Level 1 is designed for complete beginners. By mastering the grammar points below, you will be able to exchange simple greetings, ask and answer basic questions, and describe everyday objects or routines. These skills align with JLPT N5 and CEFR A1 standards, giving you a solid foundation for real-world communication and future study.
- Lesson 0 – Hiragana, Katakana & Greetings
- Lesson 1 – Numbers, Time & Self-Introduction Sentences
- Lesson 2 – This/That/Where & Whose?
- Lesson 3 – ru/u/irregular Verbs & Time Talk
- Lesson 4 – There is/are, Past Tense & Adverbs
- Lesson 5 – い/な Adjectives, Likes & Skills
- Lesson 6 – Te-form: Requests, Links & Permissions
- Lesson 7 – Let’s Forms, Features & Purpose ni iku
- Lesson 8 – Short [Plain] Forms, は vs が & く/になる
- Lesson 9 – Think, Report, Don’t V & Verb-の
- Lesson 10 – Reasons, Experiences & Obligations
- Lesson 11 – Comparisons, もう/まだ & の/で
- Lesson 12 – Want, Too Much, たり & Predictions
Lesson 0 – Hiragana, Katakana & Greetings
Read & write Hiragana/Katakakana, recognise starter Kanji, and greet with こんにちは・ありがとう.
Lesson 1 – Numbers, Time & Self-Introduction Sentences
Introduce yourself, build simple sentences (desu / janai desu / desu ka), use wa・no・mo, talk in past (deshita), and handle numbers & time.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1-a | すうじ | numbers |
| 1-1-b | じかん | time |
| 1-2-a | N1 は N2 です | N1 is N2 |
| 1-2-b | 助詞「の」 | particle の |
| 1-3-a | N1 は N2 ですか | Is N1 N2? |
| 1-3-b | N1 は N2 じゃないです | N1 is not N2 |
| 1-4-a | N1 も N2 です | N1 is also N2 |
| 1-4-b | N1 は N2 でした | N1 was N2 |
Lesson 2 – This/That/Where & Whose?
Point to things (kore/sore/are) and places (koko/soko), use kono/sono + noun, ask “whose?” with dare no, and handle basic shopping & location questions.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1-a | これ / それ / あれ / どれ | this / that / which one |
| 2-1-b | ここ / そこ / あそこ / どこ | here / there / over there / where |
| 2-2-a | この / その / あの / どの + N | this / that / which + N |
| 2-2-b | だれの + N | whose N |
Lesson 3 – ru/u/irregular Verbs & Time Talk
Describe daily activities with common ru-/u-/irregular verbs, use the right particles (incl. mo), and add time expressions to talk about your routine.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 3-1-a | ル動詞 | ru-verbs |
| 3-1-b | ウ動詞 | u-verbs |
| 3-1-c | 不規則動詞 | irregular verbs |
| 3-2-a | 助詞 も | particle も |
| 3-2-b | 助詞を使う / 使わない時間表現 | time expressions with/without particles |
Lesson 4 – There is/are, Past Tense & Adverbs
Say what exists where with あります・います, count with counters, use verbs in past tense, add adverbs for frequency/amount, link nouns/people with と, and describe locations around you.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 4-1-a | Nがあります/います | There is / There are N |
| 4-1-b | Nが X人/個 あります/います | There is/are X N |
| 4-2-a | 動詞の過去形 | Past tense of verbs |
| 4-2-b | 副詞（頻度, 時間, 量） | Adverbs (frequency, duration, quantity) |
| 4-3-a | 助詞「と」 | Particle と |
| 4-3-b | 場所の表現 | Expressing locations |
Lesson 5 – い/な Adjectives, Likes & Skills
Describe people & things with い-/な-adjectives (present & past), modify nouns with them, and talk about likes, dislikes, and abilities.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-1-a | な形容詞 | な-adjectives |
| 5-1-b | い形容詞 | い-adjectives |
| 5-2-a | 形容詞の過去形 | Past tense of adjectives |
| 5-2-b | 形容詞＋名詞 | Adj + N |
| 5-3-a | 好きな / きらいな | like / dislike |
| 5-3-b | 上手な / 下手な | good at / bad at |
Lesson 6 – Te-form: Requests, Links & Permissions
