JLPT N5 Japanese Grammar Guide

Learning Japanese grammar is easier when you take one small pattern at a time. This beginner-friendly JLPT N5 guide brings the lessons together, from sentence foundations and particles to questions, movement, て-form, and negative forms.

Start with だ・です／だった・でした – Saying ‘to be’ in Japanese [JLPT N5] if you are new to grammar, or jump to the section that matches what you want to say.

Start here: sentence foundations

• だ・です／だった・でした – Saying ‘to be’ in Japanese
• じゃない・ではありません – Expressing 'Is/Was Not' in Japanese
• ～ます – Polite Present and Past Verb Forms in Japanese
• イ形容詞 – Basic i-Adjective Conjugations in Japanese
• な形容詞 (Na-adjectives) – Basic Forms with です in Japanese
• ～ない – Plain Negative Form in Japanese

Particles: who, what, where, and how

Particles are small words that show how the parts of a Japanese sentence fit together. For a broader introduction, read the Japanese Particles Guide.

Particles are small words that show how the parts of a Japanese sentence fit together. For a broader introduction, read the Japanese Particles Guide.

• は (wa) – Topic Marker and Contrast in Japanese
• が – Marking the Subject ('Who/What') in Japanese
• を – Marking the Direct Object in Japanese
• の – Possession and Noun Linking in Japanese
• に – Marking Time, Destinations, and Recipients in Japanese
• へ – Marking Direction ‘Toward’ in Japanese
• で – Marking Where and How an Action Happens in Japanese
• と – Linking 'And', 'With', and Quotations in Japanese
• も – Saying “Also” and “Too” in Japanese
• か – Forming Questions and Saying “Or” in Japanese
• や – Listing Examples with “And, Among Others” in Japanese
• から – Expressing “Because” and “From/Since” in Japanese
• まで – Expressing “Until” and “Up To” in Japanese
• ～から～まで – Saying “From A to B” in Japanese

Questions and pointing words

• か～か – Expressing Choices like “A or B” in Japanese
• これ・それ・あれ・どれ – Saying ‘This / That / Which One’ in Japanese
• この・その・あの・どの – Using ‘This / That / Which’ with Nouns in Japanese
• ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ – Talking About Places in Japanese
• 何・だれ・いつ・どこ・どう – Basic Question Words in Japanese
• ね – Softly Seeking Agreement in Japanese
• よ – Adding Friendly Emphasis in Japanese

Existence, movement, and change

• ～がある・～がいる – Talking About What Exists in Japanese
• ～にあります／～にいます – Saying Where Things and People Are in Japanese
• ～に行く – Expressing ‘Go Somewhere to Do Something’ in Japanese
• ～に来る – Expressing ‘Come to Do (Something)’ in Japanese
• ～にする – Expressing Decisions and Changes in Japanese
• ～になる – Expressing ‘To Become’ and Change in Japanese
• ～く／～になる／～くする – Expressing Change with Adjectives in Japanese
• ～すぎる – Saying Something Is “Too Much” in Japanese

Wants, preferences, and exchange

• ～方（かた） – Saying “How to Do” in Japanese
• ～たい – Talking About What You Want to Do in Japanese
• ～がほしい – Saying You Want Something in Japanese
• ～が好き／～が嫌い – Talking About Likes and Dislikes in Japanese
• あげる／くれる／もらう – Giving and Receiving in Japanese

て-form pathway

• ～ている – Expressing Actions in Progress and Continuing States in Japanese
• ～てください – Making Polite Requests in Japanese
• ～てもいい – Asking and Giving Permission in Japanese
• ～てもいいですか – Politely Asking for Permission in Japanese
• ～てはいけない – Expressing Rules and ‘Must Not’ in Japanese
• ～てから – Saying ‘After Doing Something’ in Japanese
• ～てある – Describing Prepared or Resulting States in Japanese
• ～てみる – Trying Something Out in Japanese

Negative-form pathway

• ～ない – Plain Negative Form in Japanese
• ～ないで – Saying “Without Doing” in Japanese
• ～ないでください – Saying “Please Don’t Do” in Japanese
• ～なくてもいい – Expressing ‘Don’t Have to’ in Japanese
• ～ないといけない – Expressing “Must” and “Have to” in Japanese

How to use this guide

Choose a section based on what you want to say. If one lesson links to another, the second lesson explains a nearby pattern that can help you tell the difference.

• Start with the foundations if Japanese sentence structure is new to you.
• Use the particle lessons when you want to understand how words fit together.
• Try the ten practice questions in each lesson before moving on.
• Follow the comparison and next-step links when two patterns look similar.

Every lesson includes Japanese examples, romaji, translations, and practice. Some lessons also include optional Hirakan study tools for keeping Japanese in sight.