JLPT N4 Grammar List: 138 Points with Meanings & Examples

138 grammar points that common JLPT N4 lists include. Each links to free notes with an illustrated explanation, examples with audio and a quick check.

The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list. Levels follow common study lists and are approximate.

  1. 1〜はちょっと…~ wa chotto...soft, indirect refusal
  2. 2もらいますmoraimasureceive: get from someone
  3. 3くれますkuremasusomeone gives to me/us
  4. 4趣味は〜ことですshumi wa ~ koto desuhobby: activity as a noun
  5. 5〜てきます~te kimasugo and come back
  6. 6〜が見えます／聞こえます~ga miemasu/kikoemasuunintentional seeing or hearing
  7. 7〜て~tecasual request or invitation
  8. 8〜んです~n desuexplaining a situation
  9. 9どうしたんですかdou shita n desu kaasking what’s wrong
  10. 10〜たほうがいいです~ta hou ga ii desuadvice to do something
  11. 11〜ないほうがいいです~nai hou ga ii desuadvice against doing
  12. 12〜という〜~to iu ~named or called something
  13. 13〜た〜を／へ~ta ~o/enoun modifier + particle
  14. 14〜た〜は~ta ~wanoun modifier as topic
  15. 15〜と、〜~to, ~condition and result
  16. 16〜と言います~to iimasureporting what someone said
  17. 17〜なければなりません~nakereba narimasenmust do
  18. 18〜なくてもいいです~nakute mo ii desudo not have to
  19. 19〜と思います~to omoimasuI think; give an opinion
  20. 20〜そうです~sou desuhearsay; I hear that
  21. 21〜て／〜で~te/~decause and result
  22. 22〜たら~taraif; imagined condition
  23. 23〜と思います~to omoimasuI think; give an opinion
  24. 24〜ても／〜でも~te mo / ~de moeven if; still
  25. 25〜ています~te imasuresulting state still holds
  26. 26いらっしゃいますirasshaimasurespectful be, come, go
  27. 27〜と申します~to moushimasuformal humble self-introduction
  28. 28可能形kanoukeiability or possibility
  29. 29〜ので／〜なので~no de / ~na no dereason; gentle explanation
  30. 30〜なら~naraif; under that condition
  31. 31〜のは〜です~no wa ~desumake an activity the topic
  32. 32〜ようになります~you ni narimasubecome able; develop a habit
  33. 33〜そうです~sou desulooks / seems
  34. 34〜てみます~te mimasutry doing
  35. 35〜てもらえませんか~te moraemasen kacould you do for me?
  36. 36〜やすい・〜にくい~yasui · ~nikuieasy / hard to do
  37. 37〜すぎます~sugimasutoo much / too ~
  38. 38〜ようと思っています~you to omotte imasuintend / am thinking of ~
  39. 39〜つもりです~tsumori desuintend / plan to ~
  40. 40何を〜するかnani o ~suru kaembedded what-question
  41. 41〜かどうか~ka dou kawhether or not
  42. 42〜するために~suru tame nipurpose; in order to
  43. 43〜んですか~n desu kafollow-up explanation question
  44. 44〜なければなりません~nakereba narimasenobligation; must do
  45. 45〜んですが~n desu gasoft opening to a request
  46. 46〜なら、〜~nara, ~picking up a topic
  47. 47〜たらいいですか~tara ii desu kaasking what one should do
  48. 48〜といいです~to ii desugentle advice
  49. 49〜までに~made nideadline; by a time
  50. 50〜と、〜があります~to, ~ ga arimasuroute and predictable result
  51. 51〜じゃなくて、〜~janakute, ~rejecting one option; offering another
  52. 52〜てしまいました~te shimaimashitaregret: ended up doing
  53. 53〜かもしれません~kamo shiremasenpossibility: might be
  54. 54〜たあとで、〜~ta ato de, ~after doing, then
  55. 55〜ていただけませんか~te itadakemasen kavery polite request
  56. 56〜て、〜／〜で、〜~te, ~/~de, ~cause and result
  57. 57〜たら、〜た~tara, ~tadiscovery after an action
  58. 58〜そうです~sou desuprediction from signs
  59. 59〜ておきます~te okimasuprepare in advance
  60. 60〜てあります~te arimasupreparation already complete
  61. 61召し上がります・おっしゃいますmeshiagarimasu / osshaimasuspecial honorific verbs
  62. 62お〜になります／ご〜になりますo~ ni narimasu / go~ ni narimasuhonorific action form
  63. 63お〜します／ご〜しますo~ shimasu / go~ shimasuhumble action for others
  64. 64〜く／〜に＋動詞~ku / ~ni + doushidescribe how an action is done
  65. 65〜ている間に~te iru aida niduring an ongoing action
  66. 66〜くします／〜にします~ku shimasu / ~ni shimasumake something a certain way
  67. 67〜てあげます~te agemasudo something to help someone
  68. 68〜てもらいます~te moraimasureceive someone’s help
