JLPT N4 study guide
JLPT N4 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has five levels, from N5, the easiest, to N1, the most difficult. N4 sits just above the entry level. According to the JLPT level descriptions, N4 and N5 measure understanding of basic Japanese mainly learned in class, so N4 is a natural first certificate for learners who have completed an introductory course and want evidence of a solid foundation. At N4, the stated ability is to read and understand passages on familiar daily topics written in basic vocabulary and kanji, and to listen and comprehend conversations encountered in daily life, generally following their contents provided they are spoken slowly. Topics on this exam: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary), Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading, and Listening. The JLPT N4 study guide has 3 sections and about 784 words.
01Vocabulary: Meaning, Form, and Collocation
N4 vocabulary is not a list to memorise in isolation. Questions test whether you can choose a word that fits a sentence's meaning, part of speech, and collocation. Build three layers: kanji readings in common compounds (e.g., 時間, 世話, 相談), verb pairs that share a kanji but differ in okurigana or transitivity (止まる/止める, 開く/開ける, 出る/出す), and fixed phrases with particles or counters (薬を飲む, 三枚の切符). Group words by function: adverbs of degree and frequency (たいへん, なかなか, いつも, たまに), onomatopoeia used in daily speech (どんどん, ぺらぺら), katakana loanwords (アルバイト, エアコン, スーパー), and prefixes/suffixes (お-, ご-, -屋, -中, -後).
273 words, about 1 min02Grammar and Reading: Forms, Particles, and Viewpoint
N4 grammar extends the basic sentence into time, condition, and viewpoint. Master verb forms first: て-form, た-form, ない-form, dictionary form, potential, volitional, passive, causative, and imperative. Then attach sentence patterns: ～ている (ongoing/state), ～てある (resulting state), ～ておく (preparation), ～てしまう (completion/regret), ～てみる (try), ～ていく/～てくる (direction in time), ～ながら (simultaneous), ～ので/～のに (reason/contrast), ～たら/～ば/～と/～なら (conditionals), ～ても (concession), ～しか～ない (only), ～ほど/～くらい (degree), ～ばかり (just/only), ～はず (expectation), ～つもり/～予定 (plan), ～ようになる/～ことになる (change/decision). Short passages ask for main idea, reason, referent, and writer's feeling.
243 words, about 1 min03Listening: Extract the Task, Not Every Word
N4 listening has task-based comprehension, point comprehension, summary, immediate response, and integrated tasks. The skill is not translating every word; it is extracting the information the question asks for-time, place, action, number, reason, or next step. Before the audio starts, read the question and options, underline the category (when/where/who/how much), and predict the kind of word you need. Numbers and counters (一つ, 一枚, 三人, 何回), clock times and dates, days of the week, prices, and durations.
268 words, about 1 min