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Grade 5 Jōyō Kanji (小5): All 193 Fifth-Grade Kanji with Readings, Stroke Counts, and JLPT Mapping
The grade 5 jōyō kanji are the 193 characters Japanese elementary students learn in their fifth year of school. They are defined by Japan's education ministry (MEXT) in the 学年別漢字配当表, part of the 平成29年 (2017) 告示 of the 学習指導要領, and took effect on 2020-04-01.12 Grade 5 is where the kyōiku curriculum moves decisively into adult-register vocabulary: the count rises from 185 to 193, the JLPT center of gravity shifts from N3 to N2, and learners meet the civics, economy, and abstract-noun layer needed to read NHK news headlines without furigana.345
Overview
The 学年別漢字配当表 (gakunenbetsu kanji haitōhyō, "grade-by-grade kanji distribution table") assigns 193 characters to grade 5 after the H29 revision, up from 185 under the previous 平成20年 告示.162 The 193 total has been checked against the MEXT-aligned LOD rendering, the Japanese Wikipedia distribution table, the English Wikipedia kyōiku-kanji article, and three Japanese teaching-publisher references.67891011
The 教育漢字 (kyōiku kanji, "education kanji") set is a subset of the wider 常用漢字 (jōyō kanji) list, last revised in 2010.12 The 2010 jōyō revision changed which characters count as jōyō; the 2017 revision changed only which grades the existing kyōiku characters are taught in.128 After H29, the 1,026 kyōiku kanji are divided 80 / 160 / 200 / 202 / 193 / 191 across the six elementary grades.18
What changes between grade 4 and grade 5
Three qualitative shifts hit a learner in year 5. First, the JLPT center of gravity moves from N3 (which held grade 4) to N2. There is also a meaningful N1-or-unmapped tail, because the compounds the grade-5 set enables (政府, 経済, 制度, 統治, 領土, 護衛, 義務, 講義, 略歴, 情報) are policy, economic, and editorial rather than concrete.34 Second, the vocabulary turns civic and economic in volume: 政, 制, 統, 領, 衛, 護, 義, 講, 賛 anchor civics; 経, 営, 貿, 益, 損, 額, 価, 費, 貯, 賞, 輸, 易, 税, 鉱, 銅, 績, 製 anchor economy.1314
Third, the abstract-noun load reaches its kyōiku peak. 義務, 講義, 略歴, 情報, 性格, 容易, 条件, 個性, 評価, 性質, 状態, 設備, 構成, 解決, 解説, 知識 all become readable on the cumulative grade-1-through-grade-5 set, and grade 5 is the first year a learner can read an unfurigana NHK news headline.135
What gets learned in year 5
The 193 grade-5 characters fall into roughly seven teaching clusters that mirror the civics-and-economy expansion expected of a 10-to-11-year-old. MEXT does not issue these groups; the clustering below follows common Japanese elementary-textbook ordering.910
Several characters fit two clusters (義 in civics and in abstract; 紀 in history and in abstract; 救 in body-medicine and in action). The master table later in this article holds each character exactly once.
義務教育の制度は明治時代に始まった。1314
"The compulsory education system began in the Meiji era."
The 2017 redistribution viewed from grade 5
The biggest under-served question about grade 5 in English is the 2017 告示 (kokuji, "ministerial notice") and how it restructured the elementary kanji set. Grade 5 gained a net +8 characters in this revision, but the underlying churn is larger than the headline increase suggests.28
Grade 5 was a net winner in the 2017 告示
The 平成29年 (2017) 告示 of the 小学校学習指導要領 was published on 2017-03-31 and took full effect in elementary schools on 2020-04-01.12 It raised the elementary 教育漢字 set from 1,006 to 1,026 characters (a +20 expansion) and redistributed 28 characters across grades 1 through 6.28 Grade 5's net change was +8 characters (185 → 193).28
The mechanism: Grade 5 received 21 characters from grade 4 (the civics-and-history characters displaced from grade 4 to make room for the 20 prefecture-name kanji).
In the same revision, grade 5 lost 13 characters total: 4 to grade 4 (賀, 群, 徳, 富, all prefecture-relevant for 滋賀 / 佐賀, 群馬, 徳島, 富山) and 9 to grade 6 (恩, 券, 承, 舌, 銭, 退, 敵, 俵, 預). Net change: +21 − 13 = +8.28
The character-level set has been checked against the JA-Wikipedia distribution table7 and the EN-Wikipedia kyōiku-kanji article8. Both sources give the same 193 characters as the current grade-5 set, and both confirm the 21-IN block and the 13-OUT block character-for-character.2
Kanji that moved into grade 5 from grade 4
These are the 21 kanji transferred IN to grade 5 from grade 4 in the H29 告示. They were verified against the Colorless Green Ideas tracking document2 and cross-checked against the EN-Wikipedia kyōiku-kanji article8 and the LOD MEXT rendering.6 Each row gives a dominant N2-flavored or N3-flavored compound the character unlocks.
| Kanji | Strokes | Dominant compound(s) | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 囲 | 7 | 周囲 (しゅうい) "surroundings"; 範囲 (はんい) "scope, range" | N2 |
| 紀 | 9 | 世紀 (せいき) "century"; 紀元 (きげん) "epoch" | N1+ |
| 喜 | 12 | 喜び (よろこび) "joy"; 歓喜 (かんき) "delight" | N3 |
| 救 | 11 | 救助 (きゅうじょ) "rescue"; 救急 (きゅうきゅう) "emergency" | N1+ |
| 型 | 9 | 模型 (もけい) "model"; 典型 (てんけい) "typical example" | N2 |
