JLPT N5 is where kanji stop being intimidating squiggles and start becoming real tools. This list gathers around 103 of the most practical N5 kanji – the ones that show up on street signs, in simple manga, and in your first real conversations. No ancient poetry characters, just the everyday building blocks you’ll use again and again.
Each kanji comes with a straightforward meaning and a natural example sentence, so you see it in action instead of staring at a lonely character. The examples use common N5 vocabulary, which means you’re reinforcing grammar and reading at the same time – that’s a double win.
Ready to give your kanji a friendly little workout? Scroll to the bottom of this article to grab the free printable JLPT N5 Kanji vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable JLPT N5 Kanji flashcards.
Use this list as a starting point, then keep going in the Yak Yacker Japanese section for more words, phrases, and study-friendly reference pages.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve locked these N5 kanji into memory? Give the quick quiz below a try – no stress, just a friendly way to spot which ones need another look.
Browse the Full List
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Example Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 秋 | あき | autumn; fall | あき | autumn |
| 紙 | かみ | paper | かみ | paper |
| 絵 | え | picture; drawing | え | picture |
| 聞 | き | to hear; listen | きく | to listen |
| 背 | せ | back; spine | 背中 | back |
| 薬 | くすり | medicine | くすり | medicine |
| 行 | こう / い | go; travel | いく | to go |
| 西 | にし | west | にし | west |
| 見 | けん / み | see; look | みる | to see |
| 角 | かど | corner | かど | corner |
| 話 | はなす | talk; speak | はなす | to talk |
| 語 | ご | language; word | にほんご | Japanese language |
| 読 | よむ | to read | よむ | to read |
| 赤 | あか | red | あかい | red |
| 車 | くるま | car; vehicle | くるま | car |
| 金 | きん | gold; money | きん | gold; money |
| 鍵 | かぎ | key | かぎ | key |
| 長 | ちょう / なが | long; leader | ながい | long |
| 間 | かん | interval; between | じかん | time; hours |
| 雨 | あめ | rain | あめ | rain |
| 電 | でん | electricity | でんき | electricity |
| 靴 | くつ | shoes | くつ | shoes |
| 頭 | あたま | head | あたま | head |
| 食 | たべる / しょく | eat; food | たべる | to eat |
| 飴 | あめ | candy | あめ | candy |
Free JLPT N5 Kanji Vocabulary List PDF and Flashcards
You can download the JLPT N5 Kanji vocabulary list for 100% free with no signup required. Use the purple vocab-list button for the PDF and the teal flashcards button for the JLPT N5 Kanji flashcards.
