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Grammar

JLPT N1 grammar list

188 points in learning order. The grammar of editorials, speeches, literature and formal writing: spoken emphasis, attitude adverbs, the moment and turning points, reasons and purpose, concession and defiance, conditions, verdicts, inference, literary manner and the classical forms that live on in modern Japanese. Every explanation and example is written for immersionlog.

Create a free account to learn these a few a day and review them on a spaced schedule.

1 · Everyday spoken patterns

  1. 1〜ったら・〜ってばhonestly, (person)!; I told you!
  2. 2〜ときたらwhen it comes to (complaint), honestly, X …
  3. 3〜まくるdo like crazy, non-stop
  4. 4〜もなんともないnot in the slightest
  5. 5〜のなんのってso incredibly …, you wouldn't believe how
  6. 6〜てもともとnothing to lose (if it fails)
  7. 7〜だの〜だのand so on, and this and that (complaint)
  8. 8〜なり〜なりeither … or (whatever works)
  9. 9〜といったところだabout, at most, more or less
  10. 10〜くらいのものだ・〜ぐらいのものだonly X (hardly anyone / anything else)
  11. 11〜並みon a par with, as … as, average
  12. 12〜ぶるact like, put on airs of
  13. 13〜にもほどがあるthere's a limit to (this is going too far)
  14. 14〜ではあるまいし・〜じゃあるまいしit's not as if, you're not a …
  15. 15〜たら〜で・〜ば〜で・〜なら〜でif it does happen, then (there's another problem)
  16. 16〜もそこそこにbarely (finishing), hurriedly cutting short

2 · Adverbs with an attitude

  1. 17てっきりI was sure (but I was wrong)
  2. 18いざwhen it actually comes to it; now then
  3. 19かろうじてbarely, only just
  4. 20さぞ(かし)surely, must have been (imagining someone's feelings)
  5. 21すかさずinstantly, without missing a beat
  6. 22ただでさえeven at the best of times, already (and now…)
  7. 23あえてdeliberately, dare to (despite a reason not to)
  8. 24まして(や)let alone, much less; all the more
  9. 25もはやalready, no longer (it's past that point)
  10. 26到底〜ないby no means, utterly (impossible)
  11. 27何ら〜ないno … whatsoever, not in the least
  12. 28一概に〜ないyou can't generalise, not across the board
  13. 29あながち〜ないnot necessarily, not entirely
  14. 30まんざら〜でもないnot altogether (bad), rather pleased
  15. 31よもやsurely not, I never imagined
  16. 32とかくall too often, tend to; in any case
  17. 33ともすれば・ともするとapt to, liable to (if you're not careful)
  18. 34なまじ(っか)half-heartedly, a little (which only makes it worse)
  19. 35〜かれ〜かれwhether X or Y (遅かれ早かれ, 多かれ少なかれ, 良かれ悪しかれ)

3 · The moment and turning points

  1. 36〜が早いかno sooner had … than
  2. 37〜や否や・〜やthe moment, as soon as
  3. 38〜なり (as soon as)the moment (and then, unexpectedly)
  4. 39〜拍子に・〜はずみでthe moment (and by accident), as a result of (a sudden movement)
  5. 40〜そばからno sooner … than (again and again)
  6. 41〜矢先(に)just when (about to), just as
  7. 42〜を前に(して)ahead of, facing, with … looming
  8. 43〜を機にtaking the opportunity of, on the occasion of
  9. 44〜を境に(して)from … on, since (a turning point)
  10. 45〜を限りにas of, (with this) as the last time
  11. 46〜を皮切りに(して)starting with, beginning with (and then spreading)
  12. 47〜に先駆けてahead of (others), leading the way
  13. 48〜てこのかたever since
  14. 49〜というものfor the whole (period), all through

4 · Even, let alone, not only

  1. 50〜すら・〜ですらeven (the most basic)
  2. 51〜たりともnot even (one)
  3. 52〜なりともat least (a little), even just
  4. 53〜はおろかlet alone, not to mention
  5. 54〜もさることながらX is of course (good / important), but even more so Y
  6. 55〜にとどまらずnot limited to, going beyond
  7. 56ただ〜のみ・ただ〜のみならずonly, nothing but; not only … but also
  8. 57〜にもましてeven more than, above all
  9. 58〜きってのthe best / most … in (all of)
  10. 59〜からある・〜からする・〜からのas much as, a whopping (amount)
  11. 60〜だにeven (just) thinking; not even
  12. 61〜とてeven (X), X too
  13. 62〜といえどもeven though, even (someone who is)

