JLPT N1 – Complete grammar list

This page gathers a list of the main grammar structures in order to be able to pass the JLPT N1.

The most difficult with grammar, in comparison with the vocabulary or the kanji for instance, is to not only understand but also to be able to re-use the studied forms.

This is why you can click on any grammar form you would like to study more and a new tab will open automatically. From an other study page, the pronunciation, meaning and explanation of each grammar structure are provided. Example sentences are also available on each study page in order to be able to practice with real examples.

番号 N°	文法形式 Grammar form	読み方 Pronunciation	意味 Meaning
1	あっては	atte wa	to be; to exist; to live
2	ことやら	koto yara	wonder if ..
3	ものを	mono o	although; but; even though; I wish that
4	ないまでも	nai made mo	even if A is not done, at least B happens ..
5	〇〇なり〇〇なり	-nari -nari	or something; for instance … (though there are other suitable options)
6	に言わせれば	ni iwasereba	if ones is allowed to express himself/herself.., according to “me” ..
7	に限ったことではない	ni kagitta koto dewa nai	being not reserved to a specific category of (people/things/situation)
8	も同然だ	mo douzen da	same as ..
9	までだ	made da	everything ends if A occurs
10	というわけだ	to iu wake da	this is why; this means; it is the case that
11	わけがない	wake ga nai	there is no way that …
12	ともあろうもの	tomo arou	of all people (expression showing surprise at a high standing person’s misbehavior)
13	こそが	koso ga	for sure (emphasize preceding word)
14	たことにして	ta koto ni shite	do as if A was B (to pretend on purpose that A is B for convenient matters)
15	というわけではない	to iu wake dewa nai	it does not mean that ..
16	〇〇とも〇〇とも	-tomo -tomo	ones can not say if it something is A or B
17	〇〇うと〇〇うと	-uto -uto	whether it is A whether it is B, C does not change
18	〇〇といい〇〇といい	-to ii -to ii	both A and B
19	〇〇というか〇〇というか	-to iu ka -to iu ka	it is not clear if it is more A or B
20	というもの	to iu mono	something like …; something called …
21	というところだ	to iu tokoro da	-ish (it is about 800 yen-ish, it is about 10:00-ish)
22	たりとも	tari tomo	(not) a single; (not) a piece of; (not) an inch of; (not) even; (not) any;
23	たる	taru	calling oneself a .., pretending to be ..
24	とばかりに	to bakari ni	to keep on (saying/doing) something
25	ところを	tokoro o	although (it is a certain time or something is in a certain condition)
26	とあって	to atte	due to the fact that; because of
27	とあれば	to areba	if it is the case that; if
28	皮切りに	wo kawakiri ni	beginning; start
29	ずくめ	zukume	entirely; completely; all; nothing but
30	なくして	nakushite	without; in the event that it did not (or does not) exist
31	あろうとなかろうと	arou to nakarou to	whatever there is A or not, B occurs
32	からする	kara suru	at least
33	すら	sura	even; if only; if just; as long as; the only thing needed
34	としたって	to shitatte	even if …; even supposing that …
35	ともなく	tomonaku	phrase used to express the uncertainty or lack of intent in what precedes it
36	とは	towa	indicates word or phrase being defined
37	とはいえ	towaie	though; although; be that as it may; nonetheless
38	や否や	ya ina ya	the minute (that) …; no sooner than …
39	をもって	wo motte	by (means of); with
40	を限りに	wo kagiri ni	as of the end of (today, this month, etc.); to make (today, etc.) the last (day)
41	言うまでもなく	iu made mo naku	obviously; as we all know; needless to say; of course; it goes without saying
42	〇〇が〇〇、〇〇も〇〇	-ga -nara, -mo -da	like A, like B (e.g.: “like father, like son”)
43	限りだ	kagiri da	being SO .., being JUST .. (e.g. : “I just feel jealous now”, “I am so worried about this”)
44	とみると	to miru to	as soon as ones realize that A is A, then situation B occurs
45	くらいのものだ	kurai no mono da	there is only A being able to do B
46	ことのないように	koto no nai you ni	to act as a situation never happened/occured
47	こそすれ	koso sure	What ones did was obviously praiseworthy and could never been criticized (provides a contrast between a good action that could have been misinterpreted by the public)
48	ものとする	mono to suru	shall …
49	いえども	to ie domo	even though; despite; notwithstanding
50	〇〇つ〇〇つ	-tsu -tsu	indicates two contrasting actions