130 grammar points for JLPT N5 and N4, with clear explanations, examples, and common mistakes.
60 grammar points · Essential patterns for beginners: particles, verb forms, adjective conjugation, and basic expressions.
〜は
The particle は (wa) marks the topic of the sentence — the thing being talked about.
〜が
The particle が marks the subject of a sentence, identifying who or what performs an action or exists.
〜を
The particle を (wo/o) marks the direct object of a transitive verb — the thing being acted upon.
〜に
The particle に marks location of existence, time, destination, and indirect objects.
〜で
The particle で marks the location where an action takes place and the means or method used to do something.
〜へ
The particle へ (e) indicates the direction of movement. It emphasizes the direction rather than the destination.
〜と
The particle と connects nouns (and), marks a companion (with), and introduces quoted speech.
〜も
The particle も means 'also' or 'too' and replaces は, が, or を to add similar information.
〜の
The particle の connects nouns to show possession, affiliation, or modification — similar to 'of' or apostrophe-s in English.
〜か
The particle か turns a statement into a yes/no question when added to the end of a sentence.
〜や
The particle や lists examples non-exhaustively, meaning 'things like A and B (among others).' It implies there are more items not mentioned.
〜から
The particle から indicates a starting point in time or space ('from'), and as a conjunction means 'because.'
〜まで
The particle まで marks an ending point in time or space, meaning 'until,' 'to,' or 'as far as.'
です / だ
です (polite) and だ (casual) are copulas that link a subject to a noun or な-adjective, similar to 'is/am/are' in English.
〜ます
The ます form is the polite present/future tense of verbs. It is the standard form used in everyday polite speech.
〜ね / 〜よ
ね seeks agreement or confirmation ('isn't it?'), while よ asserts new information or emphasis ('you know!').
は vs が
は marks the topic (what we're talking about), while が marks the subject (who does something) and introduces new information.
主語・目的語・動詞
Japanese follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order. The verb always comes at the end of the sentence.
〜の / 〜こと
の and こと turn verbs and clauses into noun phrases, allowing them to function as subjects or objects.
〜の (question/explanation)
の at the end of a sentence adds an explanatory tone or asks for explanation — equivalent to 'it is that...' or 'is it that...?'
〜て / 〜で
The て-form is the most important verb conjugation in Japanese. It connects actions, makes requests, and forms many grammar patterns.
〜ない
The ない-form is the casual negative of verbs. It is also used to build other patterns like 〜なければならない and 〜ないでください.
〜た / 〜だ
The た-form is the casual past tense of verbs. It follows the same conjugation pattern as the て-form but ends in た/だ instead of て/で.
〜ている
〜ている expresses an ongoing action (like English '-ing') or a resulting state.
〜ません
〜ません is the polite negative form of verbs. It is the negative counterpart of 〜ます.
〜ましょう
〜ましょう is the polite volitional form meaning 'let's' or 'shall we.' It suggests doing something together.
〜てください
〜てください is a polite request meaning 'please do.' It uses the て-form of the verb plus ください.
〜ないでください
〜ないでください is a polite negative request meaning 'please don't do.' It uses the ない-form plus でください.
動詞のグループ
Japanese verbs are classified into three groups that determine how they conjugate: う-verbs (Group 1), る-verbs (Group 2), and irregular verbs (Group 3).
辞書形
The dictionary form is the basic, unconjugated form of verbs as they appear in the dictionary. It is used in casual speech and as the base for many grammar patterns.
い形容詞
い-adjectives end in い and conjugate by changing the い ending. They can directly modify nouns and serve as predicates.
な形容詞
な-adjectives require な when modifying nouns. They conjugate using です/じゃない rather than changing their ending.
い形容詞の活用
い-adjectives conjugate by dropping い and adding endings: negative (〜くない), past (〜かった), past negative (〜くなかった).
な形容詞の活用
な-adjectives conjugate using auxiliary words: negative (じゃない), past (だった/でした), past negative (じゃなかった).
