JLPT N5 Grammar List: All 82 Points With Examples

LenGaki’s JLPT N5 grammar list has 82 points in 19 groups; the biggest are particles (20), verb forms (18), expressions (10) and adjectives (7). There is no official JLPT grammar list, so every N5 list is a compilation. This one is the complete N5 library from lengaki.com, with each point’s meaning and one example sentence in Japanese, romaji and English.

How many grammar points are in JLPT N5?

There is no official number. Until its 2010 revision, the JLPT published Test Content Specifications with lists of vocabulary, kanji and grammar items. It no longer does (the official JLPT FAQ explains why), so every N5 grammar list, this one included, is compiled by a textbook, a teacher or a website.

That is why the counts differ. Lists split patterns differently: one counts です (desu) and だ (da) as a single point, another as two; one treats the て-form (te-form) as one entry, another gives てください (te kudasai, “please do”), ています (te imasu, “is doing”) and てもいい (te mo ii, “may”) a point each. LenGaki counts です and だ as one point and gives each て-pattern its own, which is how the list comes to 82.

What the JLPT does publish is a summary of each level. N5 is “the ability to understand some basic Japanese”: reading sentences written in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji, and following short, slowly spoken conversations about daily life and the classroom. The grammar below is the toolkit for exactly that. Here is how LenGaki’s 82 points divide up:

What are all 82 JLPT N5 grammar points?

Here is every point, grouped as the LenGaki grammar library groups them and in path order within each group. The pattern links to its full page, and the example is the first one on that page, with romaji and English. The same list is the Library tab of LenGaki’s grammar section, next to the interactive grammar path.

Particles (20)

Particles are the short words after a noun that mark its job in the sentence: topic, subject, object, place, time, direction. This group also holds two transport patterns: travelling by something (で, de) and getting on and off (に ni, を o). The hardest pair has its own guide: は vs が, finally solved.

Verb Forms (18)

How N5 verbs change: the polite ます (masu) family, the three verb groups, the て-form (te-form), and the plain dictionary, ない (nai) and た (ta) forms, plus invitations and the verbs for putting on clothes. The whole system is laid out in our verb conjugation guide.

Copula (1)

です (desu) and だ (da): the “is” that ends a noun sentence.

Adjectives (7)

The two adjective types and how each one changes for the past and the negative, plus colours, taste and health words that behave like adjectives.

Existence (2)

いる (iru) and ある (aru), the two verbs for “there is”: one for people and animals, one for everything else.

Expressions (10)

Ready-made patterns: wanting (たい, tai), permission (てもいい, te mo ii), going somewhere to do something, probability (でしょう, deshou), asking for things, set polite phrases, and everyday topics such as weather, family, food and pain.

Questions (1)

The question words (what, who, where, when and the rest) and how a question is built around them.

Conjunctions (4)

Joining two clauses: “but” (けど, kedo), “after” (てから, te kara), “before” (前に, mae ni) and “because” (ので, node).

Prohibition (1)

“Must not”: てはいけない (te wa ikenai).

Adverbs (3)

まだ (mada, still or not yet) and もう (mou, already or no longer), and the adverbs for how often and how much.

Ability (1)

Saying what you can do with できます (dekimasu).

Comparison (3)

More and most (もっと motto, 一番 ichiban), “than” (より, yori) and “the same” (同じ, onaji).

Giving & Receiving (2)

Who gives to whom. Japanese uses a different verb when something comes to you or your side.

Demonstratives (1)

Here, there and over there: ここ, そこ, あそこ (koko, soko, asoko).

Location (2)

Position words: on, under, in front of, behind, right and left.

Counters (1)

Counting things with the right counter word. Our counters guide goes further.

Preferences (3)

Likes and dislikes (好き suki, 嫌い kirai), liking to do something, and being good or bad at it (上手 jouzu, 下手 heta).

Weather (1)

The four seasons. Talking about the weather itself (天気, tenki) sits under Expressions.

Conditionals (1)

もし (moshi), “if”, and the conditional endings it pairs with.

In what order should you study N5 grammar?

Not alphabetically. A pattern sticks when you can use it straight away with the ones you already know, so order matters more than speed. A sequence that works:

1. The sentence skeleton. です, は, の (no) and か (ka) give you これは私の本です (Kore wa watashi no hon desu, This is my book) and its question form. Everything else hangs on this.
2. Polite verbs and their particles. ます, ました (mashita) and ません (masen), with を (o), に, で, へ (e), と (to) and も (mo). Now you can say what you do, where, when and with whom.
3. Description and existence. The two adjective types, then いる / ある for “there is”. Now you can describe things and say where they are.
4. The て-form. One form unlocks てください, ています, てもいい, てはいけない (te wa ikenai, “must not”) and てから (te kara, “after doing”), which is why it deserves extra time.
5. Plain forms last. N5 sentences are mostly polite, but casual speech runs on the dictionary, ない and た forms, and N4 builds almost everything on them. Learn them well, once the polite forms are automatic.

