JLPT N4 Overview: Complete Guide to Pass the JLPT N4 in 2026
Last updated: January 12, 2026
The JLPT N4 is the second level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, sitting right between N5 (The easiest) and N3 (Intermediate). If you've already passed N5 or studied basic Japanese for about 300 hours, N4 is your next target. The exam tests three main areas: vocabulary and grammar (Combined into one section called "Language Knowledge"), reading comprehension, and listening. You'll need to know around 300 kanji and roughly 1,500 vocabulary words. Compared to N5, which only requires about 100 kanji and 800 words, that's a pretty significant jump.
Understanding the N4 level
Let's get specific about what N4 level actually means for your Japanese language proficiency.
- At N4, you can read and understand passages on familiar daily topics written in basic vocabulary and kanji.
- You can follow conversations about everyday situations if people speak slowly.
- You're basically at the stage where you can survive in Japan without constantly pulling out your phone to translate everything, though you'll still struggle with anything complex.
The difference between N5 and N4 is bigger than most learners expect. N5 covers present and past tense, basic particles, and simple sentence structures. N4 throws in conditional forms, more complex particles, causative and passive forms, and way more vocabulary. You're also expected to understand the context and read between the lines a bit, which N5 barely touches.
Think of N5 as "I can introduce myself and order food" and N4 as "I can explain why I'm late to work and understand the response." That's a meaningful difference. On the other hand, if you wish to get a good start on Japanese from zero, you can try Migaku beginner class that takes you through the basics, and you don't have to worry about where to start at all!
Breaking down the JLPT N4 exam structure
The JLPT N4 exam has three sections, and you've got 115 minutes total to get through everything.
- Language Knowledge (Vocabulary): This section tests whether you know your vocabulary lists inside and out. You'll see questions about word meanings, kanji readings, and choosing the right word for context. The test makers love throwing in similar-looking kanji or words that sound alike to trip you up.
- Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading: Here's where they test your grammar knowledge and reading comprehension together. You'll answer grammar questions about particles, verb forms, and sentence patterns. Then you'll read short and medium-length passages and answer comprehension questions. The passages cover everyday topics like emails, notices, simple articles, and short stories.
- Listening: The listening section plays audio recordings of conversations and announcements. You'll hear people talking about daily situations, making plans, giving directions, and discussing simple topics. Each recording plays only once, so you better be ready.
What’s the pass mark for JLPT N4
The pass mark for JLPT N4 is 90 points out of 180 total. But here's the thing: you can't just bomb one section and ace the others. The JLPT uses sectional scoring, meaning you need to hit minimum scores in each of the three sections.
For N4, you need at least 38 points in Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading combined, and 19 points in Listening. So if you score 60 points in vocabulary and grammar but only 15 in listening, you fail. This sectional requirement catches a lot of people off guard.
The scoring system uses scaled scoring, which means your raw score (Number of correct answers) gets converted to a scaled score. You can't just count up your correct answers and know exactly where you stand. The JLPT does this to keep difficulty consistent across different test administrations.
Vocabulary requirements for N4
You'll need around 1,500 vocabulary words to pass the JLPT N4. That's almost double what N5 requires, and the words get way more specific. N4 vocabulary covers daily life in detail. You're learning words for emotions, abstract concepts, workplace basics, and more specific descriptors.
The vocabulary section will test you on:
- Reading kanji in different contexts
- Choosing contextually appropriate words
- Understanding similar words with different nuances
- Paraphrasing and word relationships
Flashcards work really well for N4 vocabulary because you need to drill these words until they're automatic. You can't afford to spend 10 seconds trying to remember what "sugu" (すぐ) means when you're in the middle of a listening passage. You can adopt the strategy of using Anki decks paired with Migaku flashcards, so you can collect JLPT vocab from Anki decks and use Migaku for leisure-time vocab collection.
Grammar points you need to know
N4 grammar builds on N5 foundations and adds about 100 new grammar patterns. This is where Japanese starts feeling like an actual language system instead of just memorized phrases.
Key grammar areas for N4 include:
- Verb forms: You'll need te-form, ta-form, nai-form, and dictionary form down cold. N4 adds conditional forms like "tara" (たら) and "to" (と), volitional form, and starts combining these in complex ways.
- Causative and passive: Making someone do something or having something done to you. "Tabesaseru" (食べさせる) means "to make someone eat" while "taberareru" (食べられる) means "to be eaten" or "can eat" depending on context. Fun times.
- More particles: Beyond basic particles, you'll learn "shi" (し) for listing reasons, "noni" (のに) for expressing contrast, and "dake" (だけ) for "only."
- Expressions and patterns: Things like "you ni" (ように) for purpose or resemblance, "tame ni" (ために) for purpose or benefit, and "hazu" (はず) for expectations.
The grammar section expects you to recognize these patterns quickly and understand how they change meaning. A single particle can completely flip the meaning of a sentence, so you need to be sharp.
Kanji requirements for the N4 level
N4 requires about 170 kanji total, which includes the roughly 80 kanji from N5. These 250 kanji form the building blocks for most basic reading.
