N4 grammar
120 grammar points
Unofficial, community-sourced level list.
Plain form & complex sentences
- 普通形The plain form of verbs, adjectives, and nouns — the foundation of every N4 pattern
- だ／じゃないThe plain form of です and its negative and past forms
- 普通体の会話Casual speech: dropped particles, 〜ちゃう・〜なきゃ・〜てる
- 〜だろうProbably… — the plain form of でしょう
- 名詞修飾節Noun-modifying clauses (人がくれた本)
- 〜ことNominalizing verbs and clauses with こと
- 〜のNominalizing with の
- 〜ことができるCan do something (ability — formal phrasing)
- 〜ことがあるSometimes happens to…
- 〜と思うGiving an opinion or thought: I think that…
- 〜と言うDirect and indirect quotation: … says that …
- 〜と言っていましたRelaying what someone else said
- 〜ってQuoting or raising a topic, casual in spoken language
- 〜という〜… called, named …
- 〜という意味It means…
- 〜かどうか… whether or not
- 疑問詞＋〜かIndirect questions with a question word (who, what, where, when…)
- 〜し…and…, what's more — listing reasons
- 〜のでBecause… — an objective reason, softer than から
- 〜のにAnd yet, even though… (a result contrary to expectations)
- 〜けど／けれどもBut… — contrast, softening a lead-in
- それで・すると・それに・だからN4 sentence connectors: and so, and then, moreover, therefore
- 〜んですが、…Softening the lead-in before a request or question
New verb conjugations
- 自動詞・他動詞Intransitive–transitive verb pairs (開く／開ける)
- 可能形Potential form — "can do something" (食べられる、書ける)
- 見える・聞こえるBe visible / be audible — sights and sounds reaching your senses on their own
- 〜がするThere's a smell / taste / sound / feeling of…
- 意向形（〜よう）Volitional form — "let's…" / "I'll…" (行こう)
- 〜ようと思うI'm thinking of doing…
- 命令形Imperative form — strong commands (行け、読め)
- 〜なProhibition — "don't you dare…" (入るな)
- 〜なさいGentle commands from parents and teachers
- 受身形（〜られる）Basic passive form — "to be done something by someone"
- 迷惑の受身Adversity passive — suffering from something someone did (雨に降られた)
- ものの受身Passive with an inanimate subject (この寺は…建てられた)
- 使役形（〜させる）Causative — making or letting someone do something
- 〜させてくださいAsking permission — "please let me…"
- 使役受身（〜させられる）To be made to do…
Giving–receiving & requests
- あげる・くれる・もらうThe give–receive verbs and the direction of a favor
- さしあげる・くださる・いただくGiving and receiving in humble / honorific forms
- 〜てあげるDo something for someone else
- 〜てくれるSomeone does something for me
- 〜てもらうHave someone do something for you
- 〜ていただけませんかA highly polite request — "could you possibly … for me?"
- 〜てくれてありがとうThanking someone for doing something for you
- 〜てほしいWant someone to do something
Patterns with the て・ない forms
- 〜ておくDo something in advance, prepare for the future
- 〜てあるA state remaining after a deliberate action
- 〜てしまうFinish completely; did something regrettable
- 〜てみるTry doing something and see
- 〜ていく・〜てくるChange over time; direction of an action
- 〜ている（結果・習慣）A state resulting from a past action; a repeated habit
- 〜て、〜（理由）The て-form linking cause and effect
- 〜てすみませんSorry for having done something
- 〜てよかったI'm glad that (something happened)
- 〜ないでDoing B without doing A; don't
- 〜なくてBecause … not… (negative giving a reason)
- 〜ながらDoing A while doing B
- 〜あいだ（に）Throughout / during a period of time
Conditionals, purpose & decisions
- 〜とWhenever… then… (natural-consequence conditional)
- 〜ばIf… then… (hypothetical conditional)
- 〜たらIf… / after… then…
- 〜ならIf it's…, then… (topic-based conditional)
- 〜たらどうですかWhy don't you try…? (suggestion)
- 〜たらいいですかWhat/how should I…? (asking for advice)
- 〜ばよかったI wish I had… (regret)
- 〜といいですI hope that… (a wish)
- 〜てもEven if… (concession)
- 疑問詞＋てもNo matter how much / what / who… still…
- 〜ため（に）In order to… (purpose) / because of… (cause)
- 〜ようにSo that… (purpose, with non-volitional verbs)
- 〜ようになるCome to… / became able to… (change in ability or habit)
- 〜ようにするMake an effort to (maintain a habit)…
- 〜ことにするDecide (on one's own) to…
- 〜ことになるIt has been decided that… / it turns out that…
- 〜にするTo choose… / decide on…
Conjecture & reported speech
- 〜そうです（伝聞）I hear that…
- 〜そうです（様態）Looks like…; looks about to…
- 〜らしいApparently, I hear… (inference from what was heard)
- 〜ようだIt seems that… (inference from observation)
- 〜のような(Noun B) like (noun A)
- 〜のようにTo do something / be some way like…
- 〜みたいSeems like…; looks like… (spoken form of ようだ)
- 〜かもしれないMaybe, might…
- 〜はずですShould definitely be… (grounded inference); はずがない: can't possibly
- 〜たがる（〜がる）A third person wants / feels (showing outward signs)
- 〜かなI wonder… (casual musing)
- 〜予定ですPlanned to, scheduled to…
N4 sentence patterns & particles
- （期間）に（回数）… times per week/month/day (frequency)
- 〜やすいEasy to do something
- 〜にくいHard to do something
- 〜方How to do something
- 〜はじめる・〜おわる・〜つづけるStart / finish / continue doing something
- 〜だすSuddenly start doing something
- 〜たばかりJust did something
- 〜ところですAbout to do / in the middle of doing / just finished doing
- 〜ときWhen…, at the time of… (time clause)
- 〜たあとでAfter doing something
- 〜までにBy…, no later than… (deadline)
- 疑問詞＋でもAny… (anything/anyone/anywhere/anytime)
- 〜でも（例示）… or something (gently offering an example)
- 〜とか〜とかThings like… and… (non-exhaustive listing)
- 〜ほど〜ないNot as… as…
- 数量詞＋もAs many as…, a whole… (emphasizing a large amount)
- なかなか〜ないJust won't…, taking forever to…
- を（移動・起点）を marking the place moved through / the point departed from
- 〜は（対比）・〜には・〜ではAs for…, … (contrast); compound particles には・では
- こんな・そんな・あんな（こう・そう・ああ）…like this / like that / like that over there
- 〜中In the middle of… / throughout… / all over…
- 〜目The …th (ordinal numbers)
- 〜さTurning adjectives into nouns (degree of…, -ness)
Honorific language (keigo)
- 敬語（尊敬語・謙譲語・丁寧語）Overview of Japanese honorific language
- お〜・ご〜Honorific prefixes for nouns and adjectives
- いらっしゃる・召し上がる・おっしゃる・ご覧になる・なさるSpecial honorific verbs
- 〜れる・〜られる（尊敬）Honorifics with れる・られる
- お〜になるGeneral honorific pattern
- お〜くださいPlease kindly… (respectful request)
- まいる・いたす・申す・いただく・拝見するSpecial humble verbs
- お〜する・ご〜するGeneral humble pattern
- 〜でございますThe formal polite version of です・あります