JLPT N3 kanji list

JLPT N3 Kanji List with Readings and Examples

If JLPT N5 and N4 are the “learning to walk” stages, N3 is where Japanese stops smiling politely and starts expecting you to actually know things. Not rude, exactly. Just… ambitious.

The good news? N3 kanji are incredibly useful. They show up in daily life, news, signs, and all those messages that seem simple until one tiny character changes the whole meaning. This guide gives you a practical JLPT N3 Kanji List with Readings and Examples, so you can study the characters in a way that sticks.

For a bigger learning path, you can also check the main Learn Japanese page, the Japanese Placement Test JLPT, and the Japanese Vocabulary Test. If you are moving up from the easier levels, the JLPT N5 Kanji and JLPT N4 Kanji pages are nice stepping stones. No judgment if you need them. Kanji is a long game.

How To Use This Kanji List

Each entry below gives you the kanji, reading, English meaning, and an example word or sentence. The goal is not just memorizing shapes like a heroic wallpaper installer. The goal is seeing how the kanji actually lives in real Japanese.

Rōmaji appears immediately after the Japanese text, and every key item includes a clear English meaning. Keep an eye on the examples too. That is where the memory magic happens.

Core JLPT N3 Kanji You Will See Often

KanjiRōmajiEnglish MeaningExample WordExample Sentence
anplan; idea; proposal案内 / annai — guidance, information案内を見ました。
Annai o mimashita.
I looked at the guide.
iby means of; from now on以上 / ijō — more than; not less than以上の人数が必要です。
Ijō no ninzuu ga hitsuyō desu.
We need at least that many people.
irank; position; about一位 / ichii — first place一位になりたいです。
Ichii ni naritai desu.
I want to become first place.
incause; factor原因 / gen’in — cause原因が分かりました。
Gen’in ga wakarimashita.
We found the cause.
eimanage; run; operation営業 / eigyō — business; sales営業は九時からです。
Eigyō wa kuji kara desu.
Business hours start at nine.
i / yasuieasy; simple; exchange容易 / yōi — easy容易ではありません。
Yōi dewa arimasen.
It is not easy.
inorupray; wish祈る / inoru — to pray幸運を祈ります
Kōun o irimasu.
I wish you good luck.
ōrespond; answer; apply応援 / ōen — support; cheer応援しています。
Ōen shiteimasu.
I am cheering for you.
ōgo; journey往復 / ōfuku — round trip往復の切符を買いました。
Ōfuku no kippu o kaimashita.
I bought a round-trip ticket.
osupush; press押す / osu — to pushボタンを押してください
Botan o oshite kudasai.
Please press the button.
onfavor; kindness; grace恩人 / onjin — benefactorを忘れません。
On o wasuremasen.
I will not forget the kindness.
kapossible; acceptable可否 / kahi — yes or no; approvalです。
Ka desu.
It is okay.
katemporary; provisional仮名 / kana — kana scriptの予定です。
Ka no yotei desu.
It is a temporary plan.
kancomplete完成 / kansei — completion完成しました。
Kansei shimashita.
It was completed.
kangovernment official警官 / keikan — police officer警官が来ました。
Keikan ga kimashita.
A police officer came.
kanmanage; pipe; control管理 / kanri — management; control管理が大切です。
Kanri ga taisetsu desu.
Management is important.
kiperiod; term; season時期 / jiki — time; season時期が合いません。
Jiki ga aimasen.
The timing does not match.