5 · Reasons, pretexts and purpose

  1. 63〜とあってbecause (it's a special occasion)
  2. 64〜とあればif it's (for), if that's what it takes
  3. 65〜手前because of (how it would look), having said so
  4. 66〜のをいいことにtaking (unfair) advantage of
  5. 67〜にかこつけてunder the pretext of, using … as an excuse
  6. 68〜にかまけてtoo wrapped up in (and neglecting)
  7. 69〜ばこそprecisely because (a good motive)
  8. 70〜ゆえ(に)・〜がゆえにbecause of, therefore (literary)
  9. 71〜べくin order to (formal)
  10. 72〜んがため(に)in order to, for the sake of (strong resolve)
  11. 73〜こととてsince, as (apologetic and formal)
  12. 74〜あってのwhich only exists because of, owes everything to
  13. 75〜と相まってcombined with, together with (reinforcing)

6 · Even if, whatever, if only

  1. 76〜と思いきやI thought …, but (actually)
  2. 77〜(よ)うが・〜(よ)うとno matter (what / how), even if
  3. 78〜うが〜まいが・〜うと〜まいとwhether or not
  4. 79〜であれ・〜であれ〜であれwhatever, whoever; whether … or
  5. 80〜とはいうもののhaving said that, although (it's true that)
  6. 81〜としたところで・〜にしたところでeven if, even for (it wouldn't make a difference)
  7. 82〜ものをif only; it could have (but)
  8. 83〜かいもなくdespite (all the effort), in vain
  9. 84〜ならまだしもX would be acceptable, but
  10. 85〜ならいざ知らず・〜はいざ知らずX would be one thing, but; I don't know about X, but
  11. 86〜ずともeven without, even if (one) doesn't
  12. 87〜ないまでもeven if not (quite), at least

7 · Contrast, defiance and standpoints

  1. 88〜にひきかえin (stark) contrast to
  2. 89〜とは裏腹にcontrary to, at odds with
  3. 90〜をよそにignoring, unconcerned by
  4. 91〜をものともせず(に)undeterred by, in defiance of
  5. 92〜を押してdespite (and pushing through)
  6. 93〜によらずregardless of; despite (appearances)
  7. 94〜いかんで・〜いかんによって・〜いかんだdepending on
  8. 95〜いかんにかかわらず・〜いかんによらずregardless of
  9. 96〜はさておきsetting aside, leaving aside
  10. 97〜に言わせればif you ask X, according to X
  11. 98〜ともなると・〜ともなればwhen it comes to (a higher level), once you're
  12. 99〜ともあろうsomeone (of such standing) as

8 · Without, only, once and at most

  1. 100〜なくして(は)without (X, Y is impossible)
  2. 101〜なしに・〜なしでwithout (asking, warning, a break)
  3. 102〜ことなしにwithout doing (you can't)
  4. 103〜ばそれまでだ・〜たらそれまでだif …, that's the end of it
  5. 104〜たが最後・〜たら最後once (you do it), that's it (no going back)
  6. 105〜をおいて(他に)ないno one / nothing but X
  7. 106〜ならではunique to, that only X can offer
  8. 107〜をもってby means of, with; as of (formal)
  9. 108〜をもってすれば・〜をもってしてもwith (X's power) … could; even with X … couldn't
  10. 109〜が〜ならif A is like that, (no wonder B is too)
  11. 110〜が関の山the most one can manage, at best
  12. 111〜では済まない・〜では済まされないwon't end with just, can't be let off with
  13. 112言わずもがなneedless to say, it goes without saying

9 · Feelings, extremes and verdicts

  1. 113〜限りだI feel so (very) …
  2. 114〜といったらないincredibly, beyond words
  3. 115〜ことこの上ないnothing could be more, extremely
  4. 116〜極まる・〜極まりないextremely, utterly (negative)
  5. 117〜の極みthe height of, the ultimate in
  6. 118〜の至りthe height of, most (humble set phrases)
  7. 119〜までもない・〜までもなくno need to (it's obvious), it goes without saying
  8. 120〜までだ・〜までのことだ(I'll) just (do that); it's only that
  9. 121〜には及ばないthere's no need to; no match for
  10. 122〜には当たらないthere's no reason to, it's not warranted
  11. 123〜にかたくないit's not hard to (imagine, understand)
  12. 124〜を禁じ得ないcan't help (feeling), can't hold back
  13. 125〜にしのびないcan't bear to (out of pity or attachment)
  14. 126〜にたえない・〜にたえるunbearable to (see / hear); worthy of; deeply (grateful)
  15. 127〜に足る・〜に足りないworthy of, enough to; not worth
  16. 128〜に値するworth, deserve

