Japanese Grammar List – Level 4 (JLPT N2 / CEFR B2)

Lesson 1 – Topics, Perspectives & Context / 話題・観点・文脈の提示

You learn how to introduce topics and perspectives, explain context, and set the scope of what you are talking about.

Grammar	Meaning
～において／～における	in; at; in the field of
～にあたって／～にあたり	on the occasion of; when doing
～に際さいして／～に際さいし／〜際さい(に)	at the time of; upon
～に先立さきだって／～に先立さきだち	prior to; in advance of
～をめぐって／～をめぐる	concerning; over (a disputed issue)
～に関かんして／～に関かんする	regarding; concerning
～上じょう／～上じょうの	from the standpoint of; in terms of
～にしては	considering that; for a ~
～はともかく（として）	setting aside; ~ aside
～はさておき	leaving ~ aside for now

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Lesson 2 – Basis, Correspondence & Means / 基準・関連・手段

You learn how to express the basis, standards, and conditions for something, as well as relationships, correspondence, and means.

Grammar	Meaning
～に基もとづいて／～に基もとづく	based on; on the basis of
～に沿そって／～に沿そった	in accordance with; along
～に応おうじて／～に応おうじた	in response to; depending on
～をもとに（して）	using ~ as material; on the basis of
～に従したがって／～に従したがい	in accordance with; following
～次第しだいだ／～次第しだいで	depends on; depending on
～向むけ／～向むき	aimed at / suited for
～を契機けいきに（して）	taking ~ as an opportunity
～にこたえて	in response to (a request, expectation)
～を通つうじて／～を通とおして	through; by way of; throughout
～を中心ちゅうしんに（して）	centering on; mainly

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Lesson 3 – Causes, Reasons & Grounds / 原因・理由・根拠

You learn how to explain causes and reasons, give grounds for an opinion, and show how one thing leads to another.

Grammar	Meaning
～ことから	from the fact that; judging from
～ことだから	because it is ~ (who/that we are talking about)
～だけに	precisely because; all the more because
～あまり（に）	out of too much ~
～以上いじょう（は）	now that; since
～からには	now that; if ~ then
～により／～による	due to; by (formal cause / agent)
～ばかりに	simply because ~ (with a bad result)
～せいか	perhaps because of
～につき	due to; per (formal notices)

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Lesson 4 – Timing, Sequence & Simultaneity / 時間・前後関係・同時

You learn how to describe precise timing, sequence, and simultaneous events, including what happens immediately before or after something else.

Grammar	Meaning
～たとたん（に）	the moment that ~
～か～ないかのうちに	no sooner than; almost at the same time
～次第しだい	as soon as (formal)
～た上うえで	after doing ~ (and on that basis)
～際さい（に）／～際さいは	when; on the occasion of
～最中さいちゅうに	right in the middle of ~ing
～てはじめて	only after ~ did I realize
～ぶり（に）	after an interval of ~
～きり	since ~ (and not since)
～かと思おもうと／～かと思おもったら	no sooner than; just when
～てからというもの	ever since ~ (a lasting change)
〜にわたって/わたり	over; throughout; across
〜てこのかた	ever since

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Lesson 5 – Change, Progression & Completion / 変化・進行・完遂

You learn how to describe ongoing changes, gradual developments, and actions that continue or are completed fully.

Grammar	Meaning
～つつある	be in the process of ~ing
～一方いっぽうだ	keep on ~ing (in one direction)
～ばかりだ	only get more and more ~
～につれて	as ~ progresses, so does …
～に伴ともなって／～に伴ともない	accompanying; along with
～とともに	together with; as ~ changes
～きる／～きれない	do completely / cannot do completely
～ぬく	do through to the very end (despite difficulty)
～通とおす	keep doing all the way through

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Lesson 6 – Conditions, Contrast & Concession / 条件・逆接・譲歩

You learn how to express conditions, assumptions, contrasts, and concessions, including “even if,” “although,” and “supposing that.”

Grammar	Meaning
～としたら／～とすれば／～とすると	supposing that; if we assume
～ないことには	unless ~, (nothing can happen)
～としても	even if; even supposing
～にしても／～にしろ／～にせよ	even if; even granting that
～にしても～にしても／～にせよ～にせよ	whether A or B
～ものの	although; and yet
～ながら（も）	although; despite
～つつ（も）	even while ~ing; although
～ものなら	if it were possible to ~
～たところで	even if ~, it would be useless
～くせに	even though (with blame or contempt)
～わりに（は）	considering; for
～に反はんして／～に反はんする	contrary to
～どころか	far from ~; on the contrary

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Lesson 7 – Irrelevance, Exclusion & Addition / 無関係・排除・添加

You learn how to express things that are unrelated to a condition, exclude or limit something, and add information or alternatives.

Grammar	Meaning
～にかかわらず／～にかかわりなく	regardless of
～もかまわず	without caring about
～を問とわず	regardless of; irrespective of
～はもちろん／～はもとより	not to mention; needless to say
～に限かぎらず	not limited to
～ばかりでなく	not only ~ but also
～上うえに	on top of; in addition
～に加くわえて／～に加くわえ	in addition to
～どころではない	this is no time for ~
～ぬきで／～ぬきに（して）	without; leaving out
～かわりに	instead of; in exchange for
～に代かわって／～に代かわり	on behalf of; in place of

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Lesson 8 – Limitation, Emphasis & Degree / 限定・強調・程度

You learn how to emphasize a point, express limits and degrees, and describe things such as “only,” “precisely,” “even,” and “as much as.”

