JLPT N4 Grammar

Expresses a natural or inevitable consequence. When A happens, B always happens. Used for natural phenomena, machine instructions, etc. Cannot be followed by expressions of the speaker's will or command. (e.g., 春になると、花が咲く。)

Attaches to the stem of an adjective to turn it into a noun representing its quality or degree. (e.g., この山の高さはどのくらいですか。)

Expresses that an unexpected result occurred, contrary to what is expected from the first clause. Often carries a nuance of surprise, dissatisfaction, or regret. (e.g., 約束したのに、彼は来なかった。)

Used for making comparisons or giving examples. 'A のように B' means 'B is like A.' (e.g., 雪のように白い肌。)

Indicates a purpose or goal. Used when striving to achieve or maintain a certain state. (e.g., 日本語が話せるように、毎日勉強しています。)

Nominalizes a verb or an entire clause, turning it into a noun phrase. Used for hobbies, abilities, etc. (e.g., 私の趣味は本を読むことです。)

Used in comparative sentences to state that one thing has a quality to a greater degree than another. (e.g., 電車はバスより速いです。)

Connects clauses to show a cause-and-effect relationship. The first action is the reason for the second. (e.g., 事故があって、電車が遅れました。)

Describes the manner or state in which the second action is performed. The actions happen concurrently. (e.g., 傘を持って出かけます。)

Indicates the means or method by which something is done. (e.g., バスに乗って学校に行きます。)

A casual, sometimes abrupt, way to ask someone to do something. Short form of 〜てください. (e.g., ちょっと待って。)

Used to add another piece of information, often emphasizing the second part. (e.g., 彼は英語だけでなく、フランス語も話せます。)

Indicates frequency over a certain period of time. (e.g., １週間に３回、ジムに行きます。)

A formal way to express ability or possibility, equivalent to the potential form of a verb. (e.g., 私は日本語を話すことができます。)

A general conditional form used for hypotheticals or when one action is completed before another. (e.g., 日本へ行ったら、京都へ行きたいです。)

Indicates the speaker (or someone in the speaker's in-group) does a favor for someone else (an equal or someone of lower status). (e.g., 友達に本を貸してあげた。)

Used to make a suggestion in a casual, non-specific way. (e.g., お茶でも飲みませんか。)

Indicates that two actions are being performed simultaneously by the same person. The main action is in the second clause. (e.g., 音楽を聞きながら、勉強します。)

Expresses strong obligation or necessity. なければいけない is also common. In speech, often shortened to なきゃ. (e.g., 明日、早く起きなければならない。)

A command form, softer than the imperative form. Typically used by parents to children or teachers to students. (e.g., 早く寝なさい。)

Attached to a verb stem to indicate that the action is difficult to perform. (e.g., このペンは書きにくいです。)

A conditional form focusing on the condition needed to bring about a result. Often used for giving advice or stating general truths. (e.g., お金があれば、旅行に行きます。)

Attached to a verb stem to indicate that the action is easy to perform. (e.g., この本は読みやすいです。)

Expresses a judgment based on secondhand information or hearsay. The speaker is reporting something they heard or read. (e.g., 田中さんは来月結婚するらしいです。)

Expresses that someone or something has the typical qualities of the noun it's attached to. (e.g., 今日は春らしい天気です。)

The honorific equivalent (尊敬語) of いる, 行く, and 来る. Used to show respect to the subject of the sentence. (e.g., 先生は研究室にいらっしゃいます。)

A sentence-ending particle used by women to express uncertainty or wonder. Softer than かな. (e.g., 明日は晴れるかしら。)

A sentence-ending particle used mainly by men to express uncertainty, wonder, or to talk to oneself. (e.g., あの人は誰かな。)

Expresses a possibility. Indicates a lower level of certainty than でしょう. (e.g., 明日は雨が降るかもしれません。)

Used to describe the feelings or appearance of a third person, based on observation. Cannot be used for one's own feelings. (e.g., 子供が犬を怖がっている。)

A polite (丁寧語), formal equivalent of ある and です. (e.g., お手洗いは二階にございます。)

Indicates a repeating interval, meaning "every" or "each". (e.g., ３日ごとに薬を飲んでください。)

Emphasizes that there is only a small amount of something, or that only one option exists. Has a nuance of "no more than". (e.g., １００円しかありません。)

