Keeping track of your Japanese level is of great importance, so I thought I would finally explain how to figure out where you stand using the chart on the right sidebar of this website. This explanation should be especially helpful if you decide to follow the Japanese Quest System I introduced in a previous post.
Unfortunately real world levels are adjusted with age since a “native” 10 year old is probably not going to be as good in many areas as a “business” level 20 year old due to acquired knowledge. Since it would be too complicated to adjust levels according to age, I’m going to pick a standard age that these levels meet anyone 18+. If you are younger, adjust the levels accordingly.
Just in case you are trying to compare these levels to the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) levels, I don’t think the JLPT is a good measure of your actual level. Since it is a test, you can get a higher score if you study how to get a high score on the test, rather than study more Japanese.
01: Basic
- Know some basic words/phrases “hello, goodbye, how are you, etc”
- Just getting your first study materials together
- Started Kanji Anki
05: Beginner
- Working through a basic textbook like Genki I
- Can put together very basic sentences
- Started J-E Anki: Kanji: ~200, Sentences: ~100
10: Elementary
- Finished Genki I, working on Genki II
- Can have basic conversations and know a number of sentence patterns
- J-E Anki: Kanji: ~1000, Sentences: ~500
20: Intermediate
- Working on an intermediate textbook like An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
- Can understand Japanese TV (15%)
- Switched to J-J Anki: 2042 Kanji, Sentences: ~1000+
30: Proficient
- Can have more difficult conversations on a wider range of topics
- Can understand Japanese TV (40%)
- Can read manga and most young-adult novels (w/furigana)
- Anki Sentences: ~2500
40: Advanced
- Can have complex conversations inserting more natural expression
- Can understand: Japanese TV (60%), Novels (65%)
- Anki Sentences: ~5000
50: Business
- This doesn’t mean you can discuss business. It means you can work at a company with no problems like a normal Japanese person would
- Can understand: Japanese TV (80%), Japanese News (75%), Novels (80%)
- Anki sentences: ~7500
65: Fluent
- Can understand Japanese TV (95%), Japanese News (90%), Novels (95%)
- Still often miss cultural references and cultural humor
- Intonation, pronunciation, and inflection occasionally sound slightly off
- Don’t have the full Japanese cultural, historical, and social background just yet
- Anki sentences: ~9000
80: Native
- Can read, write, and understand whatever an average Japanese person your age can
- On the phone, no one would ever think you weren’t Japanese
- When people meet you, they think you are probably half Japanese
- Can go to a Japanese University like any normal Japanese student with no problems
- Can write University level papers
- Have a full background of Japanese culture, history, geography, and life
- Anki sentences: 15,000~20,000
90: Master
- Can write Japanese novels, news articles, and other works of literature.
- Can teach a University Course
- Can get into Japanese politics
- Can become a spy (assuming you were of Asian decent)
- Can become a comedian, freestyle rapper, motivational speaker, or any other profession that involves being able to play with the language in a smooth fashion
- Anki Sentences are irrelevant, you shouldn’t need Anki anymore to progress
- Can read classical/ancient literature and fully understand it
99: Legendary
- Can pass the Japanese Bar exam and become a Japanese National Lawyer, and probably write new laws
- Can enter any deep technical profession (physicist, neuro-surgeon, microbiologist)
- Can write your own classical/ancient literature in the style it was originally written in
- Your Japanese may be significantly better than your native language
Additional Notes:
- While I only list the levels in increments of mostly 5 and 10, of course you go up 1 level at a time.
- Level increases get exponentially harder, so going from level 1 to 20 may take the same amount of time as going from level 65 to 67.
- I didn’t include all areas for each level set, just some basic guideposts.
- Anki sentences account for self-created, self-input sentences.
- Kanji should be done as soon as possible, so knowing more Kanji doesn’t necessarily account for your level.
So where do you stand?
__________________
Photo by: Richard Hopkins
Difficult to say, but I think I must be somewhere between business and fluent. 55? 60? Some way to go to fluent at any rate.
The higher levels are interesting, although I guess by that stage, a lot of people are specialising. If you can read and fully understand classical literature I’d probably still call you a master even if you couldn’t write a novel. Also I’m not sure about “Your Japanese is significantly better than your native language”, as I think the kind of person that gets high would also be someone who would have a very great knowledge of their own language too. Of course, that’s just me speculating.
