漢字城 Kanji Fortress

JLPT N4 grammar

All 172 N4 grammar points, in the order Kanji Fortress teaches them. Each page explains the pattern in English and Japanese, shows how it is formed, and ends with a quick check.

N4 is the second level of the JLPT. Its kanji cover everyday life beyond the basics: common verbs and adjectives, family, school, work, travel and the seasons.

  1. ～ばif (general/hypothetical conditional)
  2. ～ならif (given that / regarding); contextual conditional based on what was just said
  3. ～と (conditional)whenever / if (A always naturally leads to B)
  4. ～られる (passive)passive voice (ichidan/する/くる verbs): be done (to)
  5. ～れる (passive)passive voice (godan verbs): be done (to)
  6. ～させるcausative (ichidan/する/くる): make or let someone do
  7. ～せるcausative (godan): make or let someone do
  8. ～させられるcausative-passive: be made to do (often unwillingly)
  9. ～える (potential)potential (godan): can do / be able to do
  10. ～よう (volitional)volitional (ichidan/する/くる): let's / I'll (intention)
  11. ～おう (volitional)volitional (godan): let's / I'll (intention)
  12. ～ようとするto try to do / to attempt / to be about to
  13. ～はずだshould be / ought to be / it is expected that
  14. ～はずがないcannot be / there's no way that / it's impossible that
  15. ～そうだ（伝聞）I heard that / they say that / reportedly
  16. ～ようだit seems / it appears / it looks like
  17. ～みたいだit looks like / it seems like (casual) / like
  18. ～らしいit seems / apparently / I heard (and so it seems)
  19. ～ために（原因・理由）because of / due to / on account of
  20. ～ように（目的）so that / in order that (for a non-volitional outcome)
  21. ～てしまうto finish completely / to end up doing (often with regret)
  22. ～ちゃう／～じゃうto end up doing / to finish (casual contraction of てしまう)
  23. ～ておくto do in advance / to do something and leave it (as preparation)
  24. ～てあるhas been done (resultant state from an intentional action)
  25. ～ていくto continue/go on doing (change continuing into the future); to do and go away
  26. ～てくるhas been doing / has come to (change from the past up to now); to do and then come (here)
  27. ～ところだ（about to）to be about to do (just before the action)
  28. ～ているところだ（in the middle）to be in the middle of doing
  29. ～たところだ（just finished）to have just finished doing
  30. ～たばかりjust did (something happened recently, from the speaker's feeling)
  31. ～し～しand (listing reasons/qualities, often implying 'and on top of that')
  32. ～のに（目的）for (the purpose of); used for (doing something)
  33. ～ように言うto tell/ask someone to do something (indirect instruction)
  34. ～てほしいto want someone (else) to do something
  35. 〜させてくださいPlease let me (do) / please allow me to
  36. 〜ないでWithout doing / don't do (and...)
  37. 〜ずにWithout doing (more formal/written)
  38. 〜かどうかWhether or not / if
  39. 〜というCalled / named / that says (introduces a name or content)
  40. 〜ことは〜がIt's true that... but / sure, ... but
  41. 〜わけではないIt doesn't mean that / it's not the case that
  42. 〜わけにはいかないCan't afford to / can't (for social/moral reasons)
  43. 〜ざるを得ないHave no choice but to / cannot help but
  44. 〜に違いないMust be / no doubt / I'm sure that
  45. 〜おかげでThanks to / owing to (positive cause)
  46. 〜せいでBecause of / due to (negative cause / blame)
  47. ～とおりas; in the way that; just like
  48. ～最中にin the middle of; right in the midst of (doing)
  49. ～たとたんthe moment (that); as soon as; just as
  50. ～次第as soon as; depending on
  51. ～うちにwhile; before (a state changes)
  52. ～間にduring; while (within a span of time)
  53. ～ついでにwhile you're at it; on the occasion of (doing one thing, also do another)
  54. お～になるhonorific verb form (respectful, raising the subject)
  55. お～するhumble verb form (lowering oneself to show respect)
  56. ～ていただくto receive the favor of (someone) doing ~ (humble form of ～てもらう)
  57. ～てさしあげるto (humbly) do ~ for someone (humble form of ～てあげる)
  58. ～ことはないThere is no need to / no reason to (do)
  59. ～っぽい-ish / seems like / has the tendency or quality of
  60. ～がちTend to / be prone to / often (usually undesirable)
  61. ～気味A touch of / slightly / a bit (showing a slight tendency)
  62. ～てみるTry doing (something) / do and see what happens
  63. ～ことにしているMake it a rule/habit to (do) / make a point of doing
  64. ～ことになっているIt is a rule/arrangement that / it is scheduled/expected that
  65. ～てくださる(Someone of higher status) does (something) for me (honorific)
  66. ～ていただけるCould you (kindly) do (something)? (polite request)
  67. ～てすみませんI'm sorry for (doing) / sorry that I did
  68. ～ことがあるThere are times when / sometimes (it) happens that
  69. ～ままAs it is / leaving (something) as it is / in an unchanged state
  70. ～っけWhat was it again? / Wasn't it...? (trying to recall)
  71. ～ことだShould / had better (advice, recommendation)
  72. ～べきだShould / ought to / must (obligation, the right thing to do)
  73. ～べきではないShould not / ought not to (it is wrong/improper to do)
  74. ～ようにしているMake a point of / try to (as an ongoing habit/effort)
  75. ～ようになっているIs set up so that / is designed/arranged so that (mechanism, rule)
