If you have only started learning the Japanese language recently, you will likely come across a lot of things that you have never heard about before. One of such things is furigana. As you are preparing to take the JLPT N5, you may wonder if the test will have furigana or not.
The simple answer to this question is that N5 has furigana. Basically, this furigana will come mostly under the reading section of the test. In this section, you are expected to know around 100 kanji characters that are used for regular day-to-day Japanese sentences and expressions.
Similarly, your knowledge of katakana and hiragana will be tested under this section of N5. Here, you are expected to have mastered how to read hiragana and katakana to an extent before taking the N5.
However, understanding the phonetics of the kanji characters may be difficult for someone who has only started learning Japanese. Therefore, furigana will be added to simplify the phonetic sounds for you. The furigana will come along with the kanji characters that you need to pass the exam. With the help of the furigana, it will be easier for you to know the phonetics of the kanji that you can find below it.
What is furigana?
In simple words, furigana is a form of Japanese reading aid. Other common names for it include rubi and yomigana. It is depicted as syllabic characters or small kanas written or printed at the top of a kanji or another form of Japanese writing scripts. Furigana allows you to know the right pronunciation of the kanji or other characters written close to it.
It is worthwhile to note that furigana is not the only Japanese reading aid available. Other reading aids include furikanji, kunte, and okurigana. However, most of these other Japanese reading aids are not commonly used like furigana.
Where can you find furigana?
Furigana is often found in some particular kinds of texts.
- Furigana is usually seen in new learners’ or children’s books. This is because learners and children are still new to the language; hence, they may have difficulty pronouncing certain words. Therefore, furigana will be added to make it easy for them to determine the pronunciation. After determining the pronunciation, it may also assist you to recognize what the kanji character means in the future.
- Also, there are some uncommon or strange readings that the majority of readers will struggle with. To make it easy for people to be able to pronounce such words, furigana will be added by the writer. This also applies to certain unknown kanji idioms that you may come across in your readings. Therefore, finding furigana in adults’ materials should not be strange to you.
- Furigana can also aid the ability of a reader to check out a new word in the dictionary. Without this Japanese reading aid, you will need to first look up the kanji scripts in Kanwa-Jiten so that you can know how to read the characters. Afterward, you will need to find the meanings in a Japanese-to-Japanese dictionary. However, furigana gets rid of this time-consuming process and helps you find the meaning easily.
- Lastly, furigana is often added to many names. In lots of situations, names come with irregular and strange pronunciations; so, anyone may pronounce some names in the wrong way. To ease the pronunciation, furigana will be added to several Japanese names.
So, these are the four common instances where you will likely find furigana in Japanese writings.
Can furigana determine whether you will pass the JLPT N5 or not?
In actual sense, furigana is not a major determinant of whether you will pass the JLPT N5 or not. This is because furigana is only added to kanji to make sure that you understand the right phonetic sounds of the kanji characters. Nonetheless, the understanding of the phonetic sound of the kanji elements is not as vital as getting the meaning of the kanji. Therefore, as long as you can identify the meaning of the kanji characters, you can pass JLPT N5. You just have to memorize a few furigana characters so that you can identify how they can help you pronounce a word.
It is worthwhile to note that the furigana in the JLPT will continue to reduce as the level of the test increases. In other words, the furigana that will be added to your N5 will be more than what you will have in N4. This will continue through the different levels of the test. So, N5 will have most furigana characters while N1 will have the least. When taking N1, only uncommon Japanese words will have furigana. This is usually due to the fact that you are expected to know more kanji characters as you move up the levels of the JLPT.
Similarly, you may find furigana written along with some foreign words that come in the form of katakana in the JLPT N5. Again, the essence of the furigana in this context is to help you pronounce the words appropriately.
Therefore, if you are preparing to take the JLPT N5, you should not allow furigana to deter you from making progress. You only have to master the furigana required for the test. You should always bear it in mind that furigana is only meant to help you know the right phonetics for the characters. However, as long as you know the meaning of the kanji characters, you can do well in the JLPT N5.
How to master furigana enough to pass the JLPT N5?
- Read lots of materials for kids – this will assist you to come across lots of furigana in your readings so that you know how to use it to find the right pronunciation of a word.
- Watch manga for kids – lots of manga are targeted at teaching children Japanese. As expected, they will have furigana that explains how the kids how to pronounce several simple works. So, you can also watch kids’ manga to boost your understanding of how it works in the Japanese language.