JLPT N3 Grammar: all 112 patterns
N3 bridges everyday and written Japanese: patterns for reasons, contrast, hearsay and degree that start to appear in articles and longer conversations.
Every JLPT N3 grammar pattern (112)
- べきだ／べきではない Should do A; ought to do A (because it is right, proper or common sense)., べきではない: should not do A; ought not to do A. べ
- どんなに No matter how much or how intensely A, B., No matter how A is or what kind of A it is, B.
- ずに Without A..ing
- でござる／でございます is / am / are (the polite, formal equivalent of です)
- ふりをする To pretend to be/do A; to act as if A (when it is not actually true).
- がた A respectful plural suffix for people: 'you (all)', 'the teachers', 'ladies and gentlemen'.
- がっている Describes what a third person wants or feels, as shown by their behavior: 'X wants to do A' or 'X is showing that they f
- はずだ Expresses the speaker's inference or expectation, based on evidence or knowledge, that something should be so: 'should b
- ぶり (A) For the first time in (a period of time); after an interval of … since the last time., (B) The way/manner in which s
- はずがない There is no way that…; it is impossible that…; can't possibly… A strong judgment that something cannot be true, based on
- はずがない There is no way that…; it can't be that…; it is impossible that… (a strong denial based on the speaker's reasoning or ev
- ば~ほど The more/-er A, the more/-er C (the degree of C changes in proportion to the degree of A).
- ほど To the extent that ~: B is so strong/high that it reaches the degree of A., Not as ~ as ~: A is not as B as N (N ほど ~ない)
- くらいだ／ぐらいだ So (much) that…; to the extent that…; almost to the point of… (shows the degree of a state or action through an extreme
- 代わり Not A, but B, B in place of A, Instead of A, B; In exchange for A, B
- 関して About A; concerning A; in relation to A. Used to state the topic that something is said, written or done about.
- から~にかけて From A to B; over the span from A to B (a range with approximate, not exact, limits of time or place)
- 必要はない There is no need to do A; A does not have to be done.
- かけの／かけだ Describes an action that was started but not finished, and was left or interrupted midway. Before a noun it means 'half-
- っけ A very casual sentence-final particle for recalling or confirming something you once knew but have half-forgotten: '…aga
- 決して~ない Won’t, isn’t
- きり Only/just A; no more than A. This emphasizes that the amount or number is small or limited.
- 切れない Can't finish/complete A
- ことは~が It is true that A (I admit it, to some extent), but C. The speaker concedes A and then adds a contrasting or less satisf
- ことはない There is no need to do A; you don't have to A.
- 事だ You should do A / the best thing is to do A (giving advice or a recommendation)
- こそ A (often a reason/cause) is very strongly emphasized.
- くせに Even though A, (yet) B — used to criticize or complain that B contradicts what A would lead you to expect.
- 以下 A or less; not more than A; A and below (the number A itself is included)
- くらいだ／ぐらいだ To the extent that A; so (much) that A. It gives a vivid, concrete example of how extreme a state, feeling or action is.
- 全く~ない Not A (at all; even a little bit)
- めったにない Rarely; hardly ever; seldom. Used for something that almost never happens or that you almost never do.
- もし~としても Even if A / even supposing A, B still holds (B is the same or contrary to expectation). A is a hypothetical or unlikely
- もしも~なら If A..
- んだい A casual, masculine-sounding way to ask a question, usually with a question word, asking for an explanation or informati
- もし~たなら If A (has happened / had happened / were the case), … — a condition expressed with a past-form predicate; depending on c
- はもちろん／はもとより Although A is given/obvious; B
- んだって Hear that~
- など Things like, for example…
- ないと,なくちゃ "Have to do V / must do V / I'd better do V." Casual contracted forms of ないといけない and なければならない, where the ending is usual
- ないことはない Not impossible; it's not that it isn't so. A hedged, reserved way of admitting that something is possible or true.
- なぜなら The reason is…; this is because… (introduces the reason for the statement just made)
- に比べて／に比べ When compared to A
- っけ Used in casual speech to recall or confirm information that the speaker believes they knew or heard before: “What was ..
- にとって For A; from A's point of view (A is a person, group or thing whose standpoint the evaluation is based on)
- によって/により/による (1) By A: A is the agent of a passive verb, or the means/method used. (2) Due to A, caused by A. (3) Depending on A, var
- にしても Even for A, In the case of A as well
- にしては Considering that A / for A, (but) …. The result does not match what you would normally expect from A.
- ことになっている It is the rule / the arrangement that…; (someone) is supposed to… (it has been fixed by a rule, custom, schedule or arra
- に対して／に対しては Toward, to, against: marks the person or thing at which an action, feeling, or attitude is directed., In contrast to, wh
- おかげで Thanks to A, B; owing to A, B (A is the cause of a good result B, and the speaker is grateful for it)
- っぽい -ish; having the quality or look of N; (with verb stems) tending to do something easily or too often. It is used both fo
- こと Must do / must not do V. An impersonal written rule or instruction.
- らしい I heard that A, it seems like A, it appears that A, Just like A, typical of A
- さ Turns an i-adjective or na-adjective into a noun expressing its degree, extent, or quality.
- もしないで Without even doing A (stresses that an expected or natural action was not done at all).
