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道Nihongo Path

N4 grammar · 112

Start with lesson 1

Lessons 1–10

  1. 1Potential form (〜られる / 〜える) "can do"Expresses ability ("can", "be able to") or possibility.
  2. 2Volitional form (〜う / 〜よう) "let's / I shall"Plain equivalent of 〜ましょう: "let's", "I'll", or an inner resolve.
  3. 3〜ようと思う / 〜ようと思っている "I think I will / I intend to"Expresses the speaker's intention or a decision just made (と思う) or a settled plan (と思っている).
  4. 4Passive form (〜られる / 〜れる)"be done (by someone)". Also the "suffering passive" (迷惑の受身) where the subject is adversely affected.
  5. 5Causative form (〜させる / 〜せる) "make / let someone do"Someone makes or allows another person to do something.
  6. 6Causative-passive form (〜させられる / 〜される)"be made to do something" — the subject is forced by someone else, usually with a nuance of reluctance.
  7. 7Imperative form (命令形) "Do!"Blunt command. Used by superiors to subordinates, in emergencies, cheering, signs, and quoting instructions.
  8. 8Prohibitive form (〜な) "Don't!"Blunt prohibition.
  9. 9〜と (conditional) "when / whenever / if"Natural, automatic or inevitable results: "whenever A happens, B happens". Also for discoveries (〜と、〜があった).
  10. 10〜ば (conditional) "if"Hypothetical condition, focusing on the condition needed for a result: "if A, then B".

Lessons 11–20

  1. 11〜たら (conditional) "if / when / after"The most general conditional: "if/when A happens (and is completed), B". Also "when I did A, (I found) B".
  2. 12〜なら (conditional) "if it's the case that / as for"Takes up what the listener said or a topic and gives advice or a reaction: "if (you say) X, then…"
  3. 13Conditional comparison table (と / ば / たら / なら)Summary of when each conditional is used — a frequent N4 test focus.
  4. 14〜ようになる "come to / reach the point where"A gradual change in ability, habit, or state — "came to be able to", "started to (habitually)".
  5. 15〜ようにする "make an effort to / make sure to"Trying to make a habit of something, or deliberately arranging for a result.
  6. 16〜ように (purpose / so that)"so that…" — a purpose clause used with non-volitional verbs (potential, ない-form, なる, 分かる, 見える).
  7. 17〜ことにする "decide to"The speaker decides to do something (their own decision).
  8. 18〜ことになる "it has been decided that / it turns out that"A decision or outcome made by others or by circumstances, not by the speaker's will.
  9. 19〜ているところ / 〜るところ / 〜たところ "in the middle of / about to / just did"Pinpoints the stage of an action: about to start (V-dict + ところ), in progress (V-て + いるところ), just finished (V-た + ところ).
  10. 20〜たばかり "just did"An action was completed recently, as the speaker perceives it.

Lessons 21–30

  1. 21〜ておく "do in advance / leave as is"Do something in preparation for the future, or leave a state as it is.
  2. 22〜てしまう "finish completely / regrettably do"(1) Completion — do something entirely; (2) regret — something happened that the speaker did not want.
  3. 23〜てみる "try doing"Do something to see what happens / what it is like.
  4. 24〜ていく / 〜てくる (change and direction over time)ていく: an action or change continuing away from now / from the speaker (into the future). てくる: a change that has come up to now, or something that starts to appear; also "go and do, then come back".
  5. 25〜てある "has been done (and remains so)"A resulting state from someone's deliberate action; the agent is not mentioned.
  6. 26〜たことがある "have (ever) done"Experience: "have done something before".
  7. 27〜ことがある (V-dict) "there are times when / sometimes"Something happens occasionally.
  8. 28〜ながら "while doing"Two actions by the same subject at the same time; the main action is the second clause.
  9. 29〜たまま "as it is / leaving something in a state"A state remains unchanged while another action happens (often something that should have been changed).
  10. 30〜すぎる "too much / excessively"Excess in degree or amount.

Lessons 31–40

  1. 31あげる / くれる / もらう (giving and receiving objects)あげる = I/someone gives to another (outward); くれる = someone gives to me / my in-group (inward); もらう = receive.
  2. 32〜てあげる "do (something) for someone"The subject performs an action as a favour to someone else.
  3. 33〜てくれる "someone does (something) for me"Someone does a favour for the speaker or the speaker's in-group.
  4. 34〜てもらう "have someone do (something) for me"The speaker receives a favour; the speaker (receiver) is the subject and the doer takes に.
  5. 35〜そうだ (appearance) "looks like / seems about to"Judgement from direct visual impression: "looks (delicious)", "about to (fall)".
  6. 36〜そうだ (hearsay) "I hear that / they say"Reporting information obtained from someone else or another source.
  7. 37〜ようだ / 〜みたいだ "it seems / it appears / like"Judgement based on the speaker's observation or senses ("it seems"), or a resemblance ("like").
  8. 38〜らしい "seems (from what I hear) / typical of"(1) Conjecture based on external information, weaker commitment than そうだ (hearsay); (2) N + らしい = "typical of / true to being".
  9. 39〜はずだ "should be / is supposed to"Strong expectation based on logic or evidence: "it must be / it should be".
  10. 40〜かもしれない "might / may"Possibility — the speaker is not certain (about 50 % or less).

