JLPT N2 kanji list
114high-frequency JLPT N2 kanji, grouped by theme with on'yomi/kun'yomi readings and meaning, studied with real spaced repetition. Free, no signup, works in your browser.
N2 kanji push into abstract, society/news, and advanced everyday vocabulary — the characters you need to read a newspaper. Each card shows the kanji with its readings and meaning, none repeated from the N3 set. Tap any group to study it with the forgetting-curve scheduling that times each review to memory.
Kanji: N2 abstract
Study these 20 →- 概gaioutline, general, approximately
- 傾kei / katamu(ku), katamu(keru)lean, incline, tendency
- 拠kyo, kobasis, grounds, foothold
- 矛mu / hokohalberd, spear (as in 矛盾, contradiction)
- 盾jun / tateshield (as in 矛盾, contradiction)
- 抽chuuabstract, extract, pull out
- 促soku / unaga(su)urge, prompt, stimulate
- 範hanpattern, model, scope, range
- 囲i / kako(mu), kako(u)surround, enclose, range
- 微bidelicate, subtle, minute, slight
- 妙myouexquisite, strange, subtle
- 純junpure, genuine, innocent
- 旨shi / mune, uma(i)purport, gist, effect (of a statement)
- 緒sho, cho / othread, beginning, cord (as in 一緒)
- 略ryakuabbreviation, omission, strategy
- 称shouname, title, praise
- 趣shu / omomukipurport, taste, elegance, charm
- 端tan / hashi, ha, hataedge, end, beginning, fragment
- 占sen / shi(meru), urana(u)occupy, hold; tell fortunes
- 免men / manuga(reru), manuka(reru)excuse, exemption, dismiss, license
Kanji: N2 society & news
Study these 20 →- 権ken, gonright, authority, power
- 策sakuplan, policy, scheme, measure
- 律ritsu, richilaw, regulation, rhythm
- 税zeitax, duty
- 貿boutrade, exchange (as in 貿易)
- 需judemand, request, need
- 給kyuusupply, provide, salary, grant
- 統tou / su(beru)unite, govern, statistics, command
- 輸yutransport, send, import/export
- 域ikiregion, area, boundary
- 雇ko / yato(u)employ, hire
- 福fukufortune, blessing, welfare
- 祉shiwelfare, happiness (as in 福祉)
- 償shou / tsuguna(u)compensate, make up for, atone
- 庁chougovernment office, agency
- 営ei / itona(mu)manage, run (a business), operate
- 危ki / abu(nai), aya(ui), aya(bumu)danger, risk, fear
- 供kyou, ku / sona(eru), tomooffer, supply, accompany
- 報hou / muku(iru)report, news, reward, requite
- 補ho / ogina(u)supplement, make up for, assistant
Kanji: N2 advanced everyday
Study these 20 →- 含gan / fuku(mu), fuku(meru)contain, include, hold in the mouth
- 抑yoku / osa(eru)suppress, restrain, hold down
- 載sai / no(seru), no(ru)load, publish, place on, record
- 湿shitsu / shime(ru), shime(su)damp, humid, moist
- 乾kan / kawa(ku), kawa(kasu)dry, parch
- 詰kitsu / tsu(meru), tsu(maru), tsu(mu)stuff, cram, pack, be blocked
- 揺you / yu(reru), yu(ru), yu(suru), yu(saburu)shake, sway, swing
- 触shoku / fu(reru), sawa(ru)touch, feel, come into contact
- 抱hou / da(ku), ida(ku), kaka(eru)embrace, hold, harbor (a feeling)
- 込ko(mu), ko(meru)be crowded, put into, include
- 沿en / so(u)run alongside, follow (a line)
- 抜batsu / nu(ku), nu(keru), nu(kasu)pull out, extract, omit, surpass
- 描byou / ega(ku), ka(ku)draw, depict, describe
- 替tai / ka(eru), ka(waru)replace, exchange, substitute
- 慌kou / awa(teru), awa(tadashii)be flustered, panic, be in a hurry
- 倒tou / tao(reru), tao(su)fall over, collapse, overthrow
- 隠in / kaku(su), kaku(reru)hide, conceal
