Japanese Grammar: Essential Patterns for Beginners

JLPT N5-N4 Essential Grammar

Japanese Grammar for Beginners

Master Essential Patterns and Build a Strong Foundation

📚 25 min read • JLPT N5-N4 • Updated January 2026

Japanese grammar might seem intimidating at first, but once you understand the fundamental patterns, everything starts to click into place. Unlike English, Japanese follows consistent, logical rules that make learning systematic and predictable.

This comprehensive guide covers the essential grammar patterns every beginner needs to master for JLPT N5 and N4. We’ll break down sentence structure, particles, verb conjugations, and common patterns with clear explanations and practical examples. By the end, you’ll have a solid grammatical foundation to build upon.

Basic Japanese Sentence Structure
Essential Particles (は、が、を、に、で、と、も)
です/だ – The Copula
Verb Basics and Groups
Essential Verb Forms
i-Adjectives and na-Adjectives
10 Most Common Grammar Patterns
Practice Exercises

Basic Japanese Sentence Structure

The first and most important thing to understand about Japanese grammar is the fundamental sentence structure:

The Golden Rule:

Japanese follows SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order, while English follows SVO (Subject-Verb-Object).

English vs. Japanese Structure:

English (SVO): I eat sushi.

Japanese (SOV): 私はすしを食べます。

(Watashi wa sushi wo tabemasu.)

Literally: I [subject] sushi [object] eat.

Key Structural Points:

The verb ALWAYS comes at the end of the sentence
Subjects and objects are marked by particles, not word order
The topic (marked by は) comes first
Modifiers come before what they modify
Questions are formed by adding か at the end

田中さんは本を読みます。

(Tanaka-san wa hon wo yomimasu.)

Tanaka reads a book.

田中さんは本を読みますか。

(Tanaka-san wa hon wo yomimasu ka?)

Does Tanaka read a book?

Pro Tip:

The most important word in a Japanese sentence is at the end. In conversations, Japanese speakers often omit the subject and object if they’re understood from context, but the verb is always stated.

Essential Particles

Particles are small words that indicate the grammatical function of words in a sentence. They’re absolutely crucial for understanding Japanese grammar.

は

Topic Marker

Marks the topic of the sentence (what you’re talking about). Pronounced “wa” not “ha”.

が

Subject Marker

Marks the grammatical subject, often used for new information or emphasis.

を

Object Marker

Marks the direct object of an action verb. Pronounced “wo” or simply “o”.

に

Direction/Time/Existence

Indicates direction, time, location of existence, or indirect object.

で

Location/Means

Indicates location of action or means/method of doing something.

と

And/With

Connects nouns (“and”) or indicates companionship (“with”).

も

Also/Too

Means “also” or “too”, replaces は or が.

の

Possessive/Modifier

Indicates possession or modifies nouns (like English “‘s”).

Particle Examples:

私は学生です。

(Watashi wa gakusei desu.)

I am a student. [は marks topic]

雨が降っています。

(Ame ga futte imasu.)

It is raining. [が marks subject]

コーヒーを飲みます。

(Kōhī wo nomimasu.)

I drink coffee. [を marks object]

東京に行きます。

(Tōkyō ni ikimasu.)

I go to Tokyo. [に marks direction]

レストランで食べます。

(Resutoran de tabemasu.)

I eat at a restaurant. [で marks location of action]

は vs が – The Eternal Struggle:

This is one of the hardest distinctions for beginners. Simple rule: Use は for known information/general topics, use が for new information/specific subjects. Example: “私は学生です” (I am a student – general statement about me) vs “猫がいます” (There is a cat – new information about what exists).

です/だ – The Copula (To Be)

The copula connects a subject with a noun or na-adjective. It’s like English “to be” but simpler.

です / だ

To be; is/am/are

Structure:

[Noun/na-adjective] + です/だ

です = Polite form

だ = Casual form

私は先生です。

(Watashi wa sensei desu.)

I am a teacher.

これは本です。

(Kore wa hon desu.)

This is a book.

彼は親切だ。

(Kare wa shinsetsu da.)