Used to express surprise, discovery, or to seek agreement from the listener. (e.g., あ、雨が降っているじゃないか。)

Describes how an action is performed, based on the apparent feeling or state of the person. (e.g., 彼は楽しそうに話している。)

A conjunction used to mean "but still," "even so," or "nevertheless." Introduces a statement that contrasts with the previous one. (e.g., とても疲れました。それでも、宿題をしなければなりません。)

Used with negative predicates to mean "not so (much)" or "not that". (e.g., この問題はそんなに難しくない。)

Indicates that a third person shows signs of wanting to do something. Cannot be used for the speaker's own desires. (e.g., 息子は新しいゲームをしたがっています。)

Indicates that an action has just been completed. The speaker feels that not much time has passed. (e.g., 昼ご飯を食べたばかりです。)

Describes a state that exists as the result of an intentional action. Used with transitive verbs. (e.g., 窓が開けてあります。)

Indicates an action that moves away from the speaker, or a change that will continue into the future. (e.g., これから暖かくなっていきます。)

Past continuous tense. Describes an action that was in progress at a specific point in the past. (e.g., 昨日電話した時、彼はテレビを見ていました。)

A very polite and formal way to ask someone to do something for you. More polite than てください. (e.g., この書類を確認していただけませんか。)

Indicates that an action is performed in preparation for something else. Often shortened to とく in conversation. (e.g., 旅行の前に、ホテルを予約しておきます。)

Indicates an action that moves towards the speaker, or a change that has been happening up to the present. (e.g., だんだん寒くなってきました。)

Indicates that someone (usually an equal or of lower status) does a favor for the speaker or someone in the speaker's in-group. (e.g., 友達が宿題を手伝ってくれた。)

The polite (丁寧語), formal equivalent of です. Often used in business settings like hotels or department stores. (e.g., こちらが新商品でございます。)

Indicates that an action was completed fully, or that it was done accidentally or with a sense of regret. Often shortened to ちゃう/じゃう in speech. (e.g., 大事な書類を忘れてしまった。)

Used to apologize for an action you have done. (e.g., 遅れてすみません。)

Expresses the speaker's desire for someone else to do something. (e.g., あなたに日本語を勉強してほしいです。)

Means "to try doing something" to see what it is like or what will happen. (e.g., このケーキを食べてみます。)

Means "even if" or "even though." Used to express a concession or a hypothetical condition that does not affect the outcome. (e.g., 雨が降っても、行きます。)

Indicates that the speaker receives a favor or action from someone else. The speaker is the beneficiary. (e.g., 先生に日本語を教えてもらいました。)

Expresses relief or gladness that something happened or was done. (e.g., 日本に来てよかった。)

Used to express the speaker's hope that something will happen. (e.g., 明日、晴れるといいですね。)

Used to nominalize an entire sentence or clause, turning it into a single noun concept. Often used when explaining or defining something. (e.g., 彼が試験に合格したということは、みんなが知っている。)

Indicates the time "when" something happens. (e.g., 子供のとき、よく川で遊びました。)

Expresses that something "seems" or "appears to be" the case based on visual evidence. (e.g., あのレストランは閉まっているとみえる。)

A colloquial shortening of なければならない or なければいけない, meaning "must do". (e.g., 早くしないと遅れるよ。)

Expresses that it is not necessary to do something; "don't have to". (e.g., 明日は来なくてもいいです。)

Expresses strong obligation or necessity, similar to なければならない. In speech, often shortened to なきゃ. (e.g., 薬を飲まなければいけない。)

The honorific equivalent (尊敬語) of する (to do). Used to show respect to the subject. (e.g., 社長がご挨拶なさいます。)

Used to list one or more examples, meaning "such as" or "and so on". It implies the list is not exhaustive. (e.g., 果物、例えばりんごやバナナなどが好きです。)

A conditional used to give advice or make a suggestion based on a topic introduced by the listener. "If it's the case that...". (e.g., 日本へ行くなら、秋がいいですよ。)

An adverb meaning "as...as possible" or "if possible". (e.g., なるべく早く来てください。)

Expresses strong conviction that something is not possible or true. Stronger than わけがない. (e.g., 彼がそんなことを言うはずがない。)

Expresses the speaker's strong belief or expectation that something is true, based on logic or evidence. (e.g., 彼は今日来るはずだ。)