kyakuguest; customer観客 / kankyaku — audienceお客さんが多いです。
Okyaku-san ga ooi desu.
There are many customers.
motoめるseek; request; demand要求 / yōkyū — request; demand助けを求めました
Tasuke o motomemashita.
I asked for help.
kyūsupply; salary; pay給料 / kyūryō — salary給料が上がりました。
Kyūryō ga agarimashita.
The salary went up.
ageruraise; lift; mention挙手 / kyoshu — raising a hand手を挙げてください
Te o agete kudasai.
Please raise your hand.
kyōcondition; situation状況 / jōkyō — situation状況は悪くないです。
Jōkyō wa waruku nai desu.
The situation is not bad.
mukauface; turn toward方向 / hōkō — direction駅の方へ向かいます
Eki no hou e mukaimasu.
I head toward the station.
kō / shiawasehappiness; good fortune幸運 / kōun — good luck幸せな気分です。
Shiawase na kibun desu.
I feel happy.
effective; effect効果 / kōka — effect効果がありました。
Kōka ga arimashita.
It worked.
suku / sukilike; fond of好み / konomi — preferenceこの味が好きです
Kono aji ga suki desu.
I like this flavor.
filial piety; respect for parents孝行 / kōkō — devotion to parents親孝行をしたいです。
Oyakōkō o shitai desu.
I want to be good to my parents.
tsugeruinform; tell; announce報告 / hōkoku — report報告してください。
Hōkoku shite kudasai.
Please report it.
komucrowded; include; put in申込 / moushikomi — application申し込みをしました。
Moushikomi o shimashita.
I applied.
mageru / konumix; blend; crowded混雑 / konzatsu — congestion; crowding道が混んでいます
Michi ga kondeimasu.
The road is crowded.
tsumawife人妻 / hitoduma — married womanが料理をしました。
Tsuma ga ryōri o shimashita.
My wife cooked.
matsurifestival; celebrate祭り / matsuri — festival祭りに行きます。
Matsuri ni ikimasu.
I am going to the festival.
nokoruremain; leftover残念 / zannen — regretful; a pity時間が残りました
Jikan ga nokorimashita.
Time remained.
sasaerusupport; branch; pay支店 / shiten — branch store支援が必要です。
Shien ga hitsuyō desu.
Support is needed.
kokorozashiwill; ambition; intention志望 / shibō — desire; ambitionが高いです。
Kokorozashi ga takai desu.
The ambition is high.
edabranch枝分かれ / edawakare — branchingが折れました。
Eda ga oremashita.
The branch broke.
shimaster; teacher; expert教師 / kyōshi — teacher医師になりたいです。
Ishi ni naritai desu.
I want to become a doctor.
shiresources; capital資料 / shiryō — materials; documents資料を送ってください。
Shiryō o okutte kudasai.
Please send the documents.
kauraise; keep (animals)飼育 / shiiku — breeding; keeping animals犬を飼っています
Inu o katteimasu.
I have a dog.
shimesushow; indicate表示 / hyōji — display; indication地図で示しました
Chizu de shimemashita.
I showed it on the map.
motsuhold; have所持 / shoji — possession荷物を持ちます
Nimotsu o mochimasu.
I carry the luggage.
niruresemble; similar似ている / niteiru — similar父に似ています
Chichi ni niteimasu.
I resemble my father.
noberustate; explain説明を述べる / setsumei o noberu意見を述べました
Iken o nobemashita.
I stated my opinion.
jutsuart; technique; method手術 / shujutsu — surgery方法と技術が大事です。
Hōhō to gijutsu ga daiji desu.
Method and skill are important.
junorder; sequence; turn順番 / junban — order; turn順番を待ちます。
Junban o machimasu.
I wait my turn.
hajiめる / hatsubeginning; first初日 / shonichi — first day初めてです。
Hajimete desu.
It is the first time.
matsupine tree松林 / matsubayashi — pine forestが見えます。
Matsu ga miemasu.
I can see the pine tree.
waraulaugh; smile笑顔 / egao — smiling face笑顔がすてきです。
