JLPT N4 · Elementary

JLPT N4 study guide: what the test covers and what to study

The ability to understand basic Japanese. That is how the JLPT itself describes N4. Below: the official format and pass marks, a ten-question check, what to study for each section, and where to practise it.

Last reviewed 6 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Test facts from jlpt.jp

In short

115 minutes, 3 sections; pass with 90 of 180 and every scoring section above its minimum.
Reading: Passages on familiar daily topics written in basic vocabulary and kanji. Listening: Everyday conversations, provided they are spoken slowly.
No official word, kanji or grammar lists exist; the lists here are the ones this site and its apps use (97 grammar patterns, 621 words).

What the JLPT N4 tests

N4 test sections and times (jlpt.jp; section times can change and listening varies with the recordings)
Section	Time
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary)	25 min
Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading	55 min
Listening	35 min
Total	115 min

N4 scoring: 90 of 180 to pass, and every scoring section at or above its minimum (jlpt.jp)
Scoring section	Score range	Minimum
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading	0 to 120	38
Listening	0 to 60	19

Source: jlpt.jp level summary, test sections and scoring pages, read 6 November 2026. Pass standards have applied since the 2010 test revision.

Is N4 your level? A 10-question check

Six N4 words and four N4 grammar patterns from the lists this site publishes, drawn at random. Eight or more right means N4 material is at your level; ten out of ten twice in a row means try N3. This is a reading check, not a listening one.

Press start to begin.

N4 grammar: 97 patterns

The JLPT N4 grammar list on this site has 97 patterns with examples, audio and quizzes. The first twelve, in the order the list teaches them:

~し~し: expressing multiple reasons or repeating similar things
~て/で: a cause or reason
~んです: explanation, reason
それで: therefore / that's why
~ので: because..., ...so
~てあげる: doing something for someone else
~てくれる: something is done by someone for me or my family
~てもらう: something is done by someone for me or my family
~てくれませんか/~てくださいませんか/~ていただけませんか: Could you...?
あげます/くれます/もらいます: receiving and giving
可能形: Verb Potential-form
命令形: Verb Imperative-form

See all 97 N4 grammar points.

N4 vocabulary: 621 words

The N4 word list (621 words) is the one the Crossword app builds its N4 puzzles from; a web version with audio is planned. Twelve words from it:

Word	Reading	Meaning
気持ち	きもち	feeling, mood
拾う	ひろう	to pick up, to gather
別	べつ	different
小学校	しょうがっこう	elementary school
旅館	りょかん	Japanese hotel
放送	ほうそうする	to broadcast
生活	せいかつする	to live
娘	むすめ	(humble) daughter
講堂	こうどう	auditorium
滑る	すべる	to slide, to slip
返事	へんじ	reply
久しぶり	ひさしぶり	after a long time

N4 kanji

About 300 kanji in total by N4 in most textbook lists (KANJIDIC tags roughly 180 more above its N5 set); the JLPT publishes no list. The Kanji Tower teaches the 1,026 school kanji in real sentences, and FluencyTool's dictionary shows each kanji's JLPT level and school grade so you can check any kanji you meet.

N4 reading and listening

Start with the JLPT N4 reading practice: short passages, questions and a timer. For listening, the test is scored separately with its own minimum, so practise with audio every day: the shadowing materials by level page says what to shadow at N4.

A N4 study plan you can tick off

In the order most learners need it. Your ticks stay in this browser.

Work through the N4 grammar list in order and make one sentence of your own per pattern.
Learn the N4 words in topic groups, 20 a day; the Crossword app drills the full N4 list.
Learn kanji inside words: write each new kanji once and read it in three words.
Do the N4 reading practice with a timer, then read one short text a day with furigana.
Shadow N4 sentences out loud daily; the listening section is scored separately and has its own minimum.
Four weeks out: sit a full mock under the 115-minute timing, score it with the 90-point pass mark and the sectional minimums.
Register early: the test is held twice a year in most countries and seats fill.

Practice N4 in the apps

All four apps are free, with one optional purchase to remove ads. Each link opens the app's page, where you can try it in the browser before installing.

vocabularyMy Senpai CrosswordA daily crossword built from the N4 word list: every clue is an English meaning, every answer a N4 word, typed in romaji.Play the N4 crossword
speakingFluencyToolN4 sentences in sub-levels 6 to 10: a sentence plays, you repeat it, speech-to-text checks the words you said.Shadow N4 sentences
readingYoMooJLPT-graded passages and real news with furigana, JLPT colours on every word and one-tap meanings.Read at N4 level
kanjiFluencyToolWrite kanji stroke by stroke in real sentences; the dictionary shows each kanji's JLPT level and school grade.Write kanji in the Kanji Tower

Frequently asked questions

How long is the JLPT N4 test?

115 minutes of test time in 3 sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (25 minutes), Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading (55 minutes), Listening (35 minutes). Section times are set by the JLPT and can change.

What score do you need to pass JLPT N4?

90 out of 180 overall, and every scoring section at or above its minimum (38 for Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading, 19 for Listening). Missing one sectional minimum fails the level even with a high total.

How many grammar points and words are on JLPT N4?

The JLPT publishes no official lists. This site's N4 grammar list has 97 patterns and the Crossword N4 word list has 621 words; other publishers' counts differ because they split patterns differently.

Is there an official JLPT N4 kanji list?

No. About 300 kanji in total by N4 in most textbook lists (KANJIDIC tags roughly 180 more above its N5 set); the JLPT publishes no list. Learn kanji inside words and sentences rather than from a bare list.

Which app should I use to prepare for JLPT N4?

One per skill: My Senpai Crossword for N4 vocabulary recall, FluencyTool for speaking the N4 sentences and writing kanji, YoMoo for reading with furigana. All four are free with one optional purchase to remove ads.