Expresses regret about something that was or was not done. "I should have..." or "I wish I had...". (e.g., もっと勉強すればよかった。)

Indicates an unexpected extent, meaning "even". (e.g., 子供までそのニュースを知っている。)

Indicates a deadline by which an action must be completed. (e.g., レポートは金曜日までに提出してください。)

Functions as an adverb, meaning "like" or "as if". Used for similes. (e.g., 彼は子供みたいに笑う。)

Expresses a judgment or inference based on the speaker's own sensory evidence. "It seems that...". More formal than みたい. (e.g., 外は雨が降っているようだ。)

Indicates making a conscious effort to do something habitually. (e.g., 毎日、野菜を食べるようにしています。)

Indicates a change in ability or state over time, meaning "to become able to" or "to reach the point where". (e.g., 練習して、ピアノが弾けるようになりました。)

Emphasizes that there is only a small amount. "No more than". (e.g., ３人しか来なかった。)

Emphasizes that a number or amount is large. "As many/much as". (e.g., １００人も集まった。)

Used with a negative predicate to mean "not very" or "not much". (e.g., あまりお腹が空いていません。)

A polite, honorific (尊敬語) way to make a request. Used when addressing superiors or customers. (e.g., こちらでお待ちください。)

A standard way to form an honorific (尊敬語) verb to show respect for the person performing the action. (e.g., 先生はもうお帰りになりました。)

A casual, masculine sentence-ending particle for asking yes/no questions. (e.g., もう行くかい？)

Used with nouns related to senses like smell (におい), sound (音), taste (味), or feeling (感じ). (e.g., いい匂いがしますね。)

Used to embed a yes/no question into a larger sentence, meaning "whether or not". (e.g., 彼が来るかどうか、わかりません。)

Expresses the speaker's own desire to have something. Cannot be used for a third person's desire. (e.g., 新しい車がほしいです。)

An adverb meaning "continuously" over a long period, or "all the way". (e.g., 彼は一日中ずっと本を読んでいた。)

A conjunction meaning "in addition," "moreover," or "on top of that." (e.g., このレストランは美味しい。それに、値段も安い。)

Means "just by" or "with only". (e.g., これを読むだけで、理解できます。)

A way of giving advice or making a suggestion, meaning "Why don't you...?". (e.g., 疲れたら、少し休んだらどうですか。)

Used to list examples in a casual way, similar to など, but can also list verbs. (e.g., 週末は、映画を見るとか、本を読むとかします。)

Indicates an action that is done "without doing" another action. (e.g., 辞書を使わないで、新聞を読みます。)

The negative "-te form". Used to connect clauses, often showing a cause or reason. "not ~ and so...". (e.g., お金がなくて、買えませんでした。)

The negative "-te form". Simply connects two negative clauses in sequence. "to not ~ and not ~". (e.g., 彼は来なくて、私も行かなかった。)

The potential form for Group 2 (ichidan) verbs. "to be able to". (e.g., 食べられる, 見られる)

Means "more than or equal to" or "at least". (e.g., １８歳以上の人は入れます。)

Transitive verbs. Actions that are done by an agent and have a direct object. (e.g., in 「窓を開ける」, 開ける is the transitive verb.)

Used to present two or more options, meaning "whether A or B". (e.g., 行っても行かなくても、どちらでもいいですよ。)

Expresses the speaker's intention or plan. "I think I will...". (e.g., 週末は、映画を見ようと思います。)

A double negative that creates a strong affirmation, meaning "There is no X that is not Y" or "All X are Y". (e.g., 知らない人はいない。 Everyone knows.)

Indicates making a decision or choice. For adjectives, it means "to make something...". (e.g., 私はコーヒーにします。部屋をきれいにします。)

Expresses the speaker's wonder or speculation about something, often asked to oneself. (e.g., 彼はなぜ来ないのだろうか。)

A structure meaning "A is one of B," where B is a larger category. (e.g., 富士山は日本で最も美しい山の一つです。)

A plural suffix, primarily used with pronouns like 私 (私ら), 彼 (彼ら), etc. Can sound informal. (e.g., 私らは明日出発します。)

Indicates an age group or era. (e.g., １０代 (teens), ２０代 (twenties), １９９０年代 (the 1990s))

The causative-passive form (させられる). Used to express that someone was forced or made to do something against their will. (e.g., 先生に宿題をたくさんさせられた。)

