From JLPT N5 to N4: What’s New and a Study Plan
Going from JLPT N5 to N4 usually takes three to six months of steady study. N4 roughly doubles what you need for N5, to around 300 kanji and 1,500 words (estimates, as the JLPT doesn’t publish official lists), and adds the verb forms that make real conversation possible: the te-form, plain form, potential, volitional, conditionals and giving and receiving. The format is the same, reading and listening only, but the passages are longer and the listening is a little more natural.
What’s new at N4
| Area | New at N4 |
|---|---|
| Verb forms | Te-form uses (〜ている, 〜てもいい), plain form, potential (食べられる), volitional (行こう). |
| Conditionals | 〜たら, 〜ば, 〜と. See Japanese conditionals. |
| Giving and receiving | あげる, くれる, もらう, also with verbs. |
| Kanji | From about 100 to about 300. |
| Vocabulary | From several hundred to around 1,500 words. |
| Listening | Slightly faster, more casual speech, more speakers. |
For the te-form, which you’ll use everywhere, see the Japanese te-form.
A month-by-month plan
| Month | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Te-form and plain form until they’re automatic; 10 new words a day; review N5 kanji. |
| 2 | Potential, volitional and conditionals; 3–5 new kanji a day; short daily listening. |
| 3 | Giving and receiving, remaining grammar; graded reading; first practice test. |
| 4 | Timed practice tests, review of weak areas, test-day preparation. |
Studying about an hour a day, most learners can follow this in four months; with less time, stretch each month into six weeks. See our full JLPT N4 study plan and JLPT practice tests.
Common N4 traps
- Knowing forms but not using them. Say example sentences out loud, not just in your head.
- Forgetting N5 kanji while learning new ones. Keep old cards in your spaced repetition deck. See flashcards and spaced repetition.
- Leaving listening until the end. A few minutes every day is better.
- Missing the registration deadline. See how to register for the JLPT abroad.
After N4
N4 is the point where you can hold simple everyday conversations. The next step is from N4 to N3, which is a bigger jump.
How Hanabuddies can help
Our native tutors teach online and can turn N4 grammar into speaking practice, set and check homework, and run timed practice tests so you know where you stand before the exam.