Master advanced Japanese grammar with our comprehensive JLPT N4 Grammar guides. Includes detailed explanations, native-level examples, and practice exercises to help you succeed in the JLPT N4 exam.
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning A suffix attached primarily to adjectives (and sometimes nouns) to create a noun that represents the quality, state, or degree of that adjective/noun. 🎯 Primary Function To nominalize adjectives (and some nouns) to talk about their inherent characteristic or a specific measurement of that characteristic. 📋 […]
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning らしい primarily conveys two meanings: (1) reporting information heard from someone else or based on indirect evidence (hearsay), and (2) indicating that something strongly exhibits the typical characteristics or qualities of something else. 🎯 Primary Function To express conjecture or report information based on what one
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning “can do”, “is able to do”, “it is possible to do” 🎯 Primary Function To indicate the ability or possibility of performing an action. 📋 Grammar Structure Verb (Group 2 / Ichidan): Remove る, add られる Verb (する): できる Verb (くる): こられる 🎭 Usage Contexts 🏢
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning To finish doing [verb]. 🎯 Primary Function Indicates that the action described by the preceding verb has been brought to completion. 📋 Grammar Structure Verb ます-stem + 終わる (おわる) Examples: 飲む (nomu) -> 飲みます -> 飲み終わる (nomi-owaru) 読む (yomu) -> 読みます -> 読み終わる (yomi-owaru) 食べる (taberu)
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning The basic meaning is “every…” or “at intervals of…”. It indicates that an action or state occurs repeatedly after a specific amount of time, distance, or quantity. 🎯 Primary Function Its primary function is to express the regular frequency or spacing of events or objects. 📋
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning To respectfully describe someone else performing an action. 🎯 Primary Function Functions as a honorific expression (尊敬語 – そんけいご) to elevate the subject of the verb. 📋 Grammar Structure お + ます-stem of Verb + になる (For most Godan [Group 1] and Ichidan [Group 2] verbs.)
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning A polite way to ask or request someone to perform an action. 🎯 Primary Function To express a polite command or request towards someone, showing respect. 📋 Grammar Structure お + ます-stem of a Japanese origin verb (和語) + ください 🎭 Usage Contexts 🏢 Formal Situations
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning This pattern is used to highlight, emphasize, or provide an explanation or reason for the subject or action described before のは. It translates roughly to ‘It is [X] that [Y]’ or ‘What [Y] is [X]’. 🎯 Primary Function To focus attention on the information that comes
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning Expresses a contrast between the first clause and the second clause, where the second clause presents an unexpected result or situation based on the first. 🎯 Primary Function To link two clauses where the latter clause contains something contrary to expectations given the former clause. It
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning “In,” “among,” or “within.” 🎯 Primary Function To indicate a selection, location, or timeframe within a larger set, group, place, or boundary. 📋 Grammar Structure Noun + の + 中で 🎭 Usage Contexts 🏢 Formal Situations Commonly used in formal speech and writing. 😊 Informal Situations
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning The pattern 〜にくい means “difficult to do,” “hard to do,” or that something has a tendency to be difficult or inconvenient. 🎯 Primary Function To describe that performing a specific action is challenging or inconvenient due to some inherent characteristic of the subject, object, or situation.
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning Expressing a decision, choice, or intention regarding a noun or action, or changing something into a certain state. 🎯 Primary Function To indicate a decision or choice about something (a noun) or to decide to perform an action (using ことにする). It can also mean “to make
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning To look like, to appear, to seem 🎯 Primary Function To express an impression or perception based on visual observation or general understanding. 📋 Grammar Structure [Noun] + に見える [な-adjective] + に見える (remove な if followed directly) [い-adjective] (remove い) + く見える [Verb Dictionary Form/Verb ている
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning なさる (nasaru) is the honorific equivalent of the verb する (suru), which means “to do”. 🎯 Primary Function To respectfully refer to the actions of a person superior in status (e.g., boss, teacher, elder) or someone you wish to show high respect towards. 📋 Grammar Structure
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning Used to give a relatively soft command or instruction. 🎯 Primary Function To instruct someone considered an inferior (like a child or student) to perform an action. 📋 Grammar Structure Verb ます-stem + なさい (Irregular verbs: する → しなさい, 来る (くる) → 来なさい (きなさい)) 🎭 Usage
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning Expresses a conditional statement based on an assumed or previously mentioned topic/situation. Often translates to ‘If (it is the case that)…’, ‘As for…’, or ‘If you’re talking about…’. 🎯 Primary Function To set a specific topic or condition as the premise for the second part of
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning “must,” “have to,” “need to” 🎯 Primary Function To express that an action is required, necessary, or obligatory. 📋 Grammar Structure Verb ない-form + ければならない 行く (iku) -> 行かない (ikanai) -> 行かなければならない (ikanakereba naranai) 食べる (taberu) -> 食べない (tabenai) -> 食べなければならない (tabenakereba naranai) する (suru) ->
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning “Must,” “Have to,” “Need to” 🎯 Primary Function To express necessity, obligation, or a strong requirement to do something. It indicates that if you don’t do the action, there will be negative consequences or it is not acceptable. 📋 Grammar Structure Verb in ない-form + ければいけない
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning Not easily; difficult to; takes time to; not quite/not very (when something doesn’t happen as expected) 🎯 Primary Function To express that an expected or desired action or state is not realized, often due to difficulty, resistance, or unexpected delay. It implies that the speaker feels
Japanese Grammar Template Meaning & Usage ✨ Basic Meaning Expresses that the subject is performing two actions simultaneously. 🎯 Primary Function To connect two verbs, indicating that the action of the first verb is happening at the same time as the action of the second verb (which is typically the main action). 📋 Grammar Structure