Level 10-12
I feel I could understand a basic conversation, but producing it is another thing..I think this is mostly due to pace and of course SRS cards not being mature. At least in a classroom setting, I guess Genki I and II are used a bit more aggressively so all that stuff gets drilled in.
I’d say mostly the grammar has settled from the those two books so far, vocab is getting there..even if stuff like 引換券 and 新幹線 don’t get alot of mileage.
But definitely when I look at a sentence now it’s more that the vocab alone is what I don’t know, of course there are other possible grammar types but theres a heck of alot i’ve learnt in the past 50 or so days.
Thanks for making this blog and the frequent articles!
I’d say I’m around a 8-10. Maybe higher.
I’ve been through 2042 kanji already, before sentences; of which I have around 730 right now with help from Khatz’ My First Sentence Pack. Very good sentences in there.
Although right now I’m working through Genki 1 and almost done. I’m a bit scattered on the characteristics, but I can pretty much understand where I am, ha.
When I was in Japan they said that in order to even get hired at a job (which was not teaching english) you’d have to have passed N2 of the JLPT and native is passing N1. Now obviously just because someone has a reading comprehension of a native doesn’t mean they can speak well at all. I guess this would assume you were evenly balanced in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. So maybe it’s like this:
Levels 1-10: N5
Levels 10-20: N4
Levels 20-30: N3
Levels 30-50: N2
Levels 50-80: N1
But like you said, there are so many factors, even passing N1 wouldn’t REALLY gauge your abilities.
Hmm.. I guess I’d say I’m somewhere in the mid to high 30′s, but my low point is the conversation part. I don’t have much experience speaking Japanese so I can’t really say what my level is there. But reading is definitely my strong suit and I’ve been watching shows more often lately so my listening is slowly getting better.
I think the JLPT1 is way off native speaker level. I mean, maybe it depends partly on how good you are at that kind of memory/multiple choice test, but I reckon I was about 40 on this scale when I passed. Look at a Japanese high school reading comprehension (or even a junior high school comprehension) and the gap should be clear. And I wasted a lot of time, thinking my Japanese was much better than it was, just because I’d passed the test.
Really good classification! I’m now at level 16. I have finished Japanese for Busy People I, have 1650 kanji and 650 sentences. On my way to the Intermediate level.
I would say that I am still beginner I am around 575 in remembering the kanji I do about 10 kanji a day once this semester is over gonna go back to doing 20+ does anyone have an tips for me
@Jordan
This works by preventing burnout along the relatively long road ahead.. It took me almost 9 months but it IS worth it – so keep it up, you’re doing great! (During my slowest period I did about 3/day.)
* I think one of the most useful advices I used during RTK1 was not to focus on the finish line, neither short or long term, and instead make the kanji learning/reviews a habit. Like brushing your teeth!
* I would also recommend carefully following the advice given in the book about the steps you go through when creating a story for the characters, thus building a good foundation for the rest of the book AND onwards.
* Another tip is to limit the time spent learning each new kanji – just look at your computer clock (or whatever) and give each 2-5 min (as you advance it will go faster) as not to get stuck on one for 20+mins. This advice might seem counter intuitive to the above mentioned but going trough the steps carefully in the beginning will set you up for speed later.
Best of luck!
@ Richard
Yeah you are probably right. I guess JLPT levels are really subjective because they don’t really reflect people’s level.
@Jordan
Try to do as much as you can in any given day. The only advice I can give, is not to get frustrated and give up!! I remember RTK used to feel tedious, but you will be very thankful when you complete it! がんばって！
How do people keep in track with how many kanji they know? I can read a lot more kanji than I can write. I’ve never exactly counted.
I just started using Anki. I figure that will help me keep in track from now on.
They usually keep track of it by how many they have reviewed in Anki.
If you haven’t, check out this article about it:
http://japaneselevelup.com/2011/01/29/how-to-use-anki-to-master-japanese-part-1-kanji/
You’re progress will shoot to new levels now that you have started Anki. Enjoy it.
Thanks for putting this up. I’d have to say for myself I’m at the elementary level of Japanese ^_^.
