JLPT N4 · Elementary

JLPT N4 Grammar List

116 points

Practice N4 grammar 116 flashcards · forms & meanings Practice JLPT N4 grammar tests 65 tests · real exam questions

させる causative: make or let someone do something 8 ex.
られる passive and potential verb form, can do / be done 8 ex.
られる passive/potential form 8 ex.
よう appears to be; resembles; in the manner of 8 ex.
てある Something is in a completed or done state 8 ex.
おく Carry out an action beforehand or leave it done 8 ex.
しまう to do something fully, or to one's regret 8 ex.
みる Give an action a try 8 ex.
あげる Perform an action for another person's benefit 8 ex.
呉れる・くれる performs an action for the speaker's benefit 8 ex.
もらう receive something from someone; have someone do something for you 8 ex.
となる turn into; when it comes to (na-adj/noun) 8 ex.
から used to state a reason, meaning because or so 8 ex.
のだ Gives an explanatory tone 8 ex.
難い・にくい Difficult to do 8 ex.
ように In order to; as if, like 8 ex.
ほうがいい advises that something is the better choice; ought to; would be wise to 8 ex.
という introduces quoted content, meaning to say or called 8 ex.
呉れる・くれる to hand or do something for the speaker's benefit 8 ex.
終わる・おわる To complete an action; to bring something to an end 8 ex.
のに in spite of the fact that; although; used for something contrary to expectation 8 ex.
ても regardless of whether something happens; even supposing 8 ex.
が However; used to link clauses in formal speech 8 ex.
易い・やすい Prone to, liable to, easily done 8 ex.
ながら During the time that something else is happening 8 ex.
まま in its current state; while things stay unchanged 8 ex.
たら used for 'if' or 'when' conditions 8 ex.
なら conditional 'if' 8 ex.
ば if; conditional marker 8 ex.
と if/when something happens, leading to an expected outcome 8 ex.
為（に）・ため（に） In order to; for the sake of 8 ex.
に Attaches to a verb to show the aim of going or coming somewhere 8 ex.
ことが出来る・できる To be capable of doing something; to have the ability 8 ex.
られる able to do something (potential form) 8 ex.
ことがある Has the experience of having done something at least once 8 ex.
ばかり having just done something 8 ex.
ところだ On the verge of; finished just now; in the middle of 8 ex.
ないで Not doing something; a request or command not to do 8 ex.
なければならない obligation to do something; required to 8 ex.
そうだ reportedly; from what I hear 8 ex.
って Informal way of quoting speech or thoughts 8 ex.
そうだ Appears to be; seems that way (used in replies) 8 ex.
ようだ Appears to be; gives the impression of 8 ex.
らしい It seems; apparently so 8 ex.
もらう Get something from someone; have a person do something for you 8 ex.
過ぎる・すぎる To an excessive degree; more than is good or needed 8 ex.
始める・はじめる Start doing; take up 8 ex.
行く・いく keep going, carry on 8 ex.
かもしれない might; possibly; perhaps 8 ex.
だろう Likely so; I suppose 8 ex.
つもり Intend to; plan to 8 ex.
だけ merely; nothing more than; as much as possible 8 ex.
だけで(は)なく(も) not limited to one thing; something else is also true 8 ex.
はず Speaker's natural assumption; something ought to be so 8 ex.
ほど to the degree or extent of; roughly, about 8 ex.
ばよかった regret over the past; I wish I had (done something) 8 ex.
なくて Negative te-form used to give a cause or reason 8 ex.
なくなる Comes to an end / ceases to occur 8 ex.
までに no later than a set time or deadline 8 ex.
ごとに each time, at every interval 8 ex.
出す・だす To start doing something suddenly or without warning 8 ex.
代わりに・かわりに in place of; as a substitute for; alternatively 8 ex.
がる Display outward signs of another person's emotions or wants 8 ex.
ことになる It has been decided that; it turns out that 8 ex.
ことにする to make the decision to do something 8 ex.
ことがある Occasionally; there are occasions when something happens 8 ex.
欲しい・ほしい Want someone to do something 8 ex.
のはだ emphasizes a clause, meaning it is ~ that ~ 8 ex.
はいけない Not allowed; must not do 8 ex.
ようになる Gradually reach the stage where something becomes possible 8 ex.
でも Even; even when; or something like that; or whatever 8 ex.
自分・じぶん oneself, when identifying with the sentence's subject 8 ex.
自分・じぶん oneself, as opposed to other people 8 ex.
聞こえる・きこえる Is able to be heard; sounds a certain way 8 ex.
見える・みえる is visible / can be seen 8 ex.
に違いない・にちがいない certainly is; must be the case 8 ex.
おになる Respectful (honorific) way of phrasing an action 8 ex.
おする Respectful humble way of saying する 8 ex.
せっかく having gone to the trouble; now that the chance is here 8 ex.
し And; also; in addition (giving reasons) 8 ex.
それで So; for that reason; that's why 8 ex.
それとも Or; or else, when offering an alternative 8 ex.
すると At that point; right after doing so; upon attempting 8 ex.
堪らない・たまらない Unable to endure; overwhelmingly intense 8 ex.
たらどうですか Why not do ~?; how about doing ~? 8 ex.
ように言う Tell or ask someone to do something 3 ex.
ようにする Make an effort to do; aim to do 8 ex.
ようと思う am considering doing; have the intention to 8 ex.
ずつ apiece; per instance; bit by bit 8 ex.
君・くん Suffix for addressing a male peer or someone younger 8 ex.
様・さま Mr.; Ms.; Mrs. (honorific name suffix) 8 ex.
知る・しる Come to know; discover; gain knowledge of 8 ex.
それでは in that case; well then; so 8 ex.
それなら In that case; if that is so 8 ex.
する To smell; to hear; to sense (through the senses) 8 ex.
する To carry out an action; to do something 8 ex.
って Casual spoken quotation marker meaning 'that' 8 ex.
わ Sentence-final particle adding a gentle emphatic tone, used by women 8 ex.
はだ States that someone or something is ~, by marking the topic and giving it a predicate 8 ex.
はが Marks a topic that is also the subject, used for states outside one's control 8 ex.
より from; within; ahead of a spatial or temporal reference point 8 ex.
すぐ At once; without delay; before long 8 ex.
だけで Just by doing; not only, but also; suffices with ~ alone 8 ex.
だが however; nevertheless (formal, written style) 8 ex.
また once more; in addition; likewise; not ~ either; and; or 8 ex.
あとで later on; afterwards; after (a time or event) 8 ex.
こと Used to give advice meaning should 8 ex.
ようだ Seems to be; gives the appearance of 8 ex.
かな expresses wondering to oneself; musing whether something is the case 8 ex.
なさい A polite or firm way to give a command 8 ex.
か(どうか) whether or not; if 8 ex.
かい Informal particle making a yes/no question 8 ex.
ように In the manner of; resembling (adverbial use of ようだ) 8 ex.
かしら expresses wondering; used in women's language 8 ex.
それに Furthermore; on top of that 8 ex.
とか Used for listing items; or; something like that 8 ex.

Study guide

Turn the N4 grammar list into practice

Read the words before and after a pattern. Verb forms and the relationship between clauses often decide whether a pattern fits.

Choose a pattern and read its meaning and usage before looking at the examples.
Check how the pattern attaches to the preceding word. Compare the Japanese sentence with its translation, then explain the relationship in your own words.
Try the grammar tests and return to patterns you confuse. Recalling a translation alone does not show that you can choose the pattern in context.

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