JLPT N5 Grammar List: All 80 Patterns With Meanings and Examples
By the Kantan JLPT team · · 17 min read
Quick answer: JLPT N5 grammar covers the basics of Japanese sentences: the main particles, polite です and ます forms, adjective and verb tenses, the て-form, and simple patterns for asking, inviting, wanting and comparing. Below are all 80 patterns in the Kantan JLPT N5 set, grouped by type, each with its meaning and an example sentence. There's no official JLPT grammar list, so other sources group and count patterns a little differently, but if you're comfortable with these, you're well prepared for N5.
If you want the bigger picture first, such as why the verb comes last and how particles work, read our guide to Japanese grammar for the JLPT. This page is the N5 checklist: use it to see what you know and what still needs work.
A note on the examples: they use kanji the way normal Japanese text does. The N5 exam itself writes many of these words in kana, so don't worry if some kanji are new to you. Focus on the grammar.
What particles do you need for JLPT N5?
Particles are short words that follow a noun and show its role in the sentence. They come up in almost every N5 grammar question. Two pairs cause the most confusion and have their own guides: wa vs ga (は vs が) and ni vs de (に vs で).
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜を | marks the direct object (the thing an action is done to) | 毎朝 パンを 食べます。 I eat bread every morning. |
| 〜に／〜へ | to (a destination) | 明日 図書館に 行きます。 I'm going to the library tomorrow. |
| 〜で | at / in (the place where an action happens) | 図書館で 勉強します。 I study at the library. |
| 〜で | by, with, in (means of transport, tool, or language) | 毎日 バスで 学校へ 行きます。 I go to school by bus every day. |
| 〜時に／〜曜日に | at / on / in (a specific time, day, or date) | 七時に 晩ごはんを 食べます。 I eat dinner at seven. |
| 〜と | and (joining nouns); (together) with | パンと 卵を 買いました。 I bought bread and eggs. |
| 〜から〜まで | from … to / until … | 図書館は 十時から 六時までです。 The library is open from 10:00 to 6:00. |
| 〜の〜 | 's; of (links two nouns: owner, group, or description) | 姉の 靴は 赤いです。 My older sister's shoes are red. |
| 〜も | also, too | 田中さんは 学生です。わたしも 学生です。 Ms. Tanaka is a student. I'm a student, too. |
| 〜が | marks the subject (who or what does or is something) | 誰が 来ましたか。 Who came? |
| 〜や〜など | … and … and so on; things like … and … | 冷蔵庫に 卵や 牛乳などが あります。 There are eggs, milk, and other things in the fridge. |
| 〜だけ | only; just | 朝は コーヒーだけ 飲みます。 In the morning, I only drink coffee. |
| 〜しか〜ません | only ~ (and nothing more) | 財布に 千円しか ありません。 I only have 1,000 yen in my wallet. |
| 〜ぐらい／〜ごろ | about (an amount) / around (a point in time) | 駅まで 十分ぐらい かかります。 It takes about ten minutes to get to the station. |
| 〜までに | by (a deadline) | 金曜日までに 宿題を 出してください。 Please turn in your homework by Friday. |
| 〜ね／〜よ | ね: …, right? / isn't it? (seeking agreement); よ: …, you know (telling something new) | 今日は 暑いですね。 It's hot today, isn't it? |
How do you use です at N5?
です is the polite way to say "is" or "am." Its negative and past forms are some of the first things you learn, and they also show up inside many other patterns.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜は〜です | X is Y (polite statement) | 兄は 医者です。 My older brother is a doctor. |
| 〜じゃありません／〜ではありません | is not; am not; are not (polite negative of です) | 田中さんは 先生じゃありません。学生です。 Ms. Tanaka isn't a teacher. She's a student. |
| 〜でした／〜じゃありませんでした | was / was not (polite past of です) | 昨日は 雨でした。 It was rainy yesterday. |
| 〜でしょう | probably ~; I suppose ~ | 明日は 雨が 降るでしょう。 It will probably rain tomorrow. |
| 〜んです | explaining a reason or situation; asking for an explanation | すみません、頭が 痛いんです。 Sorry, I have a headache. |
What verb forms and tenses are on JLPT N5?
