Posted inN4 Grammar

Mastering など (Nado): Listing Examples in Japanese (JLPT N4 Grammar)

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

and so on, etc., things like…

🎯 Primary Function

To list examples of items, implying that the list is not exhaustive and there are other similar items not mentioned.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun + など Noun + など + Particle (e.g., が, を, に, も)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used, though slightly less formal than an exhaustive list or other expressions depending on context.

😊 Informal Situations

Very commonly used in casual conversation.

✍️ Written Language

Frequently used in writing.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very frequently used in speech.

💡 Common Applications

Listing examples of nouns or noun phrases.
Used after listing two or more nouns (often connected by や) to indicate “and things like these” or “etc.”.
Example: 私は果物、例えばりんごやバナナなどをよく食べます。 (I often eat fruits, for example, apples, bananas, and so on.)
Referring to a category by examples.
Used after one or more items to refer to the general category or type of things mentioned.
Example: 趣味は読書や音楽鑑賞などです。 (My hobbies are things like reading, listening to music, etc.)
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📊
Frequency
Very frequent.
🎚️
Difficulty
Relatively easy for N4 learners, main challenge is understanding the nuance of non-exhaustiveness.
Example Sentences
パーティーには学生や先生などがいました。
There were students, teachers, etc., at the party.
買い物のリストに牛乳やパン、野菜などを書きました。
I wrote milk, bread, vegetables, etc., on the shopping list.
休みの日は家で本を読んだり、音楽を聴いたりなどして過ごします。
On my days off, I spend time doing things like reading books at home, listening to music, etc.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Implies non-exhaustiveness
The list provided is only a few examples, not the complete set.
Example: 机の上に本やノートなどがあります。(There are books, notebooks, *etc.* on the desk. – implies there might be pens, rulers, etc. too.)
Usually follows a list of items
などを often follows two or more items, sometimes linked by や.
Example: 果物や野菜などを食べます。(I eat fruits and vegetables, etc.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using など when you want to list *everything*.
✅ If you want to list everything, just list the items without など, or use と if you are listing exactly two items.
など specifically implies the list is incomplete.
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral; suitable for most situations.
Social Situations: Used in both casual and semi-formal conversations/writing.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations.

🔍 Subtle Differences

など (nado) vs. とか (toka)
とか is generally more casual/colloquial and is frequently used to list verbs/actions as well as nouns. など is more standard and versatile, commonly used after nouns.
When to use: Use など for a standard way to list examples, especially with nouns. とか is good for very casual speech or listing actions.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

など is a particle and does not conjugate.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced “na-do” with relatively flat intonation.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of it like “etc.” or “and things like that”. Visualize a list fading out after the items mentioned.

Practice Exercises
パーティーには色々な人がいました。例えば、学生＿＿先生＿＿。
a) とか / とか
b) など / など
c) や / など
d) だけ / だけ
旅行の準備で、服やかばん＿＿＿買いました。
a) だけ
b) しか
c) など
d) と
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