Egao ga suteki desu.
The smile is lovely.
tonaeruchant; recite合唱 / gasshō — chorusみんなで歌を唱えました
Minna de uta o tonaemashita.
We chanted the song together.
shōcommerce; trade商品 / shōhin — product商品を売ります。
Shōhin o urimasu.
I sell products.
shōchapter; section; badge文章 / bunshō — sentence; writing第三章を読みます。
Daisan-shō o yomimasu.
I read chapter three.
warausmile; laugh失笑 / shisshō — laughing in disbelief思わず笑いました
Omowazu waraimashita.
I laughed without meaning to.
teru / shōshine; illuminate; compare照明 / shōmei — lighting照明が明るいです。
Shōmei ga akarui desu.
The lighting is bright.
shōprize; award入賞 / nyūshō — winning a prizeをもらいました。
Shō o moraimashita.
I received an award.
clause; article; item条件 / jōken — condition条件を確認してください。
Jōken o kakunin shite kudasai.
Please check the conditions.
state; condition; shape状況 / jōkyō — situationは見えませんが、状況は大事です。
Jō wa miemasen ga, jōkyō wa daiji desu.
The “shape” kanji is not used alone here, but the situation matters.
tsuneusual; normal; constant常に / tsuneni — always; constantly常に準備しています。
Tsuneni junbi shiteimasu.
I am always prepared.
feeling; emotion; information感情 / kanjō — emotion感情を表します。
Kanjō o arawashimasu.
It expresses emotion.
ueruplant植物 / shokubutsu — plant; vegetation木を植えます
Ki o uemasu.
I plant a tree.
fukaideep深刻 / shinkoku — serious; grave湖は深いです
Mizuumi wa fukai desu.
The lake is deep.
mousu / shinsay; report; apply申込 / moushikomi — application申し込みました
Moushikomimashita.
I applied.
ma / shintrue; reality真実 / shinjitsu — truth真実を知りたいです。
Shinjitsu o shiritai desu.
I want to know the truth.
kami / shingod; spirit神社 / jinja — shrine神社へ行きました。
Jinja e ikimashita.
I went to the shrine.
miru / shinexamine; diagnose診察 / shinsatsu — medical examination医者に診てもらいました
Isha ni mite moraimashita.
A doctor examined me.
mibody; oneself身長 / shinchō — height身長が高いです。
Shinchō ga takai desu.
The height is tall.
susumuadvance; progress進歩 / shinpo — progress少しずつ進みます
Sukoshi zutsu susumimasu.
I move forward little by little.
ikioienergy; force; momentum姿勢 / shisei — posture; attitude勢いがあります
Ikioi ga arimasu.
It has momentum.
seisurname姓名 / seimei — full nameを書いてください。
Sei o kaite kudasai.
Please write your family name.
naru / seibecome; achieve完成 / kansei — completion目標を成し遂げます
Mokuhyō o nashitogemasu.
I will accomplish the goal.
kiyoraka / seiclean; pure清潔 / seiketsu — clean; hygienic部屋を清く保ちます
Heya o kiyoku tamachimasu.
I keep the room clean.
shizukaquiet; calm静か / shizuka — quiet静かな場所が好きです
Shizuka na basho ga suki desu.
I like quiet places.
sekiseat; place座席 / zaseki — seatに座ります。
Seki ni suwarimasu.
I sit in my seat.
tsumupile up; accumulate積極的 / sekkyokuteki — positive; proactive経験が積み重なります
Keiken ga tsumikasanarimasu.
Experience builds up.
setsusection; season; joint節約 / setsuyaku — saving; frugality節約しています。
Setsuyaku shiteimasu.
I am saving money.
setsuexplain; theory説明 / setsumei — explanation説明してください。
Setsumei shite kudasai.
Please explain.
zenwhole; all; complete全部 / zenbu — all全員集まりました。
Zen’in atsumarimashita.
Everyone gathered.
think; imagine; concept予想 / yosō — prediction予想が当たりました。
Yosō ga atarimashita.
The prediction was right.

