The JLPT is a test that measures the understanding of basic Japanese comprehension. There are five levels to the test, ranging from information learned in a normal class setting to the ability to fully comprehend complex lectures and topics.
Which level of the JLPT is fluent ? N3, the middle level, measures one’s ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations a majority of the time. Below N3, it could be difficult to operate at a conversational level.
The levels above N3, N4 and N5, are obviously also conversational. Each level of the Japanese-Langauge Proficiency Test has minimum goals which must be met in both reading and listening.
What Is Conversational Japanese?
Being conversational in any language is not clearly defined. However, many consider being conversational as being able to have everyday conversations in language. This often includes tasks like ordering food, asking where a bathroom is, and answering questions about your life, name, etc.
Being conversational also means that Japanese can be spoken at natural speed, or at least close to it so that native speakers do not need to limit themselves too much while speaking. Many would consider a level where basic content is understood to be conversational, even if certain words slip through.
Being conversational in Japanese often means being able to speak and listen rather than write and read. While reading and writing in Kanji are important skills, they ultimately come up much less in everyday life. As such, the common interpretation of conversational tends to focus heavily on speaking and listening.
Are Conversational and Fluent The Same?
Conversational and fluent are not the same thing. When conversational in Japanese or any other language, it simply means that you are able to convey your ideas to another person, most often through speaking. A lack of vocabulary or missing details in a language does not interfere with one’s ability to be conversational.
Being fluent means that one is above and beyond the requirements to be conversational. Where details, vocabulary and mastery of grammar can easily be missed when conversational, fluency requires all of these to be at an extremely high level.
In addition, being considered fluent in a language often comes with the assumption that the adeptness extends to written language. This extra requirement is often disregarded when talking about being conversational in a language.
Does The JLPT Measure Whether Someone Is Conversational?
The JLPT does not directly measure when someone is conversational in Japanese due to not quizzing on speaking at all. However, the topics the test examines at all levels tend to correlate strongly with one’s ability to be conversational.
With that in mind, the most important parts of the JLPT when trying to judge conversationalism are the listening portions. N5 through N1 all measure how much a person can understand and at what speeds. While there is no official standing on measuring how conversational someone is, the N3 or N2 level seems to be conversational by most standards.
The Different Levels Of The JLPT
The JLPT has five levels of proficiency which can be achieved, ranging from understanding the basics of Japanese to understanding and utilizing the language in most circumstances. Each level has minimum requirements in both reading and listening that must be met.
While each of the five levels is unique, they are also split into three tiers.
- Levels N5 and N4 measure the level of Japanese traditionally taught in a classroom setting.
- Levels N1 and N2 measure Japanese as used in everyday life or work.
- Level N3 is meant as a bridge level between the two tiers.
Here are some specific examples and requirements for each level of the JLPT.
N5
The entry level of the JLPT is N5, measuring someone’s ability to understand some of the basics of Japanese. The time it takes to reach this level will vary from person to person, although usually only a year or two of classes will reach this level.
N5 measures reading comprehension as the ability to read and understand basic sentences written in hiragana, katakana, and kanji, three of Japanese’s written languages. For this level, sentences will not be complex and should require little vocabulary.
For listening comprehension, the N5 level measures the ability to understand short sentences spoken slowly about everyday situations. Specific words and the occasional topic will be missed but the testee should be able to understand the most basic of phrases.
Someone at the N5 level would not be considered conversational yet, although they are on their way.
N4
The N4 level is very similar to N5, with only a few minor differences indicating higher understanding. While still not reaching a level which most would consider conversational, people who have tested at the N4 level will have an easier time doing daily life activities in Japan.
Reading comprehension goes up to understanding more kanji and vocabulary, focusing less on hiragana and katakana. While the JLPT does not directly use a vocabulary section, more complex words start to be used here. Writing here is simple, often below the level of newspapers and books.
Listening comprehension also increases in difficulty, requiring those taking the test to understand more than the N5 level. The expectation is that Japanese is still spoken slowly and words will still be missed, but the listener can comprehend most of the topics of a conversation.
N3
The N3 test level exists as a bridge between the lower and higher levels of the JLPT. When the JLPT was reformatted in 2009, this was added due to the once extreme gap between those lower levels and the highly competitive upper tests.
The N3 level exams the ability to understand Japanese in everyday situations to a modest degree. While it is expected that some readings and spoken words will go over the heads of people at this level, this is commonly the level where someone could be considered conversational in Japanese.
Reading comprehension is expected to go up significantly, with one being able to understand newspaper headlines, articles about specific content, and navigating signs fluently. More difficult writings are still expected to elude those testing at this level, though some of the topics should be starting to slip through.
The level of listening comprehension required to pass the N3 level goes up quite a bit as well. Conversations should be understood at natural speed, or very close to it. When talking with multiple people, everyone’s relationship with each other through language should be understood and most content being talked about should be understood.
