N1: You can understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances. You are able to read writings with logical complexity or abstract writings on a variety of topics, such as newspaper editorials and critiques, and comprehend both their structures and contents. You are also able to read written materials with profound contents on various topics and follow their narratives as well as understand the intent of the writers comprehensively. You can comprehend orally presented materials such as coherent conversations, news reports, and lectures, spoken at natural speed in a broad variety of settings, and are able to follow their ideas and comprehend their contents comprehensively. You are also able to understand the details of the presented materials, such as relationships among the people involved, logical structures, and essential points.
N2: You can understand Japanese used in everyday situations, and in a variety of circumstances to a certain degree. You are able to read materials written clearly on a variety of topics, such as articles and commentaries in newspapers and magazines as well as simple critiques, and comprehend their contents. You can also read general texts written in continuous manner and follow their structures as well as grasp the intent of the writers. You can understand with ease materials that are orally presented in coherent conversations and news reports, spoken at nearly natural speed in everyday situations as well as in a variety of settings, and are able to follow their ideas and comprehend their contents. You are also able to understand the relationships among the participants and the key points of the presented materials.
N3: You can understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain extent. You can read and comprehend written materials with specific contents concerning everyday topics. You have the skills to grasp summary information such as newspaper headlines. In addition, it is also possible to read somewhat demanding texts occurring in daily life and grasp the overall meaning of the text when some alternative phrases are available which aid your comprehension. You can listen to and comprehend coherent conversations in daily situations, spoken at near-natural speed and generally are able to follow their contents as well as grasp the relationships among the people involved.
N4: You can understand basic Japanese. You should be able to read and comprehend passages on topics related to everyday situations written in basic vocabulary and kanji. You are able to listen and comprehend conversations that you encounter in daily life and, in general, to follow their contents when they are uttered slowly.
N5: You are able to read and understand typical expressions and sentences written in hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji. You are also able to hear simple Japanese spoken normally, which appears in daily situations and other everyday circumstances, and grasp any necessary information by listening and even using gestures.