| 航 | 10 | 航空 (こうくう) "aviation"; 航海 (こうかい) "voyage" | N2 |
| 告 | 7 | 報告 (ほうこく) "report"; 告白 (こくはく) "confession" | N3 |
| 殺 | 10 | 殺人 (さつじん) "homicide"; 自殺 (じさつ) "suicide" | N3 |
| 士 | 3 | 武士 (ぶし) "samurai"; 弁護士 (べんごし) "lawyer" | N1+ |
| 史 | 5 | 歴史 (れきし) "history"; 史実 (しじつ) "historical fact" | N2 |
| 象 | 12 | 現象 (げんしょう) "phenomenon"; 印象 (いんしょう) "impression" | N2 |
| 賞 | 15 | 賞金 (しょうきん) "prize money"; 受賞 (じゅしょう) "winning a prize" | N2 |
| 貯 | 12 | 貯金 (ちょきん) "savings"; 貯水 (ちょすい) "water storage" | N2 |
| 停 | 11 | 停止 (ていし) "halt, stop"; 停車 (ていしゃ) "stopping a vehicle" | N2 |
| 堂 | 11 | 食堂 (しょくどう) "dining hall"; 講堂 (こうどう) "auditorium" | N1+ |
| 得 | 11 | 取得 (しゅとく) "acquisition"; 得点 (とくてん) "score" | N1+ |
| 毒 | 8 | 中毒 (ちゅうどく) "poisoning"; 消毒 (しょうどく) "disinfection" | N2 |
| 費 | 12 | 費用 (ひよう) "cost, expense"; 経費 (けいひ) "expenses" | N3 |
| 粉 | 10 | 粉末 (ふんまつ) "powder"; 花粉 (かふん) "pollen" | N2 |
| 脈 | 10 | 動脈 (どうみゃく) "artery"; 山脈 (さんみゃく) "mountain range" | N1+ |
| 歴 | 14 | 歴史 (れきし) "history"; 経歴 (けいれき) "career history" | N2 |
Several of these characters carry clearly N2-flavored compounds (印象, 報告, 経費, 範囲, 受賞, 取得, 経歴). They are the structural reason grade 5's JLPT center of gravity sits at N2 rather than N3.4
Kanji that moved out of grade 5
These are the 13 kanji transferred OUT of grade 5 in the H29 告示, verified against the Colorless Green Ideas tracking document2 and the LOD MEXT rendering.6
| Kanji | Moved to | Dominant compound(s) | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 賀 | Grade 4 | 滋賀 (Shiga), 佐賀 (Saga) | prefecture-relevant |
| 群 | Grade 4 | 群馬 (Gunma); 群れ (むれ) "flock" | prefecture-relevant |
| 徳 | Grade 4 | 徳島 (Tokushima); 道徳 (どうとく) "morality" | prefecture-relevant |
| 富 | Grade 4 | 富山 (Toyama); 富 (とみ) "wealth" | prefecture-relevant |
| 恩 | Grade 6 | 恩師 (おんし) "one's teacher"; 恩 (おん) "debt of gratitude" | abstract / Confucian-virtue |
| 券 | Grade 6 | 入場券 (にゅうじょうけん) "ticket"; 旅券 (りょけん) "passport" | administrative |
| 承 | Grade 6 | 承知 (しょうち) "consent"; 承認 (しょうにん) "approval" | administrative / business |
| 舌 | Grade 6 | 舌 (した) "tongue"; 毒舌 (どくぜつ) "sharp tongue" | body-part; joins grade-6 body cluster |
| 銭 | Grade 6 | 銭 (せん) "small coin"; 銭湯 (せんとう) "public bath" | historical / low frequency |
| 退 | Grade 6 | 退院 (たいいん) "leaving hospital"; 退職 (たいしょく) "retirement" | administrative |
| 敵 | Grade 6 | 敵 (てき) "enemy"; 敵対 (てきたい) "opposition" | abstract / strategic |
| 俵 | Grade 6 | 俵 (たわら) "straw bale"; 米俵 (こめだわら) "rice bale" | traditional / low frequency |
| 預 | Grade 6 | 預金 (よきん) "deposit"; 預ける (あずける) "to entrust" | banking-administrative |
The four prefecture-relevant characters moved to grade 4 to consolidate the prefecture-readability goal at that grade. The nine moved to grade 6 carry vocabulary judged still too abstract, administrative, or low-frequency for grade-5 students.28
Why this matters for L2 learners
Every English-language kanji list, deck, app, or textbook published before April 2020, and many published after, is built on the pre-H29 185-character grade-5 set. The mismatch at grade 5 is structurally different from grade 4. Grade 4 clearly gained 25 and lost 23, mostly visible as the 20 prefecture-name additions. Grade 5 gained 21 and lost 13, so the underlying membership churn is similar in scale but hidden by the headline +8.28
The practical guidance is simple: use the 193-character list when matching against current school-year cohorts or 漢検6級. That test tracks the H29 grade boundaries and now covers the 835-character cumulative grade-1-through-grade-5 jōyō set.16 Keep the old 185-character list only when cross-referencing pre-2020 materials.
The 193 grade 5 kanji
How to read the table
- Kanji: the character in its standard 常用漢字表 form.12
- Meaning: the dominant English gloss; secondary senses omitted.
- On'yomi (katakana): the primary Sino-Japanese reading in the 常用漢字表 set.12 Parentheses mark on'yomi that the 常用漢字表 restricts to a small number of compounds.
(none)marks characters with no on'yomi. - Kun'yomi (hiragana, with okurigana hyphenated): the primary native reading.
(none)marks characters with no kun'yomi in the 常用漢字表 set.12 - Strokes (画数): stroke count per KANJIDIC2.1718 These match the MEXT-endorsed counts.1
- Top vocabulary: high-frequency compounds and words a learner is likely to meet in textbooks and corpus material. Compiled from JMdict frequency-tagged headwords19 and standard 大辞林 / 広辞苑 attestation.1314
- JLPT: level per the combined JLPTsensei N3 and N2 reconstruction.34
N3andN2mark the page on which the character appears;N1+marks characters absent from both pages (conventionally placed at N1 or unmapped).
The JLPT publishes no official kanji list, and unofficial reconstructions disagree on roughly 10% of placements.2021 The JLPT column below follows the JLPTsensei pages3422; the Wikibooks and Tanos reconstructions would shift roughly 10 of the calls below to a different level. Treat any single placement as approximate.
Master table: all 193 fifth-grade kanji
