Grammar– category –
Japanese grammar for English speakers. Particles, verb conjugation, sentence patterns, conditionals, and nuanced expressions organized by JLPT level N5 to N1. Browse by level: N4/N5, N2/N3, N1/N2. By topic: Particles, Verb Conjugation, Conditionals, Sentence Patterns. Full overview at the Japanese Grammar Hub.
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Japanese Adjective Conjugation: The Complete Guide
You've learned that 大きい (おおきい) means "big" and きれい means "pretty." You can drop them into simple sentences. But then someone asks you how to say "it wasn't pretty" or "it became cold" — and suddenly your brain goes blank. ... -
Japanese Passive Form: The Complete Guide for English Speakers
You've survived hiragana, katakana, and basic verb conjugation. Then your Japanese textbook drops this sentence on you: 財布（さいふ）を盗（ぬす）まれた. "My wallet was stolen" — except in Japanese, the literal structure is closer to... -
Japanese Honorific Prefixes お (O) and ご (Go): The Complete Guide
You walk into a Japanese convenience store and the staff greet you with おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu). You check your bank balance and think about お金 (okane, money). Your colleague emails you with ご連絡ありがとうございます (go... -
〜ということ (to iu koto): The One Expression That Unlocks Natural Japanese
You are watching a Japanese drama. A character turns to another and says: つまり、もう来ないということ？ You catch every word individually — tsumari (in other words), mou (anymore), konai (won't come) — but that word in the middle, とい... -
させてください (Sasete Kudasai): The Polite Way to Ask “Please Let Me…”
You're in a job interview in Japan. The interviewer finishes speaking, and you want to ask a question. You know that blurting out 質問（しつもん）します！ feels a little blunt. What do you say instead? Or imagine you're at a Japa... -
koto-ga-dekiru-vs-koto-ga-aru
You’ve been studying Japanese for a while now, and you feel confident with こと. Then you see two sentences side by side: 📌 日本語を話すことができる。 — I can speak Japanese.📌 日本に行ったことがある。 — ... -
toki-vs-mae-ni-vs-ato-de
You're telling your friend about your daily routine in Japanese. You know you want to say "before I eat breakfast" and "when I get home" — but which grammar pattern do you reach for? Japanese has three essential time expressions that Eng... -
made-vs-made-ni
If you have ever told your teacher "I will study until 9 o'clock" when you meant "I will finish my homework by 9 o'clock," you have already experienced the まで vs までに trap. These two expressions look almost identical, but they carry ... -
〜ていく vs 〜てくる: Direction in Time and Space
You already know how to build the て-form. But once you attach いく or くる to it, something interesting happens — the verb gains a sense of direction. Not just physical direction (walking toward or away), but also direction in time: whe... -
だけ vs しか vs ばかり: What’s the Difference in Japanese?
Japanese has three common ways to express limitation or "only" — だけ (dake), しか (shika), and ばかり (bakari) — but they are not interchangeable. Each one carries a different nuance, and mixing them up is one of the most common grammar...
