 |
group, team; class (at school); to put together, assemble |
ソ |
く(む), くみ |
| 付 |
to attach, stick on; to add; to go with, accompany |
フ |
つ(ける), つ(く) |
| 互 |
each other, one another; mutual |
ゴ |
たが(い) |
| 束 |
bundle, bunch; to tie up, bind; promise (in compounds) |
ソク |
たば |
| 緒 |
together (in compounds); beginning, start; cord, string |
ショ, チョ |
お |
Change, causes and results
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 化 |
to change into, become; -ization (as a suffix) |
カ, ケ |
ば(ける), ば(かす) |
| 成 |
to become, turn into; to achieve, accomplish; to grow, form |
セイ, ジョウ |
な(る), な(す) |
| 原 |
origin, source; original; open field, plain |
ゲン |
はら |
| 増 |
to increase, rise; to add more |
ゾウ |
ま(す), ふ(える), ふ(やす) |
| 変 |
to change; strange, unusual |
ヘン |
か(わる), か(える) |
| 果 |
result, outcome; fruit; to carry out, fulfill |
カ |
は(たす), は(てる), は(て) |
| 由 |
reason, cause; by way of, through |
ユ, ユウ, ユイ |
よし |
| 完 |
complete, perfect; to finish, end |
カン |
— |
| 因 |
cause, reason; to be due to |
イン |
よ(る) |
Giving, taking and receiving
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 取 |
to take, get; to pick up, fetch |
シュ |
と(る) |
| 受 |
to receive, get; to take (a test or class); to accept |
ジュ |
う(ける), う(かる) |
| 得 |
to gain, get; profit, advantage; to be good at |
トク |
え(る), う(る) |
| 求 |
to seek, look for; to ask for, demand |
キュウ |
もと(める) |
| 与 |
to give, provide; to take part, be involved |
ヨ |
あた(える) |
| 供 |
to offer, provide; attendant, companion; offering (to a shrine) |
キョウ, ク |
そな(える), とも |
| 配 |
to hand out, deliver; to arrange, place |
ハイ |
くば(る) |
| 助 |
to help, assist; to rescue, save |
ジョ |
たす(ける), たす(かる), すけ |
| 返 |
to return, give back; to reply, answer; to turn over |
ヘン |
かえ(す), かえ(る) |
| 頂 |
top, summit; to receive (humble), to eat (humble) |
チョウ |
いただ(く), いただき |
Hand actions
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 引 |
to pull, draw; to subtract, take off; to quote |
イン |
ひ(く), ひ(ける) |
| 投 |
to throw; to put in, invest; to send in (a vote, letter) |
トウ |
な(げる) |
| 打 |
to hit, strike; to type, tap (keys) |
ダ |
う(つ) |
| 置 |
to put, place; to leave (behind), set |
チ |
お(く) |
| 放 |
to let go, release; to leave alone; to broadcast |
ホウ |
はな(す), はな(つ), はな(れる), ほう(る) |
| 突 |
sudden, abrupt; to poke, thrust; to collide, crash into |
トツ |
つ(く) |
| 抜 |
to pull out; to leave out, skip; to pass, overtake |
バツ |
ぬ(く), ぬ(ける), ぬ(かす), ぬ(かる) |
| 押 |
to push, press; to hold down |
オウ |
お(す), お(さえる) |
| 抱 |
to hug, hold in one's arms; to have (a worry, feeling) |
ホウ |
だ(く), いだ(く), かか(える) |
| 折 |
to fold; to break, snap; occasion, time |
セツ |
お(る), おり, お(れる) |
| 掛 |
to hang; to put on; to spend (time, money) |
— |
か(ける), か(かる), か(かり), かかり |
| 貼 |
stick on, paste |
チョウ |
は(る) |
Everyday actions
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 違 |
to differ, be different; to be wrong; to break (a rule) |
イ |
ちが(う), ちが(える) |
| 消 |
to put out (a fire), turn off; to erase, remove; to disappear, vanish |
ショウ |
き(える), け(す) |
| 備 |
to prepare, get ready; to equip, provide; to be furnished with |
ビ |
そな(える), そな(わる) |
| 残 |
to remain, be left over; leftovers, remainder; cruel (in compounds) |
ザン |
のこ(る), のこ(す) |
| 処 |
to deal with, handle; to dispose of; place |
ショ |
— |
| 座 |
to sit; seat, place; constellation |
ザ |
すわ(る) |
| 除 |
to remove, take away; to leave out, except |
ジョ, ジ |
のぞ(く) |
| 込 |
crowded, packed; to go into, put in; including |
— |
こ(む), こ(める) |
| 散 |
to scatter, fall (petals); to spread out; a walk, stroll (in compounds) |