More High-Value N3 Kanji

KanjiRōmajiEnglish MeaningExample WordExample Sentence
zokufamily; tribe; group家族 / kazoku — family家族と旅行します。
Kazoku to ryokō shimasu.
I travel with my family.
tsuzukucontinue続ける / tsuzukeru — to continue勉強を続けます
Benkyō o tsuzukemasu.
I will continue studying.
sotsugraduate; finish卒業 / sotsugyō — graduation大学を卒業しました
Daigaku o sotsugyō shimashita.
I graduated from university.
fueru / zouincrease; add増加 / zōka — increase人口が増えました
Jinkō ga fuemashita.
The population increased.
kura / zōstorehouse; warehouse冷蔵 / reizō — refrigeration蔵に入れます
Kura ni iremasu.
I put it in the storehouse.
hakarumeasure; guess測定 / sokutei — measurement体温を測ります
Taion o hakarimasu.
I measure my temperature.
zokubelong to; group所属 / shozoku — affiliation会社に所属しています
Kaisha ni shozoku shiteimasu.
I belong to the company.
sonloss; damage損失 / sonshitsu — lossをしました。
Son o shimashita.
I took a loss.
taother; another他人 / tanin — other person; stranger他の案もあります。
Hoka no an mo arimasu.
There is another idea too.
utsuhit; strike; type打合せ / uchiawase — meeting; discussionボールを打ちました
Bōru o uchimashita.
I hit the ball.
退shirizokeru / tairetreat; withdraw退院 / taiin — leaving the hospital退くときです。
Shirizoku toki desu.
It is time to step back.
matsuwait期待 / kitai — expectation駅で待ちます
Eki de machimasu.
I will wait at the station.
tatsuattain; reach; companions達成 / tassei — achievement目標に達しました
Mokuhyō ni tachimashita.
I reached the goal.
tansimple; single単語 / tango — word単純ではないです。
Tanjun dewa nai desu.
It is not simple.
nirau / tancarry; bear responsibility担当 / tantō — person in charge担当を呼んでください。
Tantō o yonde kudasai.
Please call the person in charge.
kotowaru / danrefuse; cut off; decide判断 / handan — judgment断ります
Kotowarimasu.
I refuse.
okureru / osoilate; slow遅刻 / chikoku — being late電車が遅れました
Densha ga okuremashita.
The train was delayed.
okuput; place位置 / ichi — position机の上に置きます
Tsukue no ue ni okimasu.
I put it on the desk.
hikuilow; short低下 / teika — decline値段が低いです
Nedan ga hikui desu.
The price is low.
sadameru / teidecide; fixed予定 / yotei — plan予定を決めました
Yotei o kimemashita.
I decided the plan.
niwagarden; yard庭先 / niwasaki — yardで遊びます。
Niwa de asobimasu.
I play in the yard.
toon foot; junior; disciple徒歩 / toho — walking徒歩で行きます。
Toho de ikimasu.
I go on foot.
hall; temple building食堂 / shokudō — dining hall食堂で食べます。
Shokudō de tabemasu.
I eat in the cafeteria.
hatarakuwork労働 / rōdō — labor毎日働きます
Mainichi hatarakimasu.
I work every day.
tokuspecial; especially特別 / tokubetsu — special特別な日です。
Tokubetsu na hi desu.
It is a special day.
eru / tokugain; obtain得意 / tokui — skilled at; good at経験を得ました
Keiken o emashita.
I gained experience.
dokupoison; harmful有毒 / yūdoku — poisonousに注意してください。
Doku ni chūi shite kudasai.
Please watch out for poison.
netsuheat; fever熱心 / nesshin — enthusiasticがあります。
Netsu ga arimasu.
I have a fever.
nenthought; feeling; concern記念 / kinen — commemoration念のため確認します。
Nen no tame kakunin shimasu.
I will check just in case.
makeru / haidefeat; lose失敗 / shippai — failure; mistake試合に負けました
Shiai ni makemashita.
I lost the match.
umeplum梅雨 / tsuyu — rainy seasonの花が咲きます。
Ume no hana ga sakimasu.
The plum blossoms bloom.
hakuwide; learned; exposition博物館 / hakubutsukan — museum博物館へ行きました。
Hakubutsukan e ikimashita.
I went to the museum.
tobufly飛行機 / hikōki — airplane鳥が飛びます