  76. ～てたまらないUnbearably / can't stand / extremely (emotion or sensation)
  77. ～てならないCan't help feeling / naturally feel so strongly
  78. ～てしょうがないCan't help it / extremely / unbearably (colloquial)
  79. ～かけるTo half-do / be in the middle of / be about to do
  80. ～はじめるTo begin to / start doing
  81. ～おわるTo finish doing
  82. ～つづけるto continue doing; to keep on doing
  83. ～だすto suddenly start doing; to burst out doing
  84. ～なおすto redo; to do over again (properly)
  85. ～きるto do completely; to finish entirely; to do thoroughly
  86. ～すぎるto do too much; to be excessively (verb)
  87. ～にくいhard to do; difficult to do
  88. ～やすいeasy to do; tends to do easily
  89. ～がたいhard to do; difficult to (formal/literary)
  90. ～かたway/method of doing; how to do
  91. ～ようとしないrefuses to do; won't (even) try to do
  92. ～ことはできないcannot do; it is not possible to do
  93. ～わけだthat's why; no wonder; it follows that; that means
  94. ～わけがないthere's no way; it's impossible that
  95. ～ということだit means that; I heard that (hearsay)
  96. ～というのはthe thing called; what ... means is
  97. ～としてas; in the role/capacity of
  98. ～についてabout; concerning; regarding
  99. ～にとってfor; to (from the standpoint of)
  100. ～に対してtoward; against; in contrast to
  101. ～によってby (means/agent); due to; depending on
  102. ～によるとaccording to (a source)
  103. ～ばいいshould; it's good if; just need to
  104. ～たらいいshould; it would be good if
  105. ～ないとhave to; must (casual)
  106. ～なきゃhave to / must (casual)
  107. ～てもかまわないit's fine even if / I don't mind if
  108. ～かわりにinstead of / in place of / in exchange for
  109. ～だけでなくnot only... but also
  110. ～ばかりでなくnot only... but also (more formal)
  111. ～さえeven (emphasis)
  112. ～さえ～ばif only / as long as (just this one condition)
  113. ～ほどto the extent that / so... that
  114. ～ほど～ないnot as... as / not to the extent of
  115. ～くらい／ぐらいabout / approximately; to the degree of
  116. ～ばかりonly / nothing but
  117. ～ようがないthere's no way to / it's impossible to
  118. ～ことからbecause of; judging from the fact that
  119. ～上で（～うえで）after doing; upon; in the process of / in terms of
  120. ～たびにevery time; whenever; each time
  121. ～ごとにevery; each; at intervals of
  122. ～ずつeach; apiece; at a time; little by little
  123. ～向き（～むき）suitable for; facing; oriented toward
  124. ～向け（～むけ）aimed at; intended for; designed for
  125. ～っぱなしleaving (something) as is; keep doing without stopping
  126. ～きれないcannot do completely; too much to finish
  127. ～てからでないとnot until after; unless you first do
  128. ～にしたがってas; in accordance with; following
  129. ～につれてas; along with; in proportion to
  130. ～とともにtogether with; along with; as
  131. ～一方でon the other hand; while; meanwhile
  132. ～反面on the other hand; while (on the contrary)
  133. ～ときwhen; at the time of
  134. ～までにby (a deadline); before (a time)
  135. ～がるto show signs of (a feeling); to appear to feel
  136. ～たがる(third person) wants to / shows signs of wanting to do
  137. ～なければいけないmust; have to (often a specific, personal obligation)
  138. ～なくてはいけないmust; have to
  139. ～てやるto do (something) for someone of lower status / casually; (sometimes) defiant 'I'll show them'
  140. ～てくれない？Could you ~? / Won't you do ~ for me? (casual request)
  141. ～なさいDo ~ (gentle/firm command, typically to subordinates or children)
  142. 命令形Imperative form — Do! (strong, direct command)
  143. ～な (prohibition)Don't ~ (strong negative command / prohibition)
  144. ～こと (nominalizer)The act of ~ / ~ing (turns a verb/clause into a noun)
  145. ～さ (nominalizer)-ness (turns an adjective into a noun expressing degree/quality)
  146. ～ようと思うto be thinking of doing; to plan to do
  147. ～予定だto be scheduled/planned to do
  148. ～つもりだto intend to; to plan to
  149. ～といい / ～たらいいI hope (that)...; it would be good if...
  150. ～ばよかったshould have done; I wish I had done
  151. ～てよかったI'm glad that...; it was good that...
  152. ～みたいに / みたいなlike; similar to (casual)
  153. ～ように / ようなlike; as; similar to
  154. ～そうに / そうなseeming; looking like (modifying form of 様態 そうだ)
  155. ～たがっているshows signs of wanting to do (third person)
  156. ～などsuch as; things like; and so on; etc.
  157. ～とか～とかsuch as ... and ... (listing representative examples)
  158. ～しか～ないonly / nothing but (limitation with a negative)
  159. ～は～が、～は (contrast)as for A... but as for B... (contrast)
  160. ～と～と、どちらがbetween A and B, which (one)...?
  161. ～ば～ほどthe more... the more...
  162. ～ていたwas doing (past continuous) / had done (past completed state)
  163. ～づらいhard/painful to do (difficult due to physical or psychological strain)
  164. 自動詞・他動詞intransitive vs transitive verbs
  165. ～ていただけませんかcould you please ...? (polite/humble request)
  166. お～くださいplease do ~ (honorific request)
  167. ～と言われているit is said that ~ / people say that ~
  168. ～場合はin the case of / in the event that ~
  169. ～に気がつくto notice / to realize ~
  170. ～に見えるto look / appear (to be) ~
  171. ～に / ～く（副詞化）-ly (turning an adjective into an adverb)
  172. ～にする / ～くするto make it ~ (cause a change of state intentionally)