JLPT N4 Kanji List: All 166 Kanji With Meanings and Readings
By the Kantan JLPT team · · 22 min read
Quick answer: JLPT N4 adds roughly 170–200 kanji to what you learned for N5, for a total of about 250–300. Below are all 166 kanji in the Kantan JLPT N4 set, grouped by topic, with their meanings, on'yomi and kun'yomi. There's no official JLPT kanji list, so other sources may include a few more or fewer, but these cover the kanji you'll see most at this level.
N4 kanji are where everyday Japanese starts to open up: family words, seasons, colors, shopping, travel and the verbs you use every day. If you haven't settled on a study method yet, read our complete guide to learning kanji for the JLPT first. This list assumes you already know the kanji in our JLPT N5 kanji list, and together the two sets give you 245 kanji.
Is there an official JLPT N4 kanji list?
No. The JLPT stopped publishing official kanji and vocabulary lists when the test was revised in 2010. Every N4 list, including this one, is based on older test guidelines, past test content and teaching experience. That's why one list might have about 170 kanji and another closer to 250.
Don't let that worry you. Common kanji like 会, 新, 思, 駅 and 買 are on every N4 list. If a kanji you see on another list is missing here, it's usually a less frequent one, or one that other lists place at N5 or N3.
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. おし(える) means the word is written 教える and read おしえる.
- 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 kun'yomi.
Many N4 kanji have long lists of readings, and some of them are rare or old-fashioned. You don't need all of them. Learn the readings that appear in the words you're studying, and skip the rest for now.
JLPT N4 kanji list by topic
Time and seasons
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 朝 | morning | チョウ | あさ |
| 昼 | noon; daytime | チュウ | ひる |
| 夕 | evening | セキ | ゆう |
| 夜 | night | ヤ | よ, よる |
| 週 | week | シュウ | — |
| 曜 | day of the week | ヨウ | — |
| 春 | spring (season) | シュン | はる |
| 夏 | summer | カ, ガ, ゲ | なつ |
| 秋 | autumn (fall) | シュウ | あき, とき |
| 冬 | winter | トウ | ふゆ |
| 早 | early; quick, fast | ソウ, サッ | はや(い), はや, はや-, はや(まる), はや(める), さ- |
| 去 | leave, go away; past, last (year) | キョ, コ | さ(る), -さ(る) |
| 代 | replace, stand in for; generation, era; charge, fee | ダイ, タイ | か(わる), かわ(る), かわ(り), か(わり), -がわ(り), -が(わり), か(える), よ, しろ |
| 世 | world, society; generation | セイ, セ, ソウ | よ |
Family and people
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 親 | parent; close, intimate | シン | おや, おや-, した(しい), した(しむ) |
| 兄 | older brother | ケイ, キョウ | あに |
| 弟 | younger brother | テイ, ダイ, デ | おとうと |
| 姉 | older sister | シ | あね |
| 妹 | younger sister | マイ | いもうと |
| 族 | family, clan; group of people | ゾク | — |
| 家 | house, home; family, household | カ, ケ | いえ, や, うち |
| 私 | I, me; private | シ | わたくし, わたし |
| 自 | oneself; one's own | ジ, シ | みずか(ら), おの(ずから), おの(ずと) |
| 者 | person (who does ~); -er, one who | シャ | もの |
| 主 | main, chief; master, owner | シュ, ス, シュウ | ぬし, おも, あるじ |
Body and health
