Introduction
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has about five levels, and the JLPT N5 is the first level. To pass this test, you have to at least easily manage to read hiragana, katakana, as these make up a huge part of the test. This essentially requires you to memorize all the required conjugations.
The student taking the test is also required to know at least 100 basic kanji, which is the Chinese written form of the Japanese language. There are 800 vocabularies that one is required to memorize before taking this test, these consist of basic day-to-day words in the Japanese language.
This test is the easiest of all the tests but not to be underestimated. For complete beginners, the hard part will be figuring out the hiragana and katakana. The most basic mistake for students who want to take the JLPT N5 test is that they cripple themselves with romaji, which is Romanized Japanese. This helps them feel comfortable, but there is no replacement from breaking the ice with these Japanese writing characters.
The basic and root suggestion on taking the JLPT N5 is to get done with your hiragana and katakana first. Once you take that first big step, then you can confidently see yourself succeeding the test, though this is just a piece of the puzzle. After the katakana and hiragana challenge comes the kanji part, which is slightly easy as the test has a list of kanji to memorize. A common mistake with students is that they learn most kanji and leave the katakana and hiragana, yet the test only asks for basic kanji.
Once you are comfortable with these three parts, you are sure to get a very decent score when you take your test. The other requirements are basic vocabulary that is easy to learn for beginners as they are encountered regularly in daily life. The listening part is a fair challenge as it has topics related to the vocabulary you already heard and the conversations are spoken slowly. Let’s take a look at each of the components of the test and how to go about them.
The basic needed requirements to pass the JLPT N5
1. Basics about the JLPT N5test
In a nutshell, the JLPT N5 exam is to test the candidate’s basic understanding of the Japanese language. You have to know your hiragana, katakana and some basic kanji, and you have to understand the importance of this point. You just have to put in your time and lay a solid foundation for these writing systems. The test will only judge your reading and listening comprehension, there is no part of speaking or writing in the test.
2. Grammar in JLPT N5
For this part, it’s suggested that you use a textbook while learning about basic Japanese grammar. The best book recommended is Genki 1 which pretty much covers everything you will need to pass an N5 test. Genki is well detailed and easy to use even for self-learners. Genki comes with its accompanying workbook and CDs, these are essential to testing everything you learn from the main textbook. The candidate should make sure to finish Genki 1 to pass the JLPT N5. Note that a great grammar dictionary is crucial for in-depth explanations, as the Genki textbook might not give you the full picture on some grammar points.
3. Vocabulary and kanji in JLPT N5
This is a part where you need to put your memory at work and we have thought of a few tools to help you get your Japanese vocabulary and kanji right. There is no official list of the kanji required for the N5 test, but there are Anki resources available online with lists proven to work wonders during the test. In general, you should know the kanji for numbers, basic time-related expressions, for family members, directions and verbs. Think of it as things that are naturally part of the day-to-day conversations. More sources to find kanji lists are on iKanji for iPhone users, and various websites and blogs.
The vocabulary list for the N5 is around 500 to 800 words and these can be easily memorized while using Genki 1 textbook. The words are basic and most of them find use in the day-to-day conversations. The vocabulary is easy but one should watch out for the vowel sounds, as one extra vowel sound can make a big difference. Anki has a dedicated deck by the name of the ultimate N5 deck, and Memrise offers the JLPT N5 course for the vocabulary you need to pass the test.
4. Listening and speaking in JLPT N5
There is no separating speaking from listening when it comes to languages. Even though there is no speaking part in the JLPT test in all the levels, for you to be practical in your Japanese language studies you need to force yourself to speak.
Listening will be part of the N5 and a common mistake will be relying fully on Japanese media to pass the test. Knowing that the entertaining media helps a lot with progress, you must use resources that match your exam level requirements. Later on, you can enjoy a good season of your favorite anime in Japanese or why not drama pieces.
Conclusion
The journey to becoming fluent in the Japanese language is for sure no shortcut, and one of the milestones will be the JLPT N5 test. Take note of all the required sets of skills you need to master and at your good pace, put in the work needed for your first Japanese proficiency test certificate.
The test is fairly easy and you might choose to skip it for higher-level tests but remember that this can help you monitor your real progress. You will get to see areas where you need to put more focus and those that come easily to you. As a fare bonus, what can replace the joy of you succeeding at this mini-goal and show to your friends that well-earned certificate.