When used after a quantity, は indicates "at least". (e.g., ３時間は待った。)

Used with a question word (who, what, where) to mean "any-". (e.g., 誰でも (anyone), いつでも (anytime), どこでも (anywhere))

The causative form (せる/させる). Indicates that someone makes, lets, or has another person do something. (e.g., 母は子供に野菜を食べさせます。)

A casual negative request, short for ないでください. (e.g., 心配しないで。)

The volitional form. Expresses intention ("Let's do...") or suggestion. (e.g., Group 1: 書こう, Group 2: 食べよう, Group 3: しよう, 来よう)

The passive form (れる/られる). Indicates that an action was done to the subject. "was done by ~". (e.g., 私は犬に手を噛まれた。)

Means "after doing" or "after [noun]". (e.g., 勉強したあとで、テレビを見ます。)

Means "less than or equal to" or "below". (e.g., １８歳以下の人は入れません。)

Means "except for," "other than," or "besides". (e.g., 英語以外の言語は話せません。)

The humble equivalent (謙譲語) of する. Used when the speaker is performing the action, to show humility. (e.g., 私がご案内いたします。)

A standard way to form a humble (謙譲語) verb. Used for actions the speaker performs for a superior. (e.g., 先生の荷物をお持ちします。)

Used as a suffix to mean "to finish doing" something. (e.g., この本を読み終わりました。)

A suffix that means "way of doing" or "how to do". Turns the verb into a noun. (e.g., この漢字の読み方が分かりません。)

Means "[something] is necessary." (e.g., 旅行にはパスポートが必要です。)

A formal expression meaning "(can) be seen" or "is observed". (e.g., いくつかの間違いが見られます。)

The adverbial form of an i-adjective. Used to modify verbs. (e.g., 彼は速く走ります。)

Indicates an approximate point in time. "Around [time]". (e.g., ７時ごろに起きます。)

Used to list multiple reasons or states, often implying there are others as well. (e.g., 頭が痛いし、熱もあるし、学校を休みます。)

A double negative meaning "not a few" or "quite a lot". A literary expression. (e.g., そのように考える人は少なくない。)

A strong negation meaning "not even a little" or "not at all". (e.g., 少しも寒くないです。)

Used with a negative predicate to mean "(not) at all". In casual modern speech, can also be used with positives. (e.g., ぜんぜん分かりません。)

Expresses that something "looks" or "seems" a certain way based on appearance. (e.g., このケーキは美味しそうです。)

Means "that kind of" or "like that," referring to something previously mentioned or understood. (e.g., そういう話は好きではありません。)

A conjunction meaning "because of that," "and so," or "that's why." Indicates a logical consequence. (e.g., 昨日は徹夜した。それで、今日は眠い。)

Means "that kind of" or "such a," often with a sense of surprise or disdain. (e.g., そんなことは信じられない。)

An adverb meaning "mostly," "for the most part," or "approximately." (e.g., 宿題はだいたい終わりました。)

A formal conjunction meaning "but" or "however." (e.g., 彼は努力した。だが、失敗した。)

Used as a suffix to indicate the sudden start of an action. (e.g., 赤ちゃんが急に泣き出した。)

An adverb used to introduce an example, "For example...". (e.g., 例えば、りんごやオレンジなどです。)

Indicates that an action has just been completed. Emphasizes the very recent past. (e.g., 今、帰ってきたところです。)

An adverb describing a gradual change over time. "Gradually," "little by little." (e.g., だんだん日本語が上手になってきた。)

Used as a suffix to mean "to continue doing" something. (e.g., 彼は１０年間、日記を書きつづけている。)

Indicates that another action takes place "while" a continuous action is in progress. (e.g., 寝ている間に、地震があった。)

Indicates that an action is currently in progress. "in the middle of doing...". (e.g., 今、本を読んでいるところです。)

A phrase used to thank someone for doing something for you. (e.g., 手伝ってくれてありがとう。)

A casual, sometimes masculine, way to ask someone to do something. "Won't you do... for me?". (e.g., ちょっと手伝ってくれない？)

Indicates what something is made of or made from. (e.g., この机は木でできている。)

A question structure for comparing two items. "Between A and B, which one is more...". (e.g., 犬と猫と、どちらが好きですか。)

Means "you could say," or "it could be said that." Used to soften a statement or give a subjective summary. (e.g., 彼は天才といってもいいだろう。)