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 手 | hand | シュ, ズ | て, て-, -て, た- |
| 足 | foot, leg; be enough; add | ソク | あし, た(りる), た(る), た(す) |
| 口 | mouth; opening, entrance | コウ, ク | くち |
| 目 | eye; item; -th (in order) | モク, ボク | め, -め, ま- |
| 体 | body | タイ, テイ | からだ, かたち |
| 心 | heart (feelings); mind, spirit | シン | こころ, -ごころ |
| 力 | power, force; ability | リョク, リキ, リイ | ちから |
| 病 | illness; be sick | ビョウ, ヘイ | や(む), -や(み), やまい |
| 医 | medicine; doctor | イ | い(やす), い(する), くすし |
| 死 | death; to die | シ | し(ぬ), し(に)- |
Places and buildings
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 京 | capital city; short for Tokyo or Kyoto | キョウ, ケイ, キン | みやこ |
| 町 | town | チョウ | まち |
| 田 | rice field | デン | た |
| 野 | field, open country; area (of study) | ヤ, ショ | の, の- |
| 地 | ground, earth; land, area | チ, ジ | — |
| 海 | sea, ocean | カイ | うみ |
| 場 | place, spot; scene, setting | ジョウ, チョウ | ば |
| 道 | road, path; way | ドウ, トウ | みち, いう |
| 駅 | station | エキ | — |
| 館 | large building, hall; inn | カン | やかた, たて |
| 堂 | hall | ドウ | — |
| 室 | room | シツ | むろ |
| 屋 | shop; -seller; roof | オク | や |
| 店 | store, place of business | テン | みせ, たな |
| 院 | institution; hospital (in compounds) | イン | — |
| 界 | world (of ~), circles; border, limit | カイ | — |
| 洋 | Western, overseas; ocean | ヨウ | — |
Food and animals
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 肉 | meat | ニク | しし |
| 魚 | fish | ギョ | うお, さかな, -ざかな |
| 鳥 | bird | チョウ | とり |
| 牛 | cow; beef | ギュウ | うし |
| 犬 | dog | ケン | いぬ, いぬ- |
| 茶 | tea | チャ, サ | — |
| 飯 | cooked rice; a meal | ハン | めし |
| 味 | taste, flavor; meaning (in compounds) | ミ | あじ, あじ(わう) |
Colors, weather and nature
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 赤 | red | セキ, シャク | あか, あか-, あか(い), あか(らむ), あか(らめる) |
| 青 | blue; green (of plants, traffic lights) | セイ, ショウ | あお, あお-, あお(い) |
| 黒 | black | コク | くろ, くろ(ずむ), くろ(い) |
| 色 | color | ショク, シキ | いろ |
| 花 | flower | カ, ケ | はな |
| 風 | wind; style, manner (-like) | フウ, フ | かぜ, かざ-, -かぜ |
| 空 | sky; empty; free (space or time) | クウ | そら, あ(く), あ(き), あ(ける), から, す(く), す(かす), むな(しい) |
School and study
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 教 | teach | キョウ | おし(える), おそ(わる) |
| 習 | learn; practice | シュウ, ジュ | なら(う), なら(い) |
| 勉 | make an effort; strive | ベン | つと(める) |
| 研 | polish; study deeply (as in research) | ケン | と(ぐ) |
| 究 | research, study thoroughly | キュウ, ク | きわ(める) |
| 試 | try out, attempt; test, exam | シ | こころ(みる), ため(す) |
| 験 | test, examine; experience | ケン, ゲン | あかし, しるし, ため(す), ためし |
| 問 | ask, inquire; question, issue | モン | と(う), と(い), とん |
| 質 | quality, character; ask (in compounds) | シツ, シチ, チ | たち, ただ(す), もと, わりふ |
| 題 | title, heading; topic, theme | ダイ | — |
| 答 | answer, reply; solution | トウ | こた(える), こた(え) |
| 字 | character, letter; handwriting | ジ | あざ, あざな, -な |
| 漢 | Chinese (as in kanji) | カン | — |
| 英 | English; Britain | エイ | はなぶさ |
| 文 | sentence, text; writing; literature | ブン, モン | ふみ, あや |
Thinking and speaking
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 思 | think, believe; feel | シ | おも(う), おもえら(く), おぼ(す) |
