How many kanji do you need for JLPT N2 and N1?
· Avinash Kumar
Kanji Mnemonics runs on iPhone and iPad. The app is available in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Study materials usually put JLPT N2 at about 1,000 kanji and N1 at about 2,000, close to the official jōyō list of 2,136. Those numbers are estimates: the JLPT hasn’t published official kanji lists since the test format changed in 2010.
Where the numbers come from
The pre-2010 test had published lists. Today’s textbooks and apps still follow them, adjusted for the current levels.
| Level | Approx. kanji (cumulative) |
|---|---|
| N5 | ~100 |
| N4 | ~300 |
| N3 | ~650 |
| N2 | ~1,000 |
| N1 | ~2,000 |
For the earlier levels, see the N5 list and N4 and N3.
What changes at N2 and N1
- Abstract meanings: 概 (general), 了 (complete), 抑 (suppress). Harder to picture, so mnemonics help more.
- Look-alikes multiply: 績 and 積, 微 and 徴. See kanji that look similar.
- Words matter more than single kanji. N1 reading passages test compounds like 抑制 and 概念, not isolated characters.
A study approach
- Keep a daily count you can sustain. Ten new kanji a day gets from N3 to N1 in about four months; five a day, in about nine.
- Learn each kanji with one or two common words, not every reading.
- Review in both directions: meaning to kanji and kanji to meaning.
- Read real text early: news, novels, forum posts.
Kanji Mnemonics (my app) covers N5 through N1, with a picture-book mnemonic per kanji, readings, example words, a flashcard quiz in both directions and progress per level. It works offline. Lesson 1 is free; the rest is a subscription or one-time purchase.
Related: JLPT study timeline from N5 to N2 and the Kanji Mnemonics guides.
Questions people ask
- Is there an official JLPT N1 kanji list?
- No. The JLPT stopped publishing official lists when the test changed in 2010. The usual numbers come from the old test's lists and study materials.
- How many kanji are on N1?
- Study materials usually put N1 at about 2,000 kanji, roughly the jōyō list of 2,136. N2 is commonly put at about 1,000.
- Is knowing the kanji enough to pass N1?
- No. The test asks about vocabulary and reading in context. You need the words built from the kanji, not only the kanji.
Kanji Mnemonics
Picture-book mnemonics for every JLPT kanji, N5 to N1, with a Today's Kanji widget.