The kanji at N4 level get more complex in structure and meaning. You're moving beyond simple pictographic kanji into more abstract concepts. You'll learn kanji for directions, time expressions, actions, and common verbs.
What makes N4 kanji challenging is that you need to know multiple readings. Most kanji have at least two readings: on-yomi (Chinese reading) and kun-yomi (Japanese reading). The kanji "生" has like eight different readings depending on context. At N4, you're expected to recognize the common ones.
Some important N4 kanji include:
- (saku/tsuku) meaning make or create
- (kyou/tsuyo) meaning strong
- (tai/ma) meaning wait
- (shi/omo) meaning think
- (do/tabi) meaning degree or times
You don't need to write these kanji by hand for the test (It's multiple choice), but you absolutely need to recognize them and know their readings in different contexts.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Don't just memorize answers to practice tests. The actual JLPT N4 exam will have different questions. You need to understand the underlying patterns and vocabulary, not just recognize specific questions.
- Don't ignore the listening section until the last minute. Listening skills develop slowly. You can't fix weak listening in two weeks of intense practice before the test.
- Don't skip learning kanji properly. Some people try to just memorize vocabulary as hiragana and hope they can recognize kanji on test day. That strategy falls apart quickly when you see kanji you've never studied in a reading passage.
- Don't study only from textbooks. The JLPT tests practical Japanese language knowledge. If you only do textbook exercises, you'll struggle with the natural language used in listening passages and reading comprehension.
After you pass the JLPT N4
Passing N4 means you've got solid basic Japanese down. You're ready to tackle intermediate material and start using Japanese for actual communication beyond survival phrases.
Most learners move on to N3 next, which is a significant step up. N3 sits at the lower intermediate level and requires about 650 kanji and 3,000 vocabulary words. The grammar gets substantially more complex, and the test expects you to understand nuance and context much better.
Some people skip N4 entirely and jump from N5 to N3. That's doable if you're studying intensively or living in Japan. But for most self-study learners, N4 provides a good checkpoint to confirm you've mastered the basics before moving to intermediate material.
The JLPT N4 certification itself has limited practical use for jobs or university admission. Most institutions want N2 or N1. But N4 serves as a personal milestone and study motivator. Having a test date forces you to actually study systematically instead of casually dabbling.
How to prepare for the JLPT N4
Preparing for the JLPT N4 takes about 300-400 hours of study if you're starting from N5 level. That's roughly 6-8 months if you study an hour or two daily.
- Get the right resources: There are specific textbooks for the JLPT N4 syllabus. The "Shin Kanzen Master" series covers grammar, vocabulary, kanji, reading, and listening separately. "Try! JLPT N4" is another solid option that combines everything. "Nihongo So-matome" works well if you want a more condensed study plan.
- Build your vocabulary systematically: Don't just randomly learn words. Use vocabulary lists designed for N4. Create flashcards with example sentences, not just isolated words. Seeing "benri" () meaning "convenient" in actual sentences helps way more than memorizing the word alone.
- Practice grammar in context: Grammar textbooks are fine for learning patterns, but you need to see them used naturally. Read simple manga, watch Japanese shows with Japanese subtitles (Migaku can help you generate subtitles), or find graded readers at N4 level. Recognizing grammar in the wild is different from identifying it in textbook exercises.
- Drill kanji readings: Write out the kanji, sure, but spend more time on recognition and reading practice. Use apps or websites that quiz you on kanji readings in different word combinations. The kanji "生" means nothing until you see it in "sensei" () meaning teacher, "gakusei" () meaning student, or "ikiru" () meaning to live.
- Do practice tests: Take full-length practice tests under timed conditions. The official JLPT practice workbooks are worth buying. They show you exactly what question formats to expect. Time pressure is real on test day, so practice working quickly.
- Focus on listening daily: You can't cram listening skills. Spend 20-30 minutes daily listening to Japanese at your level. Podcasts for learners, Japanese YouTube channels, anime with Japanese subtitles, whatever keeps you engaged. Your brain needs time to adjust to processing spoken Japanese at normal speed.
- Read above your level sometimes: N4 materials are great for practice, but occasionally reading N3 or even N2 content exposes you to words and patterns you'll need eventually. You won't understand everything, but you'll start recognizing patterns.
- Join study groups: Finding other people preparing for the JLPT N4 keeps you accountable. You can quiz each other, share resources, and compare strategies. Online communities work fine if you can't find local learners.
Anyway, if you want to level up your study routine with real Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You can create flashcards from actual sentences you encounter, which beats memorizing random vocabulary lists. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.
FAQs
Lastly, don't be afraid of failing the exam!
The JLPT N4 study process itself improves your Japanese regardless of whether you pass. You'll systematically cover grammar, expand vocabulary, and develop reading and listening skills. Even if you don't pass on your first attempt, you've still made significant progress. Track your own progress, and you may realize that you can understand more content when you're consuming media. That's something worth celebrating!
If you consume media in Japanese, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.
Let exam work for you, not the other way around!