The table is sorted by stroke count (ascending), then by 五十音 within each stroke band. The roster has been checked character by character against the JA-Wikipedia 学年別漢字配当表 第5学年 list7 and the EN-Wikipedia kyōiku-kanji grade-5 list8; both sources give the identical 193-character set.62
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 久 | long time | キュウ、ク | ひさ-しい | 3 | 永久 (えいきゅう) "eternity"; 久しぶり (ひさしぶり) "after a long time" | N2 |
| 士 | samurai, scholar | シ | (none) | 3 | 武士 (ぶし) "samurai"; 弁護士 (べんごし) "lawyer" | N1+ |
| 仏 | Buddha, France | ブツ、フツ | ほとけ | 4 | 仏 (ほとけ) "Buddha, deceased"; 仏教 (ぶっきょう) "Buddhism" | N2 |
| 支 | support, branch | シ | ささ-える | 4 | 支える (ささえる) "to support"; 支配 (しはい) "rule, control" | N3 |
| 比 | compare | ヒ | くら-べる | 4 | 比べる (くらべる) "to compare"; 比較 (ひかく) "comparison" | N2 |
| 刊 | publication, issue | カン | (none) | 5 | 朝刊 (ちょうかん) "morning paper"; 月刊 (げっかん) "monthly publication" | N2 |
| 句 | phrase, clause | ク | (none) | 5 | 句 (く) "phrase"; 文句 (もんく) "complaint, phrase" | N1+ |
| 可 | possible, allow | カ | (none) | 5 | 可能 (かのう) "possible"; 許可 (きょか) "permission" | N1+ |
| 史 | history, chronicle | シ | (none) | 5 | 歴史 (れきし) "history"; 史実 (しじつ) "historical fact" | N2 |
| 圧 | pressure, push down | アツ | (none) | 5 | 圧力 (あつりょく) "pressure"; 気圧 (きあつ) "atmospheric pressure" | N2 |
| 布 | cloth, spread | フ | ぬの | 5 | 布 (ぬの) "cloth"; 布団 (ふとん) "futon" | N2 |
| 弁 | speech, dialect, valve | ベン | (none) | 5 | 弁当 (べんとう) "boxed lunch"; 関西弁 (かんさいべん) "Kansai dialect" | N1+ |
| 旧 | old times, former | キュウ | (none) | 5 | 旧 (きゅう) "former, ex-"; 旧友 (きゅうゆう) "old friend" | N2 |
| 永 | eternity, long | エイ | なが-い | 5 | 永久 (えいきゅう) "eternity"; 永遠 (えいえん) "eternity, forever" | N2 |
| 犯 | crime, offense | ハン | おか-す | 5 | 犯罪 (はんざい) "crime"; 犯人 (はんにん) "criminal, perpetrator" | N3 |
| 示 | show, indicate | ジ、シ | しめ-す | 5 | 示す (しめす) "to indicate"; 表示 (ひょうじ) "display, indication" | N1+ |
| 仮 | tentative, temporary | カ、ケ | かり | 6 | 仮 (かり) "tentative, temporary"; 仮名 (かな) "kana" | N1+ |
| 件 | matter, case | ケン | (none) | 6 | 事件 (じけん) "incident, case"; 条件 (じょうけん) "condition" | N3 |
| 任 | duty, entrust | ニン | まか-せる、まか-す | 6 | 責任 (せきにん) "responsibility"; 任せる (まかせる) "to entrust" | N3 |
| 再 | again, twice | サイ、サ | ふたた-び | 6 | 再び (ふたたび) "again"; 再開 (さいかい) "resumption" | N2 |
| 因 | cause | イン | よ-る | 6 | 原因 (げんいん) "cause"; 要因 (よういん) "factor" | N3 |
| 団 | group, association | ダン、トン | (none) | 6 | 団体 (だんたい) "group, organization"; 集団 (しゅうだん) "group" | N2 |
| 在 | exist, be located | ザイ | あ-る | 6 | 存在 (そんざい) "existence"; 現在 (げんざい) "the present" | N3 |
| 似 | resemble | ジ | に-る | 7 | 似る (にる) "to resemble"; 類似 (るいじ) "similarity" | N3 |
| 余 | excess, remainder | ヨ | あま-る、あま-す | 7 | 余る (あまる) "to remain"; 余裕 (よゆう) "surplus, leeway" | N3 |
| 判 | judgment, seal | ハン、バン | (none) | 7 | 判断 (はんだん) "judgment"; 判決 (はんけつ) "(judicial) decision" | N3 |
| 告 | report, announce | コク | つ-げる | 7 | 報告 (ほうこく) "report"; 告白 (こくはく) "confession" | N3 |
| 囲 | surround, enclosure | イ | かこ-む、かこ-う | 7 | 周囲 (しゅうい) "surroundings"; 範囲 (はんい) "scope, range" | N2 |
| 均 | average, level | キン | (none) | 7 | 平均 (へいきん) "average"; 均一 (きんいつ) "uniform" | N2 |
| 序 | preface, order | ジョ | (none) | 7 | 順序 (じゅんじょ) "order, sequence"; 序文 (じょぶん) "preface" | N1+ |
| 志 | aspiration, intention | シ | こころざ-す、こころざし | 7 | 志 (こころざし) "ambition"; 意志 (いし) "will, intention" | N1+ |
| 応 | apply, respond | オウ | こた-える | 7 | 応じる (おうじる) "to respond"; 応用 (おうよう) "application" | N1+ |
| 快 | pleasant, fast | カイ | こころよ-い | 7 | 快適 (かいてき) "comfortable"; 快い (こころよい) "pleasant" | N2 |
| 技 | skill, technique | ギ | わざ | 7 | 技術 (ぎじゅつ) "technology, skill"; 技 (わざ) "skill, technique" | N2 |
| 条 | streak, article (of law) | ジョウ | (none) | 7 | 条件 (じょうけん) "condition"; 条約 (じょうやく) "treaty" | N1+ |
| 災 | disaster, calamity | サイ | わざわ-い | 7 | 災害 (さいがい) "disaster"; 火災 (かさい) "fire (disaster)" | N1+ |
| 状 | condition, letter | ジョウ | (none) | 7 | 状態 (じょうたい) "condition"; 状況 (じょうきょう) "situation" | N3 |
| 防 | ward off, prevent | ボウ | ふせ-ぐ | 7 | 防ぐ (ふせぐ) "to prevent"; 予防 (よぼう) "prevention" | N2 |
| 価 | value, price | カ | あたい | 8 | 価格 (かかく) "price"; 価値 (かち) "value" | N1+ |
| 制 | system, control | セイ | (none) | 8 | 制度 (せいど) "system"; 制限 (せいげん) "restriction" | N3 |
| 効 | effect, efficacy | コウ | き-く | 8 | 効果 (こうか) "effect"; 効率 (こうりつ) "efficiency" | N2 |
| 妻 | wife | サイ | つま | 8 | 妻 (つま) "(one's own) wife"; 夫妻 (ふさい) "husband and wife" | N3 |
| 居 | reside, exist | キョ | い-る | 8 | 居る (いる) "to be (animate)"; 居間 (いま) "living room" | N3 |
| 往 | journey, go | オウ | (none) | 8 | 往復 (おうふく) "round trip"; 往来 (おうらい) "coming and going" | N1+ |
| 性 | nature, sex | セイ、ショウ | (none) | 8 | 性格 (せいかく) "personality"; 男性 (だんせい) "male" | N3 |
| 招 | invite, summon | ショウ | まね-く | 8 | 招く (まねく) "to invite"; 招待 (しょうたい) "invitation" | N1+ |
| 易 | easy, fortune-telling | エキ、イ | やさ-しい | 8 | 容易 (ようい) "easy"; 貿易 (ぼうえき) "trade" | N3 |
| 枝 | branch, twig | シ | えだ | 8 | 枝 (えだ) "branch"; 小枝 (こえだ) "twig" | N2 |
| 武 | military, warrior | ブ、ム | (none) | 8 | 武士 (ぶし) "samurai"; 武器 (ぶき) "weapon" | N2 |
