JLPT prep
How to pass the JLPT N5
N5 is the first and easiest level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. Here’s what it covers, how long it takes, and a simple plan to pass it — listening included.
What the JLPT N5 covers
N5 tests the basics: around 100 kanji, roughly 800 words, and simple everyday grammar. It has three sections — vocabulary, grammar & reading, and listening. There’s no speaking or writing, and you pass on total score with a minimum per section — so you can’t skip listening.
How long does it take?
Most learners reach N5 in roughly 3–6 months of steady study (a few hundred hours), though it depends on your pace and how much you listen. Short daily study beats rare cram sessions every time.
A simple study plan
- Learn hiragana and katakana first — everything builds on them.
- Drill the core N5 vocabulary (a deck like Kaishi 1.5k).
- Work through basic grammar (は/が, です/ます, the て-form, particles).
- Listen every day to slow, beginner Japanese.
- Take a practice test a few weeks out to find your gaps.
Don’t neglect listening
The listening section is where N5 candidates most often lose points — textbooks train your reading, not your ear. Build listening early with slow, made-for-learners podcasts, and look up the words that block you. That’s exactly what Wakatta is for.
Train your N5 listening with real podcasts
Tap any word for its reading and meaning, let the AI explain the tricky sentences, and review what you save — with the original audio.
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