Topic hub
Kanji: The Japanese Imported Characters
The thousands of Chinese-derived characters that carry meaning in Japanese. The long tail of Japanese learning.
- Common-use kanji
- 2,136
- Readings per kanji
- 2 to 6 (on + kun)
- N5 kanji target
- ~100
- Daily-use threshold
- ~1,000
What kanji is
Kanji is the imported Chinese writing system that Japan adopted roughly 1,500 years ago. Each kanji is a character that represents a meaning (sometimes several) and one or more sounds. The Japanese government maintains a list of 2,136 'common-use' kanji (jōyō kanji) that are taught in schools.
Unlike hiragana and katakana, kanji is not phonetic. You cannot sound out a kanji you have never seen. You have to learn each one, or at least its most common reading in context.
How many you actually need
JLPT N5 expects about 100 kanji. N4 expects around 300. N3 expects 650, N2 around 1,000, and N1 roughly 2,000. Reaching 1,000 kanji is where Japanese text starts feeling readable without a dictionary.
You don't have to hit 2,000 to enjoy reading. With the top 500 kanji you can read most everyday signs, menus, and simple articles.
Readings (on-yomi and kun-yomi)
Most kanji have multiple readings. The on-yomi is the Chinese-derived reading, used mostly in compound words (学生 gaku-sei, student). The kun-yomi is the native Japanese reading, used when the kanji stands alone or with hiragana endings (学ぶ mana-bu, to learn).
Beginners get stuck here because it feels arbitrary. The trick is not to memorize both readings for every kanji. Memorize the word, and the readings fall out.
Related reading
Common questions
When should I start learning kanji?+
After hiragana and katakana, and after you have 100-200 words of vocabulary. Not on day one. Kanji needs word-context to stick.
Can I just use furigana forever?+
You can for a year or two. Past that, pure furigana-assisted reading is a crutch that blocks you from reading native adult material.