JLPT N5 flashcards
JLPT N5 · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- これ/それ/あれ/どれ
- これ refers to something near the speaker, それ near the listener, あれ far from both, and どれ asks which one among options.
- この/その/あの/どの
- These words must be followed by a noun: この本 this book, その本 that book near you, あの本 that book over there, どの本 which book.
- 〜つ (general counter)
- The native Japanese counter 〜つ counts general objects from one to ten: ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ, よっつ, いつつ, むっつ, ななつ, やっつ, ここのつ, とお.
- 〜人 (people counter)
- 〜人 counts people but has irregular first two readings: ひとり (1), ふたり (2), then さんにん, よにん, ごにん. よにん is not よんにん.
- 枚/台/本/冊/匹
- Counters pair with object types: 〜枚 flat things, 〜台 machines or vehicles, 〜本 long thin objects, 〜冊 books, 〜匹 small animals.
- Family terms: own vs others
- In polite speech, use お父さん, お母さん, お兄さん, お姉さん for others and 父, 母, 兄, 姉 for one's own family.
- い-adjectives
- い-adjectives end in い in the dictionary form, such as 大きい, 小さい, 高い, 安い, 新しい, 古い. They directly modify nouns: 大きい家.
- な-adjectives
- な-adjectives need な before a noun: 静かな部屋, きれいな花. Common N5 examples include 静か, にぎやか, きれい, 有名, 好き, 嫌い.
- Frequency adverbs
- Frequency adverbs: いつも always, よく often, ときどき sometimes, あまり not much, ぜんぜん not at all. あまり and ぜんぜん require a negative verb.
- Position nouns
- Position nouns: 上 on or above, 下 under or below, 前 front or before, 後ろ behind, 右 right, 左 left, 中 inside, 外 outside, 隣 next to.
- Relative time words
- Time words: 今日 today, 明日 tomorrow, 昨日 yesterday, 今朝 this morning, 今晩 this evening, 毎朝 every morning, 毎日 every day. They often take no particle.
- は versus が
- は marks the topic and is often contrastive; が marks the subject, especially new information or answers to 誰 or 何 questions. 私は学生です versus 誰が学生ですか.
- を object particle
- を marks the direct object of a transitive verb: 本を読みます, 水を飲みます. It is pronounced お when used as a particle.
- に particle
- に marks time points, destinations, and existence location: 七時に起きます, 学校に行きます, 部屋にいます. It does not mark the place of an action.
- で particle
- で marks the place where an action occurs or the means or tool: 図書館で勉強します, バスで行きます, ペンで書きます.
- 〜ます forms
- Polite verb forms: 〜ます present or future, 〜ません negative, 〜ました past, 〜ませんでした past negative. Example: 食べます, 食べません, 食べました, 食べませんでした.
- て-form uses
- The て-form can request with 〜てください, show ongoing action with 〜ています, and connect actions: 朝ごはんを食べて、学校へ行きます.
- い-adjective past
- い-adjectives drop い and add かった for past: 高い→高かった. Negative is 〜くない, and past negative is 〜くなかった. いい becomes よかった.
- な-adjective forms
- な-adjectives use です for present, じゃありません for negative, でした for past, and じゃありませんでした for past negative: 静かです, 静かじゃありません.
- あります versus います
- あります is for inanimate things and plants; います is for people and animals. Pattern: place に thing が あります or います.
- Comparison patterns
- Comparison patterns: A は B より adjective means A is more adjective; A と B と どちらが adjective ですか asks which is more; A が いちばん adjective です means A is the most.
- Reading connectors
- Connectors guide short-passage logic: でも but, そして and then, から because, が but, それから after that. Identify what each connects before choosing an answer.
- 課題理解 task type
- 課題理解 tasks ask what the speaker will do next or needs to do. Listen for the final decision, often marked by じゃあ, では, or それじゃ.
- ポイント理解 task type
- ポイント理解 tasks ask for a specific detail such as time, place, person, or reason. The correct answer is stated once, while similar distractors are corrected.
- 発話表現 task type
- 発話表現 tasks show a situation and ask which utterance fits. Check politeness, direction of action, and whether the speaker is requesting, offering, or asking permission.
- 即時応答 task type
- 即時応答 tasks require the best immediate reply to a short utterance. Common pairs include お願いします, はい、どうぞ, すみません, and ありがとうございます.
- 〜てください request
- 〜てください is a polite request meaning 'please do.' In listening, the requested action often appears with a correction: コーヒーじゃなくて、お茶をください.
- 〜ませんか invitation
- 〜ませんか invites or suggests: 一緒に行きませんか. A common acceptance is いいですね or 行きましょう; refusal may be すみません、ちょっと.
- 〜ましょうか offer
- 〜ましょうか offers help or proposes an action: 荷物を持ちましょうか. Listen for whether the other person accepts with お願いします or declines.
- Sequence markers
- Sequence markers order actions: まず first, 次に next, それから then, 最後に finally. In task listening, the correct action sequence follows these markers.
- Counter sound changes
- Counter readings change with numbers: 一本 is いっぽん, 二本 にほん, 三本 さんぼん; 一個 いっこ, 二個 にこ, 三個 さんこ. Listen for small sound changes.
- Time expressions
- Time expressions: すぐ immediately, あとで later, もう already, まだ not yet, ゆっくり slowly. まだ with a negative means something has not happened yet.