JLPT N2 grammar, kanji and vocabulary

What the N2 courses hold

• 99 words
• 197 grammar points
• 374 kanji
• 670 lessons
• 8,062 lines of recorded Japanese
• 840 videos
• 12,144 quiz questions

Counted from the lessons themselves. The JLPT has published no official word or kanji lists since 2010; Manabiya follows the lists of JLPT Sensei.

N2 vocabulary

The N2 word list Manabiya follows is short: 99 words in 7 units, each with its own lesson. Most N2 words are taught with their kanji instead: the 374 kanji lessons below come with 1,983 words written with them, each read aloud.

• 明け方あけがたdawn; daybreak
• 長男ちょうなんeldest son
• 遠足えんそくschool outing; excursion
• 外科げかsurgery (department)
• 外れるはずれるcome off; miss; be wrong
• 寺院じいんtemple; religious building
• 開会かいかいopening (of a meeting)
• 見学けんがくstudy visit; tour; sitting out
• 校舎こうしゃschool building
• 真っ青まっさおdeep blue; deathly pale
• 内科ないかinternal medicine
• 領収りょうしゅうreceipt (of payment)
• 青少年せいしょうねんyouth; young people
• 白髪しらがgrey hair; white hair
• 習字しゅうじcalligraphy practice
• 足るたるto be enough; to be worthy
• 売り切れうりきれsold out
• 材木ざいもくlumber; timber

N2 grammar

197 grammar points in 19 units grouped by meaning, so that patterns that are easy to confuse stand side by side. Each has a detailed lesson: how to form it, what it means, how it differs from its neighbours, the usual mistakes, example sentences with audio, a scene and a quiz of its own. Each unit ends with a page that compares its patterns.

1. Cause, trigger and outcome 原因・きっかけ・結果

   10 points, among them: がきっかけで / をきっかけに sparked by; starting from · を契機に at a turning point · ばかりに just because; regrettably · せいか perhaps because

2. Since, as long as, unless 以上は・限り・ないことには

   7 points, among them: からには now that; having committed · 以上は given that; now that · 上は now that; having decided · 限り as long as; as far as

3. Even though and even if 逆接と仮定

   9 points, among them: からと言って just because · ことにはならない does not amount to · というものではない not necessarily · にも関わらず despite

4. Regardless, without and except 無関係・除外

   11 points, among them: に関わらず regardless of · を問わず regardless of category · にせよ/ にしろ even if; granted that · にしろ〜にしろ whether A or B

5. Moments, occasions and spans of time 時・場面・期間

   15 points, among them: かと思ったら no sooner than · か〜ないかのうちに almost before · と同時に at the same time · ところに just at that moment

6. Change, progress and timing 変化・進行・タイミング

   13 points, among them: 次第 as soon as · 次第で depending on · 次第に gradually · ばかりだ keeps getting worse

7. Viewpoint and judging from evidence 立場と判断の根拠

   8 points, among them: から言うと in terms of · から見ると viewed from; judging from · からすると / からすれば judging from; considering · からして judging from; even

8. Certainty, possibility and hearsay 確信・可能性・伝聞

   11 points, among them: に決まっている it must be; obviously · に相違ない without a doubt · 恐らく probably; most likely · と考えられる it can be concluded

9. As expected, only natural, worth it, best さすが・当然・一番

   12 points, among them: だけあって as expected of · だけに precisely because · だけのことはある it proves its worth · も当然だ only natural; no wonder

10. Only, merely, about and beyond 限定と程度

    8 points, among them: ばかり about; approximately · わずかに slightly; barely; only · のみ only; nothing but · に限って only; of all times

11. Not only, moreover, let alone 添加：だけでなく・さらに

    14 points, among them: ばかりか not only; even more · に限らず not limited to · のみならず not only; also · はもとより of course A; B too

12. Connectors and discourse words 接続の言葉

    14 points, among them: あるいは or; perhaps · ちなみに incidentally · そう言えば come to think of it · それなら if that's the case

13. Patterns with もの and こと 「もの」と「こと」の文型

    13 points, among them: ことだ should do · ことだから knowing someone · ことか how very…! · ことに to my surprise

14. Feelings, appearances and manner 気持ち・様子・やり方

    9 points, among them: ないではいられない cannot help doing · てならない overwhelmingly; cannot help · てたまらない unbearably; desperately · 幸いなことに fortunately

15. Must, can't afford to, no choice, get by without 義務と仕方のないこと

    8 points, among them: ねばならない must do · てはならない must not do · ざるを得ない be forced to do · よりほかない no choice but to

16. Will, resolve and requests 意志・決意・依頼

    8 points, among them: まい will not; probably will not · ようか〜まいか whether to do it or not · ようではないか let us; why don't we · たまえ do it; an authoritative order

17. Strong and softened negation 強い否定と弱い否定

    8 points, among them: ちっとも〜ない not at all · 少しも〜ない not even a little · 全く〜ない not at all · 何も〜ない nothing; no need to

18. Attitude adverbs 気持ちを表す副詞

    8 points, among them: どうせ anyway; bound to · 一応 for now; basically · せっかく a precious chance or effort · せめて at least this much

19. Basis, relation and formal particles 基準・関係・硬い助詞

    11 points, among them: に基づいて on the basis of · をもとに using as a basis · に応じて according to conditions · に応えて in response to

N2 kanji

374 kanji in 19 units of twenty. Every kanji has its own lesson: its readings, the parts it is made of, a story to remember it by, a stroke-order animation, the words it is used in (1,983 in all at N2) and example sentences, all read aloud, and a quiz.

党協総区領県設保改第結派府査委軍案策団各

• 党party (political); faction音 トウ
• 復return; restore; again音 フク
• 諸various; many; all音 ショ · 訓 もろ
• 層layer; stratum; social class音 ソウ
• 弱weak音 ジャク · 訓 よわ(い)、よわ(る)、よわ(まる)、よわ(める)
• 殿palace; hall; lord; Mr.音 デン、テン · 訓 との、どの
• 祈pray; wish音 キ · 訓 いの(る)
• 伺visit; ask (humble)音 シ · 訓 うかが(う)

How you study N2 in Manabiya

Choose the N2 courses for your daily plan and say how many minutes you have. Each day brings a few new lessons and the reviews that are due: a lesson you learn today is tested tomorrow, then after three days, about a week, three weeks and longer; a slip brings it back the next day. Every lesson has a page to read, its recordings to listen to line by line or on a loop, its videos and a quiz with an explanation for every answer.