Welcome to the grammar category on blog.gokigen.jp! Here, we break down Japanese grammar points in a way that’s easy for English speakers to follow, from the fundamentals to more advanced concepts.
Japanese grammar
Japanese grammar
Japanese grammar
level3 (N3)Nといえば (N to ieba): “Speaking of…” / “When you mention…”
Learn JLPT N3 grammar Nといえば (“speaking of / when you mention…”). Clear meaning, natural examples, common mistakes, and related patterns like NといえばNだ and Nといったら.
level2 (N4)V (short) + ことにしている: How to Say “Make it a Habit to …”
Learn V (short) + ことにしている to express “I make it a habit to …” in Japanese. Clear formation, nuance vs. ことにする / ことになる / ことになっている, natural examples, practice, and common mistakes.
level2 (N4)V (short) + ことにする: How to Say “Decide to do …” in Japanese
Learn V (short) + ことにする to express “decide to do …” in Japanese. Clear formation, nuance vs. ことになる and ことにしている, natural examples, practice prompts, and common mistakes—perfect for JLPT N4 learners.
level2 (N4)N のように / N のような: How to Say “Like N / Similar to N” in Japanese
Learn N のように (like N + verb/adj) and N のような (N-like + noun) to express similarity in Japanese. Clear rules, natural examples, common mistakes, and practice for JLPT N4 learners.
level2 (N4)V-stem + 方 (kata): How to Say “How to do ~” in Japanese
Learn V-stem + 方 (kata) to express “how to do ~” in Japanese: formation (ru/u/irregular), particle changes (を→の), への for destinations, natural request patterns, examples, practice, and common mistakes. Perfect for JLPT N4 learners.
level2 (N4)V/adj-て + も: How to Say “Even If …” in Japanese
Master V/adj-て + も to express “even if/ even though” in Japanese. Clear formation for verbs and adjectives (positive/negative), usage notes, contrast with のに and たら, natural examples, practice, and common mistakes.
level2 (N4)(short) + のに: How to Say “Even Though” in Japanese
Master (short) + のに to express “even though / despite” in Japanese. Clear rules, なのに with nouns/na-adjectives, natural examples, nuance tips, practice prompts, and common mistakes—perfect for JLPT N4 learners.
level2 (N4)V (present short) + まで: How to Say “Until …” in Japanese
Learn the pattern V (present short) + まで to say “until …” in Japanese. Clear rules, the まで vs までに difference, natural examples, practice prompts, and common mistakes—perfect for JLPT N4 learners.
level2 (N4)V-ば: If X is the case, then Y is/will be in the case
Learn how to use the conditional V-ば in Japanese: forms (affirmative/negative), common nuances, comparison with たら・なら・と, and beginner-friendly examples and practice. Perfect for JLPT N4 learners.
level2 (N4)Causative-Passive in Japanese: V-される／させられる and “(Forcee) は (Forcer) に V-される／させられる”
Learn how to say “be made to do ~” in Japanese with the causative-passive: V-される／させられる and the sentence frame “(Forcee) は (Forcer) に V-される／させられる.” Clear formation rules (ru/u/irregular), particle basics, natural examples, practice, and common mistakes.