N5 starts with the polite ます forms and then adds the plain dictionary form, the ない form, the た form and the て-form. To conjugate these correctly, you need to know which of the three groups a verb belongs to; our guide to Japanese verb groups explains how to tell. The Japanese te-form guide covers how to build the て-form, which appears in many patterns on this page.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜ます／〜ません | polite non-past verb: do / will do (negative: don't / won't) | 毎日 水を 飲みます。 I drink water every day. |
| 〜ました／〜ませんでした | polite past verb: did (negative: didn't) | 昨日 映画を 見ました。 I saw a movie yesterday. |
| 〜る／〜だ | plain (casual) non-past: do / is | 明日 図書館へ 行く。 I'm going to the library tomorrow. |
| 〜ない | plain negative: don't / won't (do) | 今日は 学校へ 行かない。 I'm not going to school today. |
| 〜て、〜 | (do A) and (then do B); linking actions in order | 毎朝 起きて、シャワーを 浴びます。 Every morning I get up and take a shower. |
| 〜ています | is (doing): an action in progress | 今 雨が 降っています。 It's raining now. |
| 〜ています | is (in a state); does regularly; works as / at | 姉は 結婚しています。 My older sister is married. |
| 〜たことがあります | have (done) before; have the experience of (doing) | 一人で 外国へ 行ったことが あります。 I've traveled abroad by myself. |
| 〜たり〜たりします | do things like A and B (among other things) | 日曜日は 本を 読んだり、音楽を 聞いたりします。 On Sundays, I do things like read books and listen to music. |
| 〜に行きます／〜に来ます | go / come (somewhere) to (do) | 図書館へ 本を 借りに 行きます。 I'm going to the library to borrow a book. |
| 〜になります／〜くなります | become; get (to be) | 弟は 来年 二十歳に なります。 My younger brother will turn twenty next year. |
| 〜つもりです | plan to (do); intend to (do) | 来年 日本で 働くつもりです。 I plan to work in Japan next year. |
| 〜に〜をあげます／〜に〜をもらいます | give (something) to ~ / receive (something) from ~ | 母に 花を あげました。 I gave my mother flowers. |
| Verb plain form ＋ Noun | the (noun) that ~ does / did; describing a noun with a verb | あそこで 新聞を 読んでいる 人は 田中さんです。 The person reading a newspaper over there is Mr. Tanaka. |
| 〜のが好きです | like (doing ~); の turns a verb into a noun | 私は 料理を 作るのが 好きです。 I like cooking. |
How do you say "there is" in Japanese?
Japanese uses two verbs for existence: あります for things and plants, and います for people and animals. These three patterns describe what is where.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜があります／〜がいます | there is / there are; (someone) has | 机の 上に 辞書が あります。 There's a dictionary on the desk. |
| 〜に〜があります | there is (something) at / in a place | 部屋に テレビが あります。 There is a TV in the room. |
| 〜は〜にあります | (thing) is in / at (place) | 私の かばんは 机の 上に あります。 My bag is on the desk. |
How do adjectives work at N5?
Japanese has two kinds of adjectives, い-adjectives and な-adjectives, and they change form differently. Notice that い-adjectives change themselves for past and negative, while な-adjectives change the です that follows them.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜いです／〜くないです | is (adjective) / is not (adjective) | この かばんは 高いです。 This bag is expensive. |
| な-adjective ＋ です／じゃありません | is (adjective) / is not (adjective), for な-adjectives | この 町は 静かです。 This town is quiet. |
| 〜かったです／〜でした | was (adjective): past tense of adjectives | 昨日の テストは 難しかったです。 Yesterday's test was hard. |
| 大きい〜／静かな〜 | (adjective) + noun: describing a noun, e.g. a big ~, a quiet ~ | 大きい 犬が 好きです。 I like big dogs. |
| 〜くて／〜で | (adjective) and (adjective); linking descriptions | この 部屋は 広くて 明るいです。 This room is spacious and bright. |
| あまり〜ない／ぜんぜん〜ない | not very / not at all | 駅は ここから あまり 遠くないです。 The station isn't very far from here. |
How do you compare things in Japanese?
