Readings, stroke counts, common words, and example sentences for each character — focused on kanji you will meet at work.
102 kanji · JLPT N5
JLPT N5 kanji
Kanji 81–90
language / word
私は日本語を少し話します。
わたし は にほんご を すこし はなします。
I speak a little Japanese.
💡 Words (言) repeated by five (五) mouths (口) — language. 語 means language or word.
English / excellent
私は英語と日本語を話します。
わたし は えいご と にほんご を はなします。
I speak English and Japanese.
💡 A flower (艹) at its finest — excellence, and "England/English." 英 means English or excellent.
father
父は銀行で働いています。
ちち は ぎんこう で はたらいています。
My father works at a bank.
💡 A hand raising a tool to provide — the father. 父 means father.
mother
母は毎朝早く起きます。
はは は まいあさ はやく おきます。
My mother gets up early every morning.
💡 A figure with two dots for a mother nursing. 母 means mother.
every
毎日、日本語を勉強します。
まいにち、にほんご を べんきょう します。
I study Japanese every day.
💡 Picture an abacus with beads slid along its rods: that is what 毎 means — every. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 毋 (do not / forbid) — a figure with a bar struck straight across it, blocking the way. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.
week
今週の土曜日はひまです。
こんしゅう の どようび は ひま です。
I am free this Saturday.
💡 Break 週 down and you get 周 (all around / circuit) — a plot of land walled in on every side, the boundary running the whole way round, and beside it ⻌ (road / movement) — a road running along the bottom of the character. Picture a pedestrian crossing marked with painted stripes, put 週 inside it, and let that scene stand for "week" — week. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.
noon
午後から雨が降ります。
ごご から あめ が ふります。
It will rain from the afternoon.
💡 Picture the sun shining in a clear sky: that is what 午 means — noon. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 干 (dry / shield) — a cloth hung on a pole to dry. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.
before / front
ここに名前を書いてください。
ここ に なまえ を かいて ください。
Please write your name here.
💡 Picture an open notebook with an idea lighting up above it, and set 前 inside that picture. The scene is the hook: bring it back and 前 comes with it, meaning "before / front".
after / behind
昼ご飯の後でコーヒーを飲みます。
ひるごはん の あと で こーひー を のみます。
I drink coffee after lunch.
💡 Break 後 down and you get 彳 (step / going) — the left half of a crossroads, where people walk. Picture a road disappearing through a tunnel cut into a hillside, put 後 inside it, and let that scene stand for "after" — after / behind. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.
name
この店のラーメンは有名です。
この みせ の らーめん は ゆうめい です。
The ramen at this shop is famous.
💡 In the evening (夕) you call out a mouth (口) — a name. 名 means name.
Full-level practice
Ten sets, fifty randomly selected questions in every set.
Randomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final setRandomly selected from the full N5 kanji level, with four answer choices for every question.
Start final set