| 毒 | poison, harm | ドク | (none) | 8 | 中毒 (ちゅうどく) "poisoning"; 消毒 (しょうどく) "disinfection" | N2 |
| 河 | river | カ | かわ | 8 | 河川 (かせん) "rivers"; 河口 (かこう) "river mouth" | N2 |
| 版 | printing block, edition | ハン | (none) | 8 | 出版 (しゅっぱん) "publishing"; 版 (はん) "edition" | N2 |
| 肥 | fat, fertile | ヒ | こ-える、こ、こえ、こ-やす、こ-やし | 8 | 肥える (こえる) "to grow fat"; 肥料 (ひりょう) "fertilizer" | N1+ |
| 舎 | barn, hut, building | シャ | (none) | 8 | 校舎 (こうしゃ) "school building"; 田舎 (いなか) "countryside" | N1+ |
| 述 | mention, narrate | ジュツ | の-べる | 8 | 述べる (のべる) "to state"; 記述 (きじゅつ) "description" | N3 |
| 非 | not, non- | ヒ | (none) | 8 | 非常 (ひじょう) "emergency, extraordinary"; 非常に (ひじょうに) "extremely" | N3 |
| 保 | protect, preserve | ホ | たも-つ | 9 | 保護 (ほご) "protection"; 保証 (ほしょう) "guarantee" | N2 |
| 則 | rule, law | ソク | (none) | 9 | 規則 (きそく) "rule"; 法則 (ほうそく) "principle" | N2 |
| 厚 | thick, kind | コウ | あつ-い | 9 | 厚い (あつい) "thick, kind"; 厚生 (こうせい) "welfare" | N2 |
| 型 | type, model, mold | ケイ | かた | 9 | 模型 (もけい) "model"; 典型 (てんけい) "typical example" | N2 |
| 政 | govern, politics | セイ、ショウ | まつりごと | 9 | 政治 (せいじ) "politics"; 政府 (せいふ) "government" | N3 |
| 故 | happening, deceased, old | コ | ゆえ | 9 | 事故 (じこ) "accident"; 故郷 (こきょう) "hometown" | N1+ |
| 査 | investigate, inspect | サ | (none) | 9 | 調査 (ちょうさ) "investigation, survey"; 検査 (けんさ) "inspection" | N2 |
| 独 | alone, Germany | ドク | ひと-り | 9 | 独立 (どくりつ) "independence"; 独り (ひとり) "alone" | N1+ |
| 祖 | ancestor | ソ | (none) | 9 | 祖父 (そふ) "grandfather"; 祖国 (そこく) "homeland" | N3 |
| 紀 | era, chronicle | キ | (none) | 9 | 世紀 (せいき) "century"; 紀元 (きげん) "epoch" | N1+ |
| 迷 | astray, perplexed | メイ | まよ-う | 9 | 迷う (まよう) "to be lost, hesitate"; 迷子 (まいご) "lost child" | N3 |
| 逆 | reverse, opposite | ギャク | さか-らう、さか-さ | 9 | 逆 (ぎゃく) "reverse"; 逆らう (さからう) "to oppose" | N3 |
| 限 | limit, restrict | ゲン | かぎ-る | 9 | 限界 (げんかい) "limit"; 制限 (せいげん) "restriction" | N3 |
| 修 | discipline, study | シュウ、シュ | おさ-める、おさ-まる | 10 | 修理 (しゅうり) "repair"; 修行 (しゅぎょう) "training, ascetic practice" | N2 |
| 個 | individual, single | コ | (none) | 10 | 個人 (こじん) "individual"; 個性 (こせい) "individuality" | N3 |
| 容 | contain, form | ヨウ | (none) | 10 | 容易 (ようい) "easy"; 内容 (ないよう) "content" | N3 |
| 師 | master, teacher | シ | (none) | 10 | 教師 (きょうし) "teacher"; 医師 (いし) "doctor" | N3 |
| 格 | status, rank, character | カク、コウ | (none) | 10 | 性格 (せいかく) "personality"; 価格 (かかく) "price" | N3 |
| 桜 | cherry tree | オウ | さくら | 10 | 桜 (さくら) "cherry blossom"; 桜の木 (さくらのき) "cherry tree" | N1+ |
| 殺 | kill | サツ、サイ、セツ | ころ-す | 10 | 殺人 (さつじん) "homicide"; 自殺 (じさつ) "suicide" | N3 |
| 留 | detain, stay | リュウ、ル | と-める、と-まる | 10 | 留学 (りゅうがく) "study abroad"; 留守 (るす) "absence, away" | N3 |
| 益 | profit, benefit | エキ、ヤク | (none) | 10 | 利益 (りえき) "profit"; 有益 (ゆうえき) "useful, beneficial" | N1+ |
| 破 | tear, break | ハ | やぶ-る、やぶ-れる | 10 | 破る (やぶる) "to break, tear"; 破壊 (はかい) "destruction" | N3 |
| 粉 | flour, powder | フン | こ、こな | 10 | 粉末 (ふんまつ) "powder"; 花粉 (かふん) "pollen" | N2 |
| 素 | element, plain, naked | ソ、ス | (none) | 10 | 素 (す) "natural, plain"; 要素 (ようそ) "element, factor" | N1+ |
| 耕 | till, cultivate | コウ | たがや-す | 10 | 耕す (たがやす) "to till, cultivate"; 耕地 (こうち) "arable land" | N2 |
| 能 | ability, talent | ノウ | (none) | 10 | 能力 (のうりょく) "ability"; 可能 (かのう) "possible" | N3 |
| 脈 | pulse, vein | ミャク | (none) | 10 | 動脈 (どうみゃく) "artery"; 山脈 (さんみゃく) "mountain range" | N1+ |
| 航 | navigation, voyage | コウ | (none) | 10 | 航空 (こうくう) "aviation"; 航海 (こうかい) "voyage" | N2 |
| 財 | wealth, property | ザイ、サイ | (none) | 10 | 財産 (ざいさん) "property, wealth"; 財布 (さいふ) "wallet" | N3 |
| 造 | create, build | ゾウ | つく-る | 10 | 造る (つくる) "to build, manufacture"; 構造 (こうぞう) "structure" | N2 |
| 停 | halt, stop | テイ | (none) | 11 | 停止 (ていし) "halt, stop"; 停車 (ていしゃ) "stopping a vehicle" | N2 |
| 務 | duty, service | ム | つと-める、つと-まる | 11 | 義務 (ぎむ) "duty, obligation"; 任務 (にんむ) "duty, mission" | N3 |
| 基 | foundation, base | キ | もと、もとい | 11 | 基本 (きほん) "basics"; 基準 (きじゅん) "standard" | N1+ |
| 堂 | hall, sanctuary | ドウ | (none) | 11 | 食堂 (しょくどう) "dining hall"; 講堂 (こうどう) "auditorium" | N1+ |
| 婦 | wife, woman | フ | (none) | 11 | 主婦 (しゅふ) "housewife"; 夫婦 (ふうふ) "married couple" | N3 |
| 寄 | draw near, donate | キ | よ-る、よ-せる | 11 | 寄る (よる) "to approach, drop by"; 寄付 (きふ) "donation" | N3 |
| 常 | usual, ordinary | ジョウ | つね、とこ | 11 | 常 (つね) "usual"; 日常 (にちじょう) "everyday" | N3 |
| 張 | stretch, spread | チョウ | は-る | 11 | 張る (はる) "to stretch, paste"; 主張 (しゅちょう) "claim, insistence" | N1+ |
| 得 | acquire, gain | トク | え-る、う-る | 11 | 取得 (しゅとく) "acquisition"; 得点 (とくてん) "score" | N1+ |
| 情 | emotion, situation | ジョウ、セイ | なさ-け | 11 | 情報 (じょうほう) "information"; 感情 (かんじょう) "emotion" | N3 |
| 授 | grant, instruct | ジュ | さず-ける、さず-かる | 11 | 教授 (きょうじゅ) "professor"; 授業 (じゅぎょう) "class, lesson" | N1+ |
| 採 | gather, take, pick | サイ | と-る | 11 | 採用 (さいよう) "adoption, hiring"; 採る (とる) "to pick, gather" | N2 |
| 接 | touch, join, contact | セツ | つ-ぐ | 11 | 接する (せっする) "to be in contact with"; 直接 (ちょくせつ) "direct" | N2 |