| 考 | think over, consider; idea | コウ | かんが(える), かんが(え) |
| 知 | know | チ | し(る), し(らせる) |
| 意 | meaning, sense; intention, will | イ | — |
| 理 | reason, logic; principle | リ | ことわり |
| 言 | say, speak; word, remark | ゲン, ゴン | い(う), こと |
Music, pictures and media
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 音 | sound; noise, tone | オン, イン, -ノン | おと, ね |
| 歌 | sing; song | カ | うた, うた(う) |
| 映 | reflect; project, show (on a screen) | エイ | うつ(る), うつ(す), は(える), -ば(え) |
| 写 | copy; take a photo | シャ, ジャ | うつ(す), うつ(る), うつ-, うつ(し) |
| 画 | picture, painting; stroke (of a kanji) | ガ, カク, エ, カイ | えが(く), かく(する), かぎ(る), はかりごと, はか(る) |
| 楽 | fun, enjoyable; easy, comfortable; music | ガク, ラク, ゴウ | たの(しい), たの(しむ), この(む) |
| 図 | diagram, chart; map, drawing | ズ, ト | え, はか(る) |
| 紙 | paper | シ | かみ |
Moving, coming and going
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 動 | move; motion, movement | ドウ | うご(く), うご(かす) |
| 通 | go through, pass; commute; street, avenue | ツウ, ツ | とお(る), とお(り), -とお(り), -どお(り), とお(す), とお(し), -どお(し), かよ(う) |
| 運 | carry, transport; luck, fortune | ウン | はこ(ぶ) |
| 歩 | walk; step, pace | ホ, ブ, フ | ある(く), あゆ(む) |
| 走 | run | ソウ | はし(る) |
| 急 | hurry; sudden; urgent | キュウ | いそ(ぐ), いそ(ぎ), せ(く) |
| 止 | stop | シ | と(まる), -ど(まり), と(める), -と(める), -ど(め), とど(める), とど(め), とど(まる), や(める), や(む), -や(む), よ(す), -さ(す), -さ(し) |
| 送 | send; see off, escort | ソウ | おく(る) |
| 帰 | go or come home; return | キ | かえ(る), かえ(す), おく(る), とつ(ぐ) |
| 起 | wake up, get up; happen, occur | キ | お(きる), お(こる), お(こす), おこ(す), た(つ) |
| 着 | put on (clothing); arrive | チャク, ジャク | き(る), -ぎ, き(せる), -き(せ), つ(く), つ(ける) |
| 待 | wait | タイ | ま(つ), -ま(ち) |
| 住 | live (in a place); dwelling | ジュウ, ヂュウ, チュウ | す(む), す(まう), -ず(まい) |
| 発 | depart, set out; give off, send out | ハツ, ホツ | た(つ), あば(く), おこ(る), つか(わす), はな(つ) |
| 立 | stand, stand up; set up, establish | リツ, リュウ | た(つ), -た(つ), た(ち)-, た(てる), -た(てる), た(て)-, たて-, -た(て), -だ(て), -だ(てる) |
| 転 | roll, turn over; fall down; change | テン | ころ(がる), ころ(げる), ころ(がす), ころ(ぶ), まろ(ぶ), うたた, うつ(る), くる(めく) |
| 開 | open | カイ | ひら(く), ひら(き), -びら(き), ひら(ける), あ(く), あ(ける) |
| 旅 | trip, journey; travel | リョ | たび |
Everyday actions
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 会 | meet; meeting, gathering | カイ, エ | あ(う), あ(わせる), あつ(まる) |
| 使 | use | シ | つか(う), つか(い), -つか(い), -づか(い) |
| 用 | use, employ; errand, something to do | ヨウ | もち(いる) |
| 作 | make, produce; a work (of art) | サク, サ | つく(る), つく(り), -づく(り) |
| 持 | hold, carry; have, own | ジ | も(つ), -も(ち), も(てる) |
| 飲 | drink | イン, オン | の(む), -の(み) |
| 集 | gather; collect | シュウ | あつ(まる), あつ(める), つど(う) |
| 別 | separate; another, different; parting | ベツ | わか(れる), わ(ける) |
| 始 | start, begin | シ | はじ(める), -はじ(める), はじ(まる) |
| 終 | finish, end; final | シュウ | お(わる), -お(わる), おわ(る), お(える), つい, つい(に) |
| 切 | cut; important (in compounds) | セツ, サイ | き(る), -き(る), き(り), -き(り), -ぎ(り), き(れる), -き(れる), き(れ), -き(れ), -ぎ(れ) |
| 建 | build | ケン, コン | た(てる), た(て), -だ(て), た(つ) |
| 注 | pour; pay attention; note | チュウ | そそ(ぐ), さ(す), つ(ぐ) |
| 計 | measure, count; total; plan | ケイ | はか(る), はか(らう) |