- 紛fun / magi(reru), magi(rasu), magi(rawasu)be confused with, distract, lose (in a crowd)
- 削saku / kezu(ru)delete, cut down, sharpen, scrape off
- 戒kai / imashi(meru)admonish, warn, be on guard
Kanji: N2 abstract II
Study these 18 →- 至shi / ita(ru)reach, arrive at, culmination, utmost
- 依i, edepend on, rely on, according to
- 及kyuu / oyo(bu), oyo(bosu), oyo(bi)reach, extend to, and, as well as
- 互go / taga(i)mutual, reciprocal, each other
- 余yo / ama(ru), ama(su)surplus, remainder, excess, other
- 差sa / sa(su)difference, distinction, variation
- 詳shou / kuwa(shii)detailed, full, minute, well-informed
- 順junorder, sequence, obedient, turn
- 逆gyaku / saka(sa), saka(rau)reverse, inverse, opposite, contrary
- 効kou / ki(ku)effect, efficacy, be effective
- 因in / yo(ru)cause, factor, be based on
- 現gen / arawa(reru), arawa(su)present, appear, become visible, actual
- 態taicondition, state, appearance, attitude
- 較kakucompare, contrast (as in 比較)
- 適tekisuitable, fit, appropriate, optimal
- 確kaku / tashi(ka), tashi(kameru)certain, sure, confirm, definite
- 賛sanapprove, agree, support, praise
- 否hi / inanegate, deny, no, refuse
Kanji: N2 everyday II
Study these 18 →- 貸tai / ka(su)lend, loan, rent out
- 借shaku / ka(riru)borrow, rent, owe
- 押ou / o(su), o(saeru)push, press, hold down
- 引in / hi(ku), hi(keru)pull, draw, withdraw, look up
- 汚o / kitana(i), yogo(reru), yogo(su), kega(su)dirty, soil, pollute, defile
- 捨sha / su(teru)throw away, discard, abandon
- 拾shuu, juu / hiro(u)pick up, gather, find
- 閉hei / to(jiru), shi(meru), shi(maru)close, shut, end
- 包hou / tsutsu(mu)wrap, pack up, cover, conceal
- 隣rin / tonari, tona(ru)neighbor, next to, adjacent (as in 隣人, お隣)
- 焼shou / ya(ku), ya(keru)burn, bake, grill, roast
- 煮sha / ni(ru), ni(eru), ni(yasu)boil, cook, simmer, stew
- 沸futsu / wa(ku), wa(kasu)boil, seethe, bubble up
- 冷rei / tsume(tai), hi(eru), hi(yasu), sa(meru), sa(masu)cool, cold, chill, get cold
- 縫hou / nu(u)sew, stitch, suture
- 眠min / nemu(ru), nemu(i)sleep, doze, be sleepy
- 酔sui / yo(u)get drunk, feel sick, be intoxicated
- 畳jou / tatami, tata(mu)tatami mat, fold up
Kanji: N2 society II
Study these 18 →- 政sei, shou / matsurigotopolitics, government, administration
- 府fugovernment office, urban prefecture, seat
- 県kenprefecture
- 選sen / era(bu)elect, choose, select
- 挙kyo / a(geru), a(garu)raise, name, cite, hold (election)
- 党touparty, faction, clique
- 義gijustice, righteousness, meaning, in-law
- 務mu / tsuto(meru), tsuto(maru)duty, service, work, affairs
- 職shokuemployment, post, occupation, duty
- 労roulabor, toil, trouble, effort
- 募bo / tsuno(ru)recruit, raise, collect, grow intense
- 訴so / utta(eru)sue, appeal, complain, accuse
- 認nin / mito(meru)recognize, acknowledge, approve, admit
- 捜sou / saga(su)search, look for, investigate
- 逮taiapprehend, arrest, catch (as in 逮捕)
- 盗tou / nusu(mu)steal, rob, theft
- 罪zai / tsumicrime, sin, guilt, offense
- 罰batsu, bachipunishment, penalty, divine retribution
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A curated core of the highest-yield N2 items — not the full N2 list (the JLPT hasn't published an official one since 2010). Every card is checked against the N2 level, and against our N3 set so nothing is repeated from the level below.