Goal route
JLPT N5 Grammar List
The complete N5 grammar set — the absolute beginner core. Particles, the copula, verb bases, the て-form and the first conditionals. Master these and every other point on the map has something to attach to.
Sitting the JLPT N5 — or gauging where you are against it.
136
grammar points on this route
135
with a full written guide
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2 stages, ordered so each builds on the last. A filled dot marks a point with a full written guide; hollow dots are mapped, their guide still being written.
1 Foundations — the shared spine 61 points
だだ
plain non-past copula 'is / are'
N5 copula da
ですです
polite copula 'is / are'
N5 copula desu
はわ
the topic particle (as for ~)
N5 particle wa-2
のの
the linking particle (A の B)
N5 particle no-3
〜じゃないじゃない
is not ~ (casual negative copula)
N5 copula janai
だっただった
plain past copula 'was / were'
N5 copula datta
がが
the subject particle
N5 particle ga-2
をを
the direct-object particle
N5 particle o
にに
destination, location, and time
N5 particle ni-2
にに
the indirect-object particle
N5 particle ni-3
でで
place of action, means, cause, and scope
N5 particle de
かか
question marker, 'or', and embedded questions
N5 particle ka
へえ
the direction particle
N5 particle e
とと
'and' (listing) and 'with'
N5 particle to-2
もも
also / too
N5 particle mo
からから
from (starting point)
N5 particle kara-3
までまで
until / as far as
N5 particle made
ねね
seeking agreement (~, right?)
N5 particle ne
よよ
asserting / informing (~, you know)
N5 particle yo
連用形（ます形）れんようけい
The Masu-Stem (Verb Base)
N5 form masu-stem
〜ますます
Polite Verb Endings (ます・ません・ました)
N5 auxiliary masu-form
て形てけい
The Connective Form
N5 form te-form
ないない
plain negation and 'there isn't'
N5 auxiliary nai
くださいください
please give me ~
N5 auxiliary kudasai
てて
connecting clauses (and, -ing, so)
N5 connective te
〜てくださいてください
please do ~
N5 auxiliary te-kudasai
ているている
ongoing action and resulting state
N5 aspect te-iru
てからてから
after ~ing
N5 connective te-kara
てもいいてもいい
may ~ / it's okay to ~
N5 modality te-mo-ii
てはいけないてはいけない
must not ~
N5 modality te-wa-ikenai
てしまうてしまう
completion and regret
N4 aspect te-shimau
〜てみるてみる
try ~ing (and see)
N4 auxiliary te-miru
あげるあげる
to give (outward)
N5 other ageru
くれるくれる
to give (to me)
N5 other kureru
〜てあげるてあげる
do ~ for someone (favor)
N4 auxiliary ageru-2
〜てくれるてくれる
(someone) does ~ for me
N4 auxiliary kureru-2
〜てもらうてもらう
have someone do ~ for you
N4 auxiliary morau
たいたい
want to ~
N5 modality tai
ほしいほしい
want (a thing / someone to do)
N5 modality hoshii
だろうだろう
probably ~ (conjecture)
N5 modality darou
でしょうでしょう
probably ~ / ~, right? (polite)
N5 modality deshou
〜かもしれないかもしれない
might / maybe ~
N4 modality kamoshirenai
〜はずはず
should / be supposed to ~
N4 modality hazu
〜とと
natural / inevitable result
N4 conditional to-conditional
たらたら
the general 'if / when'
N4 conditional tara
〜ばば
hypothetical / general condition
N4 conditional ba
ならなら
if it's the case that ~
N4 conditional nara
〜からから
because (reason)
N5 connective kara
のでので
because (objective / polite)
N5 connective node
けどけど
but / though (casual)
N5 connective kedo
がが
but / however (conjunctive)
N4 connective ga-3
〜のにのに
although ~ (and yet)
N4 connective noni
ながらながら
while ~ing
N4 connective nagara
とき / 時とき
when ~ (at the time that)
N5 connective toki
前にまえに
before ~ing
N5 connective mae-ni
〜あと(で)あと(で)
after ~ing
N4 connective ato-de
ことこと
turning a clause into a noun
N4 nominalizer koto
〜のが好きのがすき
to like ~ing
N5 nominalizer no-ga-suki
のほうがのほうが
~ is more / the better one
N5 connective no-hou-ga
〜より〜のほうがよりのほうが
A is more ~ than B
N5 particle yori-no-hou-ga
一番いちばん
most (the superlative)
N5 adverbial ichiban
2 JLPT N5 75 points
〜から〜までからまで
from ~ to ~
N5 particle kara-made
〜だけだけ
only / just ~
N5 particle dake
〜は〜が〜は〜が
topic は, subject が within it
N5 particle wa-ga
〜へ行くへいく
to go to ~
N5 particle he-iku
しかしか
only
N5 particle shika
にに
every role of the particle に
N5 particle ni
にに
marking a point in time
N5 particle ni-5
〜じゃなかったじゃなかった
was not ~ (casual past negative copula)
N5 copula janakatta
〜は〜だ〜は〜だ
topic-comment: X は Y だ
N5 copula wa-da
〜は〜です〜は〜です
topic-comment, polite: X は Y です
N5 copula wa-desu
でで
te-form of だ/です: 'being ~, and ...'
