Study 71 essential JLPT N4 grammar patterns, organized into Lessons 1–12 for CEFR A2 / Level 2 learners, with full lesson links, examples, and explanations.
Need to review the basics? Start with our
JLPT N5 Grammar List.
After finishing this page, continue with the
JLPT N3 Grammar List.
- Lesson 1 – Potential Verbs, Reasons & Frequency
- Lesson 2 – Want N, Vてほしい & Hope といい
- Lesson 3 – Intention, Preparation & Suggestion
- Lesson 4 – あげる/くれる/もらう & Vて Favors
- Lesson 5 – Hearsay そう/って, Condition たら & みたい
- Lesson 6 – 尊敬語 Special Verbs & Respectful Requests
- Lesson 7 – Humble おVする & Timing ところ/ばかり
- Lesson 8 – When/If, Without V, While V & Easy/Hard
- Lesson 9 – Transitive/Intransitive verb & Regret/Relief
- Lesson 10 – Passive, Vてある, 間に & Before/After
- Lesson 11 – Commands, Causative & Causative-Passive
- Lesson 12 – If ば, Until まで, のに/ても & V方
Lesson 1 – Potential Verbs, Reasons & Frequency
Express ability (potential verbs), list reasons (～し), say “looks/seems” (～そう), try actions (Vてみる), set conditions (～なら), and state frequency (period に ×回).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1-a | 可能動詞 | Potential verbs |
| 1-1-b | (period) に (frequency) | (frequency) in (period) |
| 1-2-a | (short) + し、(short) + し | (reason 1) and (reason 2) |
| 1-2-b | Adj-stem + そうです | It looks like… |
| 1-3-a | V-て + みる | Try ~ing |
| 1-3-b | (short) + なら | When it comes to ~ |
Lesson 2 – Want N, Vてほしい & Hope といい
Want nouns (Nがほしい), want someone to do (Vてほしい), hope (～といい), use indefinites (何か／どこか etc.), make polite requests (Vていただけませんか), and qualify nouns with clauses.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1-a | Nがほしい | I want N |
| 2-1-b | V-て + ほしい | I want (someone) to do ~ |
| 2-2-a | (present short) + といい | I hope that ~ |
| 2-2-b | 何か・何も / どこかに・どこにも | something, not …anything / somewhere, not…anywhere |
| 2-3-a | V-て + いただけませんか | Could you please ~ |
| 2-3-b | (sentence) + N | Qualify nouns with sentences |
Lesson 3 – Intention, Preparation & Suggestion
State intention with volitional (〜よう/ましょう) or volitional + と思っています, say you’ll prep with Vておく, and give advice with Vたらどうですか.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 3-1-a | 意志形 | Volitional form |
| 3-1-b | V-て + おく | do ~ in preparation / leave something undone |
| 3-2-a | V(volitional) +と思っています | thinking of doing~ |
| 3-2-b | V-た + らどうですか | Why don’t you ~? |
Lesson 4 – あげる/くれる/もらう & Vて Favors
Use あげる・くれる・もらう for giving/receiving, their Vて forms for favors, and say thanks (Vてくれてありがとう) or apologies (Vてすみませんでした).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 4-1-a | あげる / もらう | give / receive |
| 4-1-b | くれる | give |
| 4-2-a | V-て + あげる/もらう | giving/receiving actions |
| 4-2-b | V-て + くれる | (someone) does the favor of ~ |
| 4-3-a | V-て + くれてありがとう | Thank you for doing ~ |
| 4-3-b | V-て + すみませんでした | Sorry for doing ~ |
Lesson 5 – Hearsay そう/って, Condition たら & みたい
Report hearsay (～そう／って), set conditions (～たら), say “don’t have to” (～なくてもいい), and show appearance (～みたい) or possibility (～かもしれません).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-1-a | (short) + そうです | I hear that ~ |
| 5-1-b | (short) + って | I hear that ~ (casual) |
| 5-2-a | V/adj-た + ら | if ~ |
| 5-2-b | V-なくて + もいいです | do not have to ~ |
| 5-3-a | (short) + みたいです | It appears that ~ |
| 5-3-b | (short) + かもしれません | It might be that ~ |
Lesson 6 – 尊敬語 Special Verbs & Respectful Requests
Use honorifics—special verbs (召し上がる, ご覧になる, おっしゃる), おV-になる, Vていらっしゃいます—make respectful requests (お/ごVください), emphasize info (Vのが～です), and state purpose (NはVのに使う).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 6-1-a | 特別な尊敬動詞 | special honorific verbs |
| 6-1-b | お + V(stem) + になる | honorific expressions of other verbs |
| 6-2-a | V-て + いらっしゃいます | honorific expressions of ongoing actions |