形容詞 + 名詞
い-adjectives modify nouns directly, while な-adjectives require な before the noun.
〜くない / 〜じゃない
い-adjectives use 〜くない for negation, while な-adjectives and nouns use 〜じゃない / 〜ではない.
〜たい
〜たい expresses the speaker's desire to do something. It attaches to the verb stem (ます-form minus ます).
〜てもいい
〜てもいい means 'it's okay to' or 'may I.' It is used to ask for or give permission.
〜てはいけない
〜てはいけない/〜てはいけません means 'must not' or 'it is not allowed to.' It expresses prohibition.
〜たことがある
〜たことがある expresses past experience — 'have done something before.' It uses the た-form plus ことがある.
〜つもり
〜つもり expresses the speaker's intention or plan. It follows the dictionary form for affirmative and ない-form for negative.
〜ほうがいい
〜ほうがいい gives advice or recommendations, meaning 'you should' or 'it would be better to.'
〜なければならない
〜なければならない means 'must' or 'have to.' It is formed from the ない-form by changing ない to なければならない.
〜なくてもいい
〜なくてもいい means 'don't have to' or 'it's okay not to.' It removes obligation.
疑問詞
Japanese question words (何, だれ, どこ, いつ, なぜ, どう, いくら, いくつ) stay in the normal sentence position and are followed by が or を.
どこ / どちら
どこ asks 'where,' while どちら is a polite form of 'where' and also means 'which (of two).'
いつ / どのくらい
いつ asks 'when' and does not need a particle. どのくらい asks 'how long' or 'how much' (degree/extent).
どうして / なぜ
どうして and なぜ both mean 'why.' どうして is casual and common; なぜ is more formal. Answers use から (because).
まだ〜ていない
まだ〜ていない means 'not yet' — an action that hasn't been done but is expected to happen.
もう
もう means 'already' with past tense and 'anymore' with negative. It indicates something has changed from a previous state.
〜前に / 〜後で
〜前に means 'before doing' (uses dictionary form), 〜後で means 'after doing' (uses た-form).
〜ながら
〜ながら means 'while doing' — performing two actions simultaneously. The main action is at the end.
〜けど / 〜けれど
けど (casual) and けれど/けれども (formal) mean 'but' or 'although,' connecting contrasting clauses.
そして / それから
そして means 'and then' or 'moreover,' connecting sentences. それから means 'after that' or 'and then,' emphasizing sequence.
だから / ですから
だから (casual) and ですから (polite) mean 'therefore' or 'so,' connecting a reason to a result.
でも / しかし
でも (casual) and しかし (formal) mean 'however' or 'but,' introducing a contrasting or unexpected statement.
〜つ
The 〜つ counting system is a native Japanese counter used for general objects. It goes from ひとつ (1) to とお (10).
〜人
〜人 (にん) counts people. Irregular readings: ひとり (1 person), ふたり (2 people). 3+ follow regular pattern: さんにん, よにん.
〜枚 / 〜本 / 〜個 / 〜匹
Japanese uses specific counters for different shapes: 枚 (flat), 本 (long), 個 (small round), 匹 (small animals). Each has sound changes with certain numbers.
〜がある / 〜がいる
ある is for non-living things and いる is for living things. Both express existence ('there is/are').
70 grammar points · Intermediate patterns: passive, causative, conditionals, honorifics, and complex sentence structures.
〜られる
The passive form expresses actions done to the subject by someone else, or spontaneous/suffering nuance.
〜させる
The causative form expresses making or letting someone do something.
〜させられる
The causative-passive combines causative and passive to express being made to do something against one's will.
〜よう/〜おう
The volitional form expresses the speaker's intention or makes suggestions, equivalent to 'let's' or 'I'll'.
〜られる/〜える
The potential form expresses ability or possibility — 'can do' or 'be able to do'.
〜ろ/〜なさい
The imperative form gives direct commands. ~ろ/~え is blunt; ~なさい is a softer, authoritative command.
