JLPT N3 grammar

Sentence basics8 grammar points

• というthe news that…; the idea that…
• からの・までの・での・への・とのfrom, to, in, with (before a noun)
• が・のの in place of が, before a noun
• 的てき-ic, -al; in terms ofWritten
• 型がた・けい-type, -model, -shaped
• みa quality you feel or taste
• 化か・化かする-ization; turning into
• 確かく認にんし、報ほう告こくした"and" in writingWritten

Asking, offering and politeness7 grammar points

CompareAsking someone to do somethingKeigoSentence endings

• てもらいたい・ていただきたいI'd like you to (do)
• もの・もんbecause (defending yourself)Spoken
• お・ご～いただくyou kindly do; could you…?Humble
• でいらっしゃるis, are (respectful, of a person)Respectful
• 存ぞんじる・存ぞんじ上あげるknow; think (humble)Humble
• わかんない・してんのcasual ん for ら, り, る, れSpoken
• すみませんが・悪わるいけど・恐おそれ入いりますがsorry, but…; before a requestPolite

Wanting, may and must9 grammar points

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

• ばいい・たらいい・といいyou can just…; why not just…?
• わけにはいかないcan't very well; can't very well not
• しかないhave no choice but to
• ことはないno need to; you don't have to
• べきだ・べきではないshould, ought to; should not
• ことだ・ことthe thing to do is…; (a written rule)
• させてもらう・させていただくbe allowed to; do, if I may
• てごらんgive it a try; try it and seeSpoken
• （よ）うとするtry to; be about to

Time and sequence20 grammar points

CompareAbout to, in the middle of, just didWhen, while, before, afterWays to say "as soon as""As …" and "the more …, the more …"

• うちに・ないうちにwhile it lasts; before it changes
• 最さい中ちゅうだ・最さい中ちゅうにright in the middle of
• ところに・ところへ・ところをjust as; right when
• ところだったnearly; almost (did)
• たとたん（に）the moment; just as
• と～た・たら～たwhen I did, I found
• たびにevery time; whenever
• につれてas … changes, so does …
• とともにtogether with; as … changesWritten
• と同どう時じにat the same moment; as well as beingWritten
• て初はじめてonly after; not until
• かけ・かけるhalf done; on the point of
• っぱなしleft on, left open; non-stop
• 上あがる・上あげるbe finished; finish making
• 切きる・切きれないall of it; utterly; can't finish
• 込こむin, into; deep in
• ぬくsee it through; all the way through
• 通とおすright through, start to finish
• ばかりだjust keeps getting (worse)
• ことがある・こともあるsometimes; there are times when

Reasons and purposes10 grammar points

CompareWays to say "in order to" and "so that"Thanks to, the fault of, all becauseWays to say "because" beyond から and ので

• ことからfrom the fact that; which is whyWritten
• おかげで・おかげだthanks to
• せいで・せいだbecause of; the fault of
• ものだから・もので・ものですからbecause (explaining yourself)
• のだから・んだからsince; given that (as you know)
• からこそprecisely because
• という理り由ゆうでon the grounds thatWritten
• なぜなら～からthe reason is that…
• にはin order to; what it takes to
• ばかりにjust because; all because

If, but and even though22 grammar points

Compare"Whereas" and "on the other hand"Spoken short formsWays to say "but""Even if" and "even though""Not until" and "can't … without""Whether or not", "no matter", "regardless of" and "never mind""Supposing", "if I were" and "if only"

• てからでないと・てからでなければnot until; unless … first
• くらいならI'd rather … than
• に対たいして・に対たいするtoward, to; in contrast to
• 反はん面めんbut on the other handWritten
• 一いっ方ぽう（で）while; on the other handWritten
• わりに（は）for its price; for her age
• にしてはfor a beginner; considering
• くせにeven though (with blame)
• たとえ～ても・たとえ～でもeven if (supposing that)
• どんなに～ても・いくら～てもno matter how (much)
• ては・ではif (with a bad result)
• としたら・とすれば・とするとsupposing that; if we assume
• ようならif it looks as though
• もしも～ならif ever; if by some chance
• ば～のに・たら～のにif only…; I would (have)…
• ても～なくてもwhether or not
• ことは～がI did, but…; it is, but…
• たってeven if (in casual speech)Spoken
• かえってthe opposite result; it backfired
• もっともthough; mind youWritten
• ところがbut then; as it turned out
• 逆ぎゃくにthe other way around; conversely