N5 includes a small set of comparison patterns: "A is more … than B," "which is more …?" and "the most … in a group."
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜は〜より〜です | A is more ~ than B | 今日は 昨日より 寒いです。 Today is colder than yesterday. |
| 〜のほうが〜です | (A) is more … (than B) | 電車より 飛行機の ほうが 速いです。 Planes are faster than trains. |
| 〜の中で〜がいちばん〜です | out of (a group), ~ is the most ~ | 果物の 中で りんごが いちばん 好きです。 Of all fruits, I like apples best. |
| 〜と〜と、どちらが〜ですか | which is more ~, A or B? | コーヒーと 紅茶と、どちらが 好きですか。 Which do you like better, coffee or tea? |
How do you make requests, invitations and rules?
These patterns are polite ways to ask someone to do something, suggest doing something together, and say what is allowed, forbidden or required. Most of them are built on the て-form or the ない form.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜てください | please (do) | もう 少し ゆっくり 話してください。 Please speak a little more slowly. |
| 〜ないでください | please don't (do) | 図書館で 話さないでください。 Please don't talk in the library. |
| 〜ませんか | won't you (do)?; would you like to (do)? (invitation) | 今晩 一緒に 映画を 見ませんか。 Would you like to watch a movie together tonight? |
| 〜ましょう | let's (do) | 少し 休みましょう。 Let's take a short break. |
| 〜ましょうか | shall I (do)? / shall we (do)? | 窓を 開けましょうか。 Shall I open the window? |
| 〜てもいいです | it's OK to (do); may (do) | ここで 写真を 撮ってもいいですか。 May I take pictures here? |
| 〜てはいけません | must not (do); (doing) is not allowed | ここで 写真を 撮ってはいけません。 You must not take photos here. |
| 〜なければなりません | must (do); have to (do) | 明日は 早く 起きなければなりません。 I have to get up early tomorrow. |
| 〜なくてもいいです | don't have to (do); it's OK not to (do) | 明日は 来なくてもいいです。 You don't have to come tomorrow. |
How do you say what you want, like and can do?
Likes, wants, skills and understanding all mark their object with が, not を. This is one of the most tested points at N5.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜が好きです／〜がきらいです | like / dislike (something) | 私は 音楽が 好きです。 I like music. |
| 〜がほしいです | want (something) | 新しい 車が ほしいです。 I want a new car. |
| 〜たいです | want to (do) | 冷たい 水が 飲みたいです。 I want to drink some cold water. |
| 〜が上手です／〜が下手です | is good at / is bad at | 兄は 料理が 上手です。 My older brother is good at cooking. |
| 〜がわかります | understand (something); know (a language, an answer) | 英語が わかりますか。 Do you understand English? |
How do you talk about time, order and reasons?
These patterns put events in order (before, after, when) and join sentences with "because," "but" and "and then."
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜てから | after (doing); once (I've done) | 手を 洗ってから ご飯を 食べます。 After I wash my hands, I eat. |
| 〜まえに | before (doing) …; before (an event) | 出かける 前に 窓を 閉めます。 I close the windows before I go out. |
| 〜たあとで | after (doing) | 授業が 終わったあとで 図書館へ 行きます。 After class is over, I'll go to the library. |
| 〜とき | when ~; at the time (that) ~ | 子供のとき、うちに 犬が いました。 When I was a child, we had a dog. |
| もう／まだ | already / (not) yet | もう 宿題を しましたか。 Have you done your homework yet? |
| 〜から | because, so | 雨が 降っているから、うちに います。 Because it's raining, I'm staying home. |
| 〜が、〜 | but; although | この 店は 安いですが、おいしいです。 This place is cheap, but the food is good. |
| でも／そして／それから | but / and (also) / and then | 兄の 部屋は 広いです。そして、明るいです。でも、駅から 遠いです。 My older brother's room is big. It's bright, too. But it's far from the station. |
How do you ask questions and point at things?
