JLPT N3 Kanji List

This is the list of Kanji characters you need to learn for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test level N3. Click on each character for more details.

愛 (ai): love, affection

暗 (an): darkness, shade

馬 (ba): horse

番 (ban): turn, number in a series

晩 (ban): nightfall, night

抜 (batsu): slip out, extract

米 (bei): rice, metre

便 (ben): convenience, excrement

備 (bi): equip, preparation

美 (bi): beauty, beautiful

暮 (bo): evening, livelihood

望 (bou): ambition, hope, desire

亡 (bou): deceased, dying

忘 (bou): forget

忙 (bou): busy, occupied

部 (bu): section, portion

舞 (bu): dance, flit, circle

猫 (byou): cat

置 (chi): placement, put, set

値 (chi): price, cost, value

遅 (chi): slow, late, back

恥 (chi): shame, dishonor

直 (choku): straightaway, repair

調 (chou): tune, investigate

頂 (chou): top, summit, peak

打 (da): strike, hit, knock

談 (dan): discuss, talk

断 (dan): severance, refuse

段 (dan): grade, steps, stairs

伝 (den): transmit, report

努 (do): toil, digilent

怒 (do): angry, be offended

働 (dou): work

泳 (ei): swim

易 (eki): easy, simple

演 (en): performance, act, stage

園 (en): park, garden, yard

俺 (en): I, myself

遠 (en): distant, far

煙 (en): smoke

越 (etsu): surpass, cross over

付 (fu): adhere, attach, append

夫 (fu): husband, man

負 (fu): defeat, negative

富 (fu): wealth, enrich, abundant

婦 (fu): lady, woman, wife

浮 (fu): floating, float

怖 (fu): dreadful, fearful

福 (fuku): blessing, fortune

腹 (fuku): abdomen, belly

払 (futsu): pay, clear out, banish

害 (gai): harm, injury

顔 (gan): face, expression

願 (gan): petition, request, vow

迎 (gei): welcome, meeet, greet

現 (gen): present, existing

原 (gen): meadow, primitive

限 (gen): limit, restrict

議 (gi): deliberation, debate

疑 (gi): doubt, distrust

互 (go): mutually, together

誤 (go): mistake, err, mislead

合 (gou): fit, suit

号 (gou): number, nickname

具 (gu): tool, utensil, means

偶 (guu): accidentally

御 (gyo): honorable, manipulate

破 (ha): rip, tear, destroy

配 (hai): distribute, rationing

敗 (hai): failure, defeat

背 (hai): stature, height

杯 (hai): glass, toast

反 (han): anti-

判 (han): judgement, seal

犯 (han): crime, sin, offense

平 (hei): even, flat, peace

閉 (hei): closed, shut

変 (hen): change, strange

返 (hen): return, answer, repay

費 (hi): expense, cost, spend

非 (hi): un-, non-, negative

否 (hi): negate, no, decline

飛 (hi): fly, skip, scatter

彼 (hi): he, that, the

悲 (hi): grieve, sad, regret

疲 (hi): exhausted, tire, weary

貧 (hin): poverty, poor

必 (hitsu): inevitable, certain

捕 (ho): catch, capture

法 (hou): method, law, rule

報 (hou): report, news, reward

放 (hou): set free, release

訪 (hou): call on, visit, look up

抱 (hou): embrace, hug

表 (hyou): surface, chart

位 (i): rank, grade, throne

違 (i): difference, differ

偉 (i): admirable, greatness

育 (iku): bring up, grow up

引 (in): pull, admit, quote

因 (in): cause, factor, depend on

若 (jaku): young, immature

治 (ji): reign, cure, heal

次 (ji): next, sequence

示 (ji): show, indicate, display

辞 (ji): resign, expression

似 (ji): resemble, imitate

耳 (ji): ear

実 (jitsu): reality, truth

助 (jo): help, assist, rescue

除 (jo): exclude, remove, cancel

情 (jou): feelings, emotion

常 (jou): usual, ordinary, normal

状 (jou): status quo, conditions

乗 (jou): ride, board

娘 (jou): daughter, girl

受 (ju): accept, take, get

術 (jutsu): art, technique, skill

化 (ka): change, -ization

加 (ka): add, addition

過 (ka): overdo, exceed, error

果 (ka): fruit, achieve, finish

