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Japanese grammar reference by JLPT level

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～てTe-form for action sequencesN5

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31 guides

ている・てるForm family

One form for actions, states, and habitsている presents a situation as holding over a span of time. With an activity, that may be an action in progress; with a change, it may be the state left afterward; with repeated events, it may be an established habit. The verb and the surrounding time context—not the form alone—choose the reading.3 points · N5

から・ので・で・て・なくて・ため・ためにChoice guide

Choosing an everyday reason expressionChoose by asking what kind of cause you are presenting and what follows it. Use から or ので for a full reason that explains a conclusion or response. Use noun plus で for a compact factual cause, て or なくて for a cause tightly tied to an uncontrolled result, and ため or ために for a careful, report-like explanation.5 points · N5–N4

ても・でも・のに・くせに・たって・だってChoice guide

Choosing between “even if” and “even though”Choose first by attitude, not by the English translation. Use ても・でも for a neutral result that remains true despite a condition, のに for an established fact whose result clashes with expectation, くせに when you openly blame someone, and たって・だって for the broad neutral pattern in casual conversation.4 points · N4–N3

がほしい・たい・てほしい・たがるSystem guide

Talking about wants and desiresChoose the form by asking two questions: what is wanted, and who would perform the action? Use がほしい for a desired thing, たい for an action you want to perform, and てほしい for an action you want someone or something else to perform. When describing another person's apparent wish to act, use たがる from an observer's viewpoint.4 points · N5–N4

てもいい・なくてもいい・ても・なくてもかまわない・させてもらう・ても差さし支つかえないRegister guide

Permission, optional actions, and practical acceptabilityChoose according to what is being made acceptable. てもいい allows an action; なくてもいい allows you to leave it undone. The other forms add a viewpoint: no inconvenience, permission received as a favor, or a formal judgment that there is no practical obstacle.5 points · N5–N4–N3–N1

読よめ・なさい・てごらん・てはいけない・するな・てはならない・べからず・あるまじきRegister guide

Commands and prohibitions by strength and settingChoose a directive by asking three things: are you telling someone to act or not to act, do you have a clear reason to control that person’s action, and is the setting conversational, instructional, formal, or deliberately literary? These forms are not simply rungs on one politeness ladder. A polite ending can still impose a firm rule, while an old-fashioned form may sound measured without being respectful.11 points · N5–N4–N3–N2–N1

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