〜てしまう
~てしまう expresses completing an action fully, or doing something unintentionally with a sense of regret.
〜ておく
~ておく expresses doing something in advance as preparation or leaving something in a certain state.
〜てみる
~てみる expresses trying something to see what it's like or what happens.
〜てあげる/もらう/くれる
These patterns express doing a favor for someone or receiving a favor, using the giving/receiving verbs with te-form.
〜他動詞/自動詞
Japanese has paired transitive (action on object) and intransitive (action happens by itself) verbs that must be distinguished.
〜ようとする
~ようとする expresses being about to do something or attempting/trying to do something.
〜ことにする
~ことにする expresses a decision made by the speaker to do (or not do) something.
〜ことになる
~ことになる expresses a decision or outcome that was determined by external factors, not the speaker's will.
〜ば
The ~ば conditional expresses 'if' with a focus on the condition itself, often for general truths and hypothetical situations.
〜たら
~たら is the most versatile conditional, meaning 'if' or 'when,' usable for hypothetical and completed conditions.
〜なら
~なら expresses 'if it's the case that...' and is used to give advice, opinions, or information based on a stated topic.
〜と
The ~と conditional expresses natural, automatic, or habitual results — 'whenever X, Y always happens.'
〜ても
~ても expresses 'even if' or 'even though,' indicating that the result holds regardless of the condition.
〜そうだ（様態）
~そうだ (appearance) expresses a judgment based on visual observation — 'it looks like' or 'it seems.'
〜そうだ（伝聞）
~そうだ (hearsay) reports information heard from others — 'I heard that' or 'they say that.'
〜ようだ/〜みたいだ
~ようだ and ~みたいだ express conjecture based on evidence — 'it seems/appears that' — or make comparisons.
〜らしい
~らしい expresses conjecture based on external evidence or hearsay — 'apparently' or 'it seems.'
〜はずだ
~はずだ expresses the speaker's confident expectation based on reason or evidence — 'should be' or 'is supposed to.'
〜かもしれない
~かもしれない expresses possibility or uncertainty — 'might,' 'may,' or 'perhaps.'
〜ために
~ために expresses purpose ('in order to') with volitional verbs, or cause/reason ('because of') with non-volitional verbs and nouns.
〜ように
~ように expresses a goal or desired state — 'so that,' often used with potential verbs or non-volitional verbs.
〜ようにする
~ようにする means to make an effort or try to habitually do something — 'make sure to' or 'try to.'
〜ようになる
~ようになる expresses a gradual change in state or ability over time — 'come to' or 'become able to.'
〜のに
~のに expresses contrast or disappointment — 'despite,' 'although,' or 'even though' — often with an emotional nuance.
〜ので
~ので gives an objective reason or cause — 'because' or 'since' — and is softer and more polite than ~から.
〜ことがある
Verb dictionary form + ことがある means 'there are times when' or 'sometimes' — expressing occasional occurrences.
〜たばかり
~たばかり expresses that an action was just completed very recently.
〜ところだ
~ところだ marks a precise point in time: about to do (dictionary form), in the middle of (ている), or just finished (た).
〜ばかり
~ばかり expresses 'nothing but,' 'only,' or 'always' — often with a negative or excessive nuance.
〜てあげる
~てあげる expresses doing a favor or kind action for someone else.
〜てもらう
Expresses that the subject receives the benefit of someone else's action. Used when you have someone do something for you.
〜てくれる
Expresses that someone does something for the speaker's benefit. Emphasizes the giver's kindness from the receiver's perspective.
〜より
Used to make comparisons, meaning 'more than' or 'compared to'. Marks the item being compared against.
〜ほど
Indicates degree or extent, meaning 'to the extent that' or 'as much as'. Often used in negative comparisons meaning 'not as... as'.
〜のほうが
Used to indicate preference or that one option is more of something than another. Often paired with より.
一番
Superlative expression meaning 'most' or 'best'. Used to indicate the highest degree among a group.
