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JLPT N4 study guide: what changes after N5, and how to prepare

N4 shows solid basic Japanese: understanding everyday conversations spoken slowly and reading simple texts. It's the natural next step after N5, with roughly twice the vocabulary and kanji.

Updated

How the test works

  • Language knowledge (vocabulary and kanji): about 25 minutes.
  • Language knowledge (grammar) and reading: about 55 minutes.
  • Listening: about 35 minutes.
  • Scored out of 180, pass from 90, with a minimum in each part (38/120 for knowledge + reading, 19/60 for listening).

What you need on top of N5

KanaLearn has 260 new kanji at N4 (369 including N5), 727 words and 36 grammar points.

  • The て-form and its uses: 〜ている (ongoing action, state), 〜てもいい (permission), 〜てはいけない (prohibition).
  • Potential (できる, 食べられる) and volitional forms (行こう, 〜ようと思う).
  • Conditionals: 〜たら, 〜ば, 〜と.
  • Giving and receiving: あげる, くれる, もらう.
  • Plain (casual) forms and subordinate clauses.

Some N4 grammar points

PatternMeaning
〜たらCondition: "when, if" (often a one-off or future event).
〜ばHypothetical condition ("if").
〜と（条件）Automatic / natural result ("when, whenever").
〜てもConcession ("even if").
〜のにUnexpected contrast ("even though, despite").
〜のでReason ("since, because"), more polite than から.
〜そうだ（様態）Appearance, visual impression ("look …").
〜そうだ（伝聞）Hearsay ("I hear that, they say that").
〜ようだ／〜みたいだGuess based on evidence ("it seems that").
〜らしいIndirect information ("apparently, I hear").

A 6-month plan

  • Every day: 10 to 15 new words and 3 kanji, plus all due reviews.
  • Two or three grammar points a week, with example sentences read aloud.
  • From month 3: short reading texts and daily listening (dialogues, beginner podcasts).
  • The last month: one mock exam a week, watching the clock.

Practise

FAQ

How long from N5 to N4?
About 6 months at 30 to 45 minutes a day after N5.
Is N4 useful for working in Japan?
It's a minimum for daily life and some work visas; most jobs ask for N2.

Remember them for good

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