N2
At the N3 and above levels, you would almost certainly be considered conversational by anyone. At the N2 level, it is expected that you have the ability to understand Japanese in a variety of circumstances to a fairly high degree. Taking any and all everyday situations should be a fairly easy task. While many would not consider you fluent yet, you are close.
The ability to read about a multitude of topics is expected at this level, even topics of specialized intelligence. When reading extremely high-level topics such as scientific reports, it is expected that some of the language will be missed. Still, a large majority of topics read about should be understood at this level.
Speaking and listening wise, people at the N2 level should be able to track conversation, news reports, and other spoken topics with relative ease. Talking should be done and understood at a natural pace. When difficult topics are discussed, the essential points should at least be understood even if specific language is lost.
N1
The level of N1 essentially means that you are fluent in Japanese, both written and spoken. While this may be extremely difficult to achieve, someone at this level should have absolutely no issues conducting daily life in Japan. Testing at this level is also a great certification to have if looking for any jobs seeking Japanese language proficiency.
Reading at the N1 level implies that even topics of complexity can be understood and responded to. Writing, as well, is expected to be at this level. One could write their own articles or even books if they so choose.
Listening at this level means being able to track almost all daily conversation and other spoken forms. A key difference between the N2 and N1 level is being able to comprehend and actively respond to complex spoken ideas. In addition, details should be noted and understood more so than all other levels.
How Fluent Are You with JLPT N5
If you are learning in a classroom setting, you probably would have been introduced to the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). As the name suggests, JLPT refers to a popular Japanese test that is designed to evaluate every student’s understanding of the Japanese language.
This Japanese language test comes in 5 different levels. While N1 is known as the most difficult level of the test, N5 is undoubtedly its easiest level. However, when learning Japanese, many students often ask a wide range of questions about the relevance of the JLPT N5.
So, this takes us back to the topic of this article – how fluent are you with JLPT N5? The truth is that JLPT N5 is just an introductory level of the Japanese language. Therefore, with JLPT N5, you only have a basic understanding of the language. So, your fluency is still rudimentary with lots of limits in what you can say, listen to, read, write, and understand in Japanese.
What are you expected to know with JLPT N5?
To have a better understanding of how fluent you are with JLPT N5, we need to consider what the test itself is all about. Simply put, the main objective of the JLPT N5 is to ensure that you can hold some simple conversations in Japanese. With the N5, you are expected to be able to hold basic conversations with others, introduce yourself, describe your day, shop in most places without much hassle, read simple information on vehicles, signposts, stores, etc.
In addition, when you have the JLPT N5, you may be able to read and understand books that are meant for kids. Also, the subtitles of kids’ anime should not be too difficult for you to understand.
With this, you can read and comprehend basic sentences and expressions as long as they are written in hiragana, katakana, and simple kanji characters that you have been taught. Similarly, with the JLPT N5, you should be able to listen and understand simple conversations that you usually come across in classroom situations as well as your day-to-day life. Also, you are expected to pick up some important information for simple and short chats. However, such Japanese conversations must be short and spoken slowly. Once it is long, you will likely be lost.
Nonetheless, you should note that your understanding is only based on the foundational Japanese language. Hence, you cannot speak, read, or write any document in professional settings. You won’t be able to hold advanced conversations such as expressing your opinion about a subject, describing a situation, telling a story, or teaching others. This shows how limited your understanding of the language is at this particular point.
However, all these still depend on your commitment to learning. For instance, someone who dedicated lots of time to study and passed the N5 test with flying colors would probably have a better understanding of the language than someone else that only studied sparingly and got the required minimum pass mark.
What does the JLPT N5 cover?
The JLPT N5 covers some basic areas that are explained below:
You will probably know the basic grammar that you can use every day. This will come in the basic present, past, and non-past forms that can be useful for simple conversations.
With N5, you should be able to recognize as much as 100 kanji characters. While the test itself doesn’t involve writing the characters, writing them during your practice is recommended.
Also, at this stage, you will be introduced to common words that you will likely need during your conversations in class or when telling someone about yourself.
- Reading and listening
With the JLPT N5, you are believed to be able to read and listen appropriately to simple conversations. However, only common sentences that are spoken slowly will be within your understanding level at this stage.
With everything described above, it is clear that you only have an overview of the Japanese language with the JLPT N5. In fact, in some cases, you may have the JLPT N5 and not be able to speak the Japanese language at all. N1 is believed to be proof of the highest level of fluency in listening, reading, and grammar of Japanese. N1 is close to native fluency.
Based on this, the JLPT N5 doesn’t put you in a good position to get a job that requires Japanese proficiency. Most jobs will require foreign applicants to have the JLPT N1 or at least N2. So, N5 is far from what can get you the majority of jobs in Japan. In addition, the JLPT N5 is not enough to be submitted as a part of your credentials when applying to most Japanese schools.
So, what is the JLPT N5 good for?
Considering the fact that N5 may not help you to get any good job or school admissions in Japan, you may start thinking that this level of the test is not useful for anything. However, this is not entirely true as the JLPT N5 may still come in handy in some cases.
