JLPT N5 Sample Questions — 10 Solved With Reasoning

If you're preparing for the JLPT N5, you need to know what the actual exam looks like. This page gives you 10 representative questions across all sections — vocabulary, kanji, grammar, reading, and listening — with full worked solutions that show the reasoning, not just the answer.

Use these to gauge your current level and identify weak spots. Each question includes a breakdown of why the correct answer is right and the distractors are wrong.

Section 1: Vocabulary (語彙) — 3 Questions

Question 1: Choose the correct reading for the kanji

毎朝、コーヒーを飲みます。

1. 1まいあさ
2. 2まいばん
3. 3まいにち
4. 4まいしゅう

Solution:

• The kanji 毎朝 means "every morning." 毎 (まい) means "every," and 朝 (あさ) means "morning." So the correct reading is まいあさ.
• まいばん (毎晩) = every night
• まいにち (毎日) = every day
• まいしゅう (毎週) = every week

Answer: 1. まいあさ

Question 2: Choose the correct word to fill in the blank

あのレストランはとても＿＿＿です。

1. 1やすい
2. 2ひくい
3. 3ちいさい
4. 4みじかい

Solution:

• The sentence means "That restaurant is very ____." Context: talking about a restaurant. The most natural adjective is やすい (cheap/inexpensive).
• ひくい (low) is for height or volume, not price.
• ちいさい (small) is for size, not price.
• みじかい (short) is for length or time.

Answer: 1. やすい

Question 3: Choose the correct katakana word

コンピューターを＿＿＿します。

1. 1コピー
2. 2クリック
3. 3タイプ
4. 4ダウンロード

Solution:

• The sentence means "I ____ the computer." The most logical action is タイプ (type) as in typing on a keyboard.
• コピー (copy) would be "コピーします" but the blank is before します, so the verb is "タイプします."
• クリック (click) is possible but less common for general computer use.
• ダウンロード (download) is also possible but the sentence lacks an object.

Answer: 3. タイプ

Section 2: Kanji (漢字) — 2 Questions

Question 4: Choose the correct kanji for the hiragana

わたしの しゅみ は 本を よむ ことです。

1. 1趣味
2. 2趣味
3. 3趣味
4. 4趣味

Note: All options look identical in text; in the real exam, they'd have different kanji. For this example, the correct kanji is 趣味.

Solution:

• しゅみ is written as 趣味, meaning "hobby."
• The other options would be different kanji like 週末 (しゅうまつ, weekend) or 主婦 (しゅふ, housewife).

Answer: 趣味

Question 5: Choose the correct reading for the underlined kanji

駅の 前に 大きい 公園が あります。

1. 1こうえん
2. 2こうばん
3. 3こうえん
4. 4こうえん

Solution:

• 公園 is read as こうえん (park).
• こうばん would be 交番 (police box).
• The other options are not valid readings.

Answer: こうえん

Section 3: Grammar (文法) — 2 Questions

Question 6: Choose the correct particle

きのう、友だち＿＿＿映画を 見ました。

1. 1が
2. 2を
3. 3と
4. 4に

Solution:

• The particle と means "with." The sentence: "Yesterday, I watched a movie with a friend."
• が is a subject marker, not used here.
• を is an object marker, but the object is 映画 (movie), not the friend.
• に indicates direction or time, not companionship.

Answer: 3. と

Question 7: Choose the correct verb form

毎日、日本語を ＿＿＿。

1. 1べんきょうする
2. 2べんきょうします
3. 3べんきょうして
4. 4べんきょうしろ

Solution:

• The sentence needs a polite present/future verb form. べんきょうします (study) is the polite form.
• べんきょうする is plain form (dictionary form).
• べんきょうして is the te-form, used for connecting clauses.
• べんきょうしろ is imperative (command form).

Answer: 2. べんきょうします

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Section 4: Reading (読解) — 2 Questions

Question 8: Read the passage and answer

私は 毎朝 6時に 起きます。そして、パンを 食べて、コーヒーを 飲みます。7時に 家を 出ます。駅まで 歩いて 15分です。電車に 乗って、会社に 行きます。

Question: この人は 何時に 起きますか。

1. 16時
2. 27時
3. 38時
4. 49時

Solution:

• The first sentence: "I wake up at 6 every morning." So the answer is 6時.
• 7時 is when he leaves home.
• 8時 and 9時 are not mentioned.

Answer: 1. 6時

Question 9: Choose the correct statement based on the passage

きのうは いい天気でした。でも、今日は 雨です。明日は 晴れるでしょう。

1. 1きのうは 雨でした。
2. 2今日は 晴れです。
3. 3明日は 晴れるでしょう。
4. 4きのうは 曇りでした。

Solution:

• The passage: "Yesterday was good weather. But today is rain. Tomorrow will probably be sunny."
• Option 3 matches "明日は 晴れるでしょう."
• Option 1 is false (yesterday was good weather, not rain).
• Option 2 is false (today is rain, not sunny).
• Option 4 is not mentioned.

Answer: 3. 明日は 晴れるでしょう。

Section 5: Listening (聴解) — 1 Question

Question 10: Listen to the audio and choose the correct picture

Note: In the real exam, you'd hear an audio clip. Here's a text-based simulation.

Audio script: 男の人が 本を 読んでいます。女の人が 電話を しています。

Which picture matches the description?

1. 1A man reading a book, a woman on the phone.
2. 2A man on the phone, a woman reading a book.
3. 3Both reading books.
4. 4Both on the phone.

Solution:

• The script says: "A man is reading a book. A woman is on the phone."
• Only option 1 matches both conditions.

Answer: 1

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Where to next?

• Take a full JLPT N5 mock test with timer and scoring
• Review all JLPT N5 grammar points with examples
• Browse our JLPT N5 vocabulary list with audio