Kanji List Ordered by Frequency Of Use

This is a list of the most frequently used Japanese kanji characters (about 2,500 characters).

  • Page 1 covers the top 100 most commonly used kanji.
  • Page 2 covers 100~200 most common kanji.
  • and so on…

Click on any of the kanji in the list to see a full lesson for that character, including onyomi/kunyomi readings, the meaning, example sentences, related JLPT vocabulary / grammar, and more.

Kanji by JLPT level

#KanjiOnyomiKunyomiKanji MeaningJLPT
501 ryou

リョウ

yo(i), i(i)

よ(い)、い(い)

good N3
502 kyou

キョウ

hibi(ku)

ひび(く)

echo, sound, resound, ring, vibrate N1
503 han

ハン

saka

さか

heights, slope N3
504 ki

kae(ru), kae(su)

かえ(る)、 かえ(す)

homecoming, arrive at, lead to, result in N4
505 shin

シン

hari

はり

needle; pin; staple; stinger N2
506 sen

セン

moppa(ra)

もっぱ(ら)

specialty; exclusive; mainly; solely N2
507 sui

スイ

o(su)

お(す)

conjecture, infer, guess, suppose, support, push (for) N1
508 koku

コク

tani, kiwa(maru)

たに、 きわ(まる)

valley N2
509 ko

furu(i)

ふる(い)

old N4
510 kou

コウ

sourou

そうろう

climate, season, weather N3
511 shi

history; chronicle N2
512 ten

テン

amatsu

あまつ

heavens, sky, imperial N5
513 kai

カイ

kizahashi

きざはし

stair; counter for building story N2
514 tei

テイ

hodo

ほど

extent, degree N3
515 man

マン

mi(chiru)

み(ちる)

full, fullness, enough, satisfy N3
516 hai

ハイ

yabu(reru)

やぶ(れる)

failure, defeat N3
517 kan

カン

kuda

くだ

pipe; tube; wind instrument; control; jurisdiction N2
518 chi

ne, atai

ね、 あたい

price, cost, value N3
519 ka

uta, uta(u)

うた、 うた(う)

song, sing N4
520 bai

バイ

ka(u)

か(う)

buy N4
521 totsu, ka

トツ、カ

tsu(ku)

つ(く)

stab, protruding, thrust N3
522 hei, hyou

ヘイ、 ヒョウ

tsuwamono

つわもの

soldier; private; troops; army N2
523 setsu

セツ

tsu(gu)

つ(ぐ)

touch; contact; adjoin; piece together N2
524 sei, shin, shou

セイ、 シン、 ショウ

ko(u), u(keru)

こ(う)、 う(ける)

solicit, invite, ask N1
525 ki

utsuwa

うつわ

utensil, vessel, receptacle, implement, instrument, ability, container, tool, set N1
526 shi

samurai

さむらい

gentleman, scholar, samurai N1
527 kou

コウ

hika(ru), hikari

ひか(る)、ひかり

ray, light N3
528 tou

トウ

u(tsu)

う(つ)

chastise, attack, defeat, destroy, conquer N1
529 ro, ru

ロ、ル

michi

みち

path, route, road N3
530 aku

アク

waru(i)

わる(い)

bad, evil, wrong N4
531 ka

department, course, section N3
532 kou

コウ

se(meru)

せ(める)

aggression, attack, criticize, polish N1
533 ki

saki, sai, misaki

さき、 さい、 みさき

promontory, cape, spit N1
534 toku

トク

coach, command, urge, lead, supervise N1
535 ju

ジュ

sazu(keru)

さず(ける)

impart, instruct, grant, confer N1
536 sai

サイ

moyou(su), moyoo(su)

もよう(す)、 もよお(す)

sponsor, hold (a meeting), give (a dinner) N1
537 sai

サイ

hoso(i), koma(kai)

ほそ(い)、 こま(かい)

slender; narrow; detailed; precise N2
538 kou

コウ

ki(ku)

き(く)

merit; efficacy; efficiency; benefit N2
539 zu, to

ズ、 ト

haka(ru)

はか(る)

map, drawing, plan, extraordinary N4
540 shuu

シュウ

week N4
541 seki

セキ

tsu(mu)

つ(む)

volume, contents, pile up, stack N3
542 gan

ガン

maru, maru(i)

まる、まる(い)

round; full (month); perfection N2
543 ta

hoka

ほか

other, another N3
544 kyuu

キュウ

oyo(bu), oyobi

およ(ぶ)、 および

reach out, exert, exercise, cause N1
545 wan

ワン

irie

いりえ

gulf; bay; inlet N2
546 roku

ロク

to(ru)