N5 copula de-3
まだ〜ていませんまだていません
have not ~ yet
N5 aspect mada-te-imasen
ないでくださいないでください
please do not ~
N5 auxiliary nai-de-kudasai
〜がほしいがほしい
to want (a thing)
N5 modality ga-hoshii
〜たほうがいいたほうがいい
had better ~ / should ~
N5 modality ta-hou-ga-ii
〜ないほうがいいないほうがいい
had better not ~
N5 modality nai-hou-ga-ii
〜なくてもいいなくてもいい
don't have to ~
N5 modality naku-temo-ii
〜ましょうかましょうか
shall I ~? / shall we ~?
N5 modality mashou-ka
〜ませんかませんか
won't you ~? (invitation)
N5 modality masen-ka
てはいけませんてはいけません
must not ~ (polite)
N5 modality te-wa-ikemasen
なくてはいけないなくてはいけない
must ~
N5 modality nakute-wa-ikenai
なくてはならないなくてはならない
must ~
N5 modality nakute-wa-naranai
のですのです
explanatory のだ (polite / written)
N5 modality no-desu
ましょうましょう
let's ~ (polite volitional)
N5 modality mashou
んですんです
explanatory のだ (polite spoken)
N5 modality n-desu
〜と(言う/思う)と
quotative と
N5 quotation to-quotative
〜くてくて
te-form of an i-adjective: is ~ and
N5 connective kute
〜に行くにいく
go to do ~ (purpose)
N5 connective ni-iku
そしてそして
and / and then
N5 connective soshite
それからそれから
and then
N5 connective sore-kara
またまた
again
N5 connective mata
すぐすぐ
immediately
N5 adverbial sugu
とてもとても
very (affirmative)
N5 adverbial totemo
まだまだ
still
N5 adverbial mada
もうもう
already
N5 adverbial mou
もっともっと
more
N5 adverbial motto
一緒にいっしょに
together
N5 adverbial issho-ni
〜がありますがあります
there is ~ (polite)
N5 other ga-arimasu
〜があるがある
there is ~ (inanimate)
N5 other ga-aru
〜がいるがいる
there is ~ (animate)
N5 other ga-iru
〜になる・〜くなるになる
to become ~
N5 other ni-naru
あるある
to exist (inanimate)
N5 other aru
いるいる
to exist (animate)
N5 other iru-3
このこの
adnominal demonstrative: this ~
N5 other kono
さんさん
polite title suffix
N5 other san
なるなる
to become
N5 other naru
来るくる
to come (irregular verb)
N5 other kuru
〜のの
sentence-final の: explanatory tone or soft question
N5 particle no-2
〜の中で〜が一番のなかでがいちばん
among ~, ~ is the most ~
N5 particle no-naka-de-ga-ichiban
かか
particle か: 'or'
N5 particle ka-2
なにか・なにもなにかなにも
something / anything / nothing
N5 particle nani-ka-nani-mo
にに
particle に marking the agent/source
N5 particle ni-4
よねよね
~ right?
N5 particle yo-ne
誰か・どこか・誰も・どこもだれかどこか
someone / no one, somewhere / nowhere
N5 particle dareka-dokoka
〜たことがあるたことがある
have done ~ before
N5 aspect koto-ga-aru
すぎるすぎる
too much / excessively ~
N5 auxiliary sugiru
〜ちゃいけないちゃいけない
must not ~
N5 modality cha-ikenai
なくちゃなくちゃ
gotta ~
N5 modality naku-cha
〜のが上手のがじょうず
to be good at ~ing
N5 nominalizer no-ga-jouzu
〜のが下手のがへた
to be bad at ~ing
N5 nominalizer no-ga-heta
あまり〜ないあまり
not very ~
N5 adverbial amari
たくさんたくさん
a lot / many
N5 adverbial takusan
どうどう
how / in what way
N5 adverbial dou
どうしてどうして
why
N5 adverbial doushite
どうやってどうやって
how / by what means
N5 adverbial douyatte
どうぞどうぞ
please / go ahead / by all means
N5 interjection douzo
〜ちゃんちゃん
affectionate name suffix 〜ちゃん
N5 other chan
たちたち
plural suffix for people
N5 other tachi
どんなどんな
what kind of ~
N5 other donna
を使ってをつかって
using
N5 other o-tsukatte
前まえ
front / before (noun)
N5 other mae
好きだすきだ
to like
N5 other sukida
少ないすくない
few / not much
N5 other sukunai
知るしる
to know
N5 other shiru
要るいる
to need
N5 other iru-4
Practice this grammar in context
Jengo shows these patterns inside real sentences, so they stick as comprehension — not flashcards.