Grammar
Look up any grammar point
Search Japanese grammar by pattern, meaning or what it lets you do. Every point links to a full explanation with real example sentences you can hear.
| Pattern | Meaning | Function | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜る／〜ますpresent | present & future (non-past) | Verb tense | Tense | |
| 〜た／〜ましたpast | past — did / was | Verb tense | Tense | |
| 〜ている／〜てるcontinuous | is doing (‑ing) | Verb tense | Tense | |
| は／がwa · ga | topic vs subject | Particle | N5 | |
| をwo · o | direct object marker | Particle | N5 | |
| にni | time & destination (に vs へ) | Particle | N5 | |
| でde | place of action & means | Particle | N5 | |
| のno | possessive ('s / of) | Particle | N5 | |
| と／やto · ya | and · with (full / partial list) | Particle | N5 | |
| もmo | also / too | Particle | N5 | |
| かka | question & “or” | Particle | N5 | |
| い／なadjectives | adjective conjugation (い & な) | Basics | N5 | |
| あります／いますarimasu · imasu | there is (things vs living) | Basics | N5 | |
| なるnaru | to become | Basics | N5 | |
| から／のでkara · node | because (+ から〜まで) | Connector | N5 | |
| でも／しかしdemo · shikashi | but / however | Connector | N5 | |
| けど／けれどもkedo · keredomo | but / although | Connector | N5 | |
| そして／それからsoshite · sorekara | and / and then | Connector | N5 | |
| 〜てはいけないte wa ikenai | must not | Obligation | N5 | |
| 〜なくてはいけないnakute wa ikenai | must / have to | Obligation | N5 | |
| 〜なくてもいいnakutemo ii | don't have to | Obligation | N5 | |
| 〜ないでnaide | without doing / please don't | Obligation | N5 | |
| 〜ほうがいいhou ga ii | had better | Obligation | N5 | |
| 〜たいtai | want to (do) | Wanting | N5 | |
| 〜が欲しいga hoshii | want (a thing) | Wanting | N5 | |
| 〜てくださいte kudasai | please do… | Requests | N5 | |
| 〜ましょうmashou | let's… | Invitations | N5 | |
| 〜が好きga suki | like | Liking | N5 | |
| 〜てもいいte mo ii | may / it's OK to | Permission | N5 | |
| 〜じゃないja nai · de wa nai | is not (negative copula) | Basics | N5 | |
| 〜くらい／ぐらいkurai · gurai | about / approximately | Quantity | N5 | |
| 〜ずつzutsu | each / little by little | Quantity | N5 | |
| 〜しか〜ないshika … nai | only / nothing but | Quantity | N5 | |
| 〜ませんかmasen ka | won't you / shall we | Invitations | N5 | |
| つもりtsumori | intend to / plan to | Intention | N5 | |
| 〜にするni suru | decide on / I'll have | Intention | N5 | |
| 〜はどうですかwa dou desu ka | how about / how is…? | Intention | N5 | |
| まえに／てからmae ni · te kara | before / after | Time | N5 | |
| 〜てあるte aru | resulting state (done on purpose) | Time | N5 | |
| ときtoki | when | Time | N5 | |
| 〜たことがあるta koto ga aru | have done before | Time | N5 | |
| 〜たり〜たりtari · tari | do such things as | Time | N5 | |
| 〜んです／〜のですn desu · no desu | explanatory ("the thing is…") | Nuance | N5 | |
| 〜だろう／〜でしょうdarou · deshou | probably / right? | Nuance | N5 | |
| ね／よ／なあne · yo · naa | sentence-ending particles | Nuance | N5 | |
| 〜より／〜ほうがyori · hou ga | comparison — X is more than Y | Comparison | N5 | |
| いちばん／一番ichiban | the most (superlative) | Comparison | N5 | |
| 〜が上手／下手jouzu · heta | good at / bad at | Skill | N5 | |
| 〜すぎるsugiru | too much | Degree | N5 | |
| 〜だけdake | only / just | Quantity | N5 | |
| もう／まだmou · mada | already / still / not yet | Adverb | N5 | |
| いつも／よく／ときどきfrequency | how often (always → never) | Adverb | N5 | |
| とても／すごくdegree | how much (very / not at all) | Adverb | N5 | |
| どうして／なぜ／なんでwhy | why (three registers) | Question | N5 | |
| どんな／どこ／だれquestion words | what / where / who (こそあど) | Question | N5 | |
| お／ごo · go | honorific prefix | Politeness | N5 | |
| 〜をくださいo kudasai | please give me… | Politeness | N5 | |
| 〜方kata | how to / the way of doing | Politeness | N5 |
No grammar point matches that. Try a reading, a meaning, or a function like “requests”.
More N5 points are on the way, and higher levels (N4 → N1) will land here as we add them.