No it’s not a huge part of the N4. My personal recommendation is to get “ah, this is a thing that exists” level of knowledge about sonkeigo/kenjogo at the N4 level. Start trying to understand it when it’s spoken at you at around the N3 level. Leave trying to master how to use it yourself for N2/N1+ level when you can comfortablely communicate and have extended conversations using regular Japanese (desu/masu and plain form). Imo Japanese textbooks put too much emphasis on business language too early. Imo it’s a hold over from the 80s and 90s when the majority of people learning Japanese were business people.
Tldr; yes, you’re safe to skip it
It becomes more important for N3 and beyond as theoretically you’re approaching basic fluency and might be expected IRL.
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No it’s not a huge part of the N4. My personal recommendation is to get “ah, this is a thing that exists” level of knowledge about sonkeigo/kenjogo at the N4 level. Start trying to understand it when it’s spoken at you at around the N3 level. Leave trying to master how to use it yourself for N2/N1+ level when you can comfortablely communicate and have extended conversations using regular Japanese (desu/masu and plain form). Imo Japanese textbooks put too much emphasis on business language too early. Imo it’s a hold over from the 80s and 90s when the majority of people learning Japanese were business people.
Tldr; yes, you’re safe to skip it
It becomes more important for N3 and beyond as theoretically you’re approaching basic fluency and might be expected IRL.
It’s good to have on your radar for the moment.