Used to report a commonly held belief or saying. "It is said that...". (e.g., 納豆は体にいいと言われている。)

An adverb meaning "finally" or "in the end," used for a result that came after a long process or wait. Can be used for both good and bad outcomes. (e.g., 彼はとうとう社長になった。)

Used to state one's own opinion. "I think that...". (e.g., 日本は物価が高いと思う。)

A formal expression meaning "it is considered that..." or "it is thought that...". (e.g., 地球温暖化が問題だと考えられている。)

Used to report something you heard from someone else. "I heard that...". (e.g., 田中さんが結婚したと聞きました。)

A formal expression meaning "it is considered to be" or "it is regarded as". (e.g., 彼は最高の作家の一人とされている。)

An adverb describing rapid and continuous progress or change. (e.g., 彼は日本語がどんどん上手になる。)

Used as a suffix to mean "to do something over again". (e.g., このレポートは書き直してください。)

Means "some" or "several" when used with a counter. (e.g., 何人かの学生 (some students), 何回か (several times))

Means "to notice" or "to realize" something one was not aware of before. (e.g., 間違いに気がついた。)

Indicates that something "looks like" or "appears to be" something else. (e.g., 彼は学生に見える。)

A structure for superlatives. "Among A, B is the most...". (e.g., この中で、これが一番好きです。)

Used for similes with nouns. "Like a [noun]". (e.g., 彼女は花のように美しい。)

Means "in the case of" or "if". More formal than とき or たら. (e.g., 火事の場合は、このボタンを押してください。)

Used as a suffix to mean "to start doing" something. (e.g., ３歳からピアノを習い始めました。)

Means "it is necessary to" or "there is a need to". (e.g., もっと練習する必要があります。)

Means "besides," "in addition to," or "other than". (e.g., 英語の他に、何を話せますか。)

An adverb meaning "almost" or "mostly." Can be used with both affirmative and negative sentences. (e.g., 宿題はほとんど終わった。ほとんど見えない。)

A prefix meaning "every". (e.g., 毎日 (every day), 毎週 (every week), 毎年 (every year))

An adverb meaning "first of all" or "to begin with," used to indicate the first step in a sequence. (e.g., まず、自己紹介をします。)

An adverb meaning "also," "as well," or "again." (e.g., また会いましょう。)

A colloquial expression meaning "looks like," "seems like," or "-like." (e.g., 彼は疲れているみたいだ。)

Used to add emphasis to a conditional or hypothetical statement. "If," "in the case that." (e.g., もし１億円あったら、何をしますか。)

Expresses the desire for someone to do B in the same way that A does. "I want you to [B] like [A]". (e.g., 鳥のように空を飛んでほしい。)

Used for reporting an indirect command or request. "to tell someone to do..." (e.g., 先生は学生に静かにするように言った。)

Means "to pray that..." something will happen. (e.g., 試験に合格しますように祈っています。)

Indicates a plan or schedule. "plan to," "be scheduled to." (e.g., 来週、東京へ出張する予定です。)

Indicates that an action is just about to happen. (e.g., これから昼ご飯を食べるところです。)

A colloquial sentence ender used to introduce a topic, soften a request, or provide context. "..., but..." or "...and...". (e.g., ちょっとお願いがあるんだけど。)

A suffix that means "-ify" or "-ization," turning a noun into a verb. (e.g., 国際化 (internationalization), 最適化する (to optimize))

A prefix meaning "each" or "every." (e.g., 各クラス (each class), 各国 (each country))

An intransitive verb meaning "to be visible" or "can be seen." Refers to something naturally coming into view. (e.g., ここから富士山が見えます。)

A prefix used to emphasize an adjective or noun, meaning "pure," "deep," or "completely." (e.g., 真っ白 (pure white), 真っ暗 (pitch black), 真ん中 (very center))

A suffix meaning "-style," "-like," or "-type." (e.g., 和風 (Japanese-style), サラリーマン風の男 (a man who looks like a salaryman))

An intransitive verb meaning "to be audible" or "can be heard." Refers to a sound naturally reaching one's ears. (e.g., 隣の部屋から音楽が聞こえる。)

The imperative form. A very strong and direct command, often used in emergencies, by the military, or as a rude command. (e.g., 走れ！ (Run!), 食べろ！ (Eat!))