JLPT N4: Guide to the Second JLPT Level

What Is the JLPT N4?

N4 is the second-lowest level of the 日本語能力試験 (JLPT) and builds directly on N5. Passing N4 means you can understand basic sentences about familiar everyday topics — somewhat more complex and fluent than N5, but still limited to simple, concrete situations.

N4 is often described as the point where Japanese starts to feel like "an actual language" rather than a collection of vocabulary, since sentence connectors and tenses become noticeably more varied.

Scope: Kanji, Vocabulary, Grammar

• Kanji: around 300 characters (cumulative, including N5 kanji)
• Vocabulary: roughly 1,500 words
• Grammar: more complex sentence connections, conditional forms (～たら, ～ば), basic passive and causative forms, both polite and simple casual registers

The content jump from N5 to N4 is moderate, but grammar noticeably thickens — many learners underestimate how many new verb forms appear at this stage.

Exam Sections and Scoring

As with N5, there are two sections:

• Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) & Reading: 120 points
• Listening: 60 points

Passing requirements:

• At least 90 of 180 points overall
• At least 19 points in each section

The overall passing threshold is slightly higher for N4 than N5 (90 vs. 80 points), while the per-section minimum stays the same.

Study Hours

Expect an additional 150 to 250 hours after passing N5 — roughly 300–550 hours total from zero. At a steady pace of 45–60 minutes daily, that's about 4–8 months of dedicated N4 preparation after N5.

Study Plan for N4

1. 1

   Close Grammar Gaps

   6–8 weeks

   Work through the new N4 grammar points deliberately — especially conditionals and passive/causative forms, since these are frequently used as distractor traps in exams (several similar-sounding forms to choose between).

2. 2

   Expand Vocabulary and Kanji

   ongoing, parallel

   Keep SRS flashcards running consistently, focusing on the roughly 200 new kanji. Learn kanji in word combinations rather than in isolation, since the JLPT rarely tests single characters standalone.

3. 3

   Train Reading Speed

   last 4 weeks

   N4 reading passages are longer than N5's. Time pressure is a more common failure cause than missing vocabulary — practicing under a time limit pays off disproportionately here.

Is N4 the Right Level for You?

• N4 fits if you've already passed N5 or comfortably know its content
• can carry out simple everyday conversations with occasional pauses

If you already roughly follow anime, simple manga, or subtitles without much strain, you're probably closer to N3 than N4 — a placement check is worth doing before investing time in N4-specific material. If you're still struggling with N5 grammar, solidify that first — N4 doesn't rebuild it from scratch.