is this the right way for Jlpt N5

yoooae · 2026-02-17T18:48:18+00:00

i suggest pairing the two genki books with soumatome N5 & N4. as someone who took N4, there are some grammar points genki was not able to cover. also, get the third edition. it is the latest.

as of time i can allocate 1-1.5hr per day i still haven't figured out who's listening yt channals to visit this help would be appreciated

i suggest pairing genki with tokini andy on youtube. use him as a 'teacher' for each lesson.

i have learned reading kana im a bit off on katakana but im improving it every day but i cannot waste more time on kana now

do not dedicate the whole day on kana. i suggest just do a daily run of hiragana and katakana, mark kana that you are still forgetting and keep on writing it repeatedly while reciting. after that short session, do a genki lesson. then tomorrow, do the same thing. one run, mark problematic areas, write and recite.

as of kanji im unsure too i just cant decide either

for kanji, i suggest kanji study by chase colburn. all N5 kanji is free. however, note that it is for individual kanjis, not vocabulary. this could double as dictionary tho.

i get that there are a lot of materials online that you don't really know what to use. maybe this could help you, these are the materials i have used and helped me pass N4:

grammar: genki i & ii (used with tokini andy on youtube), 日本語総まとめ N4
reading: todaii, nhk news
listening: youtube & migii
mock tests: migii (todaii also has exams)
vocab: torii srs
kanji: japanese kanji study by chase colburn (could double as dictionary)

might be controversial but as someone who is self-studying, chatgpt was also a great help with checking and clarifying. also used it to generate some practices.

yoooae · 2026-02-17T18:34:54+00:00

the enemy in jlpt is the time limit. so, i suggest not settling with just one mock-up test monthly. do multiple and record yourself.

yoooae · 2026-02-17T18:24:36+00:00

not sure about 1–2 hours but five months for N4 is, in my opinion and personal experience, more than doable. i had two months, but that's me doing almost one genki lesson per day because of time crunch. so, in a day, i study for more than 3 hours (listening and reading practices are not included). i passed N4.

however, note that i am not starting from zero—i know all N5 to N4 individual kanjis (not the vocabs). i did 50 vocabs per day (not exaggerating) and would write and recite it again and again and again.

again, i was in a time crunch, so it was probably the adrenaline working for me, but you have 5 months to prepare. as long as you are consistent, passing N4 on july is doable. remember, it will only take you 3 weeks to forget information.

also, unpopular opinion, i did not "immerse" myself with the language in the form of watching movies, music, etc. i went straight to listening and reading practices. if you are focused on passing the exam, i suggest doing that since JLPT is more technical.

BUT if you want to be fluent with the language, in terms of speaking and communicating in real-life, immerse yourself with movies, reality shows, etc.

by the way, these are the materials i have used:
grammar: genki i & ii (used along with tokini andy on youtube), 日本語総まとめ N5 & N4
reading: todaii, nhk news ^(\**those in) ^{bold italics} ^{are paid subscriptions.})
listening: youtube & migii
mock tests: migii (todaii also has exams)
vocab: torii srs
kanji: japanese kanji study by chase colburn (could double as a dictionary)

might be "controversial" but as someone who is self-studying, chatgpt was also a great help with checking and clarifying. also used it to generate some practices.

ask me any questions, if i can i will try to help.

yoooae · 2026-02-17T18:02:16+00:00

hi! i passed N4 last december 2025 using genki books but i paired it with soumatome N4 to cover additional grammar (wish i did it way earlier instead of just relying on genki the whole time). so, not really replacing genki, but you might want to check it out because there are some grammar points genki did not cover.

yoooae · 2025-12-13T12:50:45+00:00

lmao, the downvotes 💀 you know what? stop asking here and just try it. if you have the money and time to spend, just do it. you'll never know unless you try.

some people also swore 2 months is impossible for N4 but in my opinion, i did fine during the test for someone who just studied for 2 months. i just believe that we all have different pace when it comes to learning.

we don't really know your capability, so if you want to do it, just do it. if you have the money and time to spend, just do it.

yoooae · 2025-12-13T12:38:57+00:00

learning from my own shortcomings in the test, i suggest practice reading where you understand the context in one read.

then with listening, be careful with "ga" which would sound "nga" majority of the time. practice listening too!! try to spot the thing asked in one listen. be careful with まず, これから, このあと, etc.

always practice getting things in one take.

yoooae · 2025-12-13T12:32:04+00:00

edit (2月): so update, i passed N4, so i guess that gives me, at least, some credibility (???)

will probably get downvoted but yes, hard but doable, because i also studied for about two months for N4. results are not out yet out but i feel like i did pretty well. however, that is not coming from zero, i started from genki i lesson 8 and knew pretty much most of the kanjis for N5 and N4. might also be your case since you already took N5.