Tori ga tobimasu.
The bird flies.
hinegative; non-非常 / hijō — emergency; very非常に大切です。
Hijō ni taisetsu desu.
It is extremely important.
sonaeruprepare; provide備考 / bikō — remarks; notes準備を備えます
Junbi o sonaemasu.
I prepare supplies.
hyōevaluate; comment; reputation評価 / hyōka — evaluation評価が高いです。
Hyōka ga takai desu.
The rating is high.
hyōmark; standard; sign目標 / mokuhyō — goal目標を立てます。
Mokuhyō o tatemasu.
I set a goal.
byōsecond秒速 / byōsoku — speed per second一秒だけ待ってください。
Ichi-byō dake matte kudasai.
Please wait one second.
byōillness; disease病院 / byōin — hospital病気になりました。
Byōki ni narimashita.
I got sick.
fuwoman; wife主婦 / shufu — housewife婦人向けです。
Fujin muke desu.
It is for women.
fukureturn; restore; repeat回復 / kaifuku — recovery回復しました。
Kaifuku shimashita.
I recovered.
fukuduplicate; multiple複数 / fukusū — plural; several複数あります。
Fukusū arimasu.
There are several.
hyōcritique; reputation批評 / hihyō — criticism評判がいいです。
Hyōban ga ii desu.
The reputation is good.
mazushii / hinpoor; lacking貧乏 / binbō — poverty貧しい生活です。
Mazushii seikatsu desu.
It is a poor life.
nuno / fucloth; spread公布 / kōfu — official announcementを買いました。
Nuno o kaimashita.
I bought cloth.
konapowder粉末 / funmatsu — powderを入れます。
Kona o iremasu.
I add powder.
tsutsumuwrap; pack包装 / hōsō — packaging荷物を包みます
Nimotsu o tsutsumimasu.
I wrap the luggage.
hanasu / hōrelease; let go; set free放送 / hōsō — broadcast猫を放しました
Neko o hanashimashita.
I let the cat go.
law; method方法 / hōhō — method方法を変えます。
Hōhō o kaemasu.
I change the method.
nozomuhope; wish; desire希望 / kibō — hope希望があります。
Kibō ga arimasu.
There is hope.
kurasulive; spend time; dusk暮らし / kurashi — living; lifestyle静かに暮らします
Shizuka ni kurashimasu.
I live quietly.
sue / matsuend; tip; final週末 / shūmatsu — weekend週末は休みます。
Shūmatsu wa yasumimasu.
I rest on the weekend.
mitsu / manfull; satisfied満足 / manzoku — satisfaction満員です。
Man’in desu.
It is full.
minot yet未来 / mirai — future未定です。
Tei dewa nai desu.
It is undecided.
mayouget lost; be confused迷子 / maigo — lost child道に迷いました
Michi ni maioimashita.
I got lost.
menface; surface; aspect表面 / hyōmen — surfaceこの問題は難しい面があります
Kono mondai wa muzukashii men ga arimasu.
This problem has a difficult side.
yakuabout; promise; roughly約束 / yakusoku — promise約束を守ります。
Yakusoku o mamorimasu.
I keep the promise.
wake / yakutranslation; reason翻訳 / hon’yaku — translationを説明します。
Wake o setsumei shimasu.
I explain the reason.
yutransport; send輸入 / yunyū — import輸出が増えました。
Yushutsu ga fuemashita.
Exports increased.
contain; appearance; allow内容 / naiyō — content内容が大切です。
Naiyō ga taisetsu desu.
The content is important.
need; important; require必要 / hitsuyō — necessary要点をまとめます。
Yōten o matomemasu.
I will summarize the key points.
ribenefit; advantage便利 / benri — convenient便利な場所です。
Benri na basho desu.
It is a convenient place.
nagareru / ryūflow; current; style流行 / ryūkō — trend水が流れます
Mizu ga nagaremasu.
Water flows.
yoi / iigood良い / yoi — good良い結果でした。
Yoi kekka deshita.
It was a good result.
ryōfee; materials料金 / ryōkin — fee料金が高いです。
Ryōkin ga takai desu.
The fee is high.
ryōamount; quantity大量 / tairyō — large quantityを増やします。
Ryō o fuyashimasu.
I increase the amount.
rekihistory歴史 / rekishi — history歴史を学びます。
Rekishi o manabimasu.
I study history.
nerupractice; train練習 / renshū — practice毎日練習します
Mainichi renshū shimasu.
I practice every day.