10 · Inference, tendency and obligation

  1. 129〜とみえる・〜とみえてit seems, apparently (judging by the signs)
  2. 130〜ところを見るとjudging from (the fact that)
  3. 131〜ものと思われるit is thought that, it is believed (formal)
  4. 132〜に相違ないmust be, surely, without doubt (formal)
  5. 133〜きらいがあるhave a (bad) tendency to
  6. 134〜始末だend up (in this sorry state), it's come to this
  7. 135〜ないとも限らないit might (so be careful), you never know
  8. 136〜ないでもないsort of, somewhat (can see, feel)
  9. 137〜ないものでもないit's not impossible, could (under the right conditions)
  10. 138〜を余儀なくされる・〜を余儀なくさせるbe forced to; force (someone) to
  11. 139〜ずには済まない・〜ないでは済まないcan't get away without, will have to
  12. 140〜ずにはおかない・〜ないではおかないis bound to (make someone feel); will definitely
  13. 141〜てはかなわないcan't stand it if, it's too much
  14. 142〜てやまないnever cease to, sincerely (hope, love)
  15. 143〜てはばからないnot hesitate to, openly (say / claim)
  16. 144〜てしかるべきだought to (as is only proper)

11 · Formal settings, stages and standards

  1. 145〜かたわらwhile also (alongside one's main work)
  2. 146〜かたがたwhile also, partly to (formal)
  3. 147〜折(に)on the occasion, when (formal)
  4. 148〜に至って(ようやく)only when it came to, only after it reached
  5. 149〜に至るまでright down to, all the way to
  6. 150〜に至ってはas for (the most extreme case)
  7. 151〜に及んでwhen it came to, at the stage of
  8. 152〜を経てthrough, after going through, via
  9. 153〜にしてat (the age / stage of); only (someone like)
  10. 154〜にあってin, under (a special circumstance)
  11. 155〜にかかわるaffecting, a matter of (life, reputation)
  12. 156〜に即して・〜に即したin line with, based on (the facts / reality)
  13. 157〜に照らしてin light of, judged against (a standard)
  14. 158〜に則って・〜に則ったin accordance with (rules, tradition)
  15. 159〜におかれましては(honorific) as for you, for (the honoured person)

12 · Literary manner and description

  1. 160〜ながらに(して)・〜ながらのwhile (in a state); since (birth); as in (the old days)
  2. 161〜ともなく・〜ともなしにwithout meaning to, idly; (from) somewhere or other
  3. 162〜んばかり(に・の)as if about to, almost
  4. 163〜とばかりにas if to say
  5. 164〜ごとく・〜ごとき・〜ごとしlike, as (literary)
  6. 165〜めく・〜めいたshowing signs of, -ish, having an air of
  7. 166〜じみる・〜じみたsmacking of, looking like (negative)
  8. 167〜がましいsmacking of (unpleasantly), sounding like
  9. 168〜ずくめnothing but, entirely
  10. 169〜ぐるみthe whole (family, town), including everyone
  11. 170〜といい〜といいboth X and Y (in terms of), whether it's X or Y
  12. 171〜といわず〜といわずwhether X or Y, all over, everywhere
  13. 172〜つ〜つback and forth, mutually (fixed pairs)
  14. 173〜たる(もの)anyone who is (a …) should; as one who is
  15. 174〜たるやas for (and how!), talk about

13 · Classical forms in modern Japanese

  1. 175〜たまえ(do it), go ahead and (said by a man to a junior)
  2. 176〜ねばならない・〜ねばならぬmust, have to (formal)
  3. 177〜ではなかろうか・〜ではあるまいかisn't it (perhaps) that, I suspect
  4. 178〜べしshould, must (classical, sentence-final)
  5. 179〜べからず・〜べからざるmust not (signs, maxims); unacceptable
  6. 180〜なかれdo not (classical command)
  7. 181〜ざるun-, not (classical negative before a noun)
  8. 182〜ずしてwithout (doing)
  9. 183〜まじきunacceptable for (someone in a role)
  10. 184〜べくもないcan't possibly, there's no way to
  11. 185〜べくして(was) bound to (happen), inevitably
  12. 186〜んとするbe about to, be trying to (literary)
  13. 187〜にしくはない・〜にしかずnothing beats, it's best to
  14. 188〜でなくてなんだろうif this isn't X, what is?