Goal route
Grammar to Read Japanese Novels
The literary route. Modern textbooks stop where novels begin — at the written-style copula, the classical auxiliaries (ごとし, べし, ず) and the literary particles that fill printed prose. This is that grammar, gathered in one place and ordered so it builds on what you already know.
Cracking open novels, literary essays or classical-flavoured prose.
139
grammar points on this route
59
with a full written guide
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The full route
4 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 Written-style copula & classical negatives 6 points
であるである
formal/written copula 'to be'
N3 copula de-aru
〜ずず
not ~ / without ~ing
N2 auxiliary zu
ぬぬ
classical/literary negative auxiliary (= ない)
N2 auxiliary nu
ねばならないねばならない
must / have to
N2 modality neba-naranai
まいまい
will surely not ~ / will never ~
N2 modality mai
であろうであろう
probably / surely ~
N2 modality de-arou
2 Classical auxiliaries: likeness, obligation, prohibition 4 points
3 Literary particles of restriction & emphasis 4 points
4 Literary connectives & temporal 'as soon as' 8 points
〜なりなり
as soon as ~
N1 connective nari
や否ややいなや
as soon as ~ / the instant that ~
N1 connective ya-ina-ya
〜と言えどもといえども
even though ~ / although ~
N1 conditional to-ie-domo
ものをものを
(if only ~,) but ~
N1 connective mono-o
故にゆえに
therefore / because of ~
N1 connective yue-ni
かつてかつて
once / formerly
N1 adverbial katsute
〜にあってにあって
being in (a situation / time / place)
N1 connective ni-atte
折におりに
on the occasion of / when
N2 connective ori-ni
Every other literary & classical point
117 more grammar points in the literary set, beyond the core route above — grouped by family for reference.
Particles9
ですらですら
even ~
N2 uncommon de-sura
ともとも
of course / certainly (emphatic)
N2 uncommon tomo
〜か否かかいなか
whether or not ~
N1 uncommon ka-ina-ka
ただ〜のみだただのみだ
all one can do is ~
N1 uncommon tada-nomi-da
をを
emotive を — marks emotion/exclamation, esp. clause-final ものを
N1 uncommon o-4
〜たりともたりとも
not even
N1 rare tari-tomo
〜なりともなりとも
at least ~
N1 rare nari-tomo
たるやたるや
as for
N1 rare taruya
一〜たりとも〜ないいちたりとも
not even a single ~
N1 rare ichi-tari-tomo-nai
Conditionals4
Auxiliaries2
Modality & mood24
〜なな
negative command 'don't ~'
N3 common na-prohibitive
〜に相違ないにそういない
there is no doubt that ~
N2 uncommon ni-soui-nai
〜んばかり（に）んばかり（に）
almost as if about to ~
N1 uncommon n-bakari-ni
〜術がないすべがない
there's no way/means to ~
N1 uncommon sube-ga-nai
〜かろうかろう
probably ~
N1 rare karou
〜ずにはおかない〜ずにはおかない
will definitely ~
N1 rare zu-ni-wa-okanai
〜てしかるべきだてしかるべきだ
it's only proper to ~
N1 rare te-shikaru-beki-da
〜でなくてなんだろうでなくてなんだろう
if this isn't ~, then what is it?
N1 rare denakute-nan-darou
〜ではあるまいかではあるまいか
isn't it perhaps ~?
N1 rare dewa-arumai-ka
〜ともあろうともあろう
someone as prominent/responsible as ~
N1 rare tomo-arou
〜に〜ない〜に〜ない
want to ~ but cannot
N1 rare ni-nai
〜に足るにたる
worthy of ~
N1 rare ni-taru
〜に恥じないにはじない
worthy of ~
N1 rare ni-hajinai
〜に忍びないにしのびない
cannot bring oneself to ~
N1 rare ni-shinobinai
〜べくもないべくもない
there is no way one can ~ / cannot possibly ~
N1 rare beku-mo-nai
〜まじきまじき
unbecoming of
N1 rare majiki
〜んとするんとする
be about to ~
N1 rare n-to-suru
いかに〜(こと)かいかにことか
how very ~!
