JLPT N2 · Upper Intermediate

JLPT N2 Grammar List

All 164 N2 grammar points with meanings and 1564 audio example sentences. Advanced expression for news, business, and complex written Japanese. Tap any point for full notes and examples.

N2 overview N2 vocabulary N2 sentences

Basic 1

もの（だ） Used to/Should/Natural 16 ex.

Intermediate 95

を通して Through/Via 12 ex.
に基づいて/基づく Based on 7 ex.
に当たって/当たり On the occasion of 6 ex.
限り As far as/As long as 13 ex.
に過ぎない Nothing but/Merely 12 ex.
に限って Only/Particularly 6 ex.
に限らず Not limited to 4 ex.
ざるを得ない Cannot help but/Have no choice but to 5 ex.
わけにはいかない Cannot help but 10 ex.
わけにはいかない Cannot help but 10 ex.
がち Tend to (negative) 13 ex.
どころか Far from/Let alone 10 ex.
かえって Contrary to expectation 6 ex.
ばほど The more... the more 7 ex.
結果 As a result 8 ex.
次第 It depends on 13 ex.
につき Per/Due to 5 ex.
かねる Cannot/Hard to 13 ex.
だからと言って However it doesn't mean that 7 ex.
どんなに（こと）か How very ~! 9 ex.
一方で（は）他方で（は） On the one hand / on the other 7 ex.
上 From the viewpoint of / in terms of 15 ex.
からに至るまで Starting with ~ ending with 6 ex.
ことによる Be due to the fact that 6 ex.
ことはない There is no need to 7 ex.
まい Will not / probably won't 11 ex.
面 From the aspect of / standpoint of 7 ex.
なりなり ~ or ~ (for example) 9 ex.
なりに In one's own way 11 ex.
に反して/反する Against / contrary to 10 ex.
において/おける At / on / in / during 10 ex.
点（で） Point / regard / in terms of 11 ex.
と言っても Even though one says ~ 8 ex.
というより（は） Rather than ~ 13 ex.
となると When it comes to ~ 9 ex.
途端（に） The moment / as soon as 8 ex.
とは限らない Not always / not necessarily 15 ex.
得る　（うる・える） Can / possible / -able 7 ex.
だが But; however (formal written) 7 ex.
だけで Just by; only with; with ~ alone 10 ex.
であろう Probably; it must be (formal) 5 ex.
逆に On the contrary; conversely; instead 12 ex.
いかにも Indeed; truly; just as expected 16 ex.
必ずしも Not necessarily; not always 10 ex.
まさか Surely not; no way; I can't believe 15 ex.
ましだ Better; preferable; would rather 14 ex.
または Or; either ~ or ~ 7 ex.
みせる Determine to show; will certainly 6 ex.
もの（だ） That's how things are; used to; naturally 9 ex.
ならない Must not; should not (prohibition) 12 ex.
ねばならない Must; have to (formal) 7 ex.
に限らず [にかぎらず] Not only; not limited to 1 ex.
には In order to; for; to (purpose/judging) 12 ex.
のこと About; regarding; concerning 8 ex.
のことだから Because it's ~; knowing ~ 6 ex.
さすが As expected of; just like; truly 15 ex.
せめて At least; if only; at the very least 9 ex.
しかも Moreover; furthermore; in addition 12 ex.
したがって Therefore; accordingly; thus 6 ex.
そこで So; therefore; for that reason 6 ex.
ただ Just; only; but; however (reservation) 12 ex.
て初めて Only after; not until; for the first time after 5 ex.
ということは That means; in other words; so 10 ex.
ところが However; but (unexpected result) 9 ex.
通り（に） As; just as; in accordance with 12 ex.
と共に Together with; as; along with 14 ex.
つまり In other words; that is to say; namely 11 ex.
わけだ That's why; no wonder; it means that 9 ex.
で For; per (unit quantity particle) 5 ex.
ほど The more ~, the more ~ (parallel increase) 9 ex.
限り Only until; just (and no more); since (and never again) 5 ex.
かろう Probably is/will be ~ (adjective volitional) 10 ex.
方をする Do something in a ~ fashion/way 10 ex.
かと言うと If you ask whether ~; you'd think ~, but 6 ex.
く And (adjective te-form linking clause) 11 ex.
も Too; also; not either; not even (emphatic も) 11 ex.
もば If even ~ at least; enough to 5 ex.
もも Both ~ and ~; neither ~ nor ~ (listing emphasis) 13 ex.
に Sentence-final feeling particle 10 ex.
の上では As far as ~ is concerned; from the viewpoint of 5 ex.
のはのことだ It will be/was ~ that/when ~ (cleft) 6 ex.
ぬ Not (classical/literary negative ~ない) 6 ex.
おり Is (doing); while (formal -ている) 4 ex.
Relative Clause Embedded clause modifying noun (intermediate patterns) 8 ex.
Rhetorical Question Question used as forceful statement 14 ex.
そうかと言って Even so; yes, but; that said 9 ex.
そこで Then; at that time; thereupon (narrative connector) 7 ex.
そこを But; in spite of that; even though 7 ex.
確かにが Certainly ~ but; it is true ~ but 7 ex.
という風に In such a way that; suggesting/showing that 10 ex.
というのはことだ What ~ means is; the meaning of ~ is 9 ex.
とも No matter how ~ may be; even if; at ~est 13 ex.
は [emphatic] does/is/was (emphatic は + predicate) 14 ex.
は言うまでもなく Needless to say; not to mention; let alone 6 ex.
より More ~ than now; beyond what is present 11 ex.