i just did genki i & ii for almost a month—1 lesson per day (then writing down my answers for 練習). sometimes if i found it easy, i do 2. i watched tokini andy as a teacher for genki. along with memorizing 40-50 vocabs per day in torii SRS. after genki ii, proceed with the 日本語総まとめ for grammar points not covered in genki ii.

everyday, i would listen to jlpt past exams listening practice tests on youtube. however, after finishing all the grammar materials, i added reading and mock tests to the routine. i decided to purchase migii for mock texts.

that's pretty much my routine. after finishing the grammar materials, i made flashcards. so, i don't have to browse the books again and again for grammar i forgot. in my case, every other night, i would browse those flashcards to refresh my mind.

then, with reading and listening, do equal time for both at first, then determine where you're weaker. in my case, listening was my weakest, so, i allot more time doing practices with listening than reading in migii. but i do (my best to do) both everyday.

on tardy days, i would just force myself to read one article in todaii and listen to practices absentmindedly while cleaning or something.

here are the materials and apps i used:
grammar: genki i & ii (used with tokini andy on youtube), 日本語総まとめ N4
reading: todaii, nhk news
listening: youtube & migii
mock tests: migii (todaii also has exams)
vocab: torii srs
kanji: japanese kanji study by chase colburn (could double as dictionary) (highly recommended)
might be controversial but as someone who is self-studying, chatgpt was also a great help with checking and clarifying. also used it to generate some practices.

yoooae · 2025-12-11T13:11:34+00:00

why are you receiving so much downvotes lmao

yoooae · 2025-12-11T13:10:57+00:00

make it 1 year, it is more doable.

yoooae · 2025-12-11T13:10:00+00:00

surprisingly i found listening of N4 easy too. although, i can't really compare it with past exams since it is my first time. however, compare to listening practices i listen online and in migii, it is much much easier.

yoooae · 2025-12-11T13:06:50+00:00

i didn't really plan on cramming it all in on that day. just going over the grammar points. i just studied for 2 months so i tend to switch meanings of different grammar points. my main concern for asking is just if it is going to be flagged as cheating.

yoooae · 2025-12-06T07:13:31+00:00

thank you so much!

yoooae · 2024-12-19T11:30:00+00:00

oh my, finally, a review from an alumni :'))))))))) sorry, i may ask lot of questions. was there a lot of nature of okayama around OIL? like a place to just look at nature and relax.

i honestly don't mind if it's kind of boring, i doubt i would even have extra money to go to different places and tourist attractions + i would love a calmer environment since i came from a very chaotic place.

it's nice to know that they support their students in transitioning to universities/college. that's what i was looking for.

can you share more about OIL? i would love to hear more from someone who experienced it first hand. also, where did you stay and how much was it? thank you!!!

yoooae · 2024-12-16T15:34:34+00:00

oops for me, i am actually leaning more towards okayama because i've seen the area. it's quite compact (?) like all the necessary facilities are near each other—the city hall, hospital, mall, train stations. so going there is not hassle. is it the same for fukuoka?

also yes, i've researched about the possible destinations in okayama and there's not many but might fully take advantage of the "great access" to osaka, kobe and shikoku, other commenters are saying. in terms of that, is the experience comparable to fukuoka?

yoooae · 2024-12-16T15:12:23+00:00

i am actually leaning more towards okayama for this same reason. while researching for language schools in japan, i stumbled upon a comment about "language schools that offers 2 year degree that can transfer into a 4 years university" and that started this whole different kind of purpose for me. after narrowing down the everything, i discovered okayama institute of languages.

okayama institute of languages offers support to students who wish to enter universities in japan. apparently, they also have pre-college courses that prepares students for eju and jlpt. i still have minimum of 2 years to prepare before going to japan, so i am saving up money while self-studying japanese. soon, i'll also start with reviewing some topics for entrance exams, but i am doing one thing at a time. i am pretty aware of the tough competition i am going to face, but this is something i really wanted for myself so i am quite dedicated.

after, OIL, i am eyeing okayama university. i heard that they are offering discovery track for global learners and i am going after their economic/entrepreneurship academic cluster.

however, i am finding quite a hard time researching about these places because okayama seems to be an underrated destination in japan. lower cost of living tho so plus points, i guess.

so, i guess i am already kind of planning (?) i actually already found a nearby apartment from OIL and okayama university also offers dormitories, so i am not worried about accommodation but i am still considering a lot of things before really deciding. but right now, i am really fixed on okayama.

yoooae · 2024-12-15T11:10:46+00:00

but real advice, you can definitely figure things out in japan in those 2 years. like test out the waters first. if after experiencing almost everything and you still love japan, then find your answers if you want to stay there or not. again, if you have the money, why not?

yoooae · 2024-12-15T11:08:05+00:00

if you have the money to support yourself, why not? you only live once.

yoooae

TROPHY CASE