JLPT N4 – Complete grammar list

This page gathers a list of the main grammar structures in order to be able to pass the JLPT N4.

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	質問＋かい	kai	a way of asking someone something with a bit of sarcasm
2	みたいな	mitai na	something like that; sort of like that; similar to that; in that vein
3	ようだ	you da	seeming to be; appearing to be
4	ていく	te iku	“I” will do + verb (future tense)
5	ば	ba	conditional form (“in the case ones ..”)
6	ながら	nagara	while; during; as
7	てもらう	te morau	someone did something for oneself
8	だけでなく	dake de naku	not only … (but also); not just; as well as
9	あまり〇〇ない	amari-nai	not much ..
10	始める	hajimeru	to start; to begin; to commence; to initiate; to originate
11	ことができる	koto ga dekiru	to be able (to); to be possible (to)
12	〇〇くする	ku suru	make it .. (make it round : まるくする, cook it in a way that tastes good : 美味しく作る)
13	まま	mama	as it is; as one likes; because; as
14	なければいけない	nakereba ikenai	have to do; must; should; ought to
15	ように・ような	you ni / you na	in order to (e.g. meet goal); so that; take care (so as)
16	でございます	de gozaimasu	be; is
17	にみえる	ni mieru	it looks like ..
18	さっき	sakki	a short while ago; a moment ago; just now; some time ago
19	てほしい	te hoshii	wanting someone to do something for me
20	または	matawa	or; either … or …
21	は〜が .. は	wa-ga .. wa	topic marker particle
22	ようにする	you ni suru	(following a verb) to be sure to; to do (something) so that …; to make sure to; to try to
23	いたします	itashimasu	to do
24	までに	made ni	by; not later than; before
25	など	nado	et cetera; etc.; and the like; and so forth
26	そんなに	sonna ni	so much; so; like that
27	と	to	used for quotation and for expressing “that”/”which”
28	全然〇〇ない	zenzen -nai	(not) at all; (not) in the slightest
29	たがる	tagaru	to (seem) eager to; to want to; to be anxious to
30	たら	tara	indicates supposition; if … then; when; after
31	続ける	tsuzukeru	to continue; to keep up; to keep on
32	はずだ	hazu da	be supposed or expected to (do); be sure to (do); ought to (do)
33	はずがない	hazu ga nai	it cannot be that…; it is highly unlikely that…; it is impossible that…
34	てよかった	te yokatta	verb + te yokatta, “it is a good thing I did ..”
35	〇〇がり	gari	being someone showing high interest in .. (verb -ta+ gari)
36	なければならない	nakereba naranai	have to do; must; should; ought to
37	になる	ni naru	it is as .., it has been decided that it would be .., it will be as ..
38	たらいいですか	tara ii desu ka	indicates supposition; if … then; when; after
39	かしら	ka shira	I wonder
40	にする	ni suru	to make something as ..
41	そうに・そうな	sou ni / sou na	in the way of ..
42	と思う	to omou	I think that ..
43	ぜひ	zehi	certainly; without fail
44	より	yori	than
45	間に	aida ni	while; during (the time when)
46	な	na	don’t
47	なら	nara	if; in case; if it is the case that; if it is true that
48	させてください	sasete kudasai	let me carry .., let me do ..
49	てくる	te kuru	“I am going to” do something (with the nuance that ones is going to be back soon from what he or she went to do)
50	という	to iu	called; named