If you’re just starting to learn Japanese, mastering the basic kanji is essential. The JLPT N5 level includes fundamental characters used in everyday life. In this article, we’ll introduce 5 must-know N5 kanji: 人 (person), 一 (one), 日 (day/sun), 大 (big), and 年 (year). We’ll cover each character’s meaning, readings (onyomi & kunyomi), stroke count, and example vocabulary to help you memorize and use them effectively.
1. 人 (person)
- Meaning: person
- Onyomi (音読み): ジン (jin), ニン (nin)
- Kunyomi (訓読み): ひと (hito)
- Stroke Count: 2
🔍 Vocabulary Examples:
- 人（ひと）– person
- 日本人（にほんじん）– Japanese person
- 三人（さんにん）– three people
2. 一 (one)
- Meaning: one
- Onyomi: イチ (ichi), イツ (itsu)
- Kunyomi: ひと（つ）
- Stroke Count: 1
🔍 Vocabulary Examples:
- 一（いち）– one
- 一人（ひとり）– one person
- 一日（いちにち）– one day
3. 日 (day / sun)
- Meaning: day, sun
- Onyomi: ニチ (nichi), ジツ (jitsu)
- Kunyomi: ひ (hi), び (bi), か (ka)
- Stroke Count: 4
🔍 Vocabulary Examples:
- 日（ひ）– day, sun
- 日本（にほん）– Japan
- 日曜日（にちようび）– Sunday
- 三日（みっか）– third day of the month
4. 大 (big)
- Meaning: big, large
- Onyomi: ダイ (dai), タイ (tai)
- Kunyomi: おお（きい）
- Stroke Count: 3
🔍 Vocabulary Examples:
- 大きい（おおきい）– big
- 大学（だいがく）– university
- 大人（おとな）– adult
5. 年 (year)
- Meaning: year
- Onyomi: ネン (nen)
- Kunyomi: とし
- Stroke Count: 6
🔍 Vocabulary Examples:
- 年（とし）– year, age
- 一年（いちねん）– one year
- 今年（ことし）– this year
📘 Final Tips for Learning N5 Kanji
- Practice writing each kanji multiple times while saying its reading out loud.
- Use flashcards or apps like Anki, WaniKani, or JLPT Sensei to quiz yourself.
- Create short phrases or sentences using the kanji to reinforce their meaning in context.
✨ Keep practicing and reviewing regularly. Mastering these kanji will lay a strong foundation for your Japanese language journey and help you pass the JLPT N5 with confidence!
📚 Stay tuned for our next post: Learn Japanese N5 Kanji – Part 2 featuring more high-frequency characters!