JLPT N4: the complete guide to the second level

The JLPT N4 is the second level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the point where individual vocabulary words turn into real everyday Japanese. If you pass the N4, you understand basic Japanese from familiar situations: daily conversations, short texts, simple announcements. In this guide you will find the exact structure of the exam, the passing score, the 2026 dates, the most important grammar points and a realistic estimate of how much study time to plan after N5.

What is the JLPT N4?

The JLPT has five levels, from N5 as the easiest to N1 as the hardest. The N4 certifies basic everyday Japanese: you can follow conversations on familiar topics when they are spoken slowly, and read simple texts built from core vocabulary. For that you need around 300 kanji and roughly 1,500 words. Like all JLPT levels, the N4 tests only vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening. There is no speaking and no writing section.

2026 exam dates

The JLPT is held twice a year, always on the first Sunday of July and of December. In 2026 those are 5 July and 6 December. Outside Japan, many test sites only offer one of the two sittings, often the December one. So check early which date is available where you live, because registration windows close months before the exam.

Structure of the exam

The N4 has three test sections written one after another. Every question is multiple choice, and you mark your answers on an answer sheet. Compared to the N5, the sections are longer and the texts noticeably more demanding.

Passing score and points

For scoring, the sections are grouped into two bands: language knowledge and reading form the first, listening the second. You must reach the overall passing score and stay above the minimum in each band.

What you need to know

• 🌸Around 300 kanji, including many characters for everyday verbs, adjectives and places.
• 🌸Roughly 1,500 words, about twice the vocabulary of the N5.
• 🌸The polite form used confidently, plus the plain form (辞書形 and the た-form) in all common patterns.
• 🌸Read short everyday texts and reliably grasp the main point.
• 🌸Follow conversations at a slow, natural pace even when a few words are missing.

The most important grammar

The real core of the N4 is grammar. This is where you learn the forms that make Japanese flexible: connecting sentences, talking about abilities, expressing conditions. You should have these patterns down solidly.

• 🌸Connections with the te-form, for example 朝ごはんを食べてから、学校に行きます (after eating breakfast, I go to school).
• 🌸The potential form: 日本語が話せます (I can speak Japanese).
• 🌸～たり～たり for listing activities: 週末は映画を見たり、買い物をしたりします.
• 🌸～たことがある for experiences: 日本に行ったことがあります (I have been to Japan before).
• 🌸The conditional forms with と, ば and たら, each with its own nuance.
• 🌸First basics of the passive and causative, for example 先生に褒められました (I was praised by the teacher).
• 🌸Comparisons with より and のほうが: 電車のほうがバスより速いです.

How much study time after N5?

From N5 to N4 you need roughly 300 to 400 additional hours. At one hour a day that is about a year, at two hours roughly half that. Vocabulary doubles, the kanji count triples, and the grammar becomes far more varied. That is why the N4 works best with a steady rhythm: review vocabulary daily, add new grammar several times a week, and make listening a fixed habit alongside.

Frequently asked questions

The N4 is the moment when Japanese starts to feel like a real language instead of a collection of vocabulary. Work through the grammar piece by piece, keep your daily routine, and the next test date is closer than you think.