JLPT N5 Grammar Practice

Every N5 pattern with spoken examples and a quiz to test yourself. Numbered in teaching order, so each one builds on the last — writing system and word order first, then particles, then verbs, then adjectives.

The 79 points below are in study order, numbered 1 to 79. 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: Kana vs Kanji | Understanding Japanese Writing Systems

Prefer it as one long read? See the full N5 grammar guide

See this grammar in use: JLPT N5 reading practice

1–5Sentence Basics & Writing

All Sentence basics

Kana vs Kanji | Understanding Japanese Writing Systems

The three Japanese scripts and when to use each

Japanese Word Order (SOV) | Verb Always Last

Subject-Object-Verb sentence structure

です Forms | Complete Japanese Copula Guide

To be (is, am, are)

あります・います | Saying Something Exists in Japanese

There is ~ / I have ~ (existence)

Common Adverbs | よく・とても・たくさん

Frequently used adverbs for frequency, degree, and quantity

6–19Japanese Particles

All Particles

は Particle (Topic Marker) | Japanese Grammar

As for ~, speaking of ~

が Particle (Subject Marker) | Japanese Grammar

Identifies the subject

を Particle (Direct Object Marker) | Japanese Grammar

Marks the direct object

の Particle (Possession & Noun Connection) | Japanese Grammar

Possessive, of, noun modifier

も Particle (Also, Too, Both) | Japanese Grammar

Also, too, both, neither, even

に Particle | Japanese Grammar (Time, Place, Direction)

At, in, to, for (time/place/direction)

で Particle | Japanese Grammar (Location, Means, Method)

At, by, with, in (location of action, means)

へ Particle (Direction) | Japanese Grammar

Toward, to (direction)

と Particle (And, With, Quotation) | Japanese Grammar

And, with, if/when, (quotation marker)

か Particle (Question Marker) | Japanese Grammar

Question marker

Listing Nouns | ～や

A and B (among other things) — non-exhaustive noun list

から〜まで | From … To in Japanese

From ~ to ~ (time and place)

だけ | Saying 'Only' in Japanese

Only, just, no more than

くらい・ぐらい | Saying 'About' in Japanese

About, approximately, to the extent of

20–24Demonstratives & Question Words

All Demonstratives & questions

This & That | これ・それ・あれ

This one / that one / that one over there (standalone pronouns)

This / That + Noun | この・その・あの

This ~, that ~, that ~ over there (before a noun)

ここ・そこ・あそこ | Here and There in Japanese

Here, there, over there

Japanese Question Words (誰・何・どこ・いつ) | Grammar Guide

Who, what, where, when, why, how

何か・何も | Something, Anything, Nothing in Japanese

Something / nothing / someone / nowhere

25–41Japanese Verb Conjugation

All Verb conjugation

Japanese Verb Groups | U-verbs, Ru-verbs and Irregulars

Understanding the three verb groups and how Japanese verbs work

Verb Stems (i-form) | Japanese Conjugation Base

The base stem used to build polite forms and compound verbs

ます Form | Japanese Polite Verb Conjugation

Polite present/future tense of verbs

ません Form | Japanese Polite Negative

Polite present/future negative — 'do not ~'

ました Form | Japanese Polite Past Tense

Polite past affirmative — 'did ~'

ませんでした Form | Japanese Polite Past Negative

Polite past negative — 'did not ~'

ましょう Form | Let's Do ~ in Japanese (Polite)

Polite suggestion — 'let's do ~', 'shall we ~?'