Use te-form to make requests (てください), link actions, give permission (てもいいです), forbid actions (てはいけません), and describe ongoing actions/states (ています).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 6-1-a | V-て + ください | Please do ~ |
| 6-1-b | V1-て、V2 | V1 and V2 |
| 6-2-a | V-て + もいいです | It is okay to do ~ |
| 6-2-b | V-て + はいけません | must not do ~ |
| 6-3 | V-て + いる（動作の継続 / 結果の継続） | Ongoing action / Ongoing result |
Lesson 7 – Let’s Forms, Features & Purpose ni iku
Invite or offer help (Vましょう/ませんか/ましょうか), describe features (N1はN2がAdj + te-form links), and state purpose of movement (V-stem に 行く/来る).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 7-1 | V(stem) + ましょう / ましょうか | Let do ~ / Shall we do ~? | Shall I ~? |
| 7-2-a | N1 は N2 が Adj です | As for N1, N2 is Adj |
| 7-2-b | 形容詞/名詞 のテ形 | Adjective/noun te-forms |
| 7-3-a | V(stem) + に行く/来る | go/come to do ~ |
| 7-3-b | V(stem) + ませんか | Why do not we ~? |
Lesson 8 – Short [Plain] Forms, は vs が & く/になる
Speak in short forms (plain forms), pick は vs が correctly, and describe changes with ～く/になる.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 8-1 | 短形（動詞） | 短形動詞を使ったカジュアル表現 | Short forms (Verbs) | Informal speech using verb short forms |
| 8-2 | 短形（形容詞と名詞） | 短形形容詞/名詞を使ったカジュアル表現 | Short forms (Adjectives & nouns) | Informal speech using adjective/noun short forms |
| 8-3-a | 過去形の短形（動詞） | Past tense short forms (verbs) |
| 8-3-b | 過去形の短形（形容詞と名詞） | Past tense short forms (Adjectives & nouns) |
| 8-4-a | 主格助詞「は」vs「が」 | The subject particles は vs が |
| 8-4-b | い-Adj + くなる / な-adj + になる | become ~ |
Lesson 9 – Think, Report, Don’t V & Verb-の
Share opinions (～と思います), report what others said (～と言っていました), ask “please don’t” (Vないでください), and nominalize actions with V+の.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 9-1-a | (short) + と思います | I think that ~ |
| 9-1-b | (short) + と言っていました | (Person) said that ~ |
| 9-2-a | V-ない + でください | Please do not ~ |
| 9-2-b | V(short) + の | Nominalizing verbs with の |
Lesson 10 – Reasons, Experiences & Obligations
Explain reasons (から・ので・んです), share experiences (Vたことがある), give advice (Vたほうがいい), and state obligations (Vなければ／なきゃいけません).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 10-1-a | (short) + から | Because ~ |
| 10-1-b | (short) + んです | In fact / Actually, ~ |
| 10-2-a | (short) + ので | Because ~ |
| 10-2-b | V-なければ/なきゃ + いけません | must do ~ |
| 10-3-a | V-た + ことがある | have the experience of ~ |
| 10-3-b | V-た + ほうがいいです | should do ~ |
Lesson 11 – Comparisons, もう/まだ & の/で
Compare items (のほうが〜より / いちばん), say already / not yet (もう Vた / まだ Vていない), replace nouns with の, qualify nouns with verb clauses, and indicate means with で.
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 11-1-a | N1のほうがN2より ～ | N1 is more ~ than N2 |
| 11-1-b | N1の中でN2がいちばん ～ | N1 is the most ~ among N2 |
| 11-2-a | Adj/N(short) + の | replacing previously mentioned nouns |
| 11-2-b | V(short) + N | Qualifying nouns with verbs |
| 11-3-a | もうV-ました / まだV-ていません | have already done / have not yet done~ |
| 11-3-b | 手段・道具の助詞「で」 | The means/instrument particle で |
Lesson 12 – Want, Too Much, たり & Predictions
Say what you want (Vたい), note excess (〜すぎる), stress quantity (〜も/しか), list actions (たりたり), state intentions (〜つもりだ), and make predictions (でしょう).
| Grammar | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 12-1-a | V/adj(stem) + すぎる | too much ~ |
| 12-1-b | V(stem) + たい | I want to ~ |
| 12-2-a | Number + も/しか | as many as / as few as |
| 12-2-b | V1-たり V2-たりする | do such things as V1 and V2 |
| 12-3-a | V(short) + つもりだ | intend to ~ |
| 12-3-b | (short) + でしょう | expressing guess/prediction |
Want to take it to the next level? Check this out: Japanese Grammar List – Level 2 (JLPT N4 / CEFR A2)