サン |
ち(る), ち(らす), ち(らかす), ち(らかる) |
| 浮 |
to float; to rise to the surface; to come to mind |
フ |
う(く), う(かれる), う(かぶ), う(かべる) |
| 絶 |
to break off, cut off; to die out; absolutely (in compounds) |
ゼツ |
た(える), た(やす), た(つ) |
| 探 |
to look for, search; to explore, probe |
タン |
さぐ(る), さが(す) |
| 遊 |
to play, have fun; to go around, travel; leisure |
ユウ, ユ |
あそ(ぶ) |
| 閉 |
to close, shut |
ヘイ |
と(じる), と(ざす), し(める), し(まる) |
| 洗 |
to wash |
セン |
あら(う) |
| 泳 |
to swim |
エイ |
およ(ぐ) |
Winning, losing and conflict
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 対 |
against, versus; facing, opposite; a pair, a set |
タイ, ツイ |
— |
| 戦 |
war, fighting; to fight, compete |
セン |
いくさ, たたか(う) |
| 勝 |
to win; victory; to surpass |
ショウ |
か(つ), まさ(る) |
| 反 |
against, opposed; anti-, counter-; to reverse, bend back |
ハン, ホン, タン |
そ(る), そ(らす) |
| 争 |
to argue, dispute; to compete, fight over |
ソウ |
あらそ(う) |
| 負 |
to lose (a match); to bear, carry; to owe; negative, minus |
フ |
ま(ける), ま(かす), お(う) |
| 失 |
to lose; mistake, slip; failure |
シツ |
うしな(う) |
| 敗 |
to lose, be defeated; defeat; to fail |
ハイ |
やぶ(れる) |
| 破 |
to break, tear; to defeat; to break (a rule, record) |
ハ |
やぶ(る), やぶ(れる) |
| 倒 |
to fall down, collapse; to knock down, defeat; trouble, bother (in compounds) |
トウ |
たお(れる), たお(す) |
Life and existence
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 活 |
activity, being active; life, living; lively |
カツ |
— |
| 在 |
to be (in a place), exist; living in, staying in |
ザイ |
あ(る) |
| 神 |
god, deity; spirit, mind; divine, sacred |
シン, ジン |
かみ, かん-, こう- |
| 命 |
life; order, command; destiny |
メイ, ミョウ |
いのち |
| 福 |
good fortune, blessing; welfare |
フク |
— |
| 存 |
to exist, be; to know, think (humble); to keep, preserve |
ソン, ゾン |
— |
| 亡 |
to die; the late, deceased; to be ruined |
ボウ, モウ |
な(い) |
| 居 |
to be (in a place), stay; to live, reside |
キョ |
い(る) |
| 暮 |
to live, get by; to get dark (day ends); end (of a period) |
ボ |
く(れる), く(らす) |
| 寿 |
long life, celebration |
ジュ |
ことぶき |
Study, skills and the arts
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 演 |
to perform, act; to give (a speech or talk) |
エン |
— |
| 能 |
ability, capability; Noh drama |
ノウ |
— |
| 球 |
ball; sphere, globe |
キュウ |
たま |
| 術 |
technique, skill; art, method; trick |
ジュツ |
— |
| 育 |
to raise, bring up; to grow up; education (in compounds) |
イク |
そだ(つ), そだ(てる), はぐく(む) |
| 科 |
school subject, course; department, section; family (in biology) |
カ |
— |
| 舞 |
to dance; to flutter; to act, behave (in compounds) |
ブ |
ま(う), まい |
| 曲 |
song, piece of music; to bend, curve |
キョク |
ま(がる), ま(げる) |
| 徒 |
student, pupil; follower; on foot (in compounds) |
ト |
— |
| 絵 |
picture, painting; drawing |
カイ, エ |
— |
| 才 |
talent, ability; years old (informal) |
サイ |
— |
Describing words
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 実 |
real, true; fruit, nut; results, substance |
ジツ |
み, みの(る) |
| 和 |
peace, harmony; Japanese, Japan-style |
ワ, オ |
やわ(らぐ), やわ(らげる), なご(む), なご(やか) |
| 平 |
flat, level; calm, peaceful; ordinary, common |
ヘイ, ビョウ |
たい(ら), ひら |
| 直 |
straight, direct; to fix, repair; honest, upright |
チョク, ジキ |
ただ(ちに), なお(す), なお(る) |
| 難 |
difficult, hard; hardship, disaster; fault, defect |
ナン |
かた(い), むずか(しい) |
| 優 |
kind, gentle; excellent, superior; actor (in compounds) |
ユウ |
やさ(しい), すぐ(れる) |
| 若 |
young; youth; few, a little (in compounds) |
ジャク, ニャク |
わか(い), も(しくは) |
| 美 |
beautiful, lovely; beauty |
ビ, ミ |
うつく(しい) |
| 深 |
