JLPT N1 grammar

Sentence basics1 grammar points

• ての… that comes of …ing; after or while …ingWritten

Asking, offering and politeness1 grammar points

CompareSentence endings

• ってばI said …!; honestly, …Spoken

Wanting, may and must14 grammar points

Compare"May I?", "you can" and "you don't have to"Giving orders and saying "don't""Have no choice but to" and "can't not"

• 手て前まえhaving said so; with … watching
• べからず・べからざるmust not (old style)Literary
• まじき・あるまじきunbecoming of; should neverLiterary
• までもない・までもなくno need to go that far
• までだ・までのことだI'll simply …; I only …
• には及およばないno need to; no match forWritten
• ないではすまない・では済すまないcan't get out of; won't end at
• ないではおかない・ずにはおかないwon't leave it undone; can't fail to
• を余よ儀ぎなくされる・を余よ儀ぎなくさせるbe forced to; force someone toFormal
• 放ほう題だいall you can …; left unchecked
• ものとする・ものとしてshall; taking it thatFormal
• てみせるI'll show you I can; show how
• てやるI'll … just you watchSpoken
• ても差さし支つかえないmay; there is no objection toFormal

Time and sequence21 grammar points

CompareWays to say "as soon as"

• が早はやいかno sooner … thanWritten
• や・や否いなやthe moment; no sooner … thanWritten
• なり・たなりthe moment; and stayed that wayLiterary
• そばからas fast as, every time
• た拍ひょう子しに・た弾はずみにin the act of; with the jolt of
• というもの・てからというものthis whole (week); ever since
• るばかりだ・るばかりにしてある・るばかりになっているall that's left is to…
• を限かぎりにas of …, for the last timeWritten
• をもってas of; by means ofFormal
• を境さかいにfrom … on, things changedWritten
• を経へてby way of; after going throughWritten
• に先さき駆がけてahead of; as the first toFormal
• を機きにtaking … as the occasion toWritten
• 折おりに・折おりにはwhen; on the occasion thatFormal
• ながらに（して）just as it is; from birth, in tearsWritten
• に至いたって・に至いたってはonly when it came to; and as for …Written
• 始し末まつだit has even come to this
• 羽は目めになるend up having to
• にしてonly at, even at; at once A and BWritten
• まくるdo like mad; over and overSpoken
• べくしてas was bound to happenLiterary

Reasons and purposes11 grammar points

CompareWays to say "because" beyond から and ので

• べくin order to (formal)Literary
• んがため（に）in order to (literary)Literary
• ばこそprecisely becauseWritten
• 相あい手てが相あい手てだけに・時じ期きが時じ期きなだけにgiven who it is; given the timing
• とあってwith it being …, naturallyWritten
• ではあるまいし・じゃあるまいしit's not as if…
• ゆえ（に）・がゆえ（に）because (solemn)Literary
• こととてsince … (asking for allowances)Formal
• にかまけてtoo taken up with … to
• をいいことにtaking advantage of
• にかこつけてusing … as an excuse

If, but and even though25 grammar points

Compare"Whereas" and "on the other hand""Not until" and "can't … without""Whether or not", "no matter", "regardless of" and "never mind"Ways to say "although" beyond のに and けどWays to say "even if" beyond ても

• を押おして・を押おし切きってin spite of; overriding oppositionWritten
• は・ならいざしらず… is another matter, but
• は・ならまだしも… would be bearable, but
• ところをwhen you're so busy; when it should have beenFormal
• ものをif only; you should have
• とはいえthat said; thoughWritten
• といえどもeven; though it beLiterary
• と思おもいきやjust when you'd thinkWritten
• とはいうもののthat is true, butWritten
• とあればif it is for …; if need be
• たら最さい後ご・たが最さい後ごonce …, that's it
• なしで・なしに・なくしてwithout; cannot … withoutWritten
• （よ）うと・（よ）うがno matter what; whether or notWritten
• であれ・であろうとwhatever it is; whether A or BFormal
• たところでeven if (it won't help)
• ば～で・なら～で・たら～たでthat has its own trouble, or upside
• ずともeven without …ingLiterary
• てはかなわないI can't have that; it's too much
• ともなると・ともなれば・にもなるとonce you get as far as
• にひきかえin sharp contrast toWritten
• ないまでもeven if not quiteWritten
• ばそれまでだ・たらそれまでだthen that's the end of it
• こそあれ・こそすれ・こそなれthere may be …, but; …, if anythingLiterary
• 以い前ぜんmore basic than; before even asking
• たはいいがdid it, but there's a snag

