How should I practise Japanese reading?

With material slightly below the level you can just about manage, and without a dictionary on the first pass. Reading for gist first and looking words up second builds the skill the JLPT actually tests, which is comprehension under time pressure.

The small kana printed above kanji to show how they're read. Every passage here has it, so an unfamiliar kanji never stops you — you can still read the sentence aloud and get the meaning.

How much reading is on the JLPT?

Reading shares a section with vocabulary and grammar at every level, and its weight grows as you go up. At N2 and N1 the passages get long and abstract, which makes reading speed as important as comprehension.

読解 · Reading practice

Japanese reading practice

Graded Japanese reading with furigana on every kanji and a translation for every sentence. The first passages are being prepared — in the meantime, reading rests on kanji and vocabulary, and both are complete and free here.

What graded reading does for you

Reading is where vocabulary and grammar stop being lists and start being a language. The JLPT tests it under time pressure, which means the skill to build is reading for meaning without stopping at every unknown word — exactly what furigana and sentence-level translations let you practise.

Kanji dictionary Vocabulary lists

Japanese reading — common questions

How should I practise Japanese reading?: With material slightly below the level you can just about manage, and without a dictionary on the first pass. Reading for gist first and looking words up second builds the skill the JLPT actually tests, which is comprehension under time pressure.
What is furigana?: The small kana printed above kanji to show how they're read. Every passage here has it, so an unfamiliar kanji never stops you — you can still read the sentence aloud and get the meaning.
How much reading is on the JLPT?: Reading shares a section with vocabulary and grammar at every level, and its weight grows as you go up. At N2 and N1 the passages get long and abstract, which makes reading speed as important as comprehension.

Start reading free Grammar

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