N3 grammar
107 grammar points
Unofficial, community-sourced level list.
Bridging from N4
- 〜て初めてOnly after… did one first (realize, understand…)
- 〜に慣れるTo get used to, to grow accustomed to
- 〜ずにWithout doing… (written, formal)
- 〜ように言う／頼む／注意するTo tell/ask/remind someone to do something (relaying a request indirectly)
- 〜させてもらう／させていただくTo be allowed to do, to ask permission to do (humble)
- 〜ことになっているIt is the rule that, it is scheduled that
Timing & progression of actions
- 〜ところだったNearly, almost… (but didn't happen)
- 〜ところに／ところへJust when… (something else cuts in)
- 〜最中（に）Right in the middle of… when (at the peak)
- 〜たとたん（に）The moment…, immediately
- 〜うちにWhile… still lasts, before the chance passes
- 〜ないうちにBefore (something happens), while it hasn't yet
- 〜次第As soon as… (will do immediately)
- 〜てからでないと／てからでなければCan't… unless… first
- 〜きる／〜きれないDo completely to the end / unable to finish
- 〜かける／〜かけのHalf-done, left unfinished midway
- 〜ままLeaving things as they are, still unchanged
- 〜一方だKeeps on -ing (change in one direction only)
- 〜つつあるIs gradually …ing (written style)
- 〜たび（に）Every time…, … again
- 〜ぶり（に）For the first time in (a period of time)
Formal nouns: わけ・もの・こと
- 〜わけだNo wonder; which means (an inevitable conclusion)
- 〜わけではないIt's not that… (partial negation)
- 〜わけがないThere's no way (complete negation)
- 〜わけにはいかないCan't very well do (for moral or situational reasons); ないわけにはいかない: have no choice but to do
- 〜ものだThat's the way things are (general truth); how… (exclamation)
- 〜ものではないOne shouldn't (by common sense, morality)
- 〜たものだUsed to… (nostalgic recollection)
- 〜ことだ(Advice) should, the thing to do is
- 〜ことかHow…! (exclamation)
- 〜ことに（は）To my (surprise, regret, etc.), …
- 〜ことはないThere's no need to
- 〜ないことはない／ないこともないIt's not that… not… (hedged affirmation)
- 〜べきだ／べきではないShould, ought to (duty); べきではない: should not
- 〜にすぎないNothing more than, merely
Conjecture, appearance & hearsay
- 〜に違いないMust be, without a doubt (conviction)
- 〜に決まっているDefinitely, obviously
- 〜恐れがあるThere is a risk that (something bad may happen)
- Danh từ＋らしいTrue to type, worthy of the name
- 〜っぽい-ish, prone to, tending toward
- 〜がちProne to, tends to (an undesirable tendency)
- 〜気味Slightly, a touch of, verging on
- どうやら（〜ようだ）It seems, apparently (I gather)
- 〜ということだI hear that (reporting); in other words (conclusion)
- 〜とかApparently, or so I hear (vague hearsay)
- 〜と言われているIt is said that, people say that
Cause, condition & concession
- 〜せいで／せいかBecause of… (cause of a bad outcome)
- 〜おかげでThanks to… (cause of a good outcome)
- 〜ことからFrom the fact that… (basis for inference, origin of a name)
- 〜によって／によりBy, by means of, due to, depending on (four context-dependent meanings)
- 〜としたら／とすれば／とするとSupposing, if we assume (setting up a hypothesis)
- 〜ば〜ほどThe more… the more…
- 〜さえ〜ばAs long as, if only… (that's enough)
- 〜さえ／でさえEven (an extreme example)
- たとえ〜てもEven if… (emphatic concessive supposition)
- 〜ながら（も）Although, even while (concessive)
- 〜つつ（も）While doing; even though (written style)
- 〜限り（は）As long as…
- 〜わりに（は）Considering…, for… (result out of proportion)
- 〜くせにEven though, and yet (reproachful)
- （その）一方（で）On the other hand, meanwhile (two parallel sides)
Compound particles & noun patterns
- 〜についてAbout, concerning
- 〜に関して／に関するConcerning, regarding (more formal than について)
- 〜に対してToward; in contrast to
- 〜にとってFor, from the standpoint of
- 〜によると／によればAccording to (a source)
- 〜において／におけるIn, at (formal)
- 〜としてAs, in the capacity of
- 〜とともにTogether with; along with, as
- 〜につれてAs (one change brings another)
- 〜にしたがってIn accordance with, following; along with
- 〜に伴ってAccompanying, hand in hand with
- 〜代わり（に）Instead of; in exchange
- 〜向けIntended for (a target)
- 〜向きSuited to (contrast with 向け)
- 〜を通じて／を通してThrough; throughout (a period)
- 〜をはじめStarting with, most notably
- 〜に比べてCompared with
- 〜ついでにWhile at it, taking the opportunity
- 〜とおり（に）／どおりExactly as
- AにはAのBがある… has its own (reasons/merits)
- 〜は〜で有名Famous for
- まるで〜のようだJust as if
Degree, emphasis & enumeration
- 〜ほどTo the point that, so… that (affirmative)
- 〜くらい／ぐらいTo the point that, about, at least
- 〜は〜くらいですAt most, only about… (nothing more)
- 〜こそPrecisely, the very (emphasis)
- 〜ばかりか／ばかりでなくNot only… but also
- 〜てばかりいる／〜ばかりでDoing nothing but, constantly (critical)
- 〜はもちろん…goes without saying, and even…
- 〜など／なんか／なんてSomething like… (dismissive/exclamatory)
- とても〜ないSimply cannot, no matter what (absolute negation of possibility)
- せいぜいAt most, at best only
Conjunctions & written-style adverbs
- ところがBut then (a result contrary to expectation)
- ところでBy the way (changing the topic)
- そこでSo, and so ([someone] went and did…)
- したがってTherefore, consequently (formal, written)
- つまりThat is, in other words, in short
- ただしHowever, provided that (adds a condition or exception)
- 〜というのは〜ことだ… means… (defining, explaining a term)
- さらに（更に）Furthermore; even more
- すでに（既に）Already (written, formal)
- いったい（一体）…on earth, …in the world (emphasizing a question)
- どうしてもNo matter what, at all costs; (negative) just can't
- わざわざTo go out of one's way (to do something not required)
- かえってOn the contrary, contrary to expectations
- まさかNo way, I never thought