Fill the 5-liter container, pour water from that into the 3 liter container until that is full,  You will now have 2 liters left in the 5 liter container.
 Empty the 3-liter container, and then transfer the 2 liters from the 5-liter container into it.
 Now fill the 5-liter container again, then pour water carefully from the 5-liter container into the 3-liter container until it is full - exactly one more liter. 
 The 5-liter container now has 4 liters in it.