JLPT N4 Overview: What You Actually Need to Know to Pass

So you're thinking about taking the JLPT N4. Maybe you crushed N5 and you're ready for the next step, or maybe you've been studying for a while and want to test where you actually stand. Either way, you're probably wondering: what's the N4 really about, and how much work am I looking at?

Here's the thing—there's a lot of confusing information out there about the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. Some people make N4 sound easy ("it's just basic Japanese!"), while others act like it's this huge leap from N5. The truth is somewhere in the middle, and it depends entirely on how you've been studying.

Let me break down what the JLPT N4 actually tests, what you need to pass it, and—most importantly—whether it's even worth your time.

What N4 Actually Measures

The official definition from the Japan Foundation is pretty vague: "the ability to understand basic Japanese." Cool, but what does that mean?

In practice, N4 tests whether you can handle everyday Japanese situations. Can you read a restaurant menu? Follow a simple conversation at near-normal speed? Understand basic instructions at work or school? That's what N4 is measuring.

Here's what makes N4 different from N5: it's not just about knowing vocabulary and grammar anymore. N4 starts testing whether you can actually use Japanese in context. The reading passages get longer. The listening audio speeds up. The grammar patterns start connecting to each other instead of being isolated concepts.

The test has three sections:

Total test time is about 2 hours. Not terrible, but you need stamina.

The Numbers: Vocabulary, Kanji, and Grammar for N4

Okay, let's talk specifics. To pass the JLPT N4, you need to know approximately:

That's a pretty big jump from N5, especially in vocabulary. You're adding 700 new words, which is almost doubling what you knew before.

The N4 kanji aren't random either. You're learning characters that show up in real situations—restaurants, workplaces, public facilities. Things like 駅 (station), 病院 (hospital), 予約 (reservation). The kind of kanji you actually need if you're going to function in Japan.

For grammar, N4 is where Japanese starts getting interesting. You're not just learning "I go to school" patterns anymore. You're learning how to explain reasons (～ので), express contrasts (～のに), talk about giving and receiving (～てあげる/もらう/くれる), and handle conditional forms. This is the grammar that lets you have actual conversations instead of just stating facts.

If you want to dive deeper into kanji learning strategies, check out our guide on how to learn kanji effectively.

How Long Does It Take to Prepare for the JLPT N4?

Here's where things get real: most estimates say you need about 550-800 study hours total to reach N4 level. That's cumulative—meaning from complete beginner to N4.

If you've already passed N5, you're probably looking at another 250-400 hours of study. At one hour per day, that's roughly 9-13 months. At two hours per day, you could be ready in 4-7 months.

But these numbers assume you're studying effectively. If you're just grinding flashcards and textbook exercises, you're going to need more time. If you're learning from actual Japanese content—shows, manga, conversations—you'll probably need less.

There are some factors that speed things up:

For most people studying outside Japan with no kanji background, plan for the higher end of that range.

The N4 Exam Structure and Passing Requirements

Here's something important that trips people up: the JLPT uses a scaled scoring system, not raw scores. The test is out of 180 total points, split between two sections:

To pass, you need 90 points total (50%). Sounds easy, right?

Here's the catch: you also need minimum scores in each section. You need at least 38 points in the reading section and 19 points in listening. If you fail either minimum, you fail the entire test—even if your total score is over 90.

This actually makes a lot of sense. The test is checking that you have balanced skills. You can't just be amazing at reading and terrible at listening. Real Japanese proficiency means you can handle both.

The pass rate for N4 is around 37-43% depending on the session. That's lower than you might expect for a "basic" level test. The JLPT doesn't mess around.

What You Should Actually Study (and What You Shouldn't)

Look, there are dozens of JLPT prep books out there. Genki, Minna no Nihongo, Shin Kanzen Master, Nihongo Sou Matome—they're all decent. Pick one and stick with it. Textbook hopping is a waste of time.

But here's what most JLPT study guides won't tell you: passing N4 isn't really about memorizing vocabulary lists and grammar patterns. It's about building the ability to understand Japanese in context.

The biggest mistake N4 students make is treating it like a memory test. They make flashcards for 1,500 words, drill grammar patterns in isolation, and then wonder why they struggle on the actual exam. The test questions aren't just "what does this word mean?"—they're "which word fits in this sentence based on context and nuance?"

Here's what actually works:

The JLPT website offers official practice questions. Start there to see what the test actually looks like.

If you're serious about building vocabulary that actually sticks, our guide on how to learn Japanese vocabulary covers proven methods that go way beyond basic flashcards.

Is N4 Actually Worth Taking?

Be honest with yourself about why you want to take the JLPT N4.

If you're planning to work in Japan, N4 won't help you. Most jobs require N2 or N1. If you're applying to Japanese universities, same deal—they want N2 minimum, usually N1.

N4 is useful for:

The real value of N4 is as a stepping stone. It confirms you've moved past absolute beginner stage and you're ready to tackle intermediate Japanese. The knowledge you build for N4—those 300 kanji, 1,500 words, and core grammar patterns—that's the foundation you need for everything that comes after.

If you've already passed N5, you might want to review what that level covers in our JLPT N5 overview. And if you're curious about where this all leads, our JLPT N1 overview shows you what advanced Japanese actually looks like.

The Problem with Traditional N4 Study Methods

Here's what drives me crazy about typical JLPT N4 preparation: it's almost entirely divorced from actual Japanese.

Most students spend months drilling grammar exercises and memorizing vocabulary lists from textbooks. Then they sit for the test and realize they can barely follow the listening section because they've never actually heard most of this vocabulary used naturally. Or they struggle with reading comprehension because seeing words in real context feels completely different from flashcard definitions.

The JLPT tests your ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations. But if you're only studying from textbooks and flashcards, you're not actually exposing yourself to everyday Japanese. You're just memorizing test-specific patterns.

This is where immersion learning makes a massive difference. When you learn Japanese from actual content—shows, YouTube videos, manga, whatever you're interested in—you're not just memorizing isolated words and grammar. You're seeing how everything fits together. You're hearing natural pronunciation and rhythm. You're learning the nuances that textbooks can't really teach.

The best N4 students I've seen aren't the ones who studied the hardest. They're the ones who watched Japanese shows with Japanese subtitles, read manga at their level, and used tools that helped them learn from this real content efficiently.

That's exactly why we built Migaku the way we did. Our browser extension lets you watch Netflix shows and YouTube videos in Japanese while making the learning process actually manageable. You can click any word you don't know and instantly add it to your spaced repetition deck with the sentence context, audio, and even a screenshot from the show. You're learning the same vocabulary and grammar you need for N4, but you're learning it from real Japanese instead of boring textbook drills.

The mobile app syncs everything, so you can review your cards on your commute or whenever you have a few minutes. And instead of generic flashcards with dictionary definitions, you're reviewing actual sentences from shows you care about, with the context that helps you remember them.

It's not that textbooks are useless—they're fine for understanding grammar explanations. But if you want to actually acquire the Japanese you need for N4, you need massive input from real content. Migaku handles all the tedious parts (creating cards, managing reviews, tracking progress) so you can focus on the part that matters: consuming Japanese content you actually enjoy.

Try it free for 10 days and see how much faster you progress when you're learning from real Japanese instead of just textbook exercises.