科 (ka): department, course

靴 (ka): shoes

回 (kai): -times, round

絵 (kai): picture, drawing

解 (kai): explanation, solve

掛 (kai): hang, suspend

皆 (kai): all, everything

確 (kaku): assurance, firm, clear

格 (kaku): status, character

覚 (kaku): memorize, remember

関 (kan): connection, involve

官 (kan): bureaucrat, organ

感 (kan): emotion, feeling

観 (kan): outlook, appearance

完 (kan): perfect, completion

慣 (kan): accustomed, get used to

寒 (kan): cold

活 (katsu): lively, living

割 (katsu): proportion, divide

髪 (katsu): hair of the head

経 (kei): pass thru, longtitude

係 (kei): person in charge, connection

警 (kei): admonish, commandment

形 (kei): shape, form, style

景 (kei): scenery, view

権 (ken): authority, power

件 (ken): affair, case, matter

険 (ken): precipitous

決 (ketsu): decide, agree upon

欠 (ketsu): lack, gap, fail

期 (ki): period, time, term

機 (ki): mechanism, machine

記 (ki): scribe, narrative

規 (ki): standard, measure

危 (ki): dangerous, fear, uneasy

寄 (ki): draw near, gather

喜 (ki): rejoice, take pleasure in

幾 (ki): how many, how much

勤 (kin): diligence, serve

呼 (ko): call, call out to

告 (koku): revelation, tell

刻 (koku): engrave, carving

込 (komi): crowded, mixture

婚 (kon): marriage

困 (kon): become distressed

交 (kou): mingle, mixing

向 (kou): yonder, facing

構 (kou): posture, build

好 (kou): fond, pleasing

港 (kou): harbor

候 (kou): climate, season

光 (kou): ray, light

降 (kou): descend, fall

幸 (kou): happiness, blessing

更 (kou): grow late, renew

苦 (ku): suffering, trial, worry

君 (kun): mister, you, ruler

客 (kyaku): guest, visitor

許 (kyo): permit, approve

居 (kyo): reside, to be, exist

局 (kyoku): bureau, office

曲 (kyoku): bend, music, melody

共 (kyou): together, both

供 (kyou): submit, offer

恐 (kyou): fear, dread, awe

求 (kyuu): request, demand

球 (kyuu): ball, sphere

給 (kyuu): salary, wage, grant

吸 (kyuu): suck, inhale, sip

満 (man): full, enough, satisfy

末 (matsu): end, close, tip

命 (mei): fate, destiny, life

迷 (mei): astray, in doubt, lost

鳴 (mei): chirp, cry, bark, echo

面 (men): mask, face, features

未 (mi): un-, not yet, still

民 (min): people, nation

眠 (min): sleep, die, sleepy

務 (mu): task, duties

夢 (mu): dream, vision, illusion

内 (nai): inside, within

難 (nan): difficult, trouble

念 (nen): wish, sense, thought

熱 (netsu): heat, temperature

認 (nin): acknowledge, discern

任 (nin): responsibility, duty

能 (nou): ability, talent, skill

横 (ou): sideways, horizontal

王 (ou): king, rule, magnate

押 (ou): push, stop, seize

頼 (rai): trust, request

落 (raku): fall, drop, come down

例 (rei): example, precedent

冷 (rei): cool, cold, chill

戻 (rei): re-, return, resume

礼 (rei): salute, bow, ceremony

連 (ren): take along, join

列 (retsu): file, row, column

利 (ri): profit, advantage

路 (ro): path, route, road

論 (ron): argument, discourse

労 (rou): labor, toil, trouble

老 (rou): old man, old age

類 (rui): sort, variety, kind

両 (ryou): both, two

良 (ryou): good, pleasing

流 (ryuu): current, flow

留 (ryuu): detain, fasten, stop

差 (sa): distinction, difference

最 (sai): utmost, extreme

済 (sai): settle, finish

歳 (sai): age, occasion

際 (sai): occasion, when, side

妻 (sai): wife, spouse

才 (sai): genius, years old

昨 (saku): yesterday, previous

産 (san): products, give birth

参 (san): participate, visiting

散 (san): scatter, disperse

賛 (san): praise, agree with

察 (satsu): guess, presume

殺 (satsu): kill, murder, butcher

政 (sei): politics, government

性 (sei): sex, gender, nature

