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
801 sou

ソウ

stratum; social class; layer; story; floor N2
802 han

ハン

printing block; edition; impression; label N2
803 rou

ロウ

o(iru), fu(keru)

お(いる)、ふ(ける)

old N3
804 rei

レイ

orders; command; decree N2
805 kaku

カク

kado, tsuno

かど、 つの

angle; corner; square N2
806 raku

ラク

kara(mu)

から(む)

entwine; coil around; get caught in N2
807 son

ソン

soko(nau)

そこ(なう)

damage; loss; disadvantage; hurt; injure N2
808 bou

ボウ

fusa

ふさ

tassel, tuft, fringe, bunch, lock (hair), segment (orange), house, room N1
809 bo

tsuno(ru)

つの(る)

recruit; campaign N2
810 kyoku

キョク

ma(garu)

ま(がる)

bend, music, melody N3
811 tetsu

テツ

remove, withdraw, disarm, dismantle, reject, exclude N1
812 ri

ura

うら

back; reverse; inside; rear N2
813

hara(u)

はら(う)

pay N3
814 saku

サク

kezu(ru), hatsu(ru), so(gu)

けず(る)、 はつ(る)、 そ(ぐ)

plane, sharpen, whittle, pare, shave N1
815 mitsu

ミツ

hiso(ka)

ひそ(か)

secrecy, density (pop), minuteness, carefulness N1
816 tei

テイ

niwa

にわ

courtyard, garden, yard N3
817 to

itazura, ada

いたずら、 あだ

on foot, junior, vanity, futility, uselessness N3
818 so

o(ku)

お(く)

set aside, give up, suspend, discontinue, lay aside, except N1
819 butsu

ブツ

hotoke

ほとけ

Buddha, the dead, France N2
820 seki

セキ

exploits; achievements N2
821 chiku

チク

kizu(ku)

きず(く)

fabricate; build; construct N2
822 ka

takara

たから

freight; goods; property N2
823 shi

kokoroza(su), kokorozashi

こころざ(す)、 こころざし

intention, plan, resolve, aspire, motive, hopes, shilling N1
824 kon

コン

ma(jiru)

ま(じる)

mix; blend; confuse N2
825 sai

サイ

no(seru)

の(せる)

ride, board, get on, place, spread, 10**44, record, publish N1
826 shou

ショウ

nobo(ru)

のぼ(る)

rise up N2
827 chi

ike

いけ

pond; pool; reservoir N2
828 jin

ジン

camp, battle array, ranks, position, sudden, brief time N1
829 ga

ware, wa, wa(ga)-, waga-

われ、 わ、 わ(が)-、 わが-

ego, I, selfish, our, oneself N1
830 kin, gon

キン、ゴン

tsuto(meru)

つと(める)

diligence, employed, serve N3
831 i

tame, na(ru), su(ru), tari, tsuku(ru), nari

ため、 な(る)、 す(る)、 たり、 つく(る)、 なり

do, change, make, benefit, welfare, be of use, reach to, try, practice, cost, serve as, good, advantage, as a result of N1
832 ketsu

ケツ

chi

blood N2
833 chi

oku(reru), oso(i)

おく(れる)、 おそ(い)

slow, late, back, later N3
834 yoku

ヨク

osa(eru)

おさ(える)

repress, well, now, in the first place, push, shove, press, seal, do in spite of N1
835 maku, baku

マク、 バク

tobari

とばり

curtain, bunting, act of play N1
836 kyo, ko

キョ、コ

i(ru), o(ru)

い(る)、お(る)

reside, to be, exist N3
837 sen

セン

so(meru), shi(meru)

そ(める)、 し(みる)

dye, color, paint, stain, print N1
838 on

オン

atata(kai), nuku

あたた(かい)、ぬく

warm N2
839 zatsu, zou

ザツ、ゾウ

maji(ru)

まじ(る)

miscellaneous N3
840 shou

ショウ

mane(ku)

まね(く)

invite, summon, engage N3
841 na, nai, dai

ナ、 ナイ、 ダイ

ikan, karanashi

いかん、 からなし

Nara, what? N1
842 ki

seasons N2
843 kon

コン

koma(ru)

こま(る)

quandary, become distressed N3
844 sei

セイ

hoshi

ほし

star N2
845 shou

ショウ

kizu, ita(mu)

きず、 いた(む)

wound, hurt, injure, impair, pain, injury, cut, gash, scar, weak point N1
846 ei

エイ

naga(i)

なが(い)

eternity; long; lengthy N2
847 taku

タク

era(bu)

えら(ぶ)

choose, select, elect, prefer N1
848 shuu

シュウ

hii(deru)

ひい(でる)

excel, excellence, beauty, surpass N1
849 cho, chaku

チョ、 チャク

arawa(su), ichijiru(shii)