| 6-2-b | お（ご）+ V(stem) + ください | Please do ~ (respectful advice) |
| 6-3-a | V(short) のは Adj/N です | It is Adj/N that… |
| 6-3-b | N は V(short) のに使う | use N for …ing |
Lesson 7 – Humble おVする & Timing ところ/ばかり
Use humble forms—general おV-する & special verbs (いただく, さしあげる, うかがう)—and express timing with Vところ (about to / in progress / just done) & Vたばかり (just did).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 7-1-a | 謙遜丁重表現（自分） | Extra-modest Expressions (for oneself) |
| 7-1-b | 謙遜丁重表現（自分の身内） | Extra-modest Expressions (for ones inner circle) |
| 7-2-a | お+ V(stem) +する | Humble Expressions |
| 7-2-b | いただく / さしあげる / うかがう | Special Humble Expressions |
| 7-3-a | V(short) + ところ | about to do/have just done… |
| 7-3-b | V-た + ばかり | have just done… |
Lesson 8 – When/If, Without V, While V & Easy/Hard
Use ～時／～と for “when/if,” say “without” (～ないで) or “while” (～ながら), mark ease/difficulty (Vやすい／にくい), name things (NというN), and ask indirect questions (～か／かどうか).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 8-1-a | (Sentence 1) + 時、(Sentence 2) | When (Sentence 1), (Sentence 2) |
| 8-1-b | (short/present) + と | Constant results and actual conditions |
| 8-2-a | V-ない + で | without ~ing |
| 8-2-b | V(stem) + ながら | while ~ing |
| 8-3-a | V(stem) + やすい | easy to do ~ |
| 8-3-b | V(stem) + にくい | hard to do ~ |
| 8-4-a | N1というN2 | N2 called/named N1 |
| 8-4-b | (short) + か/かどうか | whether/if ~ |
Lesson 9 – Transitive/Intransitive verb & Regret/Relief
Describe states with trans./intrans. Vている, show completion & regret (Vてしまう / Vばよかった), relief (Vてよかった), and certainty (～はずです).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 9-1 | 有対動詞 / 有対動詞＋ている | Transitive verbs and Intransitive verbs + ている |
| 9-2-a | V-て + しまう | have done / regrettably do ~ |
| 9-2-b | V-ば + よかったです | should have done ~ |
| 9-3-a | V-て + よかったです | I am glad that ~ |
| 9-3-b | (short) + はずです | I am sure that ~ |
Lesson 10 – Passive, Vてある, 間に & Before/After
Use passive voice (～れる/られる), describe prepared states (Vてある), say “while” (~間に), make things Adjく/にする, and sequence actions with V前に / Vた後で.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 10-1 | V-れる/られる, (Doee) は (Doer) に V-れる/られる | Passive form, (Doee) is ~ed by (Doer) |
| 10-2-a | V-て + ある | ~ has been done in preparation |
| 10-2-b | V(short) + 間に | while ~ |
| 10-3-a | い-adj ＋くする / な-adj＋にする | make something ~ |
| 10-3-b | V(present short) + 前に / V(past short) + 後で | before/after ~doing |
Lesson 11 – Commands, Causative & Causative-Passive
Give commands (Vなさい / imperative), use causative to make or let others act (～せる/させる + させてあげる/くれる/もらう), and describe being forced with causative-passive (～される/させられる).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 11-1-a | V(stem) + なさい | Do ~ |
| 11-1-b | 命令形 | imperative form |
| 11-2 | V-せる/させる, (Causer) は (Causee) に V-せる/させる | Causative form, (Causer) makes (Causee) do ~ |
| 11-3 | V(causative)-て + あげる/くれる/もらう, 使役文 + あげる/くれる/もらう | Causative sentences |
| 11-4 | V-される/させられる, (Forcee) は (Forcer) に V-される/させられる | Causative-passive form, (Forcee) is made to do ~ by (Forcer) |
Lesson 12 – If ば, Until まで, のに/ても & V方
Use V-ば (If ~), until ～まで, concessions (～のに / ても), say “how to do ~” (V + 方), compare (Nのように/な), and state decisions (Vことにする) or habits (Vことにしている).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 12-1-a | V-ば | If ~ |
| 12-1-b | V(present short) + まで | Until ~ |
| 12-2-a | (short) + のに | Even though ~ |
| 12-2-b | V/adj-て + も | Even if ~ |
| 12-3-a | V(stem) + 方 | How to do ~ |
| 12-3-b | N のように/のような | do/be like N |
| 12-4-a | V(short) + ことにする | decide to do ~ |
| 12-4-b | V(short) + ことにしている | make it a habit to do ~ |
Want to take it to the next level? Check this out: Japanese Grammar List – Level 3 (JLPT N3 / CEFR B1)