- 最中 Right in the middle of (doing) A. Often used when something else happens, especially an unexpected event that interrupts
- さしあげる To give B to A (humble). The giver is the speaker or someone in the speaker's in-group, and the receiver (A) is a superi
- せいで／せいか Because of A, B. A is the cause or the thing blamed for a result B that is usually undesirable. せいか means 'maybe because
- その上 Moreover; on top of that; in addition (a further point is added to A)
- そのため Because of A, B; therefore, B; as a result, B
- その結果 As a result (of A), B. Used after a sentence describing an action or situation (A) to introduce its outcome (B).
- 少しも~ない Not (even a little) A
- たもの Used to
- たびに Every time A happens, B happens (or B is done).
- たとたん The moment A happened, B (unexpectedly) happened.
- たて Freshly/just done: shows that something has only just been made or done (A) and is still fresh or new. Often translated
- ては初めて Only after (doing or experiencing) A did/does B; not until A did B.
- 向け Made for A; intended for A; aimed at A (a target group or market).
- てごらん Try doing A; go ahead and A (a gentle instruction or invitation to try something)
- なかなか A does not happen or succeed easily or quickly; even with effort or expectation, A just won't happen (yet).
- てさしあげる To do something for a superior or respected person (humble form of 〜てあげる). It is used when the speaker, or someone in th
- というより Rather than A, B, B is more accurate or appropriate than A
- としたら If it were the case that A; suppose A; if A were to happen. A is a hypothetical premise, and the main clause asks about
- として As N; in the capacity, role or status of N. With は it means 'as for N / from the standpoint of N'; with も it means 'also
- といえば／というと／といったら Speaking of…; When it comes to…
- ところが But / However / And yet: introduces something unexpected that contradicts or surprises the expectation set up in A
- によって/により/による By A / through A: A is the agent of a passive verb (usually for creative or notable acts such as inventing, building or
- とは限らない A is not 100%
- と言うのは "What is called A / A, that is…": used to explain or define the meaning of A as B.
- と言っても Even though it is called/said to be A, in reality B (B is more limited than A suggests).
- ところだった Was just about to do A (when something happened)., Almost/nearly did A (but in the end didn't).
- ついでに While doing A, I also do B; taking the opportunity of A to do B as well ("while I'm at it").
- うち／ないうち While A is still the case, (do) B. With the ない form, it means 'before A happens', i.e. before the situation changes.
- にしたら From A's point of view; for A, as A sees it
- て頂けないでしょうか? Could you please do A (for me)? / I was wondering if you could do A. A very polite, humble request.
- わりに For / considering A, (surprisingly) B: B does not match what you would normally expect from A.
- わけではない It's not that…; it doesn't (necessarily) mean that… Used to deny an assumption or conclusion that could be drawn from th
- わけにはいかない Vるわけにはいかない: cannot / must not do A (because of circumstances, duty or common sense), even if you want to. Vないわけにはいかない: c
- わけがない There's no way that A / It's impossible that A. The speaker strongly believes that A cannot be true.
- わけだ So that's why A; no wonder A. Used when you learn a fact and understand that A naturally follows from it., That means A;
- に決まっている There is no doubt that A; A is definitely going to happen or be the case.
- ようだ It seems/appears that A (the speaker's judgment based on what they saw or heard). With まるで, it also means "just like A"
- ように So that A / in order that A: B is done to bring about the state or outcome A. It is also used in indirect requests, e.g.
- 続ける To keep doing an action, or to continue doing it without stopping, often for a long time or repeatedly.
- ようとしない Doesn't try to do A; won't (or refuses to) do A. The subject shows no willingness or effort to do A.
- さえ／にさえ／でさえ Even (X) – raises an extreme or minimal example to suggest that everything else naturally follows.
- たとえ~ても Even if A, (still) B. B holds or will be done regardless of the hypothetical condition A.
- させて頂きます/させてもらいます "I will do A" or "May I do A?", said humbly as if with the listener's permission or favour. The speaker performs the act
- ようとする To be about to do something (on the verge of starting an action); to try or attempt to do something, often with the impl
- そうもない It doesn't look like A will happen or be possible; there are no signs of A. The speaker judges from the current situatio
- そういえば Come to think of it, A; that reminds me, A; speaking of which, A. The speaker remembers or raises something A that is co
- それなのに 'Even so / And yet / Even though A (happened), B.' It joins two sentences, and B is a result that goes against what you
- それでも Even so; nevertheless; still (B happens or is done despite A)
- そうにない It seems unlikely that someone will do something; something probably will not happen.
- それなら In that case, B; if that's so, B. B is the speaker's reaction to what the other person just said or to a situation just
- すると A happened, and then B occurred or was discovered, often unexpectedly. Used to connect two sentences: "and then...", "wh
- ということは A, which means B; if A is the case, then (it follows that) B. It is used to draw a conclusion or inference from what was
- とは限らない A is not necessarily true; it is not always A.
- とか I heard that A; apparently A (casual, reporting hearsay without being fully sure of the details)
- 通り／通り (Just) as A; in accordance with A; exactly like A. B happens or is done in the way A says, expects or plans.
- ついでに While doing A, (also) do B; taking the opportunity of A to do B as well