*sigh*…unlike RPGs, if you stop “playing” the Japanese game, you start losing experience and your level drops! “Use it or lose it!”
I’m afraid I’m level 01 again… but oh well, there’s a project that’s more important for me right now, so… I can live with being a Japanese noob for some more time n.n
BTW… I wonder if there’s a level guide like this one somewhere else, but for the English language! I would like to know where I’m at (my native tongue is Spanish).
Anyways, thanks for creating this awesome chart!
Even in an RPG, if you don’t play the game for a while, while your specific level doesn’t drop, your ability at playing the game does!
Fortunately, when you pick up Japanese again after not studying for a length of time, your progress is much faster than a normal beginner.
Yeah, I’d say I’m level 40 with my kanji and comprehension, but my speaking ability is really annoyingly far behind that… maybe like level 30 or so…
I’m at level (Drum roll please!) 5! Lol Japanese is fun though and i can see myself reaching level 40 in 24 months! (hopefully)
P.S. Nice website ^_^
I’m thinking I’m probably around Lv9 or so… don’t really know for sure, because until I found this site I had never heard of Anki, and in class we used Nakama I and II instead of Genki (but they’re probably equivalent difficulty-wise).
And thinking of 日本語を習う in terms of an RPG is definitely the best thing I have ever read on the internet. The main thing distracting me from my study materials (currently Tae Kim’s Guide) is Minecraft, so if I think of my 勉強 as a game it might help… Well, time to go slay some Kanji Creepers.
I think I’m somewhere around level 25-30. It’s tough to say as your classification takes into account different factors and such. Let me explain a little:
I never studied one second of Japanese in an academic setting. I moved to Japan completely green on the language (as reference I couldn’t even say “no” without people wondering what I was trying to say). I went through both Genki books my first 4 months in Japan, learning the vocabulary and grammar but completely skipping the drills etc. I quickly figured out the last several chapters of Genki are filled with things that become excedingly difficult to fit into normal conversations and scrapped the idea of actually actively retaining the knowledge of some of those grammar patterns. Sure, I know them and can recall them if I actually sit and think about it for a bit, but trigger recall just isn’t there.
As for kanji, I’ve only currently gone through 1,300 in RTK. I try to study some every day but I’m going much slower than I planned. Sentences I’m right around 30 or so in Anki. Far short of the several hundred (or thousands!) mentioned above. So, if you rank based on those I should be way back somewhere around level 5-10 (or lower).
Yet, as I said I’ve built my entire knowledge of the language living in the country. My first stint I was here for 1 year, returned to America for 8 months where I did listening practice once a week at most, forgot much, then moved back here to Japan and have been here the past 5 months. I’m the opposite of most university learners. I can read, but it takes me a while to sort it out. I completely suck at writing as I never have to do it. Where I excel is listening and talking. I can sit down at a teacher party and converse with the natives for 2 hours about a wide array of topics. This isn’t to say I’m a whiz, because I’m not, but I can hold my own. I can do things like go to the hospital, bank, post office etc. without an interpreter/grammar book/dictionary and get done what I need to get done. TV can be a little fast at times depending on what the show is, and much of the vocabulary I don’t know. But I think it’s safe to say I can understand 25-35% of it. Topics and certain points are easy to follow, but detailed specifics can be tough. (She’s moving to the country side where there are cherry blossoms. She’s sad about it. She likes that guy because he’s cute. vs. She’s moving to a grassy part of Nagano prefecture where the mountains smell like cherry blossoms. Her parents are very sick and she needs to look after the family farm for a few months while her grandma goes to hospital x to support her mom in cancer treatment. The guy used to look like Burt Reynolds but recently had a face lift so he looks like a card-board cutout of one of the Arashi members.)
I’ve met many a person who majored in Japanese who can’t get past basic introductions with a native for the first 6 months in Japan. This is because you learn a bunch of patterns and set responses, and when you actually get to talking to a real person all that goes out the window. Part of “knowing” any language is going with all the twist and turns any 30 second conversation can go. Think about this from an English standpoint: Take someone who has been studying english for 2 years in a classroom. Say “hello, how are you?” to them and watch them flourish. Now, try “what’s up? Get into any trouble lately?” and watch as they just stare at you not knowing what you just said. Which one are you more likely to say to your boss? Which one more likely to your best friend? Conversing with Japanese friends is much different than with a classmate.