deep; to deepen; late (at night) |
シン |
ふか(い), ふか(まる), ふか(める) |
| 良 |
good, fine; skilled, of good quality |
リョウ |
よ(い) |
| 太 |
thick, fat; big, deep (in compounds) |
タイ, タ |
ふと(い), ふと(る) |
| 易 |
easy, simple; trade, exchange; divination |
エキ, イ |
やさ(しい) |
| 速 |
fast, quick; speed; quickly, promptly |
ソク |
はや(い), はや(める), すみ(やか), はや(まる) |
| 単 |
single, simple; unit; alone, just |
タン |
— |
| 冷 |
cold, cool; to cool, chill; calm, unmoved |
レイ |
つめ(たい), ひ(える), ひ(や), ひ(ややか), ひ(やす), ひ(やかす), さ(める), さ(ます) |
| 適 |
suitable, fitting; to fit, match |
テキ |
— |
| 精 |
spirit, energy; fine, detailed; pure, refined |
セイ, ショウ |
— |
| 静 |
quiet, silent; calm, still |
セイ, ジョウ |
しず-, しず(か), しず(まる), しず(める) |
| 遅 |
late; slow; to be delayed |
チ |
おく(れる), おく(らす), おそ(い) |
| 雑 |
mixed, miscellaneous; rough, careless |
ザツ, ゾウ |
— |
| 遠 |
far, distant |
エン, オン |
とお(い) |
| 似 |
to look like, resemble; similar |
ジ |
に(る) |
| 暗 |
dark; gloomy; from memory (in compounds) |
アン |
くら(い) |
| 忙 |
busy |
ボウ |
いそが(しい) |
| 偶 |
by chance, accidentally; even (number) |
グウ |
— |
| 偉 |
great, important; admirable |
イ |
えら(い) |
Abstract words and useful word parts
| Kanji |
Meaning |
On'yomi |
Kun'yomi |
| 当 |
to hit (a target); right, proper; this, the (one) in question |
トウ |
あ(たる), あ(てる) |
| 性 |
nature, character; sex, gender; -ness, quality (as a suffix) |
セイ, ショウ |
— |
| 機 |
machine, device; chance, opportunity; airplane (in compounds) |
キ |
はた |
| 式 |
ceremony; style, type; formula, equation |
シキ |
— |
| 容 |
to hold, contain; content(s); form, appearance |
ヨウ |
— |
| 格 |
status, rank; standard, case (grammar); to pass (an exam) |
カク, コウ |
— |
| 状 |
state, condition; letter, document |
ジョウ |
— |
| 構 |
to build, set up; structure, setup; to mind, care about |
コウ |
かま(える), かま(う) |
| 例 |
example, instance; custom, the usual |
レイ |
たと(える) |
| 然 |
like that, in that way; -ly (adverb suffix); nature (in compounds) |
ゼン, ネン |
— |
| 形 |
shape, form; figure; appearance, look |
ケイ, ギョウ |
かた, かたち |
| 種 |
kind, type; seed; species |
シュ |
たね |
| 段 |
step, stairs; level, grade; stage, phase |
ダン |
— |
| 他 |
other, another; else |
タ |
ほか |
| 類 |
kind, sort, type; to be similar; category |
ルイ |
たぐ(い) |
| 列 |
line, row; queue; series |
レツ |
— |
| 御 |
honorific prefix; to control, manage |
ギョ, ゴ |
おん- |
How should you study the N3 kanji?
386 kanji is a lot, so plan for it. At five new kanji a day, you'll get through this list in about 11 weeks. Three to four months is comfortable with time for review. Here's what works at this level:
- Learn kanji through words, not on their own. At N3, most kanji live in two-kanji compounds. Learn 報 with 報告 (hōkoku, report) and 情報 (jōhō, information), or 確 with 確認 (kakunin, confirmation). The word gives you the reading and the meaning in one go.
- Use the on'yomi to guess new words. Once you know that 議 is ギ and 会 is カイ, you can read 会議 (kaigi, meeting) the first time you see it. This skill grows fast at N3 and saves you a lot of time at N2.
- Group kanji by shared parts. Many N3 kanji share a component that hints at the on'yomi. 晴, 静, 精 and 情 all contain 青 and are all read セイ or ジョウ. Our guide to kanji radicals shows how to break kanji into parts.
- Study opposites and pairs together. 勝 and 負, 賛 and 否, 押 and 引, 冷 and 熱 stick better side by side. So do the family words 夫, 妻, 祖 and 娘.
- Watch for verbs with the same reading. N3 has many kanji that share a kun'yomi, like つと(める) for 勤, 努 and 務. These are exactly what the orthography questions test (see the look-alikes below).