| 救 | rescue, save | キュウ | すく-う | 11 | 救助 (きゅうじょ) "rescue"; 救急 (きゅうきゅう) "emergency" | N1+ |
| 断 | sever, decide | ダン | た-つ、ことわ-る | 11 | 断る (ことわる) "to refuse"; 判断 (はんだん) "judgment" | N3 |
| 液 | liquid, fluid | エキ | (none) | 11 | 液体 (えきたい) "liquid"; 血液 (けつえき) "blood" | N2 |
| 混 | mix, confuse | コン | ま-じる、ま-ざる、ま-ぜる、こ-む | 11 | 混ぜる (まぜる) "to mix"; 混雑 (こんざつ) "congestion" | N2 |
| 率 | rate, ratio, lead | リツ、ソツ | ひき-いる | 11 | 率 (りつ) "rate, proportion"; 効率 (こうりつ) "efficiency" | N1+ |
| 現 | current, appear | ゲン | あらわ-れる、あらわ-す | 11 | 現在 (げんざい) "the present"; 現れる (あらわれる) "to appear" | N3 |
| 略 | abbreviation, omit | リャク | (none) | 11 | 省略 (しょうりゃく) "omission, abbreviation"; 略歴 (りゃくれき) "brief résumé" | N2 |
| 眼 | eye, eyeball | ガン、ゲン | まなこ | 11 | 眼鏡 (めがね) "glasses"; 眼科 (がんか) "ophthalmology" | N1+ |
| 移 | shift, move | イ | うつ-る、うつ-す | 11 | 移る (うつる) "to move (intr.)"; 移動 (いどう) "movement" | N2 |
| 経 | pass through, manage | ケイ、キョウ | へ-る | 11 | 経済 (けいざい) "economy"; 経験 (けいけん) "experience" | N3 |
| 術 | art, technique, means | ジュツ | (none) | 11 | 技術 (ぎじゅつ) "technology, skill"; 芸術 (げいじゅつ) "art" | N3 |
| 規 | standard, regulation | キ | (none) | 11 | 規則 (きそく) "rule"; 規模 (きぼ) "scale" | N3 |
| 設 | set up, establish | セツ | もう-ける | 11 | 設立 (せつりつ) "establishment"; 設備 (せつび) "equipment" | N2 |
| 許 | permit, allow | キョ | ゆる-す | 11 | 許す (ゆるす) "to permit, forgive"; 許可 (きょか) "permission" | N3 |
| 貧 | poor, scarce | ヒン、ビン | まず-しい | 11 | 貧しい (まずしい) "poor"; 貧困 (ひんこん) "poverty" | N3 |
| 責 | blame, responsibility | セキ | せ-める | 11 | 責任 (せきにん) "responsibility"; 責める (せめる) "to blame" | N3 |
| 険 | dangerous, steep | ケン | けわ-しい | 11 | 危険 (きけん) "danger"; 険しい (けわしい) "steep, severe" | N3 |
| 備 | provide, equip | ビ | そな-える、そな-わる | 12 | 準備 (じゅんび) "preparation"; 設備 (せつび) "equipment" | N3 |
| 喜 | joy, rejoice | キ | よろこ-ぶ、よろこ-ばす | 12 | 喜ぶ (よろこぶ) "to rejoice"; 喜び (よろこび) "joy" | N3 |
| 営 | manage, conduct | エイ | いとな-む | 12 | 経営 (けいえい) "management"; 営業 (えいぎょう) "business operations" | N2 |
| 報 | report, requite | ホウ | むく-いる | 12 | 報告 (ほうこく) "report"; 情報 (じょうほう) "information" | N3 |
| 属 | belong, genus | ゾク | (none) | 12 | 所属 (しょぞく) "belonging to"; 金属 (きんぞく) "metal" | N1+ |
| 復 | restore, return | フク | (none) | 12 | 復習 (ふくしゅう) "review"; 回復 (かいふく) "recovery" | N2 |
| 提 | propose, present | テイ | さ-げる | 12 | 提案 (ていあん) "proposal"; 提出 (ていしゅつ) "submission" | N2 |
| 検 | examine, inspect | ケン | (none) | 12 | 検査 (けんさ) "inspection"; 検討 (けんとう) "consideration, examination" | N1+ |
| 減 | decrease, reduce | ゲン | へ-る、へ-らす | 12 | 減る (へる) "to decrease"; 減少 (げんしょう) "decrease, decline" | N2 |
| 測 | measure, fathom | ソク | はか-る | 12 | 測る (はかる) "to measure"; 観測 (かんそく) "observation" | N2 |
| 程 | extent, degree | テイ | ほど | 12 | 程 (ほど) "extent, degree"; 程度 (ていど) "degree, extent" | N3 |
| 税 | tax | ゼイ | (none) | 12 | 税金 (ぜいきん) "tax"; 消費税 (しょうひぜい) "consumption tax" | N2 |
| 統 | unite, govern | トウ | す-べる | 12 | 統一 (とういつ) "unification"; 大統領 (だいとうりょう) "president" | N1+ |
| 絶 | discontinue, sever | ゼツ | た-える、た-やす、た-つ | 12 | 絶対 (ぜったい) "absolute"; 絶える (たえる) "to die out, cease" | N3 |
| 証 | proof, certify | ショウ | (none) | 12 | 証明 (しょうめい) "proof"; 保証 (ほしょう) "guarantee" | N1+ |
| 評 | criticize, evaluate | ヒョウ | (none) | 12 | 評価 (ひょうか) "evaluation"; 評判 (ひょうばん) "reputation" | N1+ |
| 象 | elephant, phenomenon | ショウ、ゾウ | (none) | 12 | 現象 (げんしょう) "phenomenon"; 印象 (いんしょう) "impression" | N2 |
| 貯 | savings, store | チョ | (none) | 12 | 貯金 (ちょきん) "savings"; 貯水 (ちょすい) "water storage" | N2 |
| 貸 | lend | タイ | か-す | 12 | 貸す (かす) "to lend"; 貸し借り (かしかり) "lending and borrowing" | N2 |
| 費 | expense, expend | ヒ | つい-やす、つい-える | 12 | 費用 (ひよう) "cost, expense"; 経費 (けいひ) "expenses" | N3 |
| 貿 | trade, exchange | ボウ | (none) | 12 | 貿易 (ぼうえき) "trade"; 貿易港 (ぼうえきこう) "trade port" | N2 |
| 過 | exceed, pass | カ | す-ぎる、す-ごす、あやま-つ、あやま-ち | 12 | 過ぎる (すぎる) "to pass, exceed"; 過去 (かこ) "past" | N3 |
| 勢 | force, energy, situation | セイ | いきお-い | 13 | 勢い (いきおい) "force, vigor"; 姿勢 (しせい) "posture" | N2 |
| 墓 | grave, tomb | ボ | はか | 13 | 墓 (はか) "grave"; 墓地 (ぼち) "graveyard" | N1+ |
| 夢 | dream | ム | ゆめ | 13 | 夢 (ゆめ) "dream"; 夢中 (むちゅう) "absorbed, engrossed" | N3 |
| 幹 | trunk, main part | カン | みき | 13 | 新幹線 (しんかんせん) "Shinkansen"; 幹部 (かんぶ) "executives" | N1+ |
| 損 | loss, damage | ソン | そこ-なう、そこ-ねる | 13 | 損害 (そんがい) "damage, loss"; 損失 (そんしつ) "loss" | N2 |
| 準 | level, standard | ジュン | (none) | 13 | 準備 (じゅんび) "preparation"; 基準 (きじゅん) "standard" | N3 |
| 禁 | prohibit, forbid | キン | (none) | 13 | 禁止 (きんし) "prohibition"; 禁煙 (きんえん) "no smoking" | N2 |
| 罪 | crime, sin | ザイ | つみ | 13 | 罪 (つみ) "crime, sin"; 犯罪 (はんざい) "crime" | N3 |
| 義 | righteousness, meaning | ギ | (none) | 13 | 義務 (ぎむ) "duty, obligation"; 意義 (いぎ) "significance" | N1+ |
| 解 | untie, solve | カイ、ゲ | と-く、と-かす、と-ける | 13 | 解決 (かいけつ) "solution"; 理解 (りかい) "understanding" | N3 |
| 豊 | abundant, plentiful | ホウ | ゆた-か | 13 | 豊か (ゆたか) "rich, abundant"; 豊富 (ほうふ) "abundant" | N2 |
| 資 | resources, capital | シ | (none) | 13 | 資料 (しりょう) "materials, data"; 資金 (しきん) "funds, capital" | N3 |