Firstly, the JLPT N5 can assist you to show your commitment to learning the Japanese language. With a good grade in the test, it is easy to show anyone that you are truly serious about learning Japanese. Also, taking N5 is a great way to climb up the ladder of knowledge of the language. After passing N5, you can take N4 and other more difficult levels. Without N5, you may not know the right things to do as you prepare for these tougher levels.
Similarly, the JLPT N5 can help you lay a good foundation for learning the Japanese language. Therefore, having the JLPT N5 is good for a few things.
In a nutshell, it is worthwhile to understand that you only have a fundamental understanding of Japanese when you have N5. Resultantly, your fluency is quite basic and only good for simple conversations that you can use in classroom settings and other foundational day-to-day chats.
How Many Kanji Do You Need to be Fluent?
For most new learners of the Japanese language, kanji is usually believed to be the hardest aspect of the language. In fact, many native Japanese speakers also agree that kanji is the most difficult part of Japanese. As a result of this, you may be having issues with determining what you really need to learn.
It is worthwhile to note that the Japanese government has stipulated that people must know 2,136 joyo kanji to be regarded as literates in Japan. With this amount of kanji, your comprehension rate will be around 99%. In other words, you will understand as much as 99% of everything that you read in any place in the Japanese language.
Having noted all these assumptions, how many kanji do you need to be fluent? Well, this question is a bit difficult to answer. Factually, we don’t have any straightforward answer to it. This is because it depends entirely on your particular need.
For someone that only wants to be able to speak the Japanese language, you don’t even need to learn kanji at all. Since kanji comes with pictographs that help you identify lots of words, it is only useful when you are reading. Hence, you can speak Japanese fluently and even enjoy your stay in any part of Japan without understanding kanji. Of course, this is also applicable to every other language in the world. That is, you can speak a language fluently without being able to write or read a single word in the same language.
However, this means that you will hardly be able to read anything in Japanese.
Therefore, you don’t need any kanji to be fluent in Japanese.
Does reading Japanese depend on kanji?
Yes, reading the Japanese language has a lot to do with kanji. Without mincing words, if you want to be literate in Japanese, you cannot do without understanding some kanji. Without kanji, you cannot sound out some Japanese words correctly. Indeed, it will be impossible for you to guess the meanings of the words. Therefore, your failure to understand kanji characters means you cannot read Japanese.
If you would like to be able to read and understand as much as 95% of every book, signpost, or other written materials they see, you must know about 1,000 kanji (N2) Notably, you don’t necessarily have to be able to write each kanji. All you need is to first recognize them and you will be able to read without much hassle.
How many kanji characters do you need for reading in different situations?
Basically, there are about 3,300 distinct kanji characters that are usually utilized in magazines and newspapers in Japan. But if you can understand around 500 kanji characters, you will cover as much as 80% of newspaper kanji characters while 1,000 characters will cover around 94%. This is because certain words are commonly used in newspapers. However, if you want to be able to read academic publications, you will likely need more kanji characters, especially those related to the field you want to read its publications.
Also, if your reason for learning kanji is to be able to read manga, the required amount of kanji will be different. Generally, this depends on the level of manga that you want to be watching and reading its subtitle. For a manga that is targeted at kids, you will only need a handful of kanji characters to be able to read comprehensibly. However, if you want to read kanji in manga for adults with tons of difficult lore and wizards, you will need to be able to recognize lots of kanji characters.
So, is learning kanji worthwhile?
Without a doubt, it is worthwhile to learn kanji. In general, you will need kanji characters when reading Japanese. Therefore, if you don’t know kanji, you are not literate in the Japanese language. Although it is generally agreed that learning kanji is difficult, lots of people have managed to learn the characters at different stages of their lives.
While some people started learning kanji after mastering speaking the language and knowing other Japanese writing systems, others learned kanji characters at the beginning of their learning journey. So, we advise you to take the time to learn kanji.
For anyone ready to learn kanji, there are innumerable ways to achieve their learning goals. One of these ways is to learn the kanji characters one by one like the Japanese school kids usually do. While this is known to be effective, it will require lots of years to achieve fluency. Therefore, you should rather start learning kanji characters day by day. Have a target for the number of characters to learn each day to balance similarity, simplicity, and frequency in your learning process.
Also, it is important to get the right materials that will help you structure how you learn this Japanese writing system. This doesn’t only make it easy for you to learn kanji, but it also encourages you to learn the most frequently used characters.
Verdict
In conclusion, if all you want to do is to speak Japanese with your friends, colleagues, and others, you don’t need to learn kanji to be fluent. This is because kanji is only meant for reading or writing the Japanese language. Therefore, you can hold seamless conversations in the Japanese language without knowing any Japanese. However, this doesn’t mean that kanji is not important as you cannot read or write anything in the language without it.
Besides, this can serve as a limiting factor to your literacy as there will be lots of restrictions in your full understanding of the language. So, for fluency in speaking, reading, listening, and reading Japanese, consider learning around 2,000 kanji characters that the Japanese government has mandated as important for literacy.