Work and society
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 仕 | serve; do (work) | シ, ジ | つか(える) |
| 事 | matter, affair; thing (abstract) | ジ, ズ | こと, つか(う), つか(える) |
| 社 | company, firm; Shinto shrine | シャ | やしろ |
| 員 | member (of a group); staff, employee | イン | — |
| 業 | business, industry; line of work | ギョウ, ゴウ | わざ |
| 工 | craft, manufacturing; construction | コウ, ク, グ | — |
| 公 | public; official | コウ, ク | おおやけ |
| 台 | stand, platform; counter for machines and vehicles | ダイ, タイ | うてな, われ, つかさ |
Shopping and things
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 売 | sell | バイ | う(る), う(れる) |
| 買 | buy | バイ | か(う) |
| 借 | borrow | シャク | か(りる) |
| 貸 | lend; rent out | タイ | か(す), か(し)-, かし- |
| 品 | goods, article; quality | ヒン, ホン | しな |
| 物 | thing, physical object; goods | ブツ, モツ | もの, もの- |
| 服 | clothes | フク | — |
| 料 | fee, charge; materials, ingredients | リョウ | — |
| 銀 | silver | ギン | しろがね |
Describing words
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 新 | new | シン | あたら(しい), あら(た), あら-, にい- |
| 古 | old; used, secondhand | コ | ふる(い), ふる-, -ふる(す) |
| 同 | same | ドウ | おな(じ) |
| 多 | many, much; frequent | タ | おお(い), まさ(に), まさ(る) |
| 少 | few, little; a bit | ショウ | すく(ない), すこ(し) |
| 強 | strong, powerful; strengthen; force | キョウ, ゴウ | つよ(い), つよ(まる), つよ(める), し(いる), こわ(い) |
| 重 | heavy; important, serious | ジュウ, チョウ | え, おも(い), おも(り), おも(なう), かさ(ねる), かさ(なる), おも |
| 近 | near, close; recent | キン, コン | ちか(い) |
| 広 | wide, broad; spacious | コウ | ひろ(い), ひろ(まる), ひろ(める), ひろ(がる), ひろ(げる) |
| 安 | cheap, low-priced; safe, secure | アン | やす(い), やす(まる), やす, やす(らか) |
| 正 | correct, right; proper | セイ, ショウ | ただ(しい), ただ(す), まさ, まさ(に) |
| 真 | true, real; exactly, right (in the middle) | シン | ま, ま-, まこと |
| 悪 | bad, wrong; evil | アク, オ | わる(い), わる-, あ(し), にく(い), -にく(い), ああ, いずくに, いずくんぞ, にく(む) |
| 明 | bright, light; clear, obvious | メイ, ミョウ, ミン | あ(かり), あか(るい), あか(るむ), あか(らむ), あき(らか), あ(ける), -あ(け), あ(く), あ(くる), あ(かす) |
| 有 | have, possess; exist | ユウ, ウ | あ(る) |
| 特 | special; especially | トク | — |
Useful word parts
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不 | not; un-, non- (negative prefix) | フ, ブ | — |
| 以 | with, by means of; from ~ on | イ | もっ(て) |
| 元 | origin, source; former, ex- | ゲン, ガン | もと |
| 方 | direction, side; way (of doing); person (polite) | ホウ | かた, -かた, -がた |
| 度 | degree (unit); times, occurrences | ド, ト, タク | たび, -た(い) |
How should you study the N4 kanji?
166 kanji sounds like a lot, but you already have a head start. At five new kanji a day, you can get through this list in about five weeks, and six to eight weeks is comfortable with time for review. Here's how to build on what you learned at N5:
- Make sure your N5 kanji are solid. Many N4 words combine an N4 kanji with an N5 one, so gaps at N5 slow you down. Review the N5 kanji list before you start.
- Learn kanji through words that mix both levels. For example, 図書館 (toshokan, library), 自転車 (jitensha, bicycle), 会社員 (kaishain, office worker) and 病院 (byōin, hospital) each pair new kanji with ones you already know.