Advanced 68

をめぐって・めぐる Concerning/Regarding 14 ex.
だけ As much as/Only 14 ex.
ものではない Should not/It's not proper 11 ex.
きらいがある Tend to (have a tendency) 13 ex.
向け Suitable for 11 ex.
反面 On the other hand/While 12 ex.
一方（で） On the other hand/Meanwhile 13 ex.
はおろか Not to mention/Let alone 9 ex.
故に・ゆえに Because of/Due to 12 ex.
からして Judging from/Starting from 7 ex.
からには Now that/Since 10 ex.
だけに Precisely because/All the more 10 ex.
だけあって As expected of/Worthy of 10 ex.
といったところだ Something like/About 8 ex.
に/ともなると When it comes to/If 10 ex.
ようでは If (negative implication) 11 ex.
ようものなら If by any chance 9 ex.
ないことには Unless/Without 8 ex.
あげく（に） In the end/After all 9 ex.
末（に） After (much effort) 10 ex.
べく In order to/So as to 6 ex.
べくして As was meant to be 7 ex.
べからず・べからざる Must not/Should not (written) 10 ex.
に応じて・応じた According to/In response to 12 ex.
ばこそ Precisely because 9 ex.
限りだ Extremely 5 ex.
あるいは Or; either ~ or; alternatively; perhaps 10 ex.
ちなみに Incidentally; by the way; in this connection 4 ex.
だって Because (colloquial conjunction) 7 ex.
だって Too; also; even; any (colloquial も/でも) 15 ex.
どちらかと言うと If I had to say; rather; more like ~ 12 ex.
どうか Please; somehow; in some way (request/hope) 7 ex.
同士 Fellow; between; among (same kind) 15 ex.
一応 For the time being; just in case; tentatively 9 ex.
一方（だ） Keep ~ing; continue to; steadily increasing/decreasing 9 ex.
以来 Since; ever since 11 ex.
一切ない Not ~ at all; absolutely not; never 6 ex.
一旦・いったん Once; for a moment; temporarily; for the time being 12 ex.
言ってみれば So to speak; figuratively speaking; metaphorically 9 ex.
言わば So to speak; as it were; sort of 8 ex.
自体 Itself; in and of itself; the very (noun itself) 11 ex.
仮に Supposing that; even if; providing that 11 ex.
（っ）きり Only; just; since (and not since) 12 ex.
ことに It is ~ that; to my ~ (expressing surprise/feeling) 12 ex.
加えて In addition; furthermore; what's more (variant A) 1 ex.
加えて In addition; furthermore; what's more (variant B) 6 ex.
もしくは Or; either ~ or (formal written) 7 ex.
並み On the same level as; as much as; matching 12 ex.
何らかの Some; some kind of; some sort of 7 ex.
なんて What a ~!; how ~! (exclamatory) 10 ex.
なんて That; things like (colloquial quotation/dismissal) 8 ex.
何とか Somehow; manage to; in one way or another 10 ex.
願う・願います Please; I ask that (formal request) 8 ex.
に向けて・に向けた Toward; aimed at; targeting; for the purpose of 14 ex.
それなりに・の In one's own way; in an appropriate manner 13 ex.
但し・ただし However; provided that; with the condition that 10 ex.
単に Simply; merely; only; just 16 ex.
てばかりはいられない Cannot keep doing; must not always ~ 9 ex.
てもても No matter how much ~ (repeated effort) 7 ex.
てはいられない Cannot afford to; must not; can't just stay ~ 12 ex.
ともすると Apt to; liable to; tend to; if one is not careful 11 ex.
との The ~ that says; (reporting) that (nominal の + と) 9 ex.
とてもない Cannot possibly; by no means can 12 ex.
つい Unintentionally; accidentally; inadvertently; before one knows it 11 ex.
は別として Setting aside; apart from; leaving aside 14 ex.
割に（は） Relatively; comparatively; for (given the expectation) 13 ex.
やら Things like; whether; and; or (expressing uncertainty) 11 ex.
やらやら What with ~ and ~; this and that; all sorts of 13 ex.