Only, also, even and lists8 grammar points

CompareWays to say "even"Ways to say "only"Ways to say "not only"

• きり・っきりonly; and nothing since
• ばかりnothing but; about
• ばかりでなくnot only … but also
• はもちろんA, of course, and B too
• も～ば～も・も～なら～もboth … and …
• さえ・さえ～ばeven; as long as, if only
• こそthis very one; precisely
• ただの・たったjust a; a mere

More, most and how much10 grammar points

CompareComparing things

• ば～ほどthe more …, the more …
• ほど・くらいso … that; not as … as
• に比くらべてcompared with
• と同おなじ・と違ちがってthe same as; unlike
• と並ならんでalongside; ranking withWritten
• だらけcovered in; full of
• ずつeach; at a time; little by little
• につきper; because of (on notices)
• 当あたりper (person, day, kilo)
• めon the … side (after an adjective)

Quoting, explaining and linking sentences23 grammar points

Compare"And", "also", "what's more"Passing on what you heardSaid, called, meansWays to say "so" and "therefore"Or rather, in other words, in short

• というよりrather than; more like
• かというと・かといえばwhy? because…; if anything
• ということだ・とのことだI'm told that; so that means
• と言いわれている・とされているit is said that; is consideredWritten
• によると・によればaccording to
• とか…or so I hearSpoken
• というのはX means…; the reason is…
• というと・といえば・といったらspeaking of; when you say
• っけwhat was it again?Spoken
• だって・んだってI heard; but, because; evenSpoken
• であるis, are (in formal writing)Written
• つまり・すなわちin other words; that isWritten
• そこで・そのため・その結けっ果かso I did; because of that; as a result
• むしろrather; if anything
• すると・そうするとand then; so that means
• あるいはor; or perhapsWritten
• それともor (asking someone to choose)
• それとoh, and; one more thingSpoken
• その上うえon top of that; moreover
• 言いうまでもないneedless to sayWritten
• ところでby the way
• さてnow then; right, …
• 結けっ局きょくin the end; after all

While, instead, about, as18 grammar points

Compare"According to", "in line with", "in accordance with""As", "for" and "to" a personWays to say "about"

• ついでにwhile I'm at it; while you're there
• とおり・どおりjust as; exactly as
• 合あうeach other; with one another
• ずにwithout doingWritten
• かわりにinstead of; in return for
• についてabout; regarding
• にとってfor, to; from someone's point of view
• 点てんin that respect; the point that
• としてas (a role or capacity)
• に当あたるcorresponds to; counts as
• で言いうとin X terms; the equivalent in
• によって・によるdepending on; by; because of
• を通とおして・を通つうじてthrough; throughoutWritten
• 向むき・向むけsuited to; made for
• に合あわせてto match; to suit; in time with
• 同どう士しamong themselves; with each other
• において・におけるin; at; in the field ofFormal
• に代かわってin place of; on behalf ofWritten

Guessing, seeming and judging28 grammar points

CompareSaying how sure you areSaying what might happenSeems, looks like, I hearWays to say "can't" and "no way"Not exactly, not necessarily, it's not that I don'tWays to say "tends to"

• に限かぎるnothing beats; is the best
• かと思おもったI thought (wrongly) that…
• と言いえるit is fair to say (that)
• まるで～ようだ・かのようだjust like; as ifWritten
• ふりをするpretend to
• たつもりthought I had; as if I had
• ような気きがするI have a feeling that…
• わけだso that's why; which means
• わけではない・というわけではないit's not that…; not exactly
• わけがないthere's no way
• とは限かぎらないnot always; not necessarily
• ないことはない・なくはないI can, I suppose; a weak yes
• ものだhow things are; should; used to
• に違ちがいない・に相そう違いないmust be; surely
• っこないno way; never going toSpoken
• とても～ないcan't possibly
• そうもない・そうにないdoesn't look like it will
• のではないだろうか・のではないかと思おもうperhaps; I think it may be
• 気ぎ味みa touch of; slightly
• がちtends to; often happens
• っぽい-ish; quick toSpoken
• ことにto my delight, surprise, regretWritten
• ことか・ことだろうhow …!; how many times …!
• ことといったらyou wouldn't believe how …
• なんて・なんかthe likes of; to think that…Spoken
• 可か能のう性せいがある・高たかい・低ひくいthere is a possibility; likely; unlikely
• どうしてもjust can't; no matter what
• まさかsurely not; I never thought