- Learn related kanji together. Topics help here: study the four seasons in one session, or 兄, 弟, 姉 and 妹 together. Opposites like 売 and 買, or 始 and 終, also stick better as pairs.
- Start using radicals. N4 kanji are more complex than N5 ones, and most are built from parts you've seen before. 読, 語 and 話 at N5 share 言, the speech radical, and so does 試 here. Our guide to kanji radicals shows the most useful ones.
- Watch for special readings. Some common words don't follow the normal readings, like 今朝 (kesa, this morning), 明日 (ashita, tomorrow), 時計 (tokei, clock) and 上手 (jōzu, skilled).
- Review a little every day. Spaced repetition matters more at N4, because you'll be juggling more than 200 kanji across both levels.
- Read short sentences. N4 reading passages use more kanji than N5 ones, so practice reading them in context.
Here's a sentence with several N4 kanji:
毎朝、駅まで歩いて、電車で会社に行きます。
Maiasa, eki made aruite, densha de kaisha ni ikimasu. Every morning I walk to the station and take the train to work.
Which N4 kanji are easy to confuse?
As kanji get more complex, look-alikes become more common. Here are pairs worth learning side by side:
- 待 (wait) and 持 (hold): they share the right side. 待 has the "going" radical 彳 on the left, and 持 has the hand radical 扌.
- 問 (ask), 間 (between) and 聞 (hear): all three are built around 門, the gate. 問 has 口 (mouth) inside, 間 has 日, and 聞 has 耳 (ear). 間 and 聞 are N5 kanji.
- 体 (body) and 休 (rest): 体 has 本 on the right, and 休 has 木. The only difference is the short line at the bottom.
- 犬 (dog) and 大 (big): 犬 has a dot at the upper right. Don't mix it up with 太 (fat, thick), which has the dot at the bottom.
- 牛 (cow) and 午 (noon): in 牛, the vertical stroke pokes through the top. 午 is an N5 kanji.
- 目 (eye) and 日 (day): 目 has two lines inside the box, and 日 has one.
- 借 (borrow) and 貸 (lend): these don't look alike, but learners often mix up the meanings. 借りる means to borrow from someone, and 貸す means to lend to someone.
- 着る (wear) and 切る (cut): both are read きる. The kanji tells you which word is meant, which is exactly what orthography questions test.
How does the JLPT N4 test kanji?
At N4, kanji are tested inside the vocabulary questions, just as at N5. 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. Everything is multiple choice, so you never have to write kanji by hand.
Kanji also matter in the reading section, where passages are longer and use more kanji than at N5. For a full overview of the exam, see the complete JLPT guide, and check the official JLPT website for the current test format.
Frequently asked questions
How many kanji are on the JLPT N4?
There's no official number. Most lists add roughly 170–200 kanji at N4, for about 250–300 in total. The Kantan JLPT N4 set has 166, which brings you to 245 when combined with the 79 kanji in our N5 set.
Do I need to learn the N5 kanji first?
Yes. The JLPT levels are cumulative, so N4 questions can use any N5 kanji too. Many N4 words, like 銀行 (ginkō, bank) and 食堂 (shokudō, cafeteria), combine kanji from both levels.
Do I need to know every reading listed?
No. Focus on the readings in common N4 words, such as ケン in 研究 (kenkyū, research) and ため(す) in 試す (tamesu, to try). Rare readings, like いずくんぞ for 悪, won't come up at N4.
How long does it take to learn the N4 kanji?
At about five kanji a day with regular review, most learners can cover this list in six to eight weeks. Studying them alongside N4 vocabulary takes longer but makes them stick much better.
Study the N4 kanji in Kantan JLPT
This list comes from the N4 kanji set in Kantan JLPT. In the app, each kanji is linked to the N4 words it appears in, so you learn meanings and readings together instead of memorizing them in isolation. Spaced-repetition reviews bring back the kanji you miss, and N4 mock tests include kanji reading and orthography questions in the JLPT style. When you're ready for the next step, the kanji guide has a study plan for every level.