JLPT N5 Listening: The Four Question Types and How to Answer Each One
How the JLPT N5 listening section works, what each of the four question types asks, the traps they use, and how to practise to clear the listening minimum.
The JLPT N5 listening section is 30 minutes of short conversations and single lines, and it has its own pass minimum. This guide explains each of the four question types, the traps they rely on, the numbers, dates and set phrases that come up again and again, and how to practise so you clear the minimum comfortably.
- How the listening section works
- Type 1: task-based comprehension
- Type 2: comprehension of key points
- Type 3: verbal expressions
- Type 4: quick response
- Numbers, times and dates
- Casual speech you will hear
- How to practise
- On the day
- Common mistakes
How the listening section works
Listening is the last of the three N5 test sections and lasts 30 minutes (JLPT test sections). It is scored on its own, out of 60, with a sectional minimum of 19 (JLPT scoring). You need that minimum and a total of 80 out of 180 to pass. A strong score in vocabulary, grammar and reading cannot rescue very weak listening.
Three things make listening harder than it looks:
- You should expect to hear each recording once. There is no pausing and no going back.
- In two of the four question types the options are not printed. You hear them, decide, and mark your answer before the next one starts.
- Everything is in Japanese, including the instructions and the questions.
The four question types, and the practice sets for each:
| Official name | What happens | Options | Practise it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task-based comprehension | Hear a question, then a conversation; choose what someone will do or take | Printed (pictures or words) | Task listening |
| Comprehension of key points | Hear the question first, then catch one detail: a reason, a time, a place | Printed | Key point listening |
| Verbal expressions | Look at a situation and choose what the person says | Spoken only | What do you say? |
| Quick response | Hear one line and choose the best reply | Spoken only | Quick response |
Type 1: task-based comprehension
You hear a question about what someone will do or take, then a conversation between two people, usually at school, at work, in a shop or at home. The options are printed, often as pictures.
The trap: plans change. The first suggestion in the conversation is very often not the answer. Someone proposes something, the other person corrects it, and the final decision is what counts. Listen for the turning words:
- じゃあ (jaa, well then): what follows is usually the decision.
- でも (demo, but) and 〜けど (kedo, but): a change is coming.
- 〜なくてもいいです (nakute mo ii desu, you don’t have to): something is crossed off the list.
A short example of the pattern:
F: あしたのパーティーに、何を買っていきましょうか。(Ashita no paatii ni, nani o katte ikimashou ka. What shall we buy for tomorrow’s party?)
M: ケーキと くだものは どうですか。(Keeki to kudamono wa dou desu ka. How about a cake and some fruit?)
F: ケーキはもう山下さんが買いましたよ。(Keeki wa mou Yamashita-san ga kaimashita yo. Yamashita-san has already bought a cake.)
M: じゃあ、くだものとジュースを買いましょう。(Jaa, kudamono to juusu o kaimashou. Then let’s buy fruit and juice.)The cake was mentioned first, but the answer is fruit and juice.
The tip: as you listen, cross items off the printed options in your head. Whatever is left at the end is your answer.
Type 2: comprehension of key points
You hear the question first, then a conversation or a short talk, and you need one detail from it. The question word tells you exactly what to listen for:
| Question word | Listen for |
|---|---|
| どうして (doushite, why) | A reason: 〜から, 〜ので |
| いつ (itsu, when), 何時 (nanji, what time) | A day, date or time |
| どこ (doko, where) | A place, often with で or に |
| だれ (dare, who) | A person |
| 何 (nani, what) | A thing |
| いくら (ikura, how much) | A price |
The trap: several answers are mentioned. A conversation about a party might mention three days and two times. Only one of them answers the question. If the question is どうして, the answer is whatever comes before から or ので; the other details are there to distract you.
The tip: in the moment before the conversation starts, read the printed options. They tell you whether you are listening for a day, a price or a place.
Type 3: verbal expressions
On the real test you see a picture of a situation, with an arrow pointing to one person, and choose what that person says. The three options are spoken, not printed. Our practice describes the situation in words instead of a picture.
This type tests set phrases, and especially whether you know who says what, and when. Most questions come down to pairs like these:
| Situation | Person leaving or arriving | Person at home |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving home | いってきます | いってらっしゃい |
| Coming home | ただいま | おかえりなさい |
| Situation | Say |
|---|---|
| Before eating | いただきます |
| After eating | ごちそうさまでした |
| Going to bed | おやすみなさい |
| Asking for something, or getting someone’s attention | すみません, お願いします |
| Offering something | どうぞ |
| Apologising to a friend | ごめんなさい |
| On the phone (answering or calling) | もしもし |
The trap: before and after. いただきます and ごちそうさまでした, いってきます and いってらっしゃい: the wrong option is usually the right phrase for the other moment or the other person. Ask yourself who is speaking and whether it is before or after.
Requests and offers also come up: 〜てください (please do), 〜てもいいですか (may I?), 〜ましょうか (shall I?). If the person in the picture wants to borrow something, the answer is a request, not an offer.
Type 4: quick response
You hear one line, then three spoken replies, and choose the natural one. This is the fastest part of the test.
The traps:
- A reply to a different question. If you hear いつ (when), a reply about where is wrong even if it sounds natural.
