N5 grammar path
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UNIT 1 · PARTICLES
UNIT 2 · VERB FORMS
UNIT 3 · COPULA
UNIT 4 · ADJECTIVES
UNIT 5 · EXISTENCE
UNIT 6 · EXPRESSIONS
UNIT 7 · QUESTIONS
UNIT 8 · PARTICLES
UNIT 9 · CONJUNCTIONS
UNIT 10 · VERB FORMS
UNIT 11 · EXPRESSIONS
UNIT 12 · PROHIBITION
UNIT 13 · VERB FORMS
UNIT 14 · CONJUNCTIONS
UNIT 15 · ADVERBS
UNIT 16 · EXPRESSIONS
UNIT 17 · ADJECTIVES
UNIT 18 · ABILITY
UNIT 19 · COMPARISON
UNIT 20 · GIVING & RECEIVING
UNIT 21 · DEMONSTRATIVES
UNIT 22 · LOCATION
UNIT 23 · ADVERBS
UNIT 24 · VERB FORMS
UNIT 25 · EXISTENCE
UNIT 26 · LOCATION
UNIT 27 · COMPARISON
UNIT 28 · COUNTERS
UNIT 29 · PREFERENCES
UNIT 30 · EXPRESSIONS
UNIT 31 · WEATHER
UNIT 32 · PARTICLES
UNIT 33 · EXPRESSIONS
UNIT 34 · ADJECTIVES
UNIT 35 · EXPRESSIONS
UNIT 36 · ADJECTIVES
UNIT 37 · VERB FORMS
UNIT 38 · EXPRESSIONS
UNIT 39 · ADJECTIVES
UNIT 40 · EXPRESSIONS
UNIT 41 · CONDITIONALS
UNIT 42 · CONJUNCTIONS
UNIT 43 · EXPRESSIONS
JLPT N5 grammar list
All 82 N5 grammar points with structure, examples and the patterns each one is confused with. Every point’s own page is free to read; a free account opens all 82 here.
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Particles· 18
- は (wa) — Topic & Contrast Particle[Topic] は [Comment]Marks the TOPIC of the sentence (what you are talking about) or shows CONTRAST. It sets the context for the rest of the sentence. The key difference…
- が (ga) — Subject Marker & Exhaustive Listing[Subject] が [Predicate]Marks the grammatical subject — who or what performs the action or is being described. It puts emphasis on the subject itself (new information, or…
- を (o) — Direct Object & Traversal[Object] を [Transitive Verb] | [Area] を [Motion Verb]Primarily marks the direct object of a transitive verb (the thing being acted upon). Secondarily, it marks a space that is traversed, or the place…
- に (ni) — Target, Time, and Existence Location[Target] に [Verb]Marks a targeted point. This covers (1) destination of movement, (2) a specific point in time, (3) the indirect object (to/for whom), (4) the exact…
- で (de) — Context of Action (Location, Means, Condition)[Location/Method/Cause] で [Action Verb]Indicates the context or setting in which an action happens. It marks (1) the location of an action, (2) the tool/means/mode of transport used, (3)…
- と (to) — And (Exhaustive), With, and Quotation[Noun] と [Noun] | [Person] と [Verb] | 「Phrase」と 言うServes three major roles: (1) connects nouns completely ('A and B', a closed list), (2) marks accompaniment ('together with'), and (3) acts as a…
- か (ka) — Question, Or, and Uncertain Identity[Sentence] か | [Noun] か [Noun] | [Question word] + かThe main question marker. Used at the end of a sentence for questions, between words to mean 'or', and attached to question words (who/what) to…
- の (no) — Possession, Modification, & Nominalization[Modifying Noun] の [Main Noun] | [Verb/Clause] + のThe all-purpose 'linker' particle connecting two nouns (Noun 1 modifies Noun 2). It shows (1) belonging/possession, (2) attributes (material…
- も (mo) — Also, Too, Both/And, Emphasized Quantity[Noun] も [Predicate]Adds the meaning 'also', 'too', or 'either'. It replaces the subject/object markers (は, が, を) to signal inclusion. Paired, it means 'both X and Y'…
- から (kara) — Starting Point, Origin, & Reason[Place/Time] から | [Reason clause] から、[Result]Has two main roles: (1) marks the starting point in time or space ('from'); (2) works as a conjunction meaning 'because / so', giving a subjective…
- まで (made) — Endpoint & Limit[Time/Place] まで [Verb]Marks the endpoint of a time span, distance, or range ('until' / 'up to'). It implies a continuous action or state that runs up to and stops at that…
- へ (e) — The Direction Particle[Destination / Direction] へ [Movement Verb]Marks the direction or heading of movement. It overlaps heavily with に, but へ emphasizes the "toward / in the direction of" nuance rather than…
- や (ya) — Non-Exhaustive Listing Particle[Noun A] や [Noun B] (+ など)Creates an "open-ended" list of nouns, implying "A, B, and other similar things". Unlike と, it does not claim the list is complete.