Grammar	Meaning
～に限かぎる／～に限かぎって／～に限かぎり	~ is the best / of all times / only for ~
～こそ	it is precisely ~ that
～からこそ	precisely because
～てこそ	only by doing ~
～のみ／～のみならず	only / not only ~ but also
～に過すぎない	no more than; merely
～くらい／～ぐらい	to the extent that; about that much
～だけの	as much as; enough to
～まで（も）	even to the point of
～も～ば～も／～も～なら～も	both ~ and ~
～やら～やら	things like ~ and ~ (and it’s a lot)

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Lesson 9 – Inference, Judgment & Certainty / 推量・判断・確信

You learn how to express strong guesses, judgments, and degrees of certainty, from “probably” to “there is no way.”

Grammar	Meaning
～に違ちがいない／～に相違そういない	must be; I’m sure that
～に決きまっている	surely; it’s obvious that
～かねない	might well ~ (something undesirable)
～おそれがある	there is a risk that
～わけがない	there’s no way that
～かのようだ／～かのように	as if; just like
～とみえる／～とみられる	it appears that; is regarded as
～ものと思おもわれる	it is thought that (formal)
～としか思おもえない	I can only think that
～ないとも限かぎらない	it’s not impossible that

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Lesson 10 – Emotion, Evaluation & Feelings / 感情・評価・心情

You learn how to express strong feelings, emotional reactions, evaluations, and the sense that something is worth doing.

Grammar	Meaning
～てたまらない	unbearably; can’t stand
～てしかたがない／～てしょうがない	can’t help feeling ~
～てならない	can’t help but feel ~ (naturally arising)
～ずにはいられない／～ないではいられない	can’t help but do
～ことか	how ~ it is!
～ことに（は）	to one’s surprise / delight / regret
～ものだ	how ~! / used to / one should
～ものがある	there is something ~ about it
～かいがある／～がいがある	it is worth ~ing
～に越こしたことはない	there’s nothing better than ~

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Lesson 11 – Obligation, Necessity & (Im)possibility / 義務・必要・可能／不可能

You learn how to express necessity, obligation, and situations where something is impossible or there is no choice but to do it.

Grammar	Meaning
～ざるを得えない	have no choice but to
～わけにはいかない／～ないわけにはいかない	can’t afford to / can’t not do
～ほかない／～よりほかない	there is nothing to do but
～しかない	have no option but to
～ようがない／～ようもない	there is no way to
～かねる	cannot (politely decline)
～得える／～得えない	can / cannot possibly
～ことはない	there is no need to
～ものではない	one shouldn’t (general principle)
～て当然とうぜんだ／～て当あたり前まえだ	it’s only natural that

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Lesson 12 – Purpose, Will & Assertion / 目的・意志・主張

You learn how to express purposes, intentions, strong determination, proposals, and firm statements about what you will or will not do.

Grammar	Meaning
～には	in order to do ~, (you need …)
～に向むけて／～に向むけた／〜向むけ	toward (a goal or date)
～を目指めざして	aiming at
～てでも	even by ~ing (I will)
～（よ）うではないか	let’s ~ (strong proposal)
～てみせる	I’ll show you; I will definitely
～ものか／～もんか	I’ll never ~! (strong refusal)
～つもりで	with the intention of; as if
～こととする／～こととなる	it is hereby decided that (formal)

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Lesson 13 – Connecting Sentences / 文と文をつなぐ表現

You learn how to connect sentences and ideas smoothly, including contrast, addition, cause and effect, clarification, and summary.

Grammar	Meaning
一方いっぽう（で）／反面はんめん	on the other hand; while
それに対たいして	in contrast to that
ところが	however (contrary to expectation)
それにしても	even so; all the same
そのうえ／さらに／おまけに	moreover; furthermore
したがって	therefore (formal)
そこで	so; with that, (I did …)
すると	thereupon; then
ただし	however; provided that
もっとも	that said; although
なお／ちなみに	in addition (a note) / incidentally
つまり／要ようするに	in other words / in short

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Lesson 14 – Written Language, Formal Expressions & Keigo / 書き言葉・改まった表現・敬語

You learn formal and written Japanese, including expressions used in formal writing, objective descriptions, and polite and honorific language.

Grammar	Meaning
～（さ）せていただく	humbly do (with permission)
お／ご～いただく	receive the favor of your ~ing
～ておられる	honorific of ～ている
～でございます	polite/formal equivalent of ～です
～と存ぞんじます	I believe / I think (humble)
～とされている／～と言いわれている	is held to be / is said to be
～という／～といった	such as; of the sort
～であり、／～であるが	formal linking of ～である
～化かする／～的てき（な）／～性せい	noun-building suffixes
～に見みられる／～が見みられる	can be observed in (objective description)

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Would you like to review the previous level? Please see: Japanese Grammar List – Level 3 (JLPT N3 / CEFR B1)