I want to ~
日本に行きたいです。
Nihon ni ikitai desu.
I want to go to Japan.
〜たいです expresses “want to do.”
JLPT N4
N4 is where beginner Japanese starts becoming daily life Japanese.
After N5, you can read the basics. N4 asks for more: longer sentences, more verbs, everyday grammar, simple forms, train and restaurant language, appointments, and practical listening.
N4 is not fluent Japanese. But it is the level where daily life begins to feel less mysterious.
N4 rule: N5 gives you footing. N4 gives you daily-life movement.
N4 map
What JLPT N4 really adds
N4 builds on N5. The grammar becomes more practical, the vocabulary becomes more useful, and the listening starts to sound closer to real daily life.
01
More grammar
Verb forms, requests, reasons, permission, desire, and daily-life patterns.
02
Daily vocabulary
Shopping, trains, appointments, family, weather, school, work, and time words.
03
Listening
Short conversations, prices, dates, train phrases, directions, and requests.
04
Daily life
City hall, apartments, hospitals, trains, stores, banks, and simple explanations.
Core grammar
N4 grammar helps you explain more than “I go.”
N4 introduces useful sentence patterns for desire, permission, reasons, comparisons, and everyday explanation.
May I ~?
写真を撮ってもいいですか。
Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.
May I take a photo?
〜てもいいですか asks permission.
Please do ~
もう一度言ってください。
Mou ichido itte kudasai.
Please say it one more time.
〜てください makes a request.
Because
雨ですから、行きません。
Ame desu kara, ikimasen.
Because it is raining, I will not go.
から gives a reason.
Have done
京都に行ったことがあります。
Kyouto ni itta koto ga arimasu.
I have been to Kyoto.
〜たことがあります talks about experience.
While doing
音楽を聞きながら勉強します。
Ongaku o kikinagara benkyou shimasu.
I study while listening to music.
〜ながら means doing two actions at the same time.
N4 sentence power
N4 lets you explain your situation.
N5 lets you say simple facts. N4 lets you add reasons, wishes, requests, and practical details. That is why N4 is important for living, traveling, and preparing for work in Japan.
日本語を勉強していますから、日本に行きたいです。
Nihongo o benkyou shite imasu kara, Nihon ni ikitai desu.
Because I am studying Japanese, I want to go to Japan.
This is not advanced. But it is no longer only survival. It is explanation.
N4 vocabulary
Words for daily movement
N4 vocabulary should help you move through Japan: shop, travel, schedule, eat, ask, explain, and understand.
Shopping
店・お金・安い・高い
mise · okane · yasui · takai
store · money · cheap · expensive
Train
駅・電車・切符・乗り換え
eki · densha · kippu · norikae
station · train · ticket · transfer
Schedule
今日・明日・来週・予約
kyou · ashita · raishuu · yoyaku
today · tomorrow · next week · reservation
People
家族・友だち・先生・会社員
kazoku · tomodachi · sensei · kaishain
family · friend · teacher · company employee
Weather
雨・雪・暑い・寒い
ame · yuki · atsui · samui
rain · snow · hot · cold
Practice
Use N4-level words in daily-life games.
Play Numbers & Time →N4 listening
Daily listening becomes the new challenge.
N4 listening often uses short conversations about time, price, location, plans, shopping, school, family, and daily routines.
At a store
これはいくらですか。
Kore wa ikura desu ka.
How much is this?
Practice prices →At a station
次の電車は何時ですか。
Tsugi no densha wa nanji desu ka.
What time is the next train?
Practice station language →At a restaurant
水をお願いします。
Mizu o onegai shimasu.
Water, please.
Practice ordering →When confused
もう少しゆっくりお願いします。
Mou sukoshi yukkuri onegai shimasu.
A little more slowly, please.
Practice listening →Reading practice
N4 reading is short but more connected.
At N4, reading is no longer just single words. You should read short notices, simple messages, signs, menus, and basic explanations.
Simple notice
今日は休みです。
Kyou wa yasumi desu.
Today is closed / Today is a day off.
Store sign
入口はこちらです。
Iriguchi wa kochira desu.
The entrance is this way.
Appointment
予約は三時です。
Yoyaku wa sanji desu.
The reservation is at three.
Travel
次の駅で降ります。
Tsugi no eki de orimasu.
I get off at the next station.
Weather
明日は雨です。
Ashita wa ame desu.
Tomorrow will be rainy.
Daily life
電話をしてください。
Denwa o shite kudasai.
Please call.
Study plan
A practical 10-week N4 plan
N4 rewards steady daily study: grammar patterns, vocabulary, short reading, and listening repetition.
Weeks 1–3
Repair and expand N5
- Review kana daily
- Review particles
- Review numbers and time
- Play listening games
- Read short sentences aloud
Weeks 4–7
Build N4 grammar
- Study 〜たい, 〜てください
- Study permission and prohibition
- Study reason sentences with から
- Build daily-life phrase bank
- Practice short conversations
Weeks 8–10
Reading and listening push
- Read short notices
- Listen to short dialogues
- Review weak vocabulary
- Practice train and store situations
- Prepare for N3 bridge work
Daily-life bridge
N4 is where Japanese starts helping you move through Japan.
N5 gives the first foothold. N4 gives motion. The learner can ask more clearly, understand more daily phrases, read simple notices, and explain small things.
That does not mean N4 is enough for work or deep independence. But it is a major turning point: Japanese begins to feel less like a wall and more like a set of doors.
Practice path
What to do next
Remember this
N4 is the daily-life bridge.
Keep building. Read short messages. Listen every day. Use your grammar in situations, not only in drills.