Dictionary Form | Japanese Plain Present Tense

Plain/casual present-future affirmative form of verbs

Plain Form Overview | Japanese Casual Speech

The casual/informal verb system used among friends and in subordinate clauses

How to Convert Dictionary Form to Masu Form

Converting plain verbs to polite form

ない Form | Japanese Negative Verb Conjugation

Plain negative form — 'do not do' / 'will not do'

なかった Form | Japanese Past Negative (Plain)

Plain past negative — 'did not do ~'

た Form | Japanese Past Tense (Plain)

Plain past affirmative — 'did ~'

できます | Polite Way to Say 'Can' in Japanese

Can do ~, able to ~ (polite potential)

たい Form | Saying What You Want to Do in Japanese

Want to do ~

ませんか | Inviting Someone in Japanese

Won't you ~? / Would you like to ~? (invitation)

に行く | Going Somewhere to Do Something

Go / come in order to do ~

42–50The Te-Form and Its Uses

All Te-form

て Form | Japanese Te-Form Conjugation and Uses

Connecting form used for requests, linking actions, ongoing states

ている | Ongoing Actions and States in Japanese

Is doing ~, has done ~ (ongoing action or resulting state)

てください | Making Requests in Japanese

Please do ~, Please don't ~

てもいい | Asking Permission in Japanese

May I ~?, It's OK to ~, You must not ~

てはいけない | Prohibition in Japanese

Must not ~, may not ~

ないで | Without Doing, Don't Do

Without doing ~, don't do ~

て-Form Linking | Chaining Actions

Do A, then B: connecting sequential actions

Linking Actions with Te-Form | ～て

Do A, then B, then C (sequential actions)

てから | After Doing Something in Japanese

After doing ~

51–69Japanese Adjectives

All Adjectives

い-Adjectives | How They Work

Adjectives ending in い that conjugate directly

Na-Adjectives | な-Adjectives

Descriptive words that need な before nouns

Adjective Polite Present | ～いです / ～です

It is ~ (polite present tense for adjectives)

Adjective Polite Negative | ～くないです / ～じゃありません

It is not ~ (polite negative for adjectives)

Adjective Polite Past | ～かったです / ～でした

It was ~ (polite past tense for adjectives)

Adjective Polite Past Negative | ～くなかったです / ～じゃありませんでした

It was not ~ (polite past negative for adjectives)

Adjective Plain Present | ～い / ～だ

It is ~ (casual present tense for adjectives)

Adjective Plain Negative | ～くない / ～じゃない

It is not ~ (casual negative for adjectives)

Adjective Plain Past | ～かった / ～だった

It was ~ (casual past tense for adjectives)

Adjective Plain Past Negative | ～くなかった / ～じゃなかった

It was not ~ (casual past negative for adjectives)

Adjective Te-Form | ～くて / ～で

Connecting adjectives (~ and ~)

Adjectives as Adverbs | ～く / ～に

Turn adjectives into adverbs (quickly, quietly, etc.)

Describing Appearance | ～は…が～

Describe someone's physical features (X has ~ eyes, ~ hair)

好き・嫌い | Likes and Dislikes in Japanese

Like / dislike — adjectives, not verbs

ほしい | Saying You Want Something in Japanese

Want (a thing)

のが上手・下手 | Being Good or Bad at Something

Good at / bad at doing something

なる | Becoming Something in Japanese

To become ~ (a change of state)

すぎる | Saying 'Too Much' in Japanese

Too ~, excessively ~

一番 | Superlatives in Japanese

The most ~, the ~est

70–72Conditionals & Connectives

All Conditionals

Because | ～から

Because ~, so ~ (giving a reason)

けど・が | Saying 'But' in Japanese

But, however, although

前に | Before Doing Something in Japanese

Before ~

73–74Advanced Japanese Verb Forms

All Advanced verb forms

Listing Actions | ～たり～たりする

Do things like ~ and ~ (non-exhaustive list of actions)

あげる・くれる・もらう | Giving and Receiving in Japanese

Give and receive — direction decides the verb

75–79Sentence Basics & Writing

All Sentence basics

んです | Explaining and Asking Why in Japanese

Explanatory です — giving or seeking a reason

の | Turning Verbs into Nouns in Japanese

Turns a verb or clause into a noun

と言う・と思う | Quoting and Saying What You Think

Marks quoted speech and thought

もう・まだ | Already and Not Yet in Japanese

Already / still / not yet

よ・ね | Sentence-Ending Particles in Japanese

よ tells, ね seeks agreement

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