The list above follows much the same logic: LenGaki’s path starts with particles and polite verb forms, and leaves the plain forms and the topic-based expressions for later. Two habits make any pattern stick:

• Learn each pattern as a sentence you could say, not as a formula. 日本に行きたいです (Nihon ni ikitai desu, I want to go to Japan) is easier to recall than “verb stem + たい”.
• Change one word at a time. Swap 日本 for 京都 (Kyouto), then 行きたい for 住みたい (sumitai, want to live): 京都に住みたいです (Kyouto ni sumitai desu, I want to live in Kyoto). Five variations of one sentence teach a pattern better than five unrelated sentences.

Which N5 grammar points do learners mix up most?

A handful of pairs cause a large share of N5 grammar mistakes, and many N5 grammar questions come down to choosing between them. Learn them as pairs, side by side:

は vs が is the big one, and our guide to は and が takes it apart properly. If you are newer to grammar in general, the beginner’s guide to Japanese grammar builds sentence structure from the start. And when a sentence still will not make sense, highlight it anywhere on lengaki.com and tap Explain with Lena: Lena is LenGaki’s AI tutor, and three messages a day are free.

How can you learn all 82 points in four weeks?

If you already read hiragana and katakana, four weeks at about three points a day takes you through the whole list once. That is a first pass, not mastery, but a complete first pass is what makes the second one fast. Split the list in path order:

Grammar is only one part of N5. For the vocabulary and kanji around it, the three-month JLPT N5 study plan shows how the pieces fit together.

Is there a book with all 82 N5 grammar points?

Yes: LenGaki N5 Grammar, a printed book in the LenGaki N5 set. It has 82 grammar points with simple explanations, natural example sentences with English, key points and usage tips, and side-by-side comparisons of confusable patterns in くらべてみよう (kurabete miyou, “let’s compare”) boxes.

The book follows the same N5 syllabus as the LenGaki website and app, so any chapter can be practised online: the grammar path for the points you just read, and timed mock exams when you finish. In India the books are delivered by LenGaki’s partner Vyaktigat Vikas (here is the complete N5 set); for international delivery, email lengaki2426@gmail.com before ordering. The books page has the details of all four books.

Do you need a grammar book at all? Not if you are working through a full textbook course: it already teaches N5 grammar, and our guide to grammar books argues you can skip a separate one at this level. A standalone book suits you if you want the grammar on its own, as a reference you can keep beside this list.

Frequently asked questions

How many grammar points are in JLPT N5?

There is no official number: the JLPT stopped publishing lists of vocabulary, kanji and grammar with its 2010 revision, so every N5 list is a compilation. LenGaki’s N5 list has 82 grammar points, and other lists differ mainly in how finely they split patterns.

What N5 grammar should I learn first?

Start with です (desu), the particles は (wa), が (ga), を (o), に (ni) and で (de), and the polite verb forms ます (masu), ました (mashita) and ません (masen). Almost every N5 sentence uses several of these, and the rest of the list builds on them.

What is the difference between は and が?

は (wa) marks the topic, what the sentence is about, while が (ga) marks the subject, often as new or specific information. Question words take が, and so does the answer: だれが来ましたか (Dare ga kimashita ka, Who came?) is answered with 田中さんが来ました (Tanaka-san ga kimashita, Tanaka came).

Can you learn all N5 grammar in a month?

Yes, as a first pass, if you already read hiragana and katakana: about three points a day covers all 82 in four weeks. Plan a second pass and some timed practice afterwards, because recognising a pattern is not the same as using it.

Are LenGaki’s grammar pages free?

Yes. Every grammar point has its own page on LenGaki, free to read without an account. The interactive grammar path is free for N5 units 1–4 with a free account, and the full path from N5 to N2 comes with Pro, a small monthly subscription.

Does the LenGaki N5 Grammar book cover the same points as the website?

Yes. LenGaki N5 Grammar is a printed book with 82 N5 grammar points on the same syllabus as the website and app, with simple explanations, examples with English and くらべてみよう comparison boxes. In India it is delivered by LenGaki’s partner Vyaktigat Vikas; for international delivery, email lengaki2426@gmail.com before ordering.