This isn’t to say your rating is bad as it is based on the method you’ve previously outlined. I really think the general leveling guidelines are pretty accurate. But when estimating your own level I think one needs to decide if they want to base their level on static abilities (kanji known, sentences rehearsed) or active abilities (conversing with Japanese people in natural situation, listening to a non-scripted conversation). Or course, this is hard when one lives in small-town America.
Luckily, the internet is making this easier all the time.
Sorry for the super long post. I get excited for language learning, especially one I’m engaged in myself.
I’m not exactly sure where I should put myself in the level chart. In the past, I’ve self-studied Japanese for a few years (on & off) which made me stuck somewhere in the Beginner’s level. Now, I’m studying Genki I, have increased my kanji knowledge, and have been translating Level 30 manga at the same time. So, I’m a bit complicated. >.> It’s like studying polite unused Japanese and colloquially spoken Japanese at the same time. @__@
And as of right now, I’m downloading Aniki just to see how it works. ^^;
I would say I’m just short of 30. I’m at around 2100 Sentences. TV for me goes like this, If I see it once, probably 30, but If it’s rewatched multiple times (10+. Some ポケットモンスター episodes
), it can go up to 60 or maybe 70. The great thing about immersion is the vast amount of vocab, slang and grammar you can unintentionally pick up. Like Khatzumoto says, The environment does all the work. After watching the same pokemon episode like 8 times, i finally found out what そっくり meant 
Percents of comprehension. Sorry if you guys didn’t catch that.
I seem to have some slanted “stats.” I seem to have a broad range.
Quite frankly, I studied using Tagaini Jisho and the book stated below. I’ve used Tagaini since the beginning. Learned every kana only vocabulary word at the 1st/2nd grade level. （＾＿＾）so far, less than a year of self study. My goal isn’t the JLPT, but the vocab list is a good start.
The items are listed in an approx. order.
05~10: Beginner Elementary
- #Tagaini jisho: All JLPT levels by grade school order. (n5-n1)(1st-6th+)
- Can understand: Japanese TV (40%), Novels (20%), Music (40%)
- #J-E Anki (since beginning): Kanji: ~600, Sentences: ~1500, Phrases: ???
- Working through “Basic Japanese Grammar by Everett F. Bleiler” (sometimes)
- Can have basic conversations and know a number of sentence patterns.
The ones with the # symbol are used together. Also, 100% of my sentences come from actors and musician blogs. Whether it is masculine or feminine, doesn’t matter. The goal is to understand both and use a neutral/masculine tone. Currently, I’m almost done with 4th grade kanji. Kanji, JLPT vocab, and grade level… will allow me to understand approx. what a literate kid in grade school “should” know. After reaching ~500 kanji, started learning “extra” vocabulary. This would be vocab not included on the JLPT.
JLPT vocabulary: ~3,800 (all_jlpt) (4th grade)
Extra vocabulary: ~1,300 (non_jlpt) (kanji known)
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Hah, I tried measuring my English level based on this guide. Of course, English doesn’t have kanji and there’s also the fact I’ve been learning it for about 12 years now… But I guess I’m around level 70. Right now I don’t bother grinding anymore, I just sit and chill. Then again, I never HAD to “grind”. I learned English because all the cool stuff was in English, I never had to put any conscious effort into it.
But still, learning English has opened a gateway to Japan for me. There aren’t many Japanese textbooks or learning sites in my native language, let alone ones that are GOOD. As for Japanese, I’m probably around level 17-18, which is quite bad, considering I started almost a year ago. This site is going to help a lot, though, I’m certain. That, and if all goes well, I’m going to major in Japanese in college a year from now. I want to be at least semi-good by then, though, so I can stay ahead of the rest of the class. It’ll get me good grades and with good grades I might get a scholarship and the opportunity to travel to Japan for a few months! So yes, basically, college is my ticket to Japan. And if I want to work as a translator, I suppose majoring in Japanese might be useful.
You might want to check out my post http://japaneselevelup.com/2012/02/10/thinking-about-majoring-in-japanese-in-college/. It deals with majoring in Japanese in college.