Lessons 41–50

  1. 41〜ために (purpose) "in order to / for the sake of"Purpose with a volitional (controllable) verb, or benefit for a noun.
  2. 42〜のに (purpose / utility) "for the purpose of / to"Indicates what something is used or needed for — usually with 使う, 便利だ, 必要だ, かかる, いい.
  3. 43〜のに (contrast) "although / even though / despite"Contrary to expectation; the speaker feels surprise, regret, or dissatisfaction.
  4. 44〜ても "even if / even though"Concessive: the result holds regardless of the condition.
  5. 45〜し "and (moreover) / and what's more"Lists multiple reasons or qualities, implying "and there are others too".
  6. 46〜場合は "in the case of / if"Presents a hypothetical situation, especially in instructions, rules, and formal contexts.
  7. 47〜間 / 〜間に "while / during"間 (あいだ) = throughout a period (continuous action); 間に = at some point within a period (momentary action).
  8. 48〜までに "by (a deadline)"A deadline by which an action is completed (vs まで = continuing until).
  9. 49〜ほど〜ない "not as … as"Comparison of inferiority: "A is not as … as B".
  10. 50〜くらい / 〜ぐらい "about / to the extent that"(1) Approximate quantity ("about"); (2) degree ("so … that", "as much as"); (3) minimising ("at least / something as small as").

Lessons 51–60

  1. 51Nominalisation with の / ことTurns a verb clause into a noun ("-ing", "the fact that") so it can be a subject or object.
  2. 52〜という "called / that says"(1) N という N: "a … called …"; (2) clause + という + N (こと/話/意味): "the … that …"; (3) sentence-final という = hearsay/definition.
  3. 53〜かどうか "whether or not"Embeds a yes/no question inside a sentence.
  4. 54Embedded question 〜か "…(who/what/when) …"Embeds a wh-question inside a sentence.
  5. 55〜と言っていました "(someone) said that…"Reports what a third person said; the standard N4 way to convey another's words.
  6. 56〜と伝えてください "please tell (someone) that…"Asking someone to pass a message on to a third person.
  7. 57〜のは〜だ (cleft sentence) "it is … that …"Puts focus on one element by nominalising the rest: "The one who did X was Y."
  8. 58〜方 (かた) "how to / way of doing"Turns a verb into "the way / method of doing".
  9. 59〜だけ "only / just"Limits to a quantity or thing (neutral tone).
  10. 60〜しか〜ない "nothing but / only (with a negative)""Only", with the nuance that the amount is less than expected or insufficient.

Lessons 61–70

  1. 61〜ばかり "only / nothing but / just (did)"(1) N + ばかり: "nothing but"; (2) V-て + ばかりいる: "doing nothing but"; (3) V-た + ばかり: "just did" (#20).
  2. 62〜ずつ "each / at a time"Equal distribution: "X each", "X at a time", "little by little".
  3. 63〜でも (example / question word + でも)(1) N + でも: "or something", a casual suggestion; (2) question word + でも: "any-" (誰でも, 何でも, いつでも, どこでも); (3) "even" (子供でも分かる).
  4. 64〜とか "things like / such as / or"Non-exhaustive listing in casual speech ("A and B and so on"). Also hedging a quote (〜とか言っていた).
  5. 65〜ほうがいい (recommend) "had better / should"Advice; the た-form version is stronger and more specific.
  6. 66〜たらどうですか "how about doing…? / why don't you…?"A gentle suggestion or piece of advice.
  7. 67〜必要がある "it is necessary to"Objective necessity: "need to".
  8. 68お〜 / ご〜 (honorific prefixes)Adds politeness or respect to nouns and adjectives; お for native Japanese words, ご for Sino-Japanese (音読み) words.
  9. 69Keigo verb table (尊敬語 / 謙譲語)Special verbs replace ordinary ones: 尊敬語 (respectful) raises the listener / third party; 謙譲語 (humble) lowers the speaker. 丁寧語 (です／ます) is plain politeness.
  10. 70お〜になる / ご〜になる (respectful form)Generic respectful pattern for verbs without a special 尊敬語 form.

Lessons 71–80

  1. 71〜(ら)れる (respectful passive form)Passive-form verbs used as a light honorific — common in business and news.
  2. 72お〜する / ご〜する (humble form)Generic humble pattern: the speaker's action that affects or is directed at a superior.
  3. 73〜させていただく "allow me to (humbly) do"Very humble way of saying the speaker will do something, framed as receiving permission.
  4. 74〜なさい "do (polite command)"Command used by parents to children, teachers to students, and in exam/textbook instructions.
  5. 75〜てほしい "I want (someone) to do"The speaker wants another person to do something.
  6. 76〜ていただけませんか / 〜てもらえませんか "could you (please)…?"Polite requests built on the potential negative of もらう / いただく; the most useful N4 request forms.
  7. 77〜ようとする "try to / be about to"(1) Attempt an action (often unsuccessfully); (2) be on the point of doing.
  8. 78〜がる / 〜たがる "show signs of (wanting / feeling)"Describes a third person's feelings or desires as seen from outside.
  9. 79〜始める "start to"The beginning of an action.
  10. 80〜終わる "finish doing"The completion of an action.

