Grammar Points
JLPT grammar patterns N5 to N1 — how each one attaches, what it means, and a worked example.
- 〜に限って — N3 — only when/of all times
- 〜くなります / 〜になります — N5 — to become / turn into
- 〜ませんか — N5 — won't you? / would you like to? (invitation)
- 〜とき — N5 — when / at the time of
- 〜や — N5 — and (incomplete list)
- 〜かた — N5 — way of doing
- 〜になる — N5 — To become...
- 〜だけ — N5 — only; just
- 〜とか〜とか — N5 — such as; like
- 〜など — N5 — and so on / etc.
- 〜くらい / 〜ぐらい — N5 — approximately / about (quantity/duration)
- 〜ごろ — N5 — around / about (specific point in time)
- 〜でしょう — N5 — probably / I wonder (conjecture)
- 〜にする — N4 — to decide on (something), to choose
- 〜（よ）うではないか / 〜（よ）うじゃないか — N2 — let's (invitation/suggestion)
- 〜ても〜なくてもいい — N4 — it's okay whether you ... or not
- 〜てあります — N5 — Something is done (state resulting from an action)
- 〜ほど〜ない — N4 — not as ... as
- 〜ば〜ほど — N3 — the more ... the more ...
- 〜おわる — N4 — to finish doing
- 〜代わりに — N4 — instead of / in exchange for
- 〜だす — N4 — to suddenly start doing / to burst out doing
- 〜つづける — N4 — to keep on doing / to continue doing
- 〜（さ）せられる — N4 — to be made to do something (passive causative)
- 〜おかげで — N4 — thanks to / because of (positive result)
- 〜せいで — N4 — because of / due to (negative result, blame)
- 〜間に — N4 — while / during (a specific timeframe)
- 〜うちに — N4 — while / before a change occurs
- 〜たばかり — N4 — just finished doing / have just done
- 〜ずに — N4 — without doing (formal alternative to 〜ないで)
- 〜そうです（伝聞） — N5 — I hear that...
- 〜がする — N4 — to have a (smell, sound, taste, feeling, etc.)
- 〜のに — N4 — although / in spite of / even though
- 〜なら — N4 — if it is the case that; as for (contextual condition)
- 〜かどうか — N4 — whether or not
- 〜たことがあります — N5 — Have done something (experience)
- 〜たり〜たりする — N5 — Doing things like A and B (non-exhaustive list)
- 〜そうです（様態） — N5 — Looks like / seems like (based on appearance)
- 〜は〜がじょうずです — N5 — Good at doing...
- 〜くらい — N5 — Approximately / About
- 〜たほうがいいです — N5 — It is better to / should...
- 〜ですか — N5 — Is A B? (Question)
- 〜があります — N5 — There is / have (inanimate)
- 〜がいます — N5 — There is / have (animate)
- 〜です — N5 — is, am, are (polite copula)
- 〜ではありません — N5 — is not, am not, are not
- 〜くありません — N5 — is not (for i-adjectives)
- 〜でした — N5 — was, were
- 〜ませんでした — N5 — did not do (past negative)
- 〜ください — N5 — Please do for me / Please give me