Only, also, even and lists26 grammar points

CompareWays to say "even"Ways to say "not only"Going ahead in spite of something

• をおいて（ほかに）～ないno one but; nothing butWritten
• ならでは（の）only … could; unique to
• きってのthe foremost inWritten
• くらい・ぐらいのものだabout the only one
• にとどまらずnot stopping at; going beyondWritten
• はおろかlet alone
• もさることながらA, certainly, and B no lessWritten
• なり～なりA or B or something
• といい～といいboth in A and in B
• にand (things that go together)
• といわず～といわずA, B, everywhere
• いかなるany; whatever (formal)Formal
• をものともせず（に）undeterred by; in spite of (something serious)Written
• をよそにpaying no heed toWritten
• ともなく・ともなしにwithout really meaning to; from who knows whereWritten
• たりとも～ないnot even one; not for a momentWritten
• すらeven; not evenWritten
• だに・だにしないat the mere (thought); not evenLiterary
• きりがないthere's no end to it
• ぐるみthe whole … together
• わ～わone after another; what with … and …Spoken
• だの～だのthis, that and the other
• 多おおかれ少すくなかれ・遅おそかれ早はやかれto some degree; sooner or laterLiterary
• なりともeven just (a little)Written
• を顧かえりみずwithout regard forWritten
• まして・ましてやlet alone; still less; all the moreWritten

More, most and how much12 grammar points

• を皮かわ切きりに（して）starting with; kicking off withWritten
• に至いたるまでright down to; evenWritten
• といったところだ・というところだabout …, at most
• にもましてeven more thanWritten
• からある・からいる・からする・からのall of; as many as
• ても～きれないcan never … enough
• 極きわまる・極きわまりないutterly; in the extremeWritten
• まみれcaked in; covered all over in
• ずくめall in …; nothing but
• にもほどがあるthat's going too far
• とは比くらべものにならないthere is no comparison with
• 並なみon a level with

Quoting, explaining and linking sentences5 grammar points

• か否いなかwhether or not (written)Formal
• ときているand on top of that, it's …
• ときたらas for …, honestlySpoken
• とみると・とみてon judging that; taking it thatWritten
• との(a message, a view) that …Formal

While, instead, about, as30 grammar points

Compare"According to", "in line with", "in accordance with"Ways to say "about"Ways to say "based on"

• にあってin (a situation, a position)Formal
• いかんdepends on; regardless ofFormal
• んばかりだ・んばかりに・んばかりのas if about toWritten
• とばかり（に）as if to sayWritten
• がてらwhile out doing; on the same trip
• かたがたpartly to (thank, apologize, greet)Formal
• かたわらalongside (one's main work)Written
• を兼かねてdoubling as; partly for
• もそこそこにbarely finishing … beforeWritten
• 紛まぎれにin a fit of; out of sheer
• たる・たるもの（は）one who is a … (must)Literary
• なりに・なりのin one's own way; as befits
• あってのonly thanks to; that exists because of
• つ～つback and forth; give and takeLiterary
• に言いわせると・に言いわせれば・に言いわせたらif you ask …; to hear … tell it
• ようによってはdepending on how you (see it)
• と相あいまってcombined with; togetherWritten
• 考かんがえに考かんがえて・待まちに待まったlong and hard; long-awaited
• に～を重かさねて… upon …; again and againWritten
• に即そくしてin keeping with; to fit (the facts)Written
• に照てらして・に照てらすとin the light of; judged againstWritten
• に則のっとって・に則のっとりin accordance with (a rule)Formal
• を踏ふまえてtaking into account; building onWritten
• を前ぜん提ていにassuming that; on condition thatWritten
• にまつわるto do with; surroundingWritten
• にかかっているhinges on; rides on
• としたところで・にしたところで・にしたってeven for; even supposing
• を受うけてfollowing; in response toWritten
• に鑑かんがみてin view of; in the light ofFormal
• に準じゅんじて・に準じゅんずるon the same footing as; equivalent toFormal

Guessing, seeming and judging30 grammar points

CompareWays to say "can't" and "no way"Not exactly, not necessarily, it's not that I don'tWays to say "tends to"

• とも～とも言いえない・とも～ともつかないneither clearly A nor BWritten
• 上じょう司しが上じょう司しなら部ぶ下かも部ぶ下かだA is bad, B no betterSpoken
• きらいがあるtends to (said as criticism)Written
• にかたくないit is not hard to imagineWritten
• 言いうに言いえない・帰かえろうにも帰かえれないwant to, but can't
• べくもないno way to; out of the questionLiterary
• どうにも～ないnothing to be done; just can't
• 術すべがないthere is no means ofWritten
• には無む理りがあるasks too much; doesn't hold upWritten
• に忍しのびないcan't bear toWritten
• ともあろうa …, of all peopleWritten
• かas if …!; how could …?
• くもなんともない・でもなんでもないnot … in the least; no … at all
• はしない・やしないcertainly won't; would neverSpoken
• ほどのことではないnot worth …ing over
• には当あたらないno call to; hardly warrantsWritten
• でなくてなんだろう（か）if this isn't …, what is?Written
• に足たる・に足たりないworth; enough to; not worthWritten
• に堪たえない・に堪たえるtoo awful to watch; good enough for; deeply (grateful)Written
• てやまないnever cease to (hope, admire)Written
• を禁きんじ得えないcannot hold back (a feeling)Written
• めく・めいたhas a touch of; begins to feel likeWritten
• びるcome to look (grown-up, old)
• ぶるplay the …; put on airs
• ごとき・ごとく・ごとしlike, as if (literary)Literary
• ないでもない・ないものでもないI wouldn't say I don't
• ものと思おもう・ものと思おもっていたI trust that; I had assumedWritten
• の至いたりthe utmost; could not be more …Formal
• の極きわみthe height ofWritten
• に恥はじないworthy of; living up toWritten