あらわ(す)、 いちじる(しい)

renowned; publish; write N2
850 chou, chi

チョウ、 チ

shirushi

しるし

indications, sign, omen, symptom, collect, seek, refer to, question N1
851 shi

document; records N2
852 ko, ku

コ、 ク

kura

くら

warehouse; storehouse N2
853 dan, tan

ダン、 タン

hi(ku), -hi(ki), hazu(mu), tama, haji(ku), tada(su)

ひ(く)、 -ひ(き)、 はず(む)、 たま、 はじ(く)、 ただ(す)

bullet, twang, flip, snap N1
854 shou

ショウ

tsuguna(u)

つぐな(う)

reparation, make up for, recompense, redeem N1
855 kan

カン

publish; carve; engrave N2
856 zou

ゾウ

statue; picture; image; figure N2
857 kou, ko

コウ、 ク

isao

いさお

achievement, merits, success, honor, credit N1
858 kyo, ko

キョ、 コ

yo(ru)

よ(る)

foothold, based on, follow, therefore N1
859 kou, kyou

コウ、 キョウ

kao(ri)

かお(り)

incense; smell; perfume N2
860 ketsu, ken

ケツ、ケン

ka(keru)

か(ける)

lack, gap N3
861 kou

コウ

sara(ni), fu(keru)

さら(に)、ふ(ける)

renew, renovate, again N3
862 hi

hi(meru), hiso(ka), kaku(su)

ひ(める)、 ひそ(か)、 かく(す)

secret, conceal N1
863 kyo, go

キョ、 ゴ

koba(mu)

こば(む)

repel, refuse, reject, decline N1
864 kei

ケイ

punish, penalty, sentence, punishment N1
865 han

ハン

saka

さか

slope; incline; hill N2
866 koku

コク

kiza(mu)

きざ(む)

engrave, cut fine, chop N3
867 tei

テイ

soko

そこ

bottom; sole; depth; bottom price N2
868 san

サン

approve, praise N3
869 chou

チョウ

tsuka, -dzuka

つか、 -づか

hillock, mound N1
870 chi

ita(su)

いた(す)

doth, do, send, forward, cause, exert, incur, engage N1
871 hou

ホウ

da(ku), ida(ku), kaka(eru)

だ(く)、いだ(く)、かか(える)

embrace, hug N3
872 sou

ソウ

ku(ru)

く(る)

winding, reel, spin, turn (pages), look up, refer to N1
873 fuku

フク

clothing, admit, obey N4
874 han

ハン

oka(su)

おか(す)

crime, sin, offense N3
875 bi

o

tail, end, counter for fish, lower slope of mountain N1
876 byou

ビョウ

ega(ku), ka(ku)

えが(く)、 か(く)

sketch, compose, write, draw, paint N1
877 fu

nuno, shi(ku)

ぬの、 し(く)

linen; cloth; spread; distribute N2
878 kyou

キョウ

oso(reru), kowa(i)

おそ(れる)、こわ(い)

fear, dread N3
879 ji

tera

てら

Buddhist temple N2
880 rei, rin

レイ、 リン

suzu

すず

small bell, buzzer N1
881 ban

バン

tray, shallow bowl, platter, tub, board, phonograph record N1
882 musu, soku

ムス、ソク

iki

いき

breath, son, interest (on money) N3
883 u

eaves; roof; house; heaven N2
884 kou

コウ

unaji

うなじ

paragraph, nape of neck, clause, item, term (expression) N1
885 sou

ソウ

mo

miss, mourning N1
886 han, ban

ハン、 バン

tomona(u)

ともな(う)

consort, accompany, bring with, companion N1
887 en, on

エン

too(i)

とお(い)

distant, far N3
888 you, ryou

ヨウ、 リョウ

yashina(u)

やしな(う)

foster, bring up, rear, develop, nurture N1
889 ken, ke

ケン、 ケ

ka(keru)

か(ける)

state of suspension, hang, depend, consult, distant, far apart N1
890 rei

レイ

modo(ru)

もど(る)

re-, return, revert N3
891 gai, kai

ガイ、 カイ

machi

まち

boulevard, street, town N1
892 kyo

キョ

gigantic; big; large; great N2
893 shin

シン

furu(u)

ふる(う)

quake; shake; tremble; quiver N2
894 gan

ガン

nega(u)

ねが(う)

petition, request, wish N3
895 kai, e

カイ、エ

picture, drawing N3
896 ki

mare, koinega(u)

まれ、 こいねが(う)

hope; beg; request; pray N2
897 etsu

エツ

ko(su)

こ(す)

surpass, cross over, move to, exceed N3
898 kei

ケイ

chigi(ru)

ちぎ(る)

pledge, promise, vow N1
899 kei

ケイ

kaka(geru)

かか(げる)

put up (a notice), put up, hoist, display, hang out, publish, describe N1
900 yaku

ヤク

odo(ru)

おど(る)

leap, dance, skip N1

Most Frequent Kanji List total: (1291)

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*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.