と(る)

record N2
547 sho

ショ

dispose, manage, deal with N3
548 sei, shou

セイ、 ショウ

kaeri(miru), habu(ku)

かえり(みる)、 はぶ(く)

focus; government ministry; conserve N2
549 kyuu

キュウ

furu(i), moto

ふる(い)、 もと

old times; old things; former; ex- N2
550 shitsu

シツ

muro

むろ

room, apartment, chamber, greenhouse, cellar N4
551 ken

ケン

constitution, law N1
552 tai, ta

タイ、タ

futo(i)

ふと(い)

plump, thick, big around N3
553 kyou

キョウ

hashi

はし

bridge N2
554 ho, bu

ホ、 ブ

aru(ku), ayu(mu)

ある(く)、 あゆ(む)

walk, counter for steps N4
555 ri

hana(reru)

はな(れる)

detach, separation, disjoin, digress N1
556 gan

ガン

kishi

きし

beach N2
557 kyaku, kaku

キャク、カク

guest, visitor, customer N3
558 fuu, fu

フウ、 フ

kaze, kaza-

かぜ、 かざ-

wind, air, style, manner N4
559 shi

kami

かみ

paper N4
560 geki

ゲキ

hage(shii)

はげ(しい)

violent, get excited, enraged, chafe, incite N1
561 hi

ina, iya

いな、いや

negate, no, decline N3
562 shuu

シュウ

mawa(ri)

まわ(り)

circumference; circuit; lap N2
563 shi

expert, teacher, master N3
564 teki

テキ

tsu(mu)

つ(む)

pinch, pick, pluck, trim, clip, summarize N1
565 zai

ザイ

lumber, log, timber, wood N2
566 tou, to

トウ、ト

nobo(ru), a(garu)

のぼ(る)、あ(がる)

ascend, climb up N3
567 kei

ケイ

lineage, system N1
568 hi

criticism, strike N1
569 rou

ロウ、 リョウ

otoko

おとこ

son, counter for sons N1
570 bo

haha, kaa

はは、 かあ

mother N5
571 eki, i

エキ、 イ

yasa(shii), yasu(i)

やさ(しい)、 やす(い)

easy, ready to, simple N3
572 ken

ケン

suko(yaka)

すこ(やか)

healthy, health, strength, persistence N1
573 koku

コク

kuro

くろ

black N4
574 ka

hi, bi, ho

ひ、 -び、 ほ-

fire N5
575 ko

to

door; counter for houses N2
576 soku

ソク

haya(i)

はや(い)

quick, fast N3
577 son, zon

ソン、ゾン

exist, be aware of N3
578 ka, ke

カ、 ケ

hana

はな

flower N4
579 shun

シュン

haru

はる

spring N4
580 hi

to(bu)

と(ぶ)

fly N3
581 satsu, sai

サツ、サイ

koro(su)

ころ(す)

kill, murder N3
582 ou

オウ

center; middle N2
583 ken

ケン

ticket N2
584 seki, shaku

セキ、 シャク

aka(i)

あか(い)

red N4
585 gou

ゴウ

number, item N3
586 tan

タン

hitoe

ひとえ

simple, single N3
587 mei

メイ

alliance, oath N1
588 za

suwa(ru)

すわ(る)

squat, seat, sit N3
589 sei, shou

セイ、 ショウ

ao(i)

あお(い)

blue N4
590 ha

yabu(ru)

やぶ(る)

rip, tear, break N3
591 hen

ヘン

a(mu)

あ(む)

compilation; knit; braid; twist; editing N2
592 sou

ソウ

saga(su)

さが(す)

search; look for; locate N2
593 chiku

チク

take

たけ

bamboo N2
594 jo, ji

ジョ、ジ

nozo(ku)

のぞ(く)

exclude, remove N3
595 kan

カン

perfect, completion N3
596 kou, go

コウ、 ゴ

o(riru), fu(ru)

お(りる)、 ふ(る)

descend, precipitate, fall, surrender N3
597 chou

チョウ

ko(eru)

こ(える)

transcend; super-; ultra- N2
598 seki

セキ

se(meru)

せ(める)

blame, condemn N3
599 hei

ヘイ

na(mi), nami, nara(beru)

な(み)、なみ、なら(べる)

row, and, besides N2
600 ryou

リョウ

heal; cure N2

Most Frequent Kanji List total: (1113)

Currently viewing page 6 of 12

*NOTE* Officially, there are no kanji, vocabulary, or grammar lists for the JLPT. As a result, it is not possible to be certain which kanji, words, or grammar will or will not appear in a given test. Our study lists are based on prior test data and comparisons with other available lists of JLPT kanji, vocabulary, grammar, etc.