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Grammar

JLPT N4 grammar list

111 points in learning order. The grammar that takes you from textbook sentences to real conversation: potential, volitional, passive and causative forms, giving and receiving, conditionals, guessing and hearsay, the て-form patterns, and polite speech. Every explanation and example is written for immersionlog.

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1 · Joining sentences

  1. 1だから・ですからso, that's why
  2. 2それでso, and so; and then? (result)
  3. 3それにbesides, what's more
  4. 4それともor (in a question)
  5. 5ところでby the way
  6. 6〜のでbecause, so (softer, explanatory)
  7. 7〜のにeven though, and yet (frustration)
  8. 8〜しand what's more, and besides
  9. 9〜て・〜なくて (reason)because, and so (cause and effect)
  10. 10きっと・必ず・絶対にsurely; without fail; absolutely (never)
  11. 11ぜひby all means, definitely (eager wish)
  12. 12〜な・〜なあ (feeling)how …!, I wish (musing)
  13. 13〜かな・〜かしらI wonder
  14. 14〜とかthings like, … or something
  15. 15Number + もas many as, a whole … (emphasis)
  16. 16〜ずつeach, at a time
  17. 17〜すぎるtoo much, over-
  18. 18〜やすい・〜にくいeasy to, hard to
  19. 19〜方way of doing, how to
  20. 20〜始める・〜終わる・〜続けるstart, finish, keep (doing)
  21. 21〜さ-ness (adjective as noun)

2 · Thinking, saying and knowing

  1. 22〜と思うI think (that)
  2. 23〜と言うsay (that), tell
  3. 24〜というcalled, named
  4. 25〜って(casual) they said; (casual topic) what's …
  5. 26〜かもしれないmight, may
  6. 27Question word + 〜か(who / what / where …) inside a sentence
  7. 28〜かどうかwhether (or not)
  8. 29〜こと(doing), the fact that
  9. 30〜のは〜だthe one who / the thing that … is …
  10. 31〜の・〜こと (which one?)turning a verb into a noun: when it must be の, and when こと
  11. 32〜るとき・〜たときwhen (before it happens vs. after it has happened)
  12. 33〜予定plan, schedule, is due to
  13. 34〜までにby (a deadline)
  14. 35〜間・〜間にduring, while (the whole time / at some point)
  15. 36〜うちにwhile (still), before (it changes)

3 · Can, let's and must

  1. 37Potential formcan, be able to
  2. 38〜ことができるcan, be able to (formal)
  3. 39見える・聞こえるcan be seen, can be heard
  4. 40Volitional formlet's (casual), I'll
  5. 41〜ようと思うbe thinking of doing, plan to
  6. 42Imperative・〜なdo it! / don't!
  7. 43〜なさいdo it (an instruction from a parent or teacher)
  8. 44〜ないと・〜なきゃhave to, must (casual)
  9. 45〜がするthere's a smell, sound, taste or feeling of
  10. 46自動詞・他動詞 (開く・開ける)it happens vs. someone does it (verb pairs)

4 · What the て-form builds

  1. 47〜てしまうfinish completely; end up doing (regret)
  2. 48〜ておくdo in advance; leave as is
  3. 49〜てあるhas been done (and is still so)
  4. 50〜てみるtry doing (and see)
  5. 51〜ていく・〜てくるgo / come (doing); change over time
  6. 52〜ないでwithout doing, instead of doing
  7. 53〜ずにwithout doing
  8. 54〜てほしいwant (someone) to do
  9. 55〜ままas it is, leaving (something) in a state
  10. 56〜ばかりnothing but, only (too much)
  11. 57〜たばかりhave just (done)
  12. 58〜ところabout to / in the middle of / just did
  13. 59〜出すsuddenly start doing, burst into
  14. 60〜なくなるrun out; stop doing, no longer

5 · Giving and receiving

  1. 61あげるgive (to someone else)
  2. 62くれるgive (to me, or my side)
  3. 63もらうreceive, get
  4. 64〜てあげるdo (something) for someone
  5. 65〜てくれる(someone) does something for me
  6. 66〜てもらうhave someone do, get someone to do
  7. 67やる・〜てやるgive / do (for someone lower); I'll show you
  8. 68〜てもらえませんか・〜ていただけませんかcould you (please)…?
  9. 69くださる・いただく・さしあげるgive, receive (respectful and humble)

6 · If, when and even if

  1. 70〜たらif, when, once
  2. 71〜ばif
  3. 72〜と (whenever)when, whenever, if (then naturally)
  4. 73〜ならif (that's the case), if it's… you want
  5. 74〜てもeven if, even though
  6. 75何〜ても・誰〜ても (no matter what, who)no matter what / who / where / when
  7. 76〜でも (even)even
  8. 77〜たらどうですかwhy don't you…?
  9. 78〜ばいい・〜といいshould, all you have to do is; I hope
  10. 79〜ばよかったI should have, I wish I had
  11. 80〜ても構わないit's fine if, I don't mind if
  12. 81〜でも (or something)or something, … perhaps
  13. 82〜必要があるneed to, it's necessary to

7 · Looks like, I hear, it seems

  1. 83〜そう (looks like)looks, seems (from what you see)
  2. 84〜そうだ (I hear)I hear that, apparently
  3. 85〜ようだit seems, apparently (from evidence); like
  4. 86〜みたいseems, looks like; like (casual)
  5. 87〜らしいapparently; typical of, like a proper
  6. 88〜はずshould be, is supposed to
  7. 89〜はずがないthere's no way that, can't possibly
  8. 90〜がる(someone else) shows signs of feeling
  9. 91〜ほど〜ないnot as … as
  10. 92〜ることがあるsometimes (does), there are times when

8 · Aims, decisions and change

  1. 93〜ためにin order to, for (the sake of)
  2. 94〜のに (for doing)for (doing), in order to
  3. 95〜ようにso that, in order that
  4. 96〜ようになるcome to (do), become able to
  5. 97〜ようにするmake a point of, try to (as a habit)
  6. 98〜ように言うtell (someone) to, ask (someone) to
  7. 99〜ことにするdecide to
  8. 100〜ことになるit's been decided that, it turns out that

9 · Passive and causative

  1. 101Passive formbe done (by someone)
  2. 102Passive of troublehave something (annoying) happen to you
  3. 103Causative formmake or let (someone) do
  4. 104〜させてくださいplease let me
  5. 105Causative-passivebe made to (do)

10 · Polite speech

  1. 106Respectful verbs (尊敬語)go, come, be, eat, say, see, do (said of someone you respect)
  2. 107お〜になる・お〜ください(respectful form of most verbs); please (do)
  3. 108〜れる・〜られる (respect)(respectful form of a verb)
  4. 109Humble verbs (謙譲語)go, come, be, do, say, see (said of yourself, humbly)
  5. 110お〜する(humble form: I'll do … for you)
  6. 111ございます・でございますthere is; is (very polite)