JLPT N4 Grammar

Not harder than N5, just finer. Most of the difficulty is telling apart patterns that look almost the same and mean quite different things.

The 66 points below are in study order, numbered 1 to 66. Work through them in sequence — each page has example sentences, audio and a quiz, and links straight on to the next step.

Start at step 1: Potential Form | How to Say 'Can Do' in Japanese

1–19Advanced Japanese Verb Forms

All Advanced verb forms

Potential Form | How to Say 'Can Do' in Japanese

Ability/possibility — 'can do ~', 'able to ~'

Volitional Form | Let's Do ~ in Japanese (Casual)

Casual suggestion/intention — 'let's ~', 'I'll ~', 'shall we ~?'

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs in Japanese

Verbs that take objects (transitive) vs state-change verbs (intransitive)

Passive Form | Japanese Passive Voice

Something is done to the subject — 'was done', 'got ~ed'

Causative Form | Make or Let Someone Do

Make/let someone do something — 'make ~', 'let ~'

Causative-Passive | 'Was Made to Do'

Was forced/made to do something — 'was made to ~'

Imperative Form | Giving Commands

Direct command — 'Do it!', 'Go!'

Negative Imperative | Saying 'Don't!'

Negative command — 'Don't do ~!'

なさい Form | Polite Commands

Polite but firm command — 'Do ~' (parent/teacher tone)

ことがある | Past Experience in Japanese

Have done ~ before, have the experience of ~

なければならない | Must and Have To in Japanese

Must ~, have to ~

必要がある | It Is Necessary To

Need to ~, it is necessary to ~

ようになる | Coming to Be Able To

Come to ~, reach the point of ~

ようにする | Making an Effort To

Try to ~, make sure to ~, make a point of ~

ことにする | Deciding to Do Something

Decide to ~

ことになる | It Has Been Decided That

It has been decided that ~, it turns out that ~

はじめる・おわる・つづける | Start, Finish, Continue

Start doing / finish doing / keep doing

ところだ | About To, In the Middle Of, Just Did

About to ~ / in the middle of ~ / just ~

たばかり | Just Did Something

Have just ~ (as the speaker feels it)

20–28The Te-Form and Its Uses

All Te-form

てしまう | Completion and Regret

Finish doing ~, did ~ (unfortunately/by accident)

てみる | Try Doing Something

Try doing ~ (to see what it's like)

ておく | Doing Something in Advance

Do ~ in advance, prepare by doing ~

てある | Intentional Resulting State

Something has been done (on purpose), is in a state of ~

てほしい | Wanting Someone to Do ~

I want (someone) to do ~

てよかった | I'm Glad That ~

I'm glad/relieved that ~

てあげる・てくれる・てもらう | Doing Things for People

Do something for someone / have someone do something

てくれてありがとう・てすみません | Thanking and Apologising for an Action

Thank you for ~ing / sorry for ~ing

てくれない・ていただけませんか | Asking for a Favour

Could you ~? Would you ~?

29–43Conditionals & Connectives

All Conditionals

ば Form | Japanese Conditional (If)

If ~ (general conditional)

と Conditional | Japanese 'When/If' for Natural Results

If/when ~ (natural, inevitable result)

たら | The Most Versatile Japanese Conditional

If ~, when ~, once ~

なら | Talking About a Topic Someone Raised

If it's the case that ~, as for ~

Because (Polite) | ～ので

Because ~ (softer, more polite than から)

Even Though | ～のに

Even though ~, despite ~ (unexpected contrast)

Even If | ～ても / ～でも

Even if ~, still ~ (concessive conditional)

なくてもいい | Don't Have to Do

Don't have to ~, it's fine not to ~

Comparing & Advice | ～のほうが / ～ほうがいい

X is more ~ than Y / You should ~

ながら | Doing Two Things at Once

While doing ~

し | Listing Reasons in Japanese

And ~, and what's more ~ (listing reasons)

とき | Saying 'When' in Japanese

When ~, at the time of ~

間に | While and During in Japanese

While ~, during ~

ために | Purpose and Cause in Japanese

In order to ~ / because of ~

ように | So That, in Japanese

So that ~, in such a way that ~

44–47Japanese Adjectives

All Adjectives

Adjective + する | ～くする / ～にする

To make something ~ (change a state)

Adjectives as Nouns | ～の

Use の to replace a noun after an adjective (a big one, the red one)

やすい・にくい | Easy and Hard to Do

Easy to ~ / hard to ~

がる | Describing Someone Else's Feelings

Shows signs of ~, appears to feel ~

48–49Japanese Particles

All Particles

ほど | To the Extent That in Japanese

To the extent that ~, about ~, not as ~ as

数量＋も | Emphasising an Amount

As many as ~, as much as ~

50Demonstratives & Question Words

All Demonstratives & questions

どちらが | Comparing Two Things

Which of the two ~?

51–63Sentence Basics & Writing

All Sentence basics

かもしれない | Might and Maybe in Japanese

Might ~, may ~, perhaps ~

はず | Should Be and Supposed To in Japanese

Should be, supposed to be, expected to

でしょう・だろう | Probably in Japanese

Probably ~, I suppose ~, right?

つもり | Stating Your Intentions in Japanese

Intend to ~, plan to ~

そうです（伝聞）| Reporting What You Heard

I hear that ~, they say that ~

そうです（様態）| Saying Something Looks Like

Looks ~, seems ~, about to ~

ようだ | It Seems That in Japanese

It seems ~, it appears ~, like ~

みたい | Seems Like, in Casual Japanese

Seems like ~, looks like ~ (casual)

らしい | Apparently, and Typical Of

Apparently ~ / typical of ~

連体修飾 | Modifying Nouns with a Clause

The person who ~, the thing that ~

かどうか | Whether or Not in Japanese

Whether ~ or not

予定 | Scheduled Plans in Japanese

Be scheduled to ~, plan to ~

でできる | Made Of and Made From

Made of ~, made from ~

64–66Advanced Japanese Verb Forms

All Advanced verb forms

尊敬語 | Honorific Japanese

Raising the other person's actions

謙譲語 | Humble Japanese

Lowering your own actions

ございます | The Most Polite 'To Be'

Polite forms of ある and です

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