Lessons 81–90

  1. 81〜続ける "keep doing / continue to"An action continues without interruption.
  2. 82〜出す "suddenly start / …out"(1) Sudden onset of an action (泣き出す, 笑い出す, 降り出す); (2) literal "out" (取り出す, 引き出す, 思い出す).
  3. 83〜合う "do to each other / together"Reciprocal action between two or more people.
  4. 84〜やすい "easy to"Something is easy to do, or tends to happen easily.
  5. 85〜にくい "hard to / difficult to"Something is difficult to do or unlikely to happen.
  6. 86〜って (casual quotation / topic)Casual equivalent of と (quotation), という (called), and は (topic). Also sentence-final hearsay ("they say").
  7. 87〜ちゃう / 〜じゃう (contraction of 〜てしまう)Spoken form of 〜てしまう (#22): completion or regret.
  8. 88お〜ください / ご〜ください (respectful request)A polite request to a superior or customer: "please (do)".
  9. 89〜ように言う / 〜ように頼む / 〜ように伝える (indirect commands)Reports a command, request or advice indirectly: "tell someone to…".
  10. 90〜なくなる "stop / no longer / become unable"A change from an affirmative state to a negative one: "no longer do / can no longer".

Lessons 91–100

  1. 91〜てよかった / 〜ばよかった "glad that / should have"てよかった: relief or gladness that something happened. ばよかった: regret that something did not happen ("I should have…").
  2. 92〜ばいい / 〜たらいい "should / all you have to do is"Gives advice or a solution: "you just need to…", "it would be good if…".
  3. 93〜とき (tense inside the とき clause)"When…" — the tense of the verb before とき shows whether the とき action is complete relative to the main action.
  4. 94〜でございます / 〜でいらっしゃいます (polite copula)でございます = extra-polite (humble/丁重) form of です for the speaker's side or neutral things; でいらっしゃいます = respectful form of です for the listener / superior.
  5. 95〜んですが / 〜んですけど (prefacing a request or question)Introduces a situation before making a request, asking for advice, or seeking permission; softens the interaction.
  6. 96〜も (emphasising quantity) "as many as / even"After a number, も stresses that the amount is large; with negatives, that it is zero ("not even one").
  7. 97〜に (frequency and ratio) "per / times a…"Expresses how often something happens within a period.
  8. 98〜ことができる "can / be able to"Ability or possibility, equivalent to the potential form but more formal/explicit.
  9. 99〜なければならない / 〜なくてはいけない / 〜ないと (obligation forms)"must / have to". N4 tests recognising all variants and their contractions.
  10. 100〜さ (adjective → noun) "-ness"Turns an adjective into a noun expressing degree or measurable quality.

Lessons 101–110

  1. 101〜中 (ちゅう / じゅう) "during / throughout / all over"ちゅう = "in the middle of / during" (an activity or period); じゅう = "throughout the whole" (period or place).
  2. 102〜させてください "please let me"Asking permission to do something, framed as "make/let me do it".
  3. 103〜だろう / 〜でしょう (conjecture) "probably / I suppose"Speaker's guess about something uncertain; だろう is the plain form of でしょう. With rising intonation (でしょう？ / だろう？) it seeks agreement.
  4. 104〜こと (sentence-final instruction) "must / be sure to"A rule or instruction in written notices, school rules, and exam directions.
  5. 105〜かな / 〜かしら "I wonder…"Sentence-final particles expressing wondering or a soft question to oneself; かしら is traditionally feminine.
  6. 106〜がする "there is a (smell / sound / taste / feeling)"Perception through the senses: 音がする, においがする, 味がする, 気がする, 声がする.
  7. 107〜くする / 〜にする "make (something) …"Deliberately changing something's state (transitive counterpart of 〜くなる / 〜になる).
  8. 108〜ように (wish / prayer) "may … / I hope …"Expressing a hope or prayer, usually sentence-final, at shrines, New Year, and in cards.
  9. 109〜など / 〜なんか / 〜なんて "and so on / things like / such as"など = non-exhaustive example (neutral/written); なんか = casual, often belittling; なんて = casual, dismissive or surprised.
  10. 110〜てくれてありがとう / 〜てくださってありがとうございます "thank you for doing"Thanking someone for a specific action.

Lessons 111–112

  1. 111〜と (quoting content: と思う / と聞く / と書いてある / と読む)と marks the content of thoughts, speech, writing, hearing, or naming.
  2. 112Transitive / intransitive verb pairs (自動詞・他動詞)Japanese has paired verbs: the transitive (他動詞) takes an object with を and expresses someone doing the action; the intransitive (自動詞) takes が and expresses the change happening by itself. Choosing the right member of the pair is a core N4 skill.