- The wrong tense. A question in the past (〜ましたか) needs a past answer.
- Who is doing it. 行きましょうか (shall I go?) and 行ってください (please go) are opposites.
- A polite “no”. ちょっと… (chotto, it’s a bit…) on its own is a soft way to refuse. It is often the right answer to an invitation the speaker cannot accept.
The tip: decide what kind of reply you expect before the options start: an answer to a question word, a yes or no, thanks, or an apology. Then pick the option that matches.
Numbers, times and dates
Numbers are everywhere in N5 listening: times, prices, dates and how many. They are also where readings change, so learn the spoken forms, not only the written ones.
- Times: 四時 is よじ (yoji), 七時 is しちじ (shichiji), 九時 is くじ (kuji). Half past is 半 (はん): 三時半 (さんじはん, sanji han).
- Minutes: the counter changes sound. 一分 いっぷん, 三分 さんぷん, 六分 ろっぷん, 十分 じゅっぷん, but 二分 にふん and 五分 ごふん.
- Prices: 三百 さんびゃく, 六百 ろっぴゃく, 八百 はっぴゃく; 三千 さんぜん, 八千 はっせん.
- Dates: 四日 (よっか, the 4th) and 八日 (ようか, the 8th) sound alike and are a classic pair. The vocabulary guide has all the date readings.
- Days of the week: listen for the first sound, げつ, か, すい, もく, きん, ど, にち, and for 来週 (next week) or 先週 (last week) before them.
- Position: 右, 左, 前, 後ろ and 隣 decide many “where is it?” questions.
Casual speech you will hear
Conversations between friends and family use plain forms. You do not need to speak this way at N5, but you need to recognise it:
| Casual | Polite | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| うん / ううん | はい / いいえ | Yes / no |
| 行く？ | 行きますか。 | Are you going? |
| 行かない。 | 行きません。 | I’m not going. |
| 食べた？ | 食べましたか。 | Did you eat? |
| 高くない。 | 高くないです。 | It isn’t expensive. |
| きれいじゃない。 | きれいじゃないです。 | It isn’t pretty. |
| ちょっと まって。 | ちょっと まって ください。 | Wait a moment. |
うん (yes) and ううん (no) sound alike. ううん is longer: two beats instead of one.
How to practise
- Listen from day one. Every word page and lesson page on this site has audio for its example sentence. Play it each time you learn a word, and say the sentence aloud once. That is free listening practice that builds the words you will hear on the test.
- Do a short set a few times a week. Each lesson ends with one listening item that uses only words and grammar from that lesson and the ones before it. After a few lessons, start the exam-format sets for each type: task, key points, verbal expressions and quick response.
- Use practice mode to learn, exam mode to test. Practice mode lets you replay the audio; exam mode plays it once, like the real test. Start in practice mode, and switch to exam mode once you have finished the lessons, as in the study plan.
- Read the transcript after every set. The transcript appears after you answer. Find the exact words you missed: was it a word you did not know, a number, or a change of plan you did not catch? Add missed words to your reviews.
- Take timed mocks. The mock tests include a full 30-minute listening section and estimate your score out of 60 against the minimum of 19.
The study plan shows how listening fits into a daily routine. The practice sets, reviews and mocks need a free account: sign in with Google to use them and keep your progress on every device.
On the day
- Answer each question as soon as you decide, then let it go and listen to the next one. There is no time to go back once the next question starts.
- Never leave a blank. If you missed it, mark your best guess straight away so you are ready for the next question.
- Use the silence before each question to read the printed options in types 1 and 2.
- Do not translate into English in your head. There is not enough time. Listen for the key words: the question word, じゃあ, でも, から, and the numbers.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes: Leaving listening until the last month, when it has its own minimum of 19. Practising only with replays, then being surprised by one-play audio on the day. Choosing the first plan mentioned instead of the final decision. Answering a different question word than the one asked. Mixing up before and after phrases (いただきます and ごちそうさまでした) or the speaker and the listener (いってきます and いってらっしゃい). Mishearing よっか and ようか, or しち and いち. Dwelling on a missed question and missing the next one too.
Test details are from the official JLPT website (test sections, scoring).
Frequently asked questions
How long is the JLPT N5 listening section?
30 minutes. It is the last of the three test sections, after Vocabulary (20 minutes) and Grammar・Reading (40 minutes).
What score do I need in N5 listening?
Listening is scored out of 60 and has its own sectional minimum of 19. You must reach it as well as the overall pass mark of 80 out of 180, so a strong score in the other sections cannot make up for very weak listening.
Can I hear the recordings twice on the JLPT?
Do not expect to. Prepare to answer every question after hearing it once, which is why Nihongomachi's listening practice has an exam mode that plays each recording only once.
Are the answer options printed in the N5 listening section?
Only in the first two question types, task-based comprehension and comprehension of key points. In verbal expressions and quick response the options are only spoken, so you have to decide as you hear them.
How can I improve my Japanese listening for the N5?
Listen every day from the start, not only in the last month. Play the audio for every new word's example sentence, do a short set of exam-format listening questions a few times a week, read the transcript after each set, and switch to one-play exam mode once you finish the lessons, as in the study plan.