JLPT N4 Grammar: all 101 patterns
N4 builds everyday fluency: plain forms, giving and receiving, conditionals, potential and passive forms, and the patterns for intentions and plans.
Every JLPT N4 grammar pattern (101)
- あげる Give B to A (A is a third party, not yourself)
- 合う To do A together/mutually
- ~ば If ~; provided that ~; when ~ (a condition that leads to a result)
- だけしか Nothing but A; only A and no more. This is an emphatic version of しか…ない that stresses how limited or small something is.
- だろう Expresses the speaker's guess or prediction: 'probably…', 'I guess…', 'it is likely that…'. It is the plain form of でしょう
- だけど But; however; although. It links two contrasting statements in casual speech. It can join two clauses, or open a new sen
- だろうと思う I think (that) ... will probably ...; I guess ... will ... (the speaker's own guess)
- ですから So / therefore / that's why (polite). Also used at the end of a clause to mean "because ~, so ...".
- だす A (suddenly) begins, To A out
- でも Question word + でも: "any-/every-" (anyone, anything, anytime, anywhere); it covers every possibility with no exception.,
- がっている Describes what a third person wants to do or visibly feels: '(he/she) wants to…', 'is showing signs of feeling (afraid,
- ござる／ございます Very polite, formal form of ある: 'there is / we have / it is located (at)'. It is used for inanimate things, mainly in cu
- はずだ Should be / must be / is expected to: the speaker confidently concludes that something is the case or will happen, based
- 始める To start doing A; A begins to happen (marks the beginning of an action or a change).
- ほど~ない A is not as ~ as B. It also expresses 'not as ~ as expected', e.g. 思ったほど~ない (not as ~ as I thought).
- 頂く To receive (C) from (B): the humble form of もらう. It is also the humble form of 食[た]べる/飲[の]む ("to eat/drink").
- ~かもしれない Might ~; may ~; could be ~ (the speaker thinks something is possible but not certain).
- かも知れない Might A, maybe A, perhaps A. The speaker thinks A is possible but is not sure.
- かい A casual, friendly sentence-final particle that makes a question, like "...?". It is most often used for yes/no question
- かた How to A
- 可能系 Can, be able to, or be possible (potential form)
- 謙譲語 Humble language (謙譲語[けんじょうご]): the speaker lowers their own actions, or those of their in-group, to show respect to the
- 禁止 Don't (do) ...! A blunt, strong negative command or prohibition.
- 事ができる Can or be able to do A; it is possible for the subject to do A.
- ことになる It has been decided that A / It turns out that A (a decision, arrangement, or outcome that is not simply the speaker's o
- ことにする Decide to do or not do something, Decide to make something a personal rule or habit
- ～ながら、 Doing B while doing A: two actions by the same person happen at the same time.
- ことがある Sometimes/occasionally (something happens or someone does something). It describes an event that is not regular but does
- くれる Give B to A (A is you, your friends, your family, etc.)
- 下さる Someone the speaker respects (a superior, customer, etc.) gives me, or someone in my group, N3. It is the honorific form
- までに By (a deadline); no later than; by the time something happens
- をくださいませんか Could you please give me N? / May I have N? (a polite request for an item)
- まま Still, unchange
- 命令 Do A! (a direct, forceful command)
- 見える Can be seen; is visible. Something comes into your view without any deliberate effort to look.
- にくる Come (here) in order to A
- ～てある。 Describes a state that exists because someone did the action on purpose (often as preparation), and the result still rem
- んです Used to explain a reason or situation, or to ask for an explanation: "It's that…", "The thing is…", "You see…". It often
- など Such as…
- て、~で Because of V1, V2: the て-form gives a reason or cause (often an emotion, a state or an unintended event), and the result
- なら If (it is the case that) A… / If you're talking about A… / As for A… — used to give advice, an opinion, a suggestion or
- なければならない Must do A; have to do A; it is necessary to do A.
- なくてはいけない Must do A; have to A
- て下さいませんか Would you please do ~ (for me)? Could you ~? A polite request for someone to do something.
- 時 When ~; at the time when ~ (the situation in the second clause happens at the time of the first clause)
- なくてもいい You don't have to do A; it is not necessary to do A., A doesn't need to be X; it is fine even if it isn't X.
- ない方がよい It would be better not to do A; you should avoid doing A.
- なさい Do V! / You must V. A firm but gentle command given by someone in authority.
