nichiyomu
Read
Sign in

N3 · Intermediate

JLPT N3 reading practice

N3 sits between the basic levels and the advanced ones. The JLPT added it in 2010 to bridge what had been a large gap between the old Level 3 and Level 2, and reading at N3 feels like that bridge: texts start to carry opinions, requests and explanations, not just facts.

Expect around 650 kanji, sentences that hold two or three clauses, and everyday written material like emails, notices, short columns and online posts.

Try it for free See sample texts

N3 at a glance

Kanji
about 650
Vocabulary
about 3,750 words
Text length on Nichiyomu
45 to 80 characters

Kanji and vocabulary counts are rough guides. The JLPT has not published official lists since 2010, so these figures come from the older test specification, where N3 did not exist yet: its figures sit between N4 and N2. Text length is measured on the Nichiyomu library.

Grammar you will meet often

  • ～というより
  • ～によると
  • ～わけだ
  • ～しかない
  • ～ば～ほど
  • ～ないうちに
  • ～たとたん
  • ～だけでなく
  • ところで

Sample N3 texts

Two texts from the Nichiyomu library at N3. Read each one first, switch furigana off for a harder test, then open the translation, grammar and words underneath to check yourself.

N3 Daily Life
家いえで仕事しごとをしていると、自宅じたくで働はたらいているというより、職場しょくばに住すんでいるような気分きぶんになってストレスがたまります。誰だれか、オンとオフを切きり替かえるいい方法ほうほうを教おしえてくれませんか。
Translation

When I work from home, it feels less like working at home and more like living at my workplace, and the stress builds up. Can anyone tell me a good way to switch between on and off?

Grammar

～と (whenever) · 仕事をしていると: と after a plain verb means the second part follows naturally whenever the first holds: “when I'm working at home, ...”.

～というより · Means “not so much A as B”. The writer sets aside 自宅で働いている as the right description in favor of 職場に住んでいる.

～ような気分になる · “To come to feel as if ~”. ような describes 気分, and になる shows the feeling setting in.

～て (cause) · 気分になって…たまります: the て-form links cause and result. Feeling that way makes the stress build up.

誰か · “Someone, anyone”, used here to ask an unspecified person for help.

～てくれませんか · A polite request for something done for the speaker: 教えてくれませんか, “could you tell me?”.

Words
  • 仕事 しごと · work, job
  • 自宅 じたく · one's own home
  • 働く はたらく · to work
  • 職場 しょくば · workplace
  • 住む すむ · to live, to reside
  • 気分 きぶん · feeling, mood
  • 誰か だれか · someone, anyone
  • 切り替える きりかえる · to switch over
  • 方法 ほうほう · method, way
  • 教える おしえる · to teach, to tell
N3 Culture
最近さいきん、海外かいがいでも日本にほんの伝統的でんとうてきな和食わしょくがとても人気にんきを集あつめています。ところで、皆みなさんはお正月しょうがつにおせち料理りょうりを食たべますか。来週らいしゅうの番組ばんぐみでは、おせち料理りょうりの意味いみについて紹介しょうかいします。
Translation

Recently, traditional Japanese food has become very popular overseas too. By the way, do you eat osechi, the traditional dishes for New Year? On next week's program, we'll introduce the meaning behind them.

Grammar

～でも · でも after 海外 means “even in”: Japanese food is popular even outside Japan.

～的(な) · A suffix that turns a noun into an adjective-like word: 伝統 (tradition) + 的 = 伝統的, “traditional”. Before a noun it takes な: 伝統的な和食.

人気を集める · A set phrase meaning “to become popular”, literally “to gather popularity”. 集める is transitive, so 人気 takes を.

～ています · Here it describes a situation that started in the past and still continues: the food “has been gaining” popularity.

ところで · Changes the topic: “by the way”. Common in announcements and TV narration.

～について · Means “about, concerning”: おせち料理の意味について紹介します, “we will introduce the meaning of osechi”.

Words
  • 最近 さいきん · recently, lately
  • 海外 かいがい · overseas, abroad
  • 日本 にほん · Japan
  • 伝統的 でんとうてき · traditional
  • 和食 わしょく · Japanese cuisine
  • 人気 にんき · popularity
  • 集める あつめる · to gather, to collect
  • 皆さん みなさん · everyone
  • 正月 しょうがつ · New Year
  • 料理 りょうり · cooking, dish
  • 来週 らいしゅう · next week
  • 番組 ばんぐみ · TV or radio program
  • 意味 いみ · meaning
  • 紹介 しょうかい · introduction

How Nichiyomu matches you at N3

Choose N3 when you sign up and you start near the easy end of N3. Every rating moves the next text with you, and because N3 is such a wide level, that matters here more than anywhere: early N3 and late N3 read very differently, and Nichiyomu places you within the level, not just at it.

The free plan gives you three texts a day with furigana and translations. Reader adds the word breakdowns you see above, and Learner adds grammar explanations and audio. See the pricing page for details.

Other levels

All JLPT levels

Frequently asked questions

Why does N3 reading feel like such a big jump?

Because N3 is where texts start to explain and argue, not just describe. Sentences hold several clauses, the kanji count roughly doubles from about 300 to about 650, and patterns like ～というより or ～わけだ change how a whole sentence should be read.

How many kanji do you need for N3?

Around 650. N3 was added in 2010 and has never had an official list, so this is an estimate between the old Level 3 (about 300) and Level 2 (about 1,000), but it is a useful target.

What kind of texts can you read at N3?

Everyday written Japanese with concrete content: emails, notices, short columns, reviews and online posts. You can also follow the main point of slightly harder material, especially when the context helps.

Start reading at N3

Free to start. Create an account, pick N3 as your level, and your first text is waiting.

Try it for free Sign in