か turns a statement into a question. The こ/そ/あ/ど words follow a neat system: こ is near the speaker, そ is near the listener, あ is far from both, and ど asks "which."
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜か | question marker; turns a statement into a question | 田中さんは 先生ですか。 Is Ms. Tanaka a teacher? |
| これ／それ／あれ／どれ | this one / that one (near you) / that one over there / which one | あれは 私たちの 学校です。 That over there is our school. |
| この／その／あの／どの ＋ Noun | this / that / that (over there) / which + noun | この 本は 面白いです。 This book is interesting. |
| ここ／そこ／あそこ／どこ | here / there (near you) / over there / where | 郵便局は どこですか。 Where is the post office? |
| なに・だれ・いつ・どう・いくら | what / who / when / how / how much | 夏休みは いつからですか。 When does summer vacation start? |
| なにか／だれか／なにも／だれも | question word ＋ か: some- (something, someone); ＋ も with a negative: no- (nothing, no one) | 冷蔵庫に 何か ありますか。 Is there anything in the fridge? |
| 〜はどうですか | how is …? / how about …? | 新しい 仕事は どうですか。 How's your new job? |
Other N5 patterns: counters and plurals
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜を三つ／〜が二人 ＋ Verb | counting things: number + counter word | りんごを 三つ 買いました。 I bought three apples. |
| 〜たち／〜がた | plural marker for people (we, you all, the ~s) | 私たちは 同じ 大学の 学生です。 We're students at the same university. |
How should you study N5 grammar?
- Learn patterns in sentences, not as rules. A pattern sticks much better when you remember one example sentence for it. The examples above are a good start.
- Master the forms first. Many N5 patterns attach to the て-form, the ない form or the た form. If you can make those quickly, most of this list becomes easy.
- Study a few patterns a day. Five or six new patterns a day, with regular review, gets you through this whole list in two to three weeks.
- Practice in the exam format. The JLPT tests grammar by asking you to choose the right form, put sentence pieces in order, and fill gaps in a short passage. For the current test sections and timing, check the official JLPT website.
- Say the examples out loud. Reading and listening reinforce each other, and the listening section uses the same grammar.
What are common N5 grammar mistakes?
- Using を with すき, ほしい or わかる. These take が: ✗ ねこを すきです → ✓ ねこが すきです.
- Mixing up に and で for places. に marks where something is or where you go; で marks where an action happens: ✓ としょかんで べんきょうします.
- Adding です to past い-adjectives the wrong way. ✗ たかいでした → ✓ たかかったです.
- Treating な-adjectives like い-adjectives. ✗ しずかくないです → ✓ しずかじゃありません.
- Forgetting that some verbs ending in る are u-verbs. かえる (go home) becomes かえります and かえって, not かえます.
- Using a positive verb after しか. ✗ せんえんしか あります → ✓ せんえんしか ありません. しか always pairs with a negative.
Frequently asked questions
How many grammar points are on the JLPT N5?
There's no official number, because the JLPT doesn't publish a grammar list. Textbooks and apps usually count somewhere between 70 and 100 N5 patterns, depending on how they split them. The Kantan JLPT N5 set has 80.
Is N5 grammar hard?
Not really. Most of it is the core of everyday Japanese: particles, polite verb forms and basic adjectives. The hardest parts for most learners are particle choices like は and が, and getting the て-form right.
What should I learn first?
Start with は〜です, the main particles and the ます forms. Then learn adjectives, the て-form and the patterns built on it. That order lets you make useful sentences from day one.
Do I need N5 grammar for N4?
Yes. N4 builds directly on every pattern here, adding new forms such as the potential, volitional and conditional forms. A solid N5 base makes N4 much faster.
Study N5 grammar in Kantan JLPT
This list comes from the N5 grammar set in Kantan JLPT. In the app, each pattern comes with its formation, notes and example sentences, and fill-in-the-blank reviews bring back the ones you miss until they feel natural. When you're ready to see how N5 fits into the rest of the exam, the Japanese grammar guide walks through every level from N5 to N1.