お〜になる
Honorific pattern used to show respect when describing someone else's actions. Elevates the other person's action.
お〜する
Humble pattern used to lower your own actions when speaking to someone of higher status. Shows deference by humbling yourself.
〜ていただく
Humble form of 〜てもらう. Used to humbly express receiving someone's action, showing deep respect to the person doing the action.
特別な敬語動詞
Special verbs that replace common verbs in honorific and humble speech. Essential for polite Japanese in formal settings.
〜し
Used to list multiple reasons or qualities. Implies there are additional reasons beyond what is stated.
〜ながら
Expresses two actions happening simultaneously by the same person. The main action comes at the end of the sentence.
〜たり〜たりする
Lists actions as examples without being exhaustive. Implies doing various things including the ones mentioned.
〜て
Advanced uses of the て-form for connecting sequential actions, expressing cause/reason, and describing manner of action.
〜のに
Expresses 'despite' or 'even though' with a nuance of disappointment, frustration, or surprise at an unexpected result.
〜ことは〜が
Acknowledges something is true but adds a contrasting reservation. Repeats the same word/phrase to concede before introducing a 'but'.
〜かどうか
Used to express 'whether or not' something is the case. Embeds a yes/no question inside a larger sentence.
〜という
Used to define, name, or quote something. Means 'called,' 'named,' 'that (says),' or introduces a concept.
〜てほしい
Expresses the speaker's desire for someone else to do something. The person is marked with に.
〜させてください
Polite way to ask permission to do something. Combines the causative form with ください to mean 'please let me do.'
〜ないで
Expresses doing something without doing something else, or makes a negative request. Means 'without doing' or 'don't do.'
〜ずに
Formal equivalent of 〜ないで meaning 'without doing.' Used in written language and formal speech.
〜ことができる
Expresses ability or possibility. An alternative to the potential form of verbs, meaning 'can do' or 'is possible.'
〜ようにしている
Expresses a conscious effort to maintain a habit or practice. Means 'I make sure to' or 'I try to make a habit of.'
〜ことにしている
Expresses a personal rule or decision that has become a regular practice. Means 'I have made it a rule to' or 'I have decided to (as a habit).'
〜ことはない
Expresses that there is no need or necessity to do something. Used to reassure or advise someone not to worry.
〜わけがない
Strongly denies a possibility, meaning 'there's no way that' or 'it's impossible that.' Expresses firm disbelief.
〜わけではない
Partially denies a statement, meaning 'it doesn't mean that' or 'it's not that.' Used for nuanced correction.
〜そうにない
Negative form of 〜そう (appearance), meaning something doesn't look like it will happen or doesn't seem likely.
〜てたまらない
Expresses an overwhelming or unbearable degree of a feeling or sensation. Means 'so... that I can't stand it.'
〜にくい/〜やすい
Suffixes attached to verb stems to express that an action is easy (やすい) or difficult (にくい) to do.
〜すぎる
Expresses excess, meaning 'too much' or 'overly.' Attached to verb stems and adjective stems.
〜がる
Converts adjectives of feeling into verbs describing a third person's outward display of that feeling. Used because you cannot directly state others' inner feelings in Japanese.
〜だけ
Particle meaning 'only' or 'just,' limiting the scope to what is specified. Can follow nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
Word order and sentence patterns
4 grammar points
は, が, を, に, で, へ, と, も, の, か
16 grammar points
て-form, ない-form, た-form, passive, causative
23 grammar points
い-adjectives, な-adjectives, conjugation
7 grammar points
Fixed patterns and set phrases
37 grammar points
Question words and question patterns
4 grammar points
より, ほど, 一番, のほうが
4 grammar points
Connecting clauses and complex sentences
15 grammar points
ている, てある, ておく, てしまう
9 grammar points
Keigo: respectful and humble forms
4 grammar points
ば, たら, なら, と — conditional forms
4 grammar points
Counting systems and classifiers
3 grammar points
Build vocabulary that reinforces these grammar patterns with science-backed spaced repetition.
Start Free Trial