N1 rare ikani-koto-ka
この上ないこのうえない
the utmost
N1 rare kono-ue-nai
たくとも〜ないたくとも〜ない
even if one wants to ~,
N1 rare taku-to-mo-nai
とでもいうべきとでもいうべき
what one might call
N1 rare to-demo-iu-beki
などというものではないなどというものではない
it is not something you could merely call ~
N1 rare nado-to-iu-mono-de-wa-nai
に難くないにかたくない
not hard to ~
N1 rare ni-katakunai
を禁じ得ないをきんじえない
cannot help (feeling)
N1 rare okinji-enai
Connectives56
およびおよび
and
N2 common oyobi
につけにつけ
every time
N2 uncommon ni-tsuke
のち(に)のち(に)
after
N2 uncommon nochi-ni
のみならずのみならず
not only ~ but also
N2 uncommon nomi-narazu
折おり
time
N2 uncommon ori
〜あってのあっての
A which exists only thanks to B
N1 uncommon atte-no
〜いかんで（は）いかんで
depending on ~
N1 uncommon ikan-de
〜と相まってとあいまって
coupled with ~
N1 uncommon to-aimatte
〜ながらにながらに
while remaining ~
N1 uncommon nagara-ni
〜ようとも〜ようとも
even if ~
N1 uncommon you-tomo
〜をもってをもって
by means of ~
N1 uncommon o-motte
それゆえそれゆえ
therefore
N1 uncommon sore-yue
たなりたなり
remaining in the state of (having done)
N1 uncommon ta-nari-de
とばかりにとばかりに
as if to say ~
N1 uncommon to-bakari-ni
ともなくともなく
without particular intention
N1 uncommon to-mo-naku
ともなしにともなしに
without conscious intent
N1 uncommon to-mo-nashi-ni
と言わんばかりにといわんばかりに
as if to say ~
N1 uncommon to-iwan-bakari-ni
によらずによらず
regardless of
N1 uncommon ni-yorazu
に留まらずにとどまらず
not limited to
N1 uncommon ni-todomarazu
はおろかはおろか
let alone
N1 uncommon wa-oroka
まして（や）まして（や）
let alone
N1 uncommon mashite-ya
を介してをかいして
through
N1 uncommon o-kaishite
〜かれ〜かれかれかれ
whether ~ or ~
N1 rare kare-kare
〜こそあれこそあれ
though there is ~ (concession)
N1 rare koso-are
〜こそすれこそすれ
~ if anything, but certainly not
N1 rare koso-sure
〜こととてこととて
because
N1 rare koto-tote
〜ずして〜ずして
without ~ing
N1 rare zu-shite
〜ずとも〜ずとも
even without ~ing
N1 rare zu-tomo
〜であろうが／とであろうがと
whether ~ or / no matter ~
N1 rare de-arou-ga-to
〜であろうと〜であろうと〜であろうと〜であろうと
whether ~ or ~
N1 rare de-arou-to-de-arou-to
〜といわずといわず
not to mention ~
N1 rare to-iwazu
〜といわず〜といわずといわずといわず
both ~ and ~ alike
N1 rare to-iwazu-to-iwazu
〜ならいざ知らずならいざしらず
I don't know about ~
N1 rare nara-iza-shirazu
〜に〜を重ねてにをかさねて
piling ~ upon ~
N1 rare ni-o-kasanete
〜にしてにして
both ~ and ~
N1 rare ni-shite-2
〜はあっても〜はあっても
even if there is ~
N1 rare wa-atte-mo
〜はあれ〜はあれ
even if there is ~
N1 rare wa-are
〜ばこそばこそ
precisely because ~ / it is exactly because ~
N1 rare ba-koso
〜は言うに及ばず〜はいうにおよばず
needless to say ~
N1 rare wa-iu-ni-oyobazu
〜べくしてべくして
inevitably ~ / as was bound to happen
N1 rare beku-shite
〜んがためにんがために
in order to ~
N1 rare n-ga-tame-ni
〜傍らかたわら
while / at the same time as ~
N1 rare katawara
さもなくばさもなくば
otherwise
N1 rare samo-nakuba
さることながらさることながら
needless to say
N1 rare saru-koto-nagara
となくとなく
indefinitely ~
N1 rare to-naku
ともなるとともなると
when it comes to
N1 rare ni-to-mo-naru-to
ともなればともなれば
once it gets to
N1 rare ni-to-mo-nareba
に至ってはにいたっては
when it comes to
N1 rare ni-itatte-wa
もさることながらもさることながら
~ is of course so, but (especially) ~ too
N1 rare mo-saru-koto-nagara
をおいてほかに(は)〜ないをおいてほかに(は)〜ない
no one/nothing but ~
N1 rare o-oite-hoka-ni-wa-nai
をものともせずをものともせず
in defiance of
N1 rare o-mono-to-mo-sezu
をよそにをよそに
ignoring
N1 rare o-yoso-ni
延いてはひいては
and by extension / consequently / ultimately
N1 rare hiite-wa
況やいわんや
let alone / much less / to say nothing of ~
N1 rare iwanya
考えるにかんがえるに
considering ~ / when one thinks about it
N1 rare kangaeru-ni
〜(よ)うと / よしよし
even if ~
none rare yoshi
Adverbials14
いかにいかに
how (much) ~ / however ~
N1 uncommon ikani
ことごとくことごとく
every single one
N1 uncommon kotogotoku
各々おのおの
each
N1 uncommon onoono
〜の極みのきわみ
the height/extreme of ~ (set emotional expressions, formal
N1 rare no-kiwami
〜の至りのいたり
the height of ~
N1 rare no-itari
あたかもあたかも
just as if / as though
N1 rare atakamo
さもさも
truly
N1 rare samo
なまじ（っか）なまじ（っか）
halfheartedly
N1 rare namaji-kka
にもなくにもなく
uncharacteristically
N1 rare ni-mo-naku
ややもするとややもすると
tend to ~
N1 rare yaya-mo-suru-to
ややもすればややもすれば
tend to ~
N1 rare yaya-mo-sureba
よもやよもや
surely not ~
N1 rare yomoya
極まりないきわまりない
suffix on an adjective: extremely ~
N1 rare kiwamari-nai
思うにおもうに
in my opinion
N1 rare omou-ni
Counters1
Other7
命令形めいれいけい
the imperative
N4 common imperative
〜如何（だ）いかん
depends on how ~ is / the nature of ~
N1 uncommon ikan
いかなるいかなる
any / whatever / what kind of ~
N1 uncommon ikanaru
〜くく
classical nominalizing/adverbial 〜く (e.g. 曰く, 願わくは)
N1 rare ku
なすなす
form
N1 rare nasu
をおいて〜ないをおいてほかにない
there is no ~ other than
N1 rare o-oite-hoka-ni-nai
を禁ずるをきんずる
to prohibit
N1 rare o-kinzuru
Practice this grammar in context
Jengo shows these patterns inside real sentences, so they stick as comprehension — not flashcards.