He is kind. [Casual]

Copula Conjugations:

Form	Polite (です)	Casual (だ)	Meaning
Present Positive	です	だ	is/am/are
Present Negative	じゃありません	じゃない	is not/am not/are not
Past Positive	でした	だった	was/were
Past Negative	じゃありませんでした	じゃなかった	was not/were not

Verb Basics and Groups

Japanese verbs are categorized into three groups based on how they conjugate:

Verb Groups:

Group 1: う-verbs (Godan)

Verbs ending in う, く, ぐ, す, つ, ぬ, ぶ, む, る (when る is preceded by anything except i-sound)
Examples: 書く (kaku – to write), 話す (hanasu – to speak), 買う (kau – to buy)

Group 2: る-verbs (Ichidan)

Verbs ending in る when る is preceded by an i-sound (い or え column)
Examples: 食べる (taberu – to eat), 見る (miru – to see), 起きる (okiru – to wake up)

Group 3: Irregular Verbs

Only two verbs:
する (suru – to do)
来る (kuru – to come)

How to Tell Groups Apart:

If a verb ends in る with an e-sound before it (like 食べる ta-BE-ru), it’s usually Group 2. If it ends in anything else, or る with something other than e/i sound before it (like 走る ha-SHI-ru), it’s Group 1. Just memorize する and 来る as Group 3.

Essential Verb Forms

1. Masu Form (Polite Present/Future)

〜ます

Polite present/future tense

Structure:

Verb stem + ます

Dictionary Form	Masu Form	Negative	Past
食べる (taberu)	食べます	食べません	食べました
書く (kaku)	書きます	書きません	書きました
する (suru)	します	しません	しました

2. Te-Form (て形)

〜て / 〜で

Connective form – used for: requests, progressive, permission, and connecting verbs

Te-form is one of the most important and versatile verb forms!

座ってください。

(Suwatte kudasai.)

Please sit down. [Request]

今、食べています。

(Ima, tabete imasu.)

I’m eating now. [Progressive]

朝ご飯を食べて、学校に行きます。

(Asa gohan wo tabete, gakkō ni ikimasu.)

I eat breakfast and go to school. [Connecting]

3. Ta-Form (Past Tense)

〜た / 〜だ

Casual past tense

昨日、映画を見た。

(Kinō, eiga wo mita.)

I watched a movie yesterday.

4. Nai-Form (Negative)

〜ない

Casual negative present

今日は行かない。

(Kyō wa ikanai.)

I won’t go today.

i-Adjectives and na-Adjectives

Japanese has two types of adjectives that conjugate differently:

i-Adjectives (い形容詞)

Always end in い and conjugate like verbs:

Form	Example (大きい – big)	Meaning
Present Positive	大きい	is big
Present Negative	大きくない	is not big
Past Positive	大きかった	was big
Past Negative	大きくなかった	was not big

この部屋は広いです。

(Kono heya wa hiroi desu.)

This room is spacious.

na-Adjectives (な形容詞)

Require な when directly modifying nouns, conjugate with です/だ:

Form	Example (きれい – pretty)	Meaning
Present Positive	きれいです	is pretty
Present Negative	きれいじゃないです	is not pretty
Modifying Noun	きれいな花	pretty flower

彼女は親切です。

(Kanojo wa shinsetsu desu.)

She is kind.

親切な人

(shinsetsu na hito)

kind person

10 Most Common Grammar Patterns

1. 〜たい

Want to (do something)

Structure:

Verb stem + たい

日本に行きたいです。

(Nihon ni ikitai desu.)

I want to go to Japan.

2. 〜ましょう

Let’s (do something)

Structure:

Verb stem + ましょう

一緒に食べましょう。

(Issho ni tabemashou.)

Let’s eat together.

3. 〜ている

Present progressive (currently doing) OR state resulting from action

Structure:

Te-form + いる

今、勉強しています。

(Ima, benkyou shite imasu.)

I’m studying now.

結婚しています。

(Kekkon shite imasu.)

I’m married. [State]

4. 〜ことができる

Can do; able to do

Structure:

Dictionary form + ことができる

日本語を話すことができます。

(Nihongo wo hanasu koto ga dekimasu.)

I can speak Japanese.

5. 〜てください

Please do

Structure:

Te-form + ください

ちょっと待ってください。

(Chotto matte kudasai.)

Please wait a moment.

6. 〜と思う

I think that…

Structure:

Plain form + と思う

明日は雨だと思います。

(Ashita wa ame da to omoimasu.)

I think it will rain tomorrow.

7. 〜んです

It is that…; explanatory tone

Structure:

Plain form + んです

どうして来なかったんですか。

(Doushite konakatta n desu ka?)

Why didn’t you come? [Seeking explanation]

8. 〜ながら

While doing; during

Structure:

Verb stem + ながら

音楽を聞きながら勉強します。

(Ongaku wo kiki nagara benkyou shimasu.)

I study while listening to music.

9. 〜方がいい

It’s better to; should

Structure:

Ta-form / Nai-form + 方がいい

早く寝た方がいいですよ。

(Hayaku neta hou ga ii desu yo.)

You should sleep early.