Useful N3 Phrases And Study Words

These phrases are the kind that show up everywhere. They are short, but they punch above their weight. Very efficient. Like a good umbrella in Tokyo.

  • 案内 / annai — guidance; information
  • 営業 / eigyō — business hours; sales
  • 応援 / ōen — support; cheering
  • 原因 / gen’in — cause
  • 管理 / kanri — management; control
  • 状況 / jōkyō — situation
  • 条件 / jōken — condition; requirement
  • 申し込み / moushikomi — application
  • 準備 / junbi — preparation
  • 成長 / seichō — growth
  • 成功 / seikō — success
  • 失敗 / shippai — failure; mistake
  • 必要 / hitsuyō — necessary
  • 便利 / benri — convenient
  • 記念 / kinen — commemoration
  • 真実 / shinjitsu — truth
  • 練習 / renshū — practice
  • 説明 / setsumei — explanation
  • 予定 / yotei — plan; schedule
  • 友達 / tomodachi — friend

Common Readings That Keep Coming Back

Some N3 kanji are sneaky because the same reading appears in many words. If you recognize the pattern, memorization gets much lighter. Not easy. Just less annoying. Which is already a win.

ReadingCommon KanjiMeaning PatternExample
しょ / shō商, 賞, 章commerce, prize, chapter / shō — prize
じょう / jō状, 情, 常, 条condition, emotion, usual, clause状況 / jōkyō — situation
せい / sei成, 清, 姓become, clean, surname成功 / seikō — success
りょう / ryō料, 量fee, amount料金 / ryōkin — fee
こう / kō幸, 効, 孝, 交happiness, effect, filial piety, exchange効果 / kōka — effect
そう / sō想, 相, 総thought, together, total予想 / yosō — prediction

Example Sentences For Real Study

KanjiRōmajiEnglish Meaning
状況を見て決めます。Jōkyō o mite kimemasu.I will decide after looking at the situation.
準備はもうできました。Junbi wa mō dekimashita.The preparation is already done.
失敗しても大丈夫です。Shippai shitemo daijōbu desu.Even if you fail, it is okay.
説明が分かりやすいです。Setsumei ga wakari yasui desu.The explanation is easy to understand.
予定を変えました。Yotei o kaemashita.I changed the plan.
応援しています。Ōen shiteimasu.I am cheering for you.
管理が必要です。Kanri ga hitsuyō desu.Management is necessary.
理由を教えてください。Riyū o oshiete kudasai.Please tell me the reason.
便利なアプリです。Benri na apuri desu.It is a convenient app.
真実は一つです。Shinjitsu wa hitotsu desu.The truth is one.

Common Confusions And Tiny Nuances

状況 / jōkyō and 状態 / jōtai both mean “state” or “condition,” but 状況 often means the broader situation, while 状態 focuses more on condition or status. Japanese likes these little overlaps just to keep things spicy.

便利 / benri and 良い / yoi both can feel positive, but 便利 is about usefulness, while 良い is just generally “good.” A very useful machine can be 便利, but a nice person is usually 良い.

必要 / hitsuyō means “necessary,” but it is not the same as “must” in every sentence. Context matters. Of course it does. Kanji would not be Kanji without a little emotional complexity.

Quick Practice

Try these before moving on. Do not just stare at the page and hope the kanji telepathically enters your brain. Sadly, it usually does not.

  • Say the reading for 説明 and give one English meaning.
  • Which kanji is used in 準備?
  • What does 状況 mean in English?
  • What is the Rōmaji for 応援?
  • Write a sentence with 予定.
  • Which word means “convenient”: 便利 or 真実?
  • What is the meaning of 失敗?
  • Can you read 料金 aloud?

Mini Review: N3 Kanji By Theme

ThemeKanjiUseful WordMeaning
Daily life案, 便, 量案内, 便利, 量guide, convenient, amount
People and roles師, 官, 婦, 客教師, 警官, 主婦, お客さんteacher, police officer, housewife, customer
Actions押, 進, 置, 打押す, 進む, 置く, 打つpush, advance, place, hit
Mind and feeling感, 情, 念, 想感情, 念, 予想emotion, thought, concern, prediction
Study and work管, 管理, 練, 努管理, 練習, 努力management, practice, effort

Helpful Next Steps

If you want to keep building, move next to the JLPT N3 Japanese Study Guide. You can also circle back to the easier levels with the JLPT N4 Kanji and JLPT N5 Kanji pages if a few of these still feel a bit slippery. That is normal. Kanji is a staircase, not a trampoline.

The best way to handle N3 kanji is simple: review a small group, read examples, write a few sentences, and come back again tomorrow. Tiny effort, repeated often, wins. Annoyingly effective, really.

JLPT N3 kanji are not just test material. They are the bridge between textbook Japanese and the Japanese that actually shows up in everyday life.