制 (sei): system, law, rule

成 (sei): turn into, grow

声 (sei): voice

精 (sei): refined, energy, skill

静 (sei): quiet

晴 (sei): clear up

石 (seki): stone

席 (seki): seat, place

積 (seki): volume, pile up, load

責 (seki): balem, condemn

雪 (seki): snow

昔 (seki): once upon a time

選 (sen): select, choose

戦 (sen): war, battle

船 (sen): ship, boat

洗 (sen): wash, inquire into

説 (setsu): opinion, theory

折 (setsu): fold, break, bend

市 (shi): market, city, town

指 (shi): finger, point to

支 (shi): branch, support

資 (shi): assets, resources

師 (shi): expert, master, teacher

歯 (shi): tooth, cog

式 (shiki): style, ceremony, rite

識 (shiki): discriminating, know

進 (shin): advance, progress

神 (shin): gods, mind, soul

信 (shin): faith, fidelity, trust

深 (shin): deep, strengthen

申 (shin): have the honor to

身 (shin): somebody, person

寝 (shin): lie down, sleep, rest

失 (shitsu): lose, error, fault

初 (sho): first time, beginning

所 (sho): place, extent

処 (sho): dispose, deal with

緒 (sho): thong, inception, cord

職 (shoku): post, employment

勝 (shou): victory, win, prevail

消 (shou): extinguish, blow out

商 (shou): make a deal, selling

招 (shou): beckon, invite

笑 (shou): laugh

首 (shu): neck

取 (shu): take, fetch

守 (shu): guard, protect, obey

種 (shu): species, kind, variety

酒 (shu): sake, alcohol

宿 (shuku): inn, lodging, dwell

収 (shuu): income, obtain, pay

組 (so): association, unite

祖 (so): ancestor, founder

側 (soku): side, lean, oppose

速 (soku): quick, fast

息 (soku): breath, respiration

束 (soku): bundle, control

存 (son): exist, be aware of

相 (sou): inter-, mutual

争 (sou): dispute, argue

想 (sou): concept, think, idea

草 (sou): grass, weeds, herbs

窓 (sou): window, pane

箱 (sou): box, chest, case

吹 (sui): blow, breathe, smoke

誰 (sui): who, someone

数 (suu): number, figures

他 (ta): other, another

対 (tai): opposite, compare

太 (tai): plump, thick

退 (tai): retreat, withdraw, retire

宅 (taku): home, house, residence

単 (tan): simple, one, merely

探 (tan): grope, search, look for

達 (tatsu): accomplished, arrive

定 (tei): determine, decide

程 (tei): extent, degree, limits

庭 (tei): courtyard, garden

適 (teki): suitable, qualified

点 (ten): spot, point, mark

都 (to): metropolis, capital

渡 (to): transit, ford, cross

途 (to): route, way, road

徒 (to): junior, on foot

得 (toku): gain, get, earn

突 (totsu): thrust, pierce, prick

当 (tou): hit, right, appropriate

頭 (tou): head, counter for large animals

登 (tou): ascend, climb up

投 (tou): throw, abandon, discard

倒 (tou): overthrow, fall, collapse

等 (tou): etc., equal, similar

逃 (tou): escape, flee, evade

到 (tou): arrival, proceed, reach

盗 (tou): steal, rob

追 (tsui): chase, pursue, follow

痛 (tsuu): pain, hurt, damage

和 (wa): harmony, peace

約 (yaku): promise, approximately

役 (yaku): duty, service, role

薬 (yaku): medicine, chemical

予 (yo): beforehand, previous

与 (yo): bestow, give, award

余 (yo): too much, surplus

欲 (yoku): longing, greed, passion

要 (you): need, main point

容 (you): contain, form, looks

葉 (you): leaf, blade

様 (you): manner, situation

陽 (you): sunshine, daytime

由 (yu): wherefore, a reason

優 (yuu): tenderness, excel, actor

遊 (yuu): play

座 (za): seat, squat, sit

在 (zai): exist, located in

財 (zai): property, wealth, assets

罪 (zai): guilt, sin, crime

残 (zan): remainder, leftover

雑 (zatsu): miscellaneous

全 (zen): whole, entire, all

然 (zen): so, sort of thing

絶 (zetsu): discontinue, sever

続 (zoku): continue, series

増 (zou): increase, gain