JLPT Kanji

Learn each JLPT kanji the way it actually behaves — on'yomi and kun'yomi readings, the words that use them, look-alikes to watch for, and a memory hook to make it stick.

How to study kanji without drowning

There are over 2,000 kanji across the JLPT, so the worst thing you can do is try to memorise characters in isolation. The readings only stick when you meet them inside real words: you don't learn 生 by staring at it, you learn it through 学生 (がくせい, student), 先生 (せんせい, teacher), and 生まれる (うまれる, to be born) — and suddenly its readings make sense. That's why every kanji page here leads with example words, ordered easiest-first.

A practical order of attack for each character:

1. Meaning first — one core idea to anchor it.
2. Readings through words — learn on'yomi and kun'yomi in the compounds that actually use them, not as a bare list.
3. Look-alikes — separate the characters you'll otherwise confuse (未/末, 土/士, 待/持) the moment you meet them.
4. Practice readings in the drills until recognition is automatic.

How this section is organised

Every kanji on the JLPT lists has a reference page with its meanings, readings, stroke count, and common words — browse and search the full set on the level lists below (N5, N4, N3, N2, N1). On top of that, the high-value characters get a full in-depth guide — meaning, every reading, word breakdowns, look-alikes, and a memory hook — listed here.

Full kanji list by level: N5 · N4 · N3 · N2 · N1

In-depth kanji guides