- Review a little every day. You're now juggling more than 600 kanji across three levels. Spaced repetition keeps the older ones from slipping while you add new ones.
- Read real sentences. N3 reading passages are longer and look more like real Japanese. Short news items, notices and graded readers are good practice.
Here's a sentence with several N3 kanji:
会議の内容を部長に報告しました。
Kaigi no naiyō o buchō ni hōkoku shimashita. I reported what was discussed at the meeting to my manager.
議, 内, 容, 部, 報 and 告 are all N3 kanji. For a full routine across all four skills, see our JLPT study plan. Grammar grows a lot at this level too, so pair this list with our JLPT N3 grammar list.
Which N3 kanji are easy to confuse?
N3 kanji are more complex, and many differ by a single stroke. These are worth learning side by side:
- 未 (not yet) and 末 (end): in 未, the top line is shorter than the one below it. In 末, the top line is longer. 未来 (mirai) is the future, and 週末 (shūmatsu) is the weekend.
- 若 (young) and 苦 (painful): both have the grass radical on top. 若 has 右 underneath, and 苦 has 古.
- 晴, 静, 精 and 情: all share 青. The left side tells them apart: 日 (sun) for 晴 (clear weather), 忄 (heart) for 情 (feelings) and 米 (rice) for 精 (spirit, refined). 静 (quiet) has 青 on the left instead.
- 失 (lose) and 夫 (husband): 失 has an extra stroke that pokes out at the top left.
- 怒 (anger) and 努 (effort): both have 奴 on top. 怒 has 心 (heart) below, and 努 has 力 (power).
- 積 (pile up) and 責 (responsibility): 積 is 責 with the grain radical 禾 added on the left.
- 職 (job) and 識 (knowledge): they share the right side. 職 has 耳 (ear) on the left, and 識 has 言 (speech).
- 険 (steep, dangerous) and 験 (test): they share the right side. 険 has the hill radical 阝, and 験 (an N4 kanji) has 馬 (horse).
- 鳴 (cry, ring) and 鳥 (bird): 鳴 is 鳥 with 口 (mouth) added, because birds make sounds.
Some N3 verbs are read the same way but written with different kanji. The kanji shows the meaning:
| Reading |
Kanji |
Meaning |
| つとめる |
勤める / 努める / 務める |
work for (a company) / make an effort / serve in a role |
| なおす |
治す / 直す |
cure (an illness) / fix, correct |
| さめる |
覚める / 冷める |
wake up / cool down |
| あらわす |
表す / 現す |
express (feelings) / show (oneself), appear |
How does the JLPT N3 test kanji?
At N3, kanji are tested in the vocabulary section. In kanji reading questions, you choose the correct hiragana reading of an underlined word. In orthography questions, you choose the correct kanji for a word written in hiragana. The wrong answers are usually look-alikes or kanji with the same reading, so pairs like 勤める and 務める matter. Everything is multiple choice, and you never write kanji by hand.
Kanji also matter in the grammar and reading section, which shares one 70-minute test period at N3. Fast kanji recognition gives you more time for the longer passages. For the full breakdown of sections and timing, see the JLPT test format or our complete JLPT guide, and check the official JLPT website for current details.
Frequently asked questions
How many kanji are on the JLPT N3?
There's no official number. Most lists put the N3 total at about 650 kanji, which means roughly 350–370 new ones on top of N5 and N4. The Kantan JLPT N3 set has 386, which brings you to 641 when combined with our N5 and N4 sets.
Do I need to know the N5 and N4 kanji first?
Yes. The JLPT levels are cumulative, so N3 questions can use any N5 or N4 kanji. Many N3 words, like 最近 (saikin, recently) and 生放送 (namahōsō, live broadcast), mix kanji from different levels.
Do I need to know every reading listed?
No. Focus on the readings in common N3 words, such as ホウ in 報告 (hōkoku, report) and しら(べる) in 調べる (shiraberu, to look into). Rare readings, like まつりごと for 政, won't come up at N3.
How long does it take to learn the N3 kanji?
At five kanji a day with regular review, you can cover this list in about three to four months. Studying them with N3 vocabulary takes longer but makes them stick much better. Plan extra time for the level as a whole, since vocabulary and grammar grow just as fast.
What comes after the N3 kanji?
N2, which adds roughly another 350 kanji, for about 1,000 in total. Our JLPT N2 kanji list picks up where this one ends.
Study the N3 kanji in Kantan JLPT
This list comes from the N3 kanji set in Kantan JLPT. In the app, each kanji is linked to the N3 words it appears in, so you learn meanings and readings together instead of in isolation. Spaced-repetition reviews bring back the kanji you miss, and N3 mock tests include kanji reading and orthography questions in the JLPT style. For a plan that covers every level, go back to the kanji guide.