- と Whenever/if V1 happens, V2 naturally or automatically follows. It is used for habits, natural laws, machine operations,
- わ Sentence-final particle that softens a statement or exclamation and adds the speaker's own feeling, impression or decisi
- にくい A is hard/difficult to do
- の Casual sentence-final question particle: "...?", "Is it that...?", "Are you ...?"
- の Sentence-final の with rising intonation makes a casual, soft question ("…?"), often asking for an explanation or confirm
- ので Because A, since A
- 終わる To finish doing A; to complete the action of A (all the way through).
- らしい I hear that…; it seems that… (a guess based on information you heard or on evidence you saw; the speaker is not fully ce
- さ Changes A into a noun
- し(~し) and (besides that)...; not only... but also...: lists reasons or qualities one after another, implying there may be more
- しか~ない Only A; nothing or no one except A. The negative verb stresses that A is small, limited or not enough.
- 使役 To make someone do something (coercion), to let someone do something (permission), or to cause someone's emotion or stat
- 使役受け身 Imperative
- それとも …or…? Used to offer two alternatives in a question and ask the listener to choose one (A? Or B?).
- 尊敬語 Respectful form of A
- それと And also; in addition; one more thing. It adds another item, request, or piece of information to what was just said.
- そうだ I heard that…; they say that…; it is said that… (reporting information obtained from another source).
- すぎる Too (much) ~; doing or being something to an excessive degree, beyond what is appropriate or acceptable.
- と(思う、言う、考える) That A
- たら If A, (then) B, When/once A is done, B, If it were A (hypothetical), When I did A, I found B (discovery), Vたらどう(ですか): Ho
- ため(に) Purpose: 'in order to A, for the sake of A'. Reason: 'because of A, due to A'.
- た方がいい You should do A; it would be better to do A (giving advice or a suggestion)., With ない: it would be better not to do A.
- たことがある Have (ever) done A; have had the experience of A. Negative: have never done A.
- てくれる Someone (A) does something (C) for me or my in-group (B), as a favor. It usually carries a feeling of gratitude.
- て下さる Someone of higher status does something for me (or my group). It is the honorific equivalent of てくれる, and it often expre
- てあげる Do something (B) for someone (A) as a favour; give help or a kindness to someone.
- てやる Do something for someone of lower status (a younger person, a subordinate, an animal or a plant). The speaker is doing a
- てもらう (A) has (B) do (C) for them / receives the favor of (B) doing (C). A is often the speaker.
- て頂く To have someone do something for me/us; to receive the favor of someone's action (humble, polite form of ～てもらう).
- ても、~でも Even if A; even though A; no matter how/what A is. The result B does not change.
- てくれてありがとう Thank you for doing A (for me / for us). Used to thank someone for an action that benefited the speaker.
- てほしい I want (person, thing) A to B (action)
- てみる Try doing A (to see what it is like or what happens)
- てしまう To finish doing something completely (all of it, once and for all)., To do something unintentionally, or to have somethi
- ておく Do something
- つもりだ To intend to do A, or to intend not to do A; a plan or decision that the speaker has already made.
- てくる Something has gradually changed or developed up to now (and is still in progress). It can also mean an action or state h
- ていく To gradually change or continue from now into the future.
- てもかまわない No problem
- と When/whenever A happens, B happens., If A happens, B naturally or inevitably follows.
- ところ (A) About to do ~, on the verge of ~ (B) In the middle of doing ~, right now doing ~ (C) Have just finished ~, have just
- ようになる／なくなる Come to be able to do something, or come to do something as a new habit. It describes a change from an earlier state. Wi
- つもりだ To intend to do something; to plan to (or not to) do something.
- 受け身 Passive voice: the receiver of the action becomes the subject, as in 'A is V-ed by B'. It is also used when someone is a
- やる To give B to A (to feed, water, or give something to an animal, a plant, or a junior)
- やすい A is easy to (do): the thing is easy to do or use, A tends to ... / is prone to ...: something changes or happens easily
- ようと思う I think I will A
- ようにする Make an effort to do A; make it a rule to do A, Make an effort not to do A; try to avoid doing A
- ようになる／なくなる (A) Come to do / become able to do something; a change from the earlier state, with a habit or ability newly acquired. (
- より More… than…
- より~の方が~ B is more C than A
- ようだ It seems/appears that A (a judgment based on what the speaker has seen, heard or felt); (looks) as if A, like A (a compa
- ずに Without A..ing