| 鉱 | mineral, ore | コウ | (none) | 13 | 鉱物 (こうぶつ) "mineral"; 鉱山 (こうざん) "mine" | N2 |
| 飼 | rear, raise (an animal) | シ | か-う | 13 | 飼う (かう) "to keep (a pet)"; 飼育 (しいく) "rearing, breeding" | N1+ |
| 像 | image, statue | ゾウ | (none) | 14 | 想像 (そうぞう) "imagination"; 銅像 (どうぞう) "bronze statue" | N2 |
| 境 | boundary, border | キョウ、ケイ | さかい | 14 | 境界 (きょうかい) "boundary"; 環境 (かんきょう) "environment" | N2 |
| 増 | increase, add | ゾウ | ま-す、ふ-える、ふ-やす | 14 | 増える (ふえる) "to increase (intr.)"; 増加 (ぞうか) "increase" | N3 |
| 態 | condition, attitude | タイ | (none) | 14 | 状態 (じょうたい) "condition"; 態度 (たいど) "attitude" | N1+ |
| 慣 | accustomed | カン | な-れる、な-らす | 14 | 慣れる (なれる) "to get used to"; 習慣 (しゅうかん) "habit, custom" | N3 |
| 構 | construct, structure | コウ | かま-える、かま-う | 14 | 構造 (こうぞう) "structure"; 構成 (こうせい) "composition" | N3 |
| 歴 | history, passing | レキ | (none) | 14 | 歴史 (れきし) "history"; 経歴 (けいれき) "career history" | N2 |
| 演 | perform, play | エン | (none) | 14 | 演技 (えんぎ) "performance, acting"; 公演 (こうえん) "public performance" | N2 |
| 精 | refined, spirit | セイ、ショウ | (none) | 14 | 精神 (せいしん) "spirit, mind"; 精密 (せいみつ) "precision" | N2 |
| 綿 | cotton | メン | わた | 14 | 綿 (わた) "cotton wadding"; 木綿 (もめん) "cotton (cloth)" | N2 |
| 総 | general, total | ソウ | (none) | 14 | 総合 (そうごう) "synthesis, general"; 総理 (そうり) "prime minister" | N2 |
| 製 | manufacture, make | セイ | (none) | 14 | 製品 (せいひん) "product"; 製造 (せいぞう) "manufacture" | N1+ |
| 複 | duplicate, compound | フク | (none) | 14 | 複雑 (ふくざつ) "complicated"; 複数 (ふくすう) "plural" | N2 |
| 適 | suitable, fit | テキ | (none) | 14 | 適切 (てきせつ) "appropriate"; 適応 (てきおう) "adaptation" | N3 |
| 酸 | acid, sour | サン | す-い | 14 | 酸 (さん) "acid"; 酸素 (さんそ) "oxygen" | N1+ |
| 銅 | copper | ドウ | (none) | 14 | 銅 (どう) "copper"; 銅像 (どうぞう) "bronze statue" | N2 |
| 際 | edge, occasion, juncture | サイ | きわ | 14 | 国際 (こくさい) "international"; 際 (きわ) "edge, brink" | N3 |
| 雑 | miscellaneous, mixed | ザツ、ゾウ | (none) | 14 | 雑誌 (ざっし) "magazine"; 複雑 (ふくざつ) "complicated" | N3 |
| 領 | territory, rule | リョウ | (none) | 14 | 領土 (りょうど) "territory"; 大統領 (だいとうりょう) "president" | N2 |
| 導 | guide, lead | ドウ | みちび-く | 15 | 指導 (しどう) "guidance"; 導く (みちびく) "to guide" | N2 |
| 暴 | violent, outburst | ボウ、バク | あば-く、あば-れる | 15 | 暴力 (ぼうりょく) "violence"; 暴れる (あばれる) "to rage" | N2 |
| 潔 | pure, clean | ケツ | いさぎよ-い | 15 | 清潔 (せいけつ) "clean"; 潔白 (けっぱく) "innocence" | N1+ |
| 確 | confirm, certain | カク | たし-か、たし-かめる | 15 | 確認 (かくにん) "confirmation"; 確かに (たしかに) "certainly" | N3 |
| 編 | compile, knit | ヘン | あ-む | 15 | 編集 (へんしゅう) "editing"; 編む (あむ) "to knit, compile" | N2 |
| 賛 | approve, praise | サン | (none) | 15 | 賛成 (さんせい) "approval, agreement"; 賛同 (さんどう) "approval" | N3 |
| 賞 | prize, reward | ショウ | (none) | 15 | 賞金 (しょうきん) "prize money"; 受賞 (じゅしょう) "winning a prize" | N2 |
| 質 | quality, substance | シツ、シチ | (none) | 15 | 質問 (しつもん) "question"; 性質 (せいしつ) "nature, property" | N3 |
| 燃 | burn | ネン | も-える、も-やす、も-す | 16 | 燃える (もえる) "to burn (intr.)"; 燃料 (ねんりょう) "fuel" | N2 |
| 築 | construct, build | チク | きず-く | 16 | 建築 (けんちく) "architecture, construction"; 築く (きずく) "to build" | N2 |
| 興 | rouse, prosper | コウ、キョウ | おこ-る、おこ-す | 16 | 興味 (きょうみ) "interest"; 復興 (ふっこう) "revival, reconstruction" | N1+ |
| 衛 | defense, ward | エイ | (none) | 16 | 護衛 (ごえい) "escort, guard"; 衛星 (えいせい) "satellite" | N1+ |
| 輸 | transport, send | ユ | (none) | 16 | 輸入 (ゆにゅう) "import"; 輸出 (ゆしゅつ) "export" | N2 |
| 績 | achievements, exploits | セキ | (none) | 17 | 成績 (せいせき) "results, grades"; 業績 (ぎょうせき) "achievements" | N2 |
| 講 | lecture | コウ | (none) | 17 | 講義 (こうぎ) "lecture"; 講堂 (こうどう) "lecture hall" | N2 |
| 謝 | apologize, thank | シャ | あやま-る | 17 | 感謝 (かんしゃ) "gratitude"; 謝る (あやまる) "to apologize" | N1+ |
| 織 | weave | ショク、シキ | お-る | 18 | 組織 (そしき) "organization"; 織る (おる) "to weave" | N1+ |
| 職 | post, employment | ショク | (none) | 18 | 職業 (しょくぎょう) "occupation"; 就職 (しゅうしょく) "getting a job" | N3 |
| 額 | sum, amount, forehead | ガク | ひたい | 18 | 金額 (きんがく) "amount of money"; 額 (ひたい) "forehead" | N2 |
| 識 | discern, knowledge | シキ | (none) | 19 | 知識 (ちしき) "knowledge"; 意識 (いしき) "consciousness" | N3 |
| 護 | protect, safeguard | ゴ | (none) | 20 | 保護 (ほご) "protection"; 弁護士 (べんごし) "lawyer" | N1+ |
Patterns within grade 5
Civics, government, and law
The civics-and-government cluster is the heaviest single theme of grade 5 and the structural reason the JLPT mapping shifts from N3 to N2.42 The verified grade-5 civics roster is 政, 制, 統, 領, 衛, 護, 義, 講, 賛, with 久, 旧, 任 anchoring the surrounding time-and-duty layer.69 Several civics characters that a learner might expect at this grade actually wait for grade 6 (権, 律, 党, 憲, 裁). The structural reason is that grade-6 kanji are judged the most abstract in native L1 development.8
Most of these characters first surface in real text inside compounds: 政府 (せいふ), 政治 (せいじ), 制度 (せいど), 統一 (とういつ), 大統領 (だいとうりょう), 領土 (りょうど), 護衛 (ごえい), 弁護士 (べんごし), 義務 (ぎむ), 意義 (いぎ), 講義 (こうぎ), 講堂 (こうどう), 賛成 (さんせい).1314
政府は新しい制度を統一した。13
"The government unified the new system."