- でも (demo) — "Even" / "~ or something" / "any-"[Noun] でも / [Question Word] + でもA versatile marker meaning "even X", a soft "~ or something" suggestion, or — with a question word — a blanket "any-" assertion.
- だけ (dake) — "Only" (Neutral Limit)[Noun / Plain Verb] + だけSets a neutral limit or cap on scope, meaning "only this much/only this thing, and nothing more", without any positive or negative feeling attached.
- しか (shika) — "Only" (with Negative, Insufficiency)[Noun] + しか + [Negative Verb]Also means "only", but carries a strong nuance of "nothing but / regretfully only this much". It MUST be paired with a negative predicate.
- など (nado) — "Etc. / and so on"[Examples] + などWorks like "etc." or "and so forth", marking the listed nouns as just a few examples pulled from a larger set. Can also downplay/dismiss a noun.
- よ / ね — Sentence-Ending Emotion Markers[End of Sentence] + よ / ね / よねSentence-final particles that convey the speaker's stance toward the listener's knowledge: よ asserts new information; ね seeks shared feeling or…
Verb Forms· 5
- ます (masu) — Polite Non-Past (Present & Future)[Verb stem] + ますThe standard polite affirmative verb ending. Japanese has no separate future tense, so ます covers habitual actions (things done regularly) and…
- ました (mashita) — Polite Past Tense[Verb stem] + ましたThe polite past affirmative ending for verbs. It expresses finished actions or events, covering both the English simple past ('did') and present…
- ています (te imasu) — Continuous Action & Resulting State[Verb te-form] + いますA key compound form combining a verb's te-form with います. It has two distinct meanings depending on the TYPE of verb: (1) an action currently in…
- てください (te kudasai) — Polite Request / Instruction[Verb te-form] + くださいThe standard way to politely make a request, give an instruction, or tell someone what to do. Though it translates as 'please', it functions as a…
- う-Verbs (Godan / Group 1)Dictionary form ends in an u-row kana: く ぐ す つ ぬ ぶ む る うAlso called Godan ("five-step") verbs. They conjugate by shifting their final kana across the a/i/u/e/o vowel columns, so their final sound changes…
Copula· 1
Adjectives· 2
- い-Adjectives (i-adj) — True Conjugating Adjectives[い-Adj] + Noun | [い-Adj] + ですA distinct class of adjectives ending in the hiragana い. They behave more like verbs than nouns because they conjugate themselves for tense and…
- な-Adjectives (na-adj) — Nominal Adjectives[な-Adj] + な + Noun | [な-Adj] + です/だAdjectives that behave much like nouns. To modify a noun, insert the particle な between the adjective and the noun. To conjugate them, you change…
Existence· 1
Expressions· 1
Questions· 1
Conjunctions· 1
- る-Verbs (Ichidan / Group 2)
- Irregular Verbs: する / くる (Group 3)
- ません / ませんでした — Polite Negative
- て-Form — The Connector
- ない Form — Plain Negative
- た Form — Plain Past
- なかった Form — Plain Past Negative
- てもいい — Giving/Asking Permission
- てはいけない — The Absolute Wall
- ましょう — The Polite "Let's"
- ませんか — The Polite Invitation
- てから — Only After (Sequence)
- 前に (mae ni) — Before (Doing)
- まだ / もう — Still vs Already / Not Yet vs Not Anymore
- に行く (ni iku) — Go (in order) To Do
- い-Adjective Conjugation Core
- な-Adjective Conjugation Core
- できます (dekimasu) — Can Do / Be Able (Nouns)
- もっと / 一番 — More / The Most
- より — Than (Comparison Standard)
- あげる / もらう — Giving and Receiving
- くれる — Someone Gives to Me/Us
- ここ / そこ / あそこ — Here / There / Over There
- 上 / 下 / 前 / 後ろ — Spatial Anchors
- Frequency Adverbs — How Often
- Degree Adverbs — How Much
- Dictionary Form — The Plain Base
- ない Form — Plain Negative (Full Rules)
- た Form — Plain Past
- いる / ある — Verbs of Existence
- 右 / 左 — Right and Left
- 同じ — 'The Same'
- Counters — Counting Objects
- 好き / 嫌い — Like and Dislike
- のが好き — Liking to Do Actions
- のが上手 / 下手 — Being Good/Bad at Doing
- 天気 — Talking About the Weather
- 季節 — The Four Seasons
- 乗り物と で — Means of Transport
- 乗る / 降りる — Getting On and Off
- 家族 — In-Group vs Out-Group Family Terms
- 色 — Colors: Adjective vs Noun
- を + 食べる／飲む — Eating and Drinking
- 美味しい／まずい — Tasting Good or Bad
- 着る・履く・かぶる — Verbs for Wearing
- 〜が痛い — Expressing Pain
- 元気／病気 — Health as Adjective vs Noun
- だろう／でしょう — Probability & Seeking Agreement
- Set Polite Phrases — Social Lubricants
- もし — The Hypothetical Marker
- ので — Reason / Cause (soft, polite)
- をください / をお願いします — Please give me
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