10. 〜つもり

Intend to; plan to

Structure:

Dictionary form + つもり

来年日本に行くつもりです。

(Rainen Nihon ni iku tsumori desu.)

I plan to go to Japan next year.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Correct Particle

1. 私___学生です。(I am a student)

2. コーヒー___飲みます。(I drink coffee)

3. 図書館___勉強します。(I study at the library)

4. 東京___行きます。(I go to Tokyo)

5. 友達___映画を見ます。(I watch movies with friends)

Answers:

1. は (wa) – topic marker

2. を (wo) – object marker

3. で (de) – location of action

4. に (ni) – direction

5. と (to) – with/together

Exercise 2: Conjugate the Verbs

Conjugate 食べる (taberu – to eat):

1. Polite present: ___________

2. Polite negative: ___________

3. Te-form: ___________

4. Want to eat: ___________

Answers:

1. 食べます (tabemasu)

2. 食べません (tabemasen)

3. 食べて (tabete)

4. 食べたい (tabetai)

Exercise 3: Translate to Japanese

1. I want to go to Japan.

2. Please wait.

3. I am studying now.

4. I think it will rain tomorrow.

Answers:

1. 日本に行きたいです。(Nihon ni ikitai desu.)

2. 待ってください。(Matte kudasai.)

3. 今、勉強しています。(Ima, benkyou shite imasu.)

4. 明日は雨だと思います。(Ashita wa ame da to omoimasu.)

Quick Reference: Essential Grammar at a Glance

です is/am/are

〜ます polite verb

〜たい want to

〜ている -ing/state

〜てください please do

〜ましょう let’s

Key Takeaways:

✅ Japanese follows SOV word order (Subject-Object-Verb)
✅ Particles indicate grammatical relationships, not word order
✅ Master は, が, を, に, で – these 5 particles cover 80% of usage
✅ Verbs conjugate systematically based on their group
✅ Te-form is the most versatile and important verb form
✅ i-adjectives conjugate; na-adjectives use です/だ
✅ Focus on patterns, not individual words
✅ Practice with real sentences, not isolated grammar points

Building Your Grammar Foundation

Grammar is the skeleton of language—vocabulary is the muscle. You need both to communicate effectively, but grammar provides the structure that makes everything else make sense.

Don’t try to memorize all these patterns at once. Instead, focus on understanding the logic behind each one, practice with real sentences, and let them sink in through exposure and repetition. As you encounter these patterns in reading, listening, and conversation, they’ll become increasingly natural.

Study Tips:

Create example sentences for each pattern using vocabulary you know
Use grammar in context through reading and watching Japanese media
Keep a grammar journal with patterns you’re learning
Practice regularly—even 15 minutes daily beats cramming
Test yourself by trying to translate your own thoughts into Japanese

Remember: native speakers didn’t learn grammar through textbooks. They learned through exposure, practice, and making mistakes. Do the same—study the patterns, then use them!

thuandao

I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.

Japanese Grammar: Essential Patterns for Beginners

Japanese Grammar for Beginners

Table of Contents

Basic Japanese Sentence Structure

English vs. Japanese Structure:

Key Structural Points:

Essential Particles

Particle Examples:

です/だ – The Copula (To Be)

Copula Conjugations:

Verb Basics and Groups

Verb Groups:

Essential Verb Forms

1. Masu Form (Polite Present/Future)

2. Te-Form (て形)

3. Ta-Form (Past Tense)

4. Nai-Form (Negative)

i-Adjectives and na-Adjectives

i-Adjectives (い形容詞)

na-Adjectives (な形容詞)

10 Most Common Grammar Patterns

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Correct Particle

Exercise 2: Conjugate the Verbs

Exercise 3: Translate to Japanese

Quick Reference: Essential Grammar at a Glance

Key Takeaways:

Building Your Grammar Foundation

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Japanese Grammar for Beginners

Table of Contents

Basic Japanese Sentence Structure

English vs. Japanese Structure:

Key Structural Points:

Essential Particles

Particle Examples:

です/だ – The Copula (To Be)

Copula Conjugations:

Verb Basics and Groups

Verb Groups:

Essential Verb Forms

1. Masu Form (Polite Present/Future)

2. Te-Form (て形)

3. Ta-Form (Past Tense)

4. Nai-Form (Negative)

i-Adjectives and na-Adjectives

i-Adjectives (い形容詞)

na-Adjectives (な形容詞)

10 Most Common Grammar Patterns

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Correct Particle

Exercise 2: Conjugate the Verbs

Exercise 3: Translate to Japanese

Quick Reference: Essential Grammar at a Glance

Key Takeaways:

Building Your Grammar Foundation

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