  69. 69〜てくれます~te kuremasusomeone does something for me
  70. 70NをいただきますN o itadakimasuhumbly receive something
  71. 71NをくださいますN o kudasaimasusomeone respectfully gives me something
  72. 72〜ていただきます~te itadakimasuhumbly receive someone’s help
  73. 73〜てくださいました~te kudasaimashitarespectful help received
  74. 74〜ように、〜~you ni, ~action toward a desired result
  75. 75〜ようにしてください~you ni shite kudasaigentle request to make sure
  76. 76お〜ください／ご〜くださいo ~ kudasai / go ~ kudasaiformal polite instruction
  77. 77〜そうです（様態）~sou desulooks about to happen
  78. 78〜ておきます~te okimasuleave in a state
  79. 79〜てしまいました~te shimaimashitacompletely finished
  80. 80受身形ukemi-keipassive voice, receiver in focus
  81. 81〜みたいです~mitai desuseems, based on clues
  82. 82〜ところです~tokoro desuaction stage right now
  83. 83〜てきます~te kimasugradual approach or appearance
  84. 84〜そうに〜~sou ni ~appearance while doing something
  85. 85〜みたいです~mitai desusimilarity-based comparison
  86. 86〜ようになります~you ni narimasubegin doing something habitually
  87. 87〜なくなります~naku narimasustop doing or feeling
  88. 88〜たばかりです~ta bakari desurecently completed action
  89. 89〜ながら〜~nagara ~while doing another action
  90. 90〜と言っていました~to itte imashitareport what someone said
  91. 91命令形meireikeiforceful direct command
  92. 92〜な~nastrongly tell someone not to
  93. 93〜ながら~nagaratwo actions happening together
  94. 94〜も~mosurprisingly many or long
  95. 95〜しか〜ない~shika ~naionly; less than enough
  96. 96〜たらどうですか~tara dou desu kagentle suggestion or advice
  97. 97〜らしいです~rashii desureported news; apparently
  98. 98〜のに／〜に~noni / ~nipurpose or goal
  99. 99〜やすいです~yasui desueasy to do
  100. 100〜にくいです~nikui desudifficult to do
  101. 101〜ようにしています~you ni shite imasumake a conscious effort; habit
  102. 102〜ないようにしています~nai you ni shite imasumindful effort to avoid
  103. 103〜させます~sasemasumake or let someone act
  104. 104〜のを見ました~no o mimashitasaw someone do
  105. 105〜ていました~te imashitapast repeated habit
  106. 106〜かな~ka naI wonder if…
  107. 107〜なんかどうですか~nanka dou desu kagentle suggestion
  108. 108〜がっています~gatte imasushowing a feeling
  109. 109〜からです~kara desugiving a reason
  110. 110〜のはどうですか~no wa dou desu kahow about doing…?
  111. 111〜ないと、〜~nai to, ~if you don't…, then…
  112. 112〜ていきます~te ikimasuchange continuing into future
  113. 113〜てほしい~te hoshiiwant someone to do
  114. 114〜てもらいたい~te moraitaiwant to receive someone’s help
  115. 115〜とか〜とか~toka ~tokaexamples among other things
  116. 116〜でしょう・〜だろう~deshou / ~daroulikely; probably
  117. 117〜と~tocondition and natural result
  118. 118〜でしょうか~ deshou kagentle question or request
  119. 119〜はずがない~ hazu ga naicannot possibly; no way
  120. 120こんな・そんな・あんな・どんなkonna, sonna, anna, donnathis, that, what kind
  121. 121〜ことがあります~koto ga arimasusometimes happens
  122. 122〜てくれない？~te kurenai?casual request for help
  123. 123〜てくれる？~te kureru?could you do it for me
  124. 124お・ご〜です／でしょうo/go ~ desu / deshourespectful description or question
  125. 125〜場合~baaiin the case that
  126. 126〜たいことがあるんですが~tai koto ga arun desu gagentle topic opener
  127. 127〜みたいなんですが・〜ようなんですが~mitai nan desu ga / ~you nan desu gatentative problem explanation
  128. 128〜てしまったようなんです~te shimatta you nan desuinferred accident with regret
  129. 129〜たまま~ta mamaleaving a state unchanged
  130. 130〜に囲まれている・〜に囲まれた~ni kakomarete iru / ~ni kakomaretabe surrounded by
  131. 131〜のような・〜のように~no you na / ~no you niexamples such as
  132. 132〜ことになった~koto ni nattait has been decided
  133. 133人を〜にさせるhito o ~ ni saserutrigger someone’s feelings
  134. 134〜ば・〜ならば~ ba / ~ narabaif; on the condition that
  135. 135〜たら・〜ために~ tara / ~ tame niif; in order to
  136. 136〜のように~ no you nilike; in the manner of
  137. 137ご〜いたします・お〜いたしますgo~ itashimasu / o~ itashimasuhumbly provide a service
  138. 138〜させられる~saserarerube prompted to feel or think