JLPT N4 grammar

Sentence basics10 grammar points

• 書かける・食たべられる・できる・来こられるcan; the potential form
• 見みえる・聞きこえる・に見みえるcan see; can hear; looks like
• こんな・こういうthis kind of; like this
• らplural: they, we, these
• 書かかれる・食たべられる・される・来こられるpassive: is done; it happened to me
• 書かかせる・食たべさせる・させる・来こさせるcausative: make or let someone do
• 書かかされる・食たべさせられる・させられる・来こさせられるcausative-passive: be made to do
• 開あく・開あけるintransitive and transitive verb pairs
• さ-ness: makes an adjective a noun
• から作つくる・でできているmade from; made of

Asking, offering and politeness21 grammar points

CompareAsking someone to do somethingKeigoSentence endings

• てあげる・てくれる・てもらうdo for someone; do for me; have someone do
• どうしたら・どうすればいいですかwhat should I do?; where should I…?Polite
• かな・かしらI wonderSpoken
• かいan older person's gentle questionSpoken
• じゃない・じゃないか・ではないかisn't it?; I told you; oh, it is!
• て・てくれない・てもらえないasking a friend to do somethingSpoken
• でしょうかa softer, more careful questionPolite
• させてくださいplease let me (do)Polite
• お・ご～になる・お・ご～ですdoes; is doing (respectful)Respectful
• いらっしゃる・おっしゃる・なさる・召めし上あがる・ご覧らんになるgo, say, do, eat, see (respectful)Respectful
• お・ご～するdo for you (humble)Humble
• 参まいる・伺うかがう・申もうす・いたすgo, visit, say, do (humble)Humble
• ございます・でございますthere is; is (very polite)Polite
• ていただく・ていただけませんかhave someone kindly do; could you…?Humble
• 差さし上あげる・やる・いただく・くださるgive, get (in polite speech); give (to a pet or plant)
• お・ご～くださいplease do (respectful)Respectful
• て・なくてすみませんsorry for…; sorry I didn't…Polite
• って感かんじkind of; it's like…Spoken
• てもらってもいいですかcould you…?; would you mind…?Polite
• わa sentence ending: casual, or feminineSpoken
• さcasual particle: hey, you knowSpoken

Wanting, may and must12 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"Ways to say "I'm going to" and "I plan to"

• 書かけ・食たべろ・しろ・来こいdo it (a blunt order)Spoken
• なさいdo it (said by parents, teachers)
• （よ）う・（よ）うと思おもうI'll…; I think I'll…
• てほしいwant someone to (do)
• てもかまわない・なくてもかまわないit's all right to; don't have to
• ないとhave to; got to (spoken)Spoken
• 必ひつ要ようがある・必ひつ要ようはないneed to; no need to
• たらどう・たらどうですかwhy don't you…?; how about…?
• ばよかったI wish I had; I should have
• ことにする・ことになるdecide to; it's been decided
• 予よ定ていだis scheduled to; is due to
• 禁きん止しno …; not allowedWritten

Time and sequence18 grammar points

CompareAbout to, in the middle of, just didSpoken short forms

• てみるtry doing; do it and see
• ておく・とくdo ahead; leave as is
• てしまう・ちゃうfinish it all; end up doing
• てあるhas been done, and is still so
• ていく・てくるaway from you; toward you; over time
• 始はじめる・出だす・続つづける・終おわるstart; suddenly start; keep on; finish
• 直なおすdo again, to get it right
• 間あいだ・間あいだにwhile; during
• までにby; no later than
• ところだabout to; in the middle of; just did
• たばかりだonly just; just (did)
• まま・ままにstill that way; as it is
• 中なかduring; all through; by the end of
• ころ・ごろaround (a time); back when
• おきに・ごとにevery; every other; for each
• ようになる・ようにするcome to, can now; try to
• だんだん・どんどん・ますます・次し第だいにlittle by little; fast; even more
• やっと・ついに・とうとうfinally; at last; in the end

Reasons and purposes3 grammar points

CompareWays to say "because"Ways to say "in order to" and "so that"

• ため・ためにfor; in order to; because of
• ようにso that; told to; I hope
• て・なくてso; because; glad to, sorry to

If, but and even though9 grammar points

CompareWays to say "but"When, while, before, after"Even if" and "even though""Not until" and "can't … without""Whether or not", "no matter", "regardless of" and "never mind"Or rather, in other words, in shortWays to say "as soon as"

• ではなく・じゃなくてnot A, but B
• ばif; provided that
• たらif; when, once
• ならif that's so; if it's …
• とwhen, whenever; if (it always follows)
• ても・でもeven if; even though
• 場ば合あいはif; in case of
• のにeven though; for doing
• それでもeven so; still

Only, also, even and lists10 grammar points

Compare"And" and "things like"Ways to say "even"Ways to say "only"Ways to say "not only"

• しfor one thing
• たりしてmaybe … or somethingSpoken
• など・なんかand so on; things like
• とか～とかthings like A and B
• しか～ないonly; nothing but
• までeven
• 以い外がいother than; except
• の中なかでinside; out of, among
• だけでなくnot only … but also
• でも…or somethingSpoken

More, most and how much2 grammar points

• 三さん時じ間かんも・十じゅう万まん円えんはas many as; at least
• 以い上じょう・以い下かor more; or less

Quoting, explaining and linking sentences11 grammar points

Compare"And", "also", "what's more"Said, called, meansWays to say "so" and "therefore"

• と思おもうI think (that)…
• と言いう・と言いっていたsaid (that)…
• という意い味みだit means…
• か・かどうかa question inside a sentence
• またalso, in addition; again
• またはorWritten
• それにbesides; and … too
• それでso; and then?
• んですがleading into a request or questionSpoken
• と呼よぶ・と呼よばれているcall; is called; is known as
• あとoh, and; … more, … leftSpoken

While, instead, about, as1 grammar points

• て・ないでhow you do it; without doing

Guessing, seeming and judging11 grammar points

ComparePassing on what you heardSaying how sure you areSaying what might happenSeems, looks like, I hearWays to say "can't" and "no way"

• やすい・にくい・づらいeasy to; hard to; tends to
• がる・たがるshows a feeling; wants to
• そうだlooks like; I hear
• ようだ・ような・ようにseems; like; as
• みたいだ・みたいな・みたいにseems; likeSpoken
• らしいapparently; typical of
• はずだ・はずがないshould be; can't be
• かもしれないmight; maybe
• てよかったI'm glad (that); good thing (that)
• といいI hope
• がするthere is a sound, smell, taste