Economy, trade, and industry
The economy-and-trade cluster fills in the language of money and trade. The verified grade-5 economy roster is 経, 営, 貿, 益, 損, 額, 価, 費, 貯, 復, 興, 輸, 易, 税, 鉱, 銅, 績, 製, 造, with 賞 carrying the prize-and-reward layer at the edge of the cluster.69
Most-frequent compounds include 経済 (けいざい), 経営 (けいえい), 貿易 (ぼうえき), 利益 (りえき), 損失 (そんしつ), 価格 (かかく), 価値 (かち), 費用 (ひよう), 経費 (けいひ), 貯金 (ちょきん), 賞金 (しょうきん), 復興 (ふっこう), 輸入 (ゆにゅう), 輸出 (ゆしゅつ), 容易 (ようい), 税金 (ぜいきん), 鉱物 (こうぶつ), 製造 (せいぞう), 成績 (せいせき).131419 Most sit on the JLPT N2 list.4
Abstract qualities and concept nouns
The abstract-noun cluster is the editorial backbone of grade 5: 義務, 講義, 略歴, 情報, 性格, 容易, 条件, 個性, 評価, 性質, 状態, 設備, 構成, 解決, 解説, 知識.1314 The verified grade-5 abstract-quality roster is 略, 情, 性, 容, 件, 個, 評, 質, 状, 態, 設, 構, 解, 識, 似, 余, 比, 在, 因, 故, 規, 則, 務, 効, 格, 準, 術.6
This is the year a learner can begin to read newspaper editorials.5 The highest-leverage sub-pattern is the 状態-class compounds (state-of-being nouns ending in 状 or 態): 状態, 状況, 態度, 姿勢, 健康状態. Compounds of this kind, using grade-1-through-grade-5 kanji, are common in news copy.1314
History, the past, and humanities
The four canonical history kanji 歴, 史, 紀, 故 all arrive at grade 5, and three of them (歴, 史, 紀) are part of the 2017 transfer from grade 4; the fourth, 故, was already at grade 5 before the revision.2 Grade 5 is the year a learner can read 歴史, 世紀, 故事, 旧来 and the language of historical writing.13 Top compounds verified: 歴史 (れきし), 経歴 (けいれき), 史実 (しじつ), 世紀 (せいき), 紀元 (きげん), 事故 (じこ), 故郷 (こきょう), 旧友 (きゅうゆう), 銅像 (どうぞう), 想像 (そうぞう), 述べる (のべる), 記述 (きじゅつ).1314
The body's interior, biology, and medicine
The grade-5 body-and-medicine roster is 脈, 液, 酸, 毒, 救, 飼, 肥, 防. Most of the body-interior cluster (肺, 胸, 腹, 脳, 骨, 筋) sits at grade 6, not grade 5. Only 脈 properly anchors the にくづき (flesh-radical) pattern at this grade.86 Top compounds: 動脈 (どうみゃく), 山脈 (さんみゃく), 液体 (えきたい), 血液 (けつえき), 酸素 (さんそ), 中毒 (ちゅうどく), 消毒 (しょうどく), 救助 (きゅうじょ), 救急 (きゅうきゅう), 飼育 (しいく), 肥料 (ひりょう), 予防 (よぼう).1314
Geography, weather, and natural extremes
The first appearance of 境 (boundary), 際 (juncture), and 災 (disaster) at grade 5 completes the geography-and-environment reading layer started at grades 3 and 4.62 The verified grade-5 geography cluster is 境, 際, 河, 災, 燃, 暴, 永, 桜, 雑, 混. Top compounds: 環境 (かんきょう), 境界 (きょうかい), 国際 (こくさい), 災害 (さいがい), 火災 (かさい), 河川 (かせん), 燃料 (ねんりょう), 暴風 (ぼうふう), 永久 (えいきゅう), 桜 (さくら), 混雑 (こんざつ), 雑誌 (ざっし).1314
The 阝 (こざとへん, mound radical) pattern visible at grade 5 holds across 際, 防, 限, 険; the 阜 (mound-source kanji) is at grade 4 in the prefecture-name block.2
Counters, measures, and the language of quantity
The first appearance of 個 (the general counter for objects) and 件 (the counter for incidents and abstract events) at grade 5 matters in practice. 個 is one of the top-3 counters by BCCWJ corpus frequency rank; 件 is the standard counter for abstract events (3件のメッセージ, 1件の事件).513
The grade-5 counter-and-measure roster proper is 個, 件, 額, 余, 増, 減, 率, 規, 均, with 倍 at grade 3 and 単 at grade 4 already in cumulative coverage. Top compounds: 数個 (すうこ), 一件 (いっけん), 金額 (きんがく), 余裕 (よゆう), 増加 (ぞうか), 減少 (げんしょう), 効率 (こうりつ), 規模 (きぼ), 平均 (へいきん).131419
Everyday-life kanji that complete the elementary set
A small but important cluster of approach-and-inspection verbs rounds out the elementary set: 基, 招, 接, 採, 検, 査 plus the broader action layer of 提, 測, 移, 過, 適, 断, 演, 増, 減. Top compounds: 基本 (きほん), 基準 (きじゅん), 招待 (しょうたい), 接する (せっする), 直接 (ちょくせつ), 採用 (さいよう), 検査 (けんさ), 検討 (けんとう), 調査 (ちょうさ).1319
Phonetic and semantic series at grade 5
Multi-member phonetic series visible at grade 5
By the end of grade 5, the cumulative kyōiku set covers most of the high-frequency phonetic components in the jōyō set. As a result, several phono-semantic series finally have most of their members visible.23 The cleanest grade-5 examples:
The 青 セイ family (青, 精, 清, 晴, 情) is the cleanest four-of-five shared-on'yomi family in the elementary set. 情 is the grade-5 addition that brings ジョウ into the family.23 The 工 コウ family is the second standard grade-5-driven cluster: 講 and 構 are the grade-5 additions, joining 工, 功, 江 from earlier grades plus 紅 at grade 6.23
Other multi-member series are visible by the end of grade 5: the 才 サイ family (才, 財, 材); the 反 ハン family, with 版 as the grade-5 addition (反, 板, 坂, 飯, 版); and the 古 コ family, with 故 and 個 both grade-5 additions (古, 故, 個).23
Semantic radicals that dominate grade 5
The grade-5 set is dominated by a handful of semantic-radical families. The 貝 (こがい, shell / money radical) descends from the cowrie shell, which was used as money in ancient China; this is why so many money-and-trade kanji carry it.23 At grade 5 the 貝 family is the heaviest single-radical block, with twelve members: 賞, 貯, 費, 財, 額, 貿, 賛, 貸, 貧, 資, 質, 責.23
The 言 (ごんべん, speech radical) drives the editorial cluster: 講, 評, 識, 許, 証, 謝, 述 are all grade 5.23 The 糸 (いと, thread radical) drives the production cluster: 紀, 絶, 総, 編, 績, 綿, 織 (seven members).23 The 阝 (こざとへん, mound radical, left side) carries the boundary-and-restriction layer: 際, 防, 限, 険.23
The 月 にくづき (flesh radical, descended from 肉) is introduced at grade 5 with 脈 but is completed only at grade 6, when the body-interior set (肺, 胸, 腹, 脳, 骨, 筋) arrives.823
Component recycling at grade 5
Several earlier-grade kanji become phonetic components inside grade-5 additions. This is the structural reason the phonetic-component prediction trick begins paying off more often at this grade.23 Verified instances: 青 (grade 1) → 情 (grade 5); 工 (grade 2) → 講, 構 (both grade 5); 古 (grade 2) → 故, 個 (both grade 5); 司 (grade 4) → 飼 (grade 5).823
The cumulative kyōiku set through grade 5 (80 + 160 + 200 + 202 + 193 = 835 kanji) is the same as the 漢検6級 scope, the kanji-aptitude-test level pegged to the end-of-fifth-grade reading skill.16
How grade 5 maps to JLPT N3 and N2
The N2-majority and the N3 base
Most grade-5 characters sit on the JLPT N2 list (~38%) in the JLPTsensei reconstruction.4 Civics-and-economy compounds dominate this share: 営, 復, 講, 設, 像, 鉱, 銅, 製, 貿, 貯, 費, 損, 額, 興, 略, 燃, 編, 築, 領.4
A substantial base sits on N3 (~36%): the everyday-life and verb subset, including 件, 余, 任, 招, 接, 増, 採, 検, 査, 容, 個, 情, 性, 状, 構, 解, 識, 罪, 雑, 際, 限, 険, 過, 適, 断.3
A meaningful tail sits at N1-or-unmapped (~26%) because some policy-and-editorial vocabulary enabled by the grade-5 set is above N2. 統, 衛, 義, 護 are policy-vocabulary anchors; 桜, 紀, 災, 肥, 脈, 飼, 墓 are kun'yomi-driven words below the N2 line in some reconstructions.2221
There is no N4 residue: no clear grade-5 character appears on the JLPTsensei N4 list. This is a notable change from grade 4, which still had 8 characters cross-listed at N4.34
