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The learning path

All 136 grammar topics in the order in which they support one another — numbered from 1 to 136.

The level is the crossbar, not the queue. Within a level several strands run side by side: someone working on the present tense can learn the articles alongside it, without either having to wait for the other. The waiting happens between levels — skip one and you are working on something that is missing three prerequisites.

The number is calculated, not assigned: level, then strand, then area. It changes when a topic is added, and that is as it should be — a fixed number would only be right until somebody writes something new.

Whether you have already read a topic is known only to your browser. With JavaScript the path shows it; without, it stays complete, just without your progress.

N5 The scripts, polite sentences, the essential particles.

Steps 1 to 35 of 136

Script and the basic sentence12

  1. 1HiraganaForty-six signs that can write every sound of Japanese, and two small marks that nearly double them.
  2. 2KatakanaThe same sounds as hiragana in a sharper hand, used for loanwords, foreign names and emphasis.
  3. 3Kanji and their readingsCharacters that carry meaning, most with a native reading and a Chinese-derived one, and furigana to say which.
  4. 4Long vowels, small tsu and small ya, yu, yoIn Japanese a sound held for one beat longer is a different word, and the spelling shows every beat.
  5. 5X は Y ですThe topic, then は, then what it is, then です.
  6. 6Questions with かAdd か to a statement, put the question word where the answer will go, and nothing else moves.
  7. 7Is not, was and was notじゃありません or ではありません for "is not", でした for "was", and the two put together for "was not".
  8. 8の between two nounsA の B: the B that belongs to, comes from or is a kind of A — always in that order.
  9. 9も: also, too, neitherも replaces は, が or を and adds "also"; も…も means "both", and with a negative "neither".
  10. 10This, that and whichこれ, それ, あれ and どれ stand alone; この, その, あの and どの need a noun after them.
  11. 11Here, there and whereここ, そこ, あそこ and どこ for places, こちら for the polite version, and positions built with の.
  12. 12There is: ある and いるある for things, いる for people and animals — and two word orders, depending on what is new.

Particles8

  1. 13は and が: topic and subjectは sets up what you are talking about; が picks out who or what does something or is somewhere.
  2. 14を: the object and the pathを marks what an action is done to — and the space a movement passes through or leaves.
  3. 15に: a point in time, a goal, a place of beingに points at a target: a moment, a destination, the place where something is, or the person who receives.
  4. 16で: where it happens, and with whatで marks where an action takes place, the means it uses, what something is made of, and a cause.
  5. 17へ for direction, と for and and withへ points the way; と joins a complete list of nouns or names the person you do something with.
  6. 18から and まで, and the deadline までにから is the starting point, まで the end point, and までに the deadline before which something happens.
  7. 19や, とか and など: lists that are not completeや and とか give examples from a longer list; など says "and so on".
  8. 20ね, よ and よね at the end of a sentenceね looks for agreement, よ tells the listener something new, and よね checks that you both know it.

Verbs and adjectives13

  1. 21The three verb groupsEvery verb belongs to one of three groups, and the group decides every form it takes.
  2. 22The ます-formThe polite form of every verb, for habits, for now and for the future.
  3. 23Past, suggestions and invitations in ますChange the end of ます to talk about the past, to suggest and to invite.
  4. 24The te-formOne form that links verbs, asks politely and carries a dozen later patterns, built by rules that depend on the last kana.
  5. 25i-adjectivesAn adjective that ends in い, goes straight before a noun and can end a sentence on its own.
  6. 26na-adjectivesAn adjective that behaves like a noun: な before a noun, だ or です at the end.
  7. 27Past and negative of adjectivesAn i-adjective changes its own ending; a na-adjective changes the だ or です after it.
  8. 28Comparing thingsA Japanese adjective has no comparative form: より, のほうが and いちばん do the work.
  9. 29てください: asking someone to do somethingThe te-form plus ください asks someone to do something; ないでください asks them not to.
  10. 30ている: in progress, or the state that remainsている describes an action going on now, or the state that a finished change has left behind.
  11. 31てから and a chain of て: one thing after anotherA string of te-forms tells actions in order; てから insists that the second waits for the first.
  12. 32Wanting to do: たいたい on the ます-stem says that you want to do something, and it conjugates like an i-adjective.
  13. 33Wanting things: ほしいほしい says that you want a thing; てほしい says that you want somebody else to do something.

Joining sentences2

  1. 34Giving a reason with から and のでThe reason comes first, then から or ので, then what follows from it.
  2. 35でしょう and だろう: probablyA plain form plus でしょう: the speaker thinks it is probably so.

N4 The te-form, plain form, requests and reasons.

Steps 36 to 87 of 136

Script and the basic sentence2

  1. 36Okurigana and words written in kanaWhere a word stops being kanji and starts being kana, and why some words are written in kana altogether.
  2. 37Punctuation, spacing and directionA full stop that is a small circle, quotation marks that are corners, no spaces, and a page that can run top to bottom.

Particles2

  1. 38だけ, しか and のみ: onlyだけ states a limit neutrally; しか with a negative verb stresses that it is not much; のみ is the written form.
  2. 39に or で: the verbs that decideSome verