Open JLPT N5 reference
N5 grammar
Browse 110 core N5 patterns and 15 N5+ bridge topics by group. Every article comes from the same learning content used by the Kanakuma app.
125 patterns: N5 and the bridge to the next level
Every article repeats the guide from the app: meaning, formation, situations, notes and common mistakes.
Adjective forms
- Aいです/Aい + N Detailed guide
Forms the basic use of an i-adjective
N5 · Adjective forms - Aくない Detailed guide
Forms the negative of an i-adjective
N5 · Adjective forms - Aかった Detailed guide
Forms the past of an i-adjective
N5 · Adjective forms - Aくなかった Detailed guide
Forms the past negative of an i-adjective
N5 · Adjective forms - Aです/Aだ/Aな + N Detailed guide
Forms the basic use of a na-adjective
N5 · Adjective forms - Aじゃない/ではない Detailed guide
Forms the negative of a na-adjective
N5 · Adjective forms - Aだった/でした Detailed guide
Forms the past of a na-adjective
N5 · Adjective forms - Aじゃなかった/ではありませんでした Detailed guide
Forms the past negative of a na-adjective
N5 · Adjective forms - Aくて/Aで Detailed guide
Links qualities and states
N5 · Adjective forms - Aくなる/Aになる Detailed guide
Describes a change in quality or state
N5+ · Adjective forms - A/V + すぎる Detailed guide
Shows an excessive degree or action
N5+ · Adjective forms - N1はN2がAです Detailed guide
Describes a feature or aspect of a topic
N5 · Adjective forms
Reference, existence, and questions
- 〜か Detailed guide
Turns a statement into a question
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - Nがある/いる Detailed guide
States that an object or living being exists
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - Nは場所にある/いる Detailed guide
States where an object or living being is located
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - これ/それ/あれ Detailed guide
Points to an object by its distance
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - この/その/あの + N Detailed guide
Modifies a noun according to the object's distance
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - ここ/そこ/あそこ Detailed guide
Points to a place by its distance
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - どれ/どの + N Detailed guide
Asks which item among several is meant
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - だれ/何 Detailed guide
Asks about a person or thing
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - どこ Detailed guide
Asks about a place or direction
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - いつ Detailed guide
Asks when an event occurs
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - どう/Nはどうですか Detailed guide
Asks about a state, method, or opinion
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - どうやって Detailed guide
Asks how an action is performed
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - どうして/なぜ/なんで Detailed guide
Asks for the reason behind an event
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - どんな + N Detailed guide
Asks about the kind or quality of a thing
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - いくら/いくつ Detailed guide
Asks about price, quantity, or age
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - 何か/何も〜ない Detailed guide
Refers to something indefinite or to nothing
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - だれか・どこか/だれも・どこも〜ない Detailed guide
Refers to someone or somewhere, or to no one
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions - こちら/そちら/あちら Detailed guide
Politely indicates a direction, place, or person
N5 · Reference, existence, and questions
Experience and completion
Experience, preferences, and exchange
- Vたことがある Detailed guide
States experience of performing an action
N5+ · Experience, preferences, and exchange - VたりVたりする Detailed guide
Lists representative or selected actions
N5+ · Experience, preferences, and exchange - Nが好き/嫌い Detailed guide
Expresses a preference or dislike for an object
N5 · Experience, preferences, and exchange - Vのが好き/嫌い Detailed guide
Expresses a preference or dislike for an action
N5 · Experience, preferences, and exchange - Vのが上手/下手 Detailed guide
Evaluates skill at performing an action
N5 · Experience, preferences, and exchange - Vのは〜/Aのは〜 Detailed guide
Turns an action or quality into the topic
N5 · Experience, preferences, and exchange - Nをあげる Detailed guide
Describes giving an object from me to someone
N5+ · Experience, preferences, and exchange - Nをくれる Detailed guide
Describes giving an object to me or my group
N5+ · Experience, preferences, and exchange - Nをもらう Detailed guide
Describes receiving an object from another person
N5+ · Experience, preferences, and exchange - Nがわかります Detailed guide
Shows that information is understood
N5 · Experience, preferences, and exchange
Copulas and sentence types
- NはNです Detailed guide
Builds the basic sentence 'X is Y'
N5 · Copulas and sentence types - 〜です Detailed guide
Forms a polite nominal statement
N5 · Copulas and sentence types - 〜だ Detailed guide
Forms a plain informal statement
N5 · Copulas and sentence types - 〜ではありません/じゃありません Detailed guide
Forms a polite nominal negative
N5 · Copulas and sentence types - 〜じゃない/ではない Detailed guide
Forms a plain informal negative
N5 · Copulas and sentence types - 〜でした/だった Detailed guide
Forms a statement in the past tense
N5 · Copulas and sentence types - 〜ではありませんでした/じゃなかった Detailed guide
Forms a negative nominal statement in the past
N5 · Copulas and sentence types - 〜でしょう/だろう Detailed guide
Expresses a supposition or asks for confirmation
N5 · Copulas and sentence types
Particles: roles and direction
- 〜は Detailed guide
Marks the statement topic or a contrast
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜が Detailed guide
Marks the subject or new information
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜を Detailed guide
Marks an action object or movement route
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - NのN Detailed guide
Marks possession, type, or relation
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜も Detailed guide
Adds 'also' or 'none' when used with a negative
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 時刻に Detailed guide
Marks the exact time of an action
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 場所に Detailed guide
Marks existence location or movement goal
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 相手/目的/結果に Detailed guide
Marks a recipient, purpose, or result
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜へ Detailed guide
Marks a direction of movement
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 場所で Detailed guide
Marks the place of an action
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 手段/材料/言語で Detailed guide
Marks a means, material, or language
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - NとN Detailed guide
Links nouns in a complete list
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - NとV Detailed guide
Marks a participant in a shared action
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - NやNなど Detailed guide
Lists examples without closing the list
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜か〜か Detailed guide
Offers a choice between options A and B
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜から Detailed guide
Marks a starting point in time or space
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜まで Detailed guide
Marks an end point in time or space
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜から〜まで Detailed guide
Defines a range from its start to its end
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - が/の + V/A + N Detailed guide
Marks the subject inside a noun-modifying clause
N5 · Particles: roles and direction - 〜の Detailed guide
Replaces an understood noun
N5 · Particles: roles and direction
Permission and obligation
- 〜てもいいです Detailed guide
Grants permission or asks for it
N5 · Permission and obligation - Vてはいけない Detailed guide
Forbids an action
N5 · Permission and obligation - Vちゃ/じゃいけない Detailed guide
Forbids an action in casual speech
N5 · Permission and obligation - Vるな Detailed guide
Expresses a direct and strong prohibition
N5 · Permission and obligation - Vなくてはいけない/ならない・Vないといけない・Vなくちゃ/なきゃ Detailed guide
Expresses an obligation to perform an action
N5+ · Permission and obligation - Vなくてもいい Detailed guide
Removes the obligation to perform an action
N5+ · Permission and obligation - Vた/Vない + ほうがいい Detailed guide
Advises performing or avoiding an action
N5+ · Permission and obligation
Wishes, plans, and choices
- 〜たい Detailed guide
Expresses a wish to perform an action
N5 · Wishes, plans, and choices - Nがほしい Detailed guide
Expresses a wish to obtain an object
N5 · Wishes, plans, and choices - Vます + に行く/に来る Detailed guide
Marks an action as the purpose of movement
N5 · Wishes, plans, and choices - Vる/Vない + つもりだ Detailed guide
Expresses a settled intention or plan
N5+ · Wishes, plans, and choices - Nにする Detailed guide
Forms a choice or settled decision
N5 · Wishes, plans, and choices
Quantity and comparison
- 〜だけ Detailed guide
Limits a meaning to one item or action
N5 · Quantity and comparison - 〜くらい/ぐらい Detailed guide
Shows an approximate amount, time, or degree
N5 · Quantity and comparison - N1よりN2のほうが〜 Detailed guide
Compares N1 and N2 by a chosen quality
N5 · Quantity and comparison - N1の中でN2がいちばん〜 Detailed guide
Selects the highest degree within a group
N5 · Quantity and comparison - いちばん Detailed guide
Expresses the highest degree or preference
N5 · Quantity and comparison - Nは〜歳です Detailed guide
States a person or animal's age
N5 · Quantity and comparison - 数量詞 + V/期間に回数/時間がかかる Detailed guide
Expresses quantity, frequency, and duration
N5 · Quantity and comparison
Requests and communication
- 〜ましょう Detailed guide
Suggests performing an action together
N5 · Requests and communication - 〜ませんか Detailed guide
Politely invites someone to act together
N5 · Requests and communication - 〜てください Detailed guide
Forms a polite request to perform an action
N5 · Requests and communication - 〜ね Detailed guide
Asks for confirmation or shared agreement
N5 · Requests and communication - 〜よ Detailed guide
Emphasizes new or important information
N5 · Requests and communication - 〜んです/のです Detailed guide
Turns a statement into an explanation
N5 · Requests and communication - お〜/ご〜 Detailed guide
Adds a polite nuance to a word
N5 · Requests and communication - 普通形 + と Detailed guide
Marks a quotation, thought, or report
N5 · Requests and communication - 〜って Detailed guide
Marks a casual quotation or topic
N5 · Requests and communication - 〜が/けど/けれども Detailed guide
Links statements with a soft contrast
N5 · Requests and communication - Vます + ましょうか Detailed guide
Offers a shared action or personal help
N5 · Requests and communication - Vないでください Detailed guide
Forms a polite request not to act
N5 · Requests and communication - Nをください Detailed guide
Forms a polite request for an object
N5 · Requests and communication
Time and reason
- Vて、B Detailed guide
Links sequential actions A and B
N5 · Time and reason - Vてから Detailed guide
Shows that one action follows another
N5 · Time and reason - Vる/Nの + 前に Detailed guide
Places an event before an action or event
N5 · Time and reason - Vた/Nの + 後で Detailed guide
Places an event after an action or event
N5 · Time and reason - 〜とき Detailed guide
Marks the time of an action or state
N5+ · Time and reason - V普通形・Aい + から/N・Aな + だから Detailed guide
Names the reason for an event or decision
N5 · Time and reason - V普通形・Aい + ので/N・Aな + なので Detailed guide
Names a reason in a softer way
N5+ · Time and reason - そして Detailed guide
Adds the next related fact or action
N5 · Time and reason - それから Detailed guide
Continues a sequence with the next event
N5 · Time and reason - しかし/でも Detailed guide
Contrasts the next fact with the previous one
N5 · Time and reason - Vます + ながら Detailed guide
Shows two actions happening at the same time
N5+ · Time and reason
Verb forms and tenses
- Vます/ません Detailed guide
Forms polite non-past and its negative
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vました/ませんでした Detailed guide
Forms polite past and its negative
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - V辞書形 Detailed guide
Forms the plain dictionary verb form
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vない Detailed guide
Forms the plain negative verb form
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vた Detailed guide
Forms the plain past verb form
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vなかった Detailed guide
Forms the plain past negative verb form
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vて Detailed guide
Forms the te-form used to link patterns
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vている Detailed guide
Describes an ongoing action, habit, or state
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vないで、B Detailed guide
Links action B to action A not being performed
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vる/Vた + N Detailed guide
Lets a verb clause modify a noun
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - Vます + 方 Detailed guide
Names the way to perform an action
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - する/来る Detailed guide
Forms the core patterns of する and 来る
N5 · Verb forms and tenses - もうVました/まだVていません Detailed guide
Shows whether an action is done or not yet
N5 · Verb forms and tenses
See also: N4 grammar