Where the kyōiku and JLPT orderings diverge
The cumulative grade-1-through-grade-5 set (835 kanji)16 now covers the full JLPT N5 and N4 reconstructions and most of N3. A substantial chunk of N2 also lands here.34 The rest of N2 and most of N1 sit at grade 6 and the secondary-school 中学校 set.8
The kyōiku ordering does not match JLPT frequency. Five N2 kanji a learner would expect at grade 5 actually wait for grade 6: 権 (right, authority), 律 (law, rule), 党 (political party), 憲 (constitution), 裁 (judge, sanction).84 All five are political-and-legal-vocabulary kanji; MEXT defers them to grade 6 because their compounds are judged too abstract for 10-to-11-year-olds.8
In the other direction, four grade-5 kanji that look ordinary in compounds (統, 衛, 義, 護) sit above N2 in the JLPTsensei reconstruction. This is because the reconstruction places their high-frequency compounds 大統領, 衛星, 義務, 弁護士 above N2.422
Good to know
Grade 5 is the year you can read a Japanese newspaper headline
The cumulative-coverage curve crosses a meaningful threshold at grade 5. The reason is that the civics-and-economics vocabulary that dominates news headlines (政府, 経済, 制度, 議会, 統計, 貿易, 損失, 利益, 復興, 災害) is built almost entirely from grade-1-through-grade-5 kanji.135 Before grade 5, a learner can read children's books and JLPT N3 reading-extract passages. From grade 5 onward, they can begin to read NHK news headlines and the introductory paragraph of a newspaper article.5
The civics-vocabulary register is administrative, not conversational. Compounds like 政府, 制度, 議会, 統治 clearly mark an administrative or editorial register. Using them in casual conversation produces a markedly stiff, news-like effect.13
The 185-to-193 trap in legacy materials
Any kanji deck, textbook, or app whose grade-5 list is missing 囲, 紀, 喜, 救, 型, 航, 告, 殺, 士, 史, 象, 賞, 貯, 停, 堂, 得, 毒, 費, 粉, 脈, 歴 is showing the pre-2020 list.215 Any list with those 21 characters at grade 5 is showing the current list.2
The mismatch is harder to spot than at grade 4 because grade 5 also lost characters (賀, 群, 徳, 富 to grade 4; 恩, 券, 承, 舌, 銭, 退, 敵, 俵, 預 to grade 6). As a result, the net 185-to-193 jump understates the underlying churn.2 A pre-2020 grade-5 deck has 34 stale tags (21 missing + 13 incorrectly included), but the displayed count of 185 looks only 8 off from the current 193. The Nihongo-Pro grade-5 stroke page is one example: its grade-5 list still includes 賀, 群, 徳, 富, 恩, 券, 承, 舌, 銭, 退, 敵, 俵, 預 (all moved out in 2017) and omits the 21 added kanji.15
The practical guidance is to trust the membership, not the displayed count. Verify against the 21-IN list and the 13-OUT list before treating a vendor deck's grade-5 tags as current.
The にくづき flesh radical is introduced but not yet completed
The 月 component does two completely different jobs in kanji. As the moon radical (in 月 itself, 明, 朝, 期), it carries the time-and-light family. As the にくづき flesh radical (descended from 肉), it carries the body-parts family.2314 The two are typographically identical in printed Japanese but historically distinct.23
Grade 5 introduces 脈 (pulse, vein), the only にくづき addition of the year. The body-interior cluster proper (肺, 胸, 腹, 脳, 骨, 筋) waits for grade 6, where the にくづき pattern becomes impossible to ignore.86 At grade 5, the にくづき pattern is visible only in 脈 plus the carryover 服 (grade 3), 育 (grade 3), 朝 (grade 2), 期 (grade 3).
Stroke counts stay in the 10-to-14 band but the upper tail thickens
Grade 4 extended the upper tail with 議 (20), 競 (20), 願 (19), 鏡 (19), 観 (18). Grade 5's most common range is still 10–14 strokes, but the upper tail thickens further: 講 (17), 謝 (17), 織 (18), 職 (18), 額 (18), 識 (19), 護 (20).1715 The 20-stroke 護 is the densest grade-5 character.
The 2017 transfer from grade 4 (賞 15, 歴 14, 停 11, 救 11, 堂 11, 得 11) does not change the most common stroke band, but it does pull the median up by half a stroke compared with the pre-2017 set.1518
The 漢語 compound becomes the default word shape
Grades 1 and 2 are dominated by kun'yomi-only kanji (山, 川, 木, 花) and kun+kun compounds (山川, 木の葉).13 Grade 3 is where on'yomi-on'yomi 漢語 compounds first appear in large numbers (学校, 病院, 鉄道).13
Grade 5 is the year the 漢語 compound becomes the default word shape because the civics, economy, and abstract-noun clusters all read on'yomi-on'yomi: 政府 (せいふ), 経済 (けいざい), 制度 (せいど), 統一 (とういつ), 領土 (りょうど), 護衛 (ごえい), 義務 (ぎむ), 講義 (こうぎ), 略歴 (りゃくれき), 情報 (じょうほう), 性格 (せいかく), 評価 (ひょうか), 構造 (こうぞう), 解説 (かいせつ), 知識 (ちしき).1314
For a learner who has internalized the on+on default in compound-reading prediction, this is the year the on+on prior pays off most often.13
The first political-and-legal vocabulary gap
A learner reaching grade 5 will notice that the civics cluster is conspicuously incomplete: 政, 制, 統, 領, 衛, 義 are here but 権 (right, authority), 律 (law, rule), 党 (political party), 憲 (constitution), 裁 (judge, sanction) all wait for grade 6.86
The structural reason is that grade-6 kanji are judged the most abstract and the latest acquired in native L1 development.8 For an adult L2 learner, this means grade 5 unlocks most civics vocabulary (政府, 制度, 統一, 領土, 護衛, 義務) but leaves the constitutional and judicial layer (憲法, 法律, 政党, 裁判, 人権) for grade 6.82
How to actually study this list
With 193 characters in a year, much of the JLPT N2 burden landing here, and a strong civics-and-abstract bias, grade 5 is where vocab-first learning becomes the only practical path.2 Adult L2 learning material that succeeds at this level is generally compound-anchored: 政府 (govern + 府) → 政 / 府, not 政 → 政府.13
The two highest-leverage themed sub-decks at grade 5 are the civics cluster (政, 制, 統, 領, 衛, 義, 賛, 久, 旧, 任, plus the grade-4 carryovers 議, 案, 法) and the economy cluster (経, 営, 貿, 益, 損, 額, 価, 費, 貯, 貸, 賞, 興, 復, 輸, 易, 税, 鉱, 銅, 績, 製).213
A learner who studies them as theme groups acquires reading speed faster than one who studies the same 193 characters in stroke order or 五十音順. The reason is that the cluster compounds share register (administrative) and grammar (on+on 漢語), so they reinforce each other on each repetition.132
See also
- Grade 1 Jōyō Kanji (小1): All 80 First-Grade Characters with Readings, Stroke Counts, and JLPT Mapping
- Grade 2 Jōyō Kanji (小2): All 160 Second-Grade Kanji with Readings, Stroke Counts, and JLPT Mapping
- Grade 3 Jōyō Kanji (小3): All 200 Third-Grade Kanji with Readings, Stroke Counts, and JLPT Mapping
- Jinmeiyō Kanji (人名用漢字): The 863 Name-Use Characters Beyond Jōyō
- Hyōgaiji (表外字): The Kanji Beyond Jōyō and Jinmeiyō
- Should You Learn Kanji in Frequency Order, School Order, or Pedagogical Order?