漢字城 Kanji Fortress

JLPT N5 grammar

All 120 N5 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.

N5 is the first level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Its kanji are the ones beginners meet first: numbers, days and time, people, directions and the basic words of signs and textbooks.

  1. ～は～ですA is B (affirmative copula)
  2. ～は～じゃありませんA is not B (negative copula)
  3. はtopic marker (as for ~)
  4. がsubject marker
  5. をdirect object marker
  6. にdirection/destination, time, location of existence, indirect object
  7. へdirection marker (toward)
  8. でlocation of action; means/method
  9. とwith (together); and (exhaustive list)
  10. のpossessive / noun-modifying marker (~'s, of ~)
  11. もalso / too / as well
  12. からfrom (starting point); because (reason)
  13. までuntil / up to / as far as (endpoint of time, place, or extent)
  14. よりthan (marks the standard of comparison)
  15. かquestion marker (turns a statement into a question)
  16. ねright? / isn't it? (seeking confirmation or agreement)
  17. よI'm telling you / you know (emphasis, asserting new information)
  18. 何what (interrogative pronoun)
  19. だれwho (interrogative pronoun)
  20. いつwhen (interrogative for time)
  21. どこwhere (interrogative for place)
  22. どうhow / what about / in what way
  23. どうしてwhy / for what reason
  24. いくつhow many / how old (age)
  25. いくらHow much? (asking price/amount)
  26. でもBut; however (sentence-initial conjunction)
  27. けどBut; although (clause-connecting)
  28. だからTherefore; so (cause-and-result conjunction)
  29. そしてAnd; and then (adding/sequencing conjunction)
  30. それからAnd then; after that (sequence/addition)
  31. ～い→～かったi-adjective past tense (was/were ...)
  32. ～い→～くないi-adjective negative (is not ...)
  33. ～な→～だったna-adjective past tense (was/were ...)
  34. ～な→～じゃないna-adjective negative (is not ...)
  35. ～ますPolite present/future (non-past) verb ending
  36. ～ませんPolite negative (non-past) verb ending
  37. ～ましたpolite past tense (did ~)
  38. ～ませんでしたpolite past negative (did not ~)
  39. ～ましょうlet's ~ / shall we ~
  40. ～て（te-form）and / and then (connective te-form)
  41. ～ているis doing / is in a state of
  42. ～てくださいplease do ~ (polite request)
  43. ～ないでくださいplease don't do ~
  44. ～てもいいmay / it's okay to ~ (permission)
  45. ～てはいけないmust not / may not ~ (prohibition)
  46. ～てもeven if / even though ~
  47. ～なくてもいいdon't have to / need not ~
  48. ～なければならないmust / have to ~ (obligation)
  49. ～たいwant to (do)
  50. ～たくないdon't want to (do)
  51. ～がほしいwant (something / a thing)
  52. ～があるthere is / to have (inanimate)
  53. ～がいるthere is / to have (animate)
  54. ～たことがあるhave done (before) / have the experience of
  55. ～ことがあるsometimes (it happens that) / there are times when
  56. ～ことができるcan do / be able to do
  57. ～ことにするdecide to (do)
  58. ～ことになるit has been decided that / it turns out that
  59. ～つもりintend to / plan to
  60. ～たらif / when (once ...)
  61. ～たり～たりするdo things like A and B (non-exhaustive listing of actions/states)
  62. ～ながらwhile doing (two actions by the same person at the same time)
  63. ～前にbefore (doing something / a point in time)
  64. ～後でafter (doing something)
  65. ～時when / at the time of
  66. ～ためにin order to / for the sake of (purpose)
  67. ～のでbecause / since (objective, softer reason)
  68. ～のにalthough / even though / despite (with a nuance of surprise or dissatisfaction)
  69. ～でしょうprobably / I suppose; ...right? (confirmation)
  70. ～かもしれないmight / maybe / perhaps (possibility)
  71. ～と思うI think (that) / I believe
  72. ～と言うto say that / to be called (quotation and naming)
  73. ～そうだ（様態）looks like / seems (based on appearance)
  74. ～すぎるtoo much / excessively
  75. ～やすいeasy to (do)
  76. ～にくいhard to / difficult to (do)
  77. ～ほうがいいhad better / it's better to
  78. ～ようにするto try to / make an effort to / make sure to
  79. ～ようになるto come to be able to / to reach the point where
  80. ～だけonly / just (affirmative limit)
  81. ～しか…ないonly / nothing but (with negative)
  82. ～てあげるto do (something) for someone (giving a favor)
  83. ～てくれる(someone) does (something) for me/us
  84. ～てもらうto have/get someone to do (something for one's benefit)
  85. ～をあげるto give (to someone)
  86. ～をもらうto receive (from someone)
  87. ～より～のほうがA is more ~ than B
  88. ～と同じくらいabout the same as ~
  89. ～の中で一番the most ~ among / in ~ (superlative)
  90. だto be (plain copula)
  91. だろうprobably / I think (plain conjecture)
  92. けれどもbut / however / although
  93. しかしbut / however
  94. か～かA or B
  95. やand (among others; non-exhaustive listing)
  96. くらい・ぐらいabout / approximately (extent or rough quantity)
  97. これ・それ・あれ・どれthis one / that one / that one (over there) / which one
  98. この・その・あの・どのthis / that / that (over there) / which + noun
  99. ここ・そこ・あそこhere / there / over there (places)
  100. どんなwhat kind of (asking about type/nature)
  101. どうやってhow / by what means / in what way
  102. いつもalways / usually (habitual)
  103. もうalready (with affirmative) / not anymore (with negative)
  104. まだstill (with affirmative) / not yet (with negative)
  105. とてもvery / extremely (degree, emphasis)
  106. 一番the most / the best / number one (superlative)
  107. 一緒にtogether / along with
  108. なる（〜くなる・〜になる）to become; to come to be (expresses change)
  109. 〜んです・〜のですexplanatory ending; gives a reason, explanation, or emphasis
  110. 〜ませんかwon't you ~? / shall we ~? (polite invitation or suggestion)
  111. 〜ましょうかshall I ~? / shall we ~? (offer of help or suggestion)
  112. 〜ないといけないmust do ~; have to do ~ (obligation/necessity)
  113. 〜てからafter doing ~ (then ...)
  114. 〜に行くgo to do ~ (go for the purpose of doing)
  115. 〜にするto decide on ~; to choose ~ (for nouns)
  116. 〜のが上手・下手・好きgood at / bad at / like doing ~ (nominalizing a verb with の)
  117. お／ごpolite/honorific prefix (beautifying or respectful)
  118. ～をくださいplease give me ~ / ~, please
  119. 方（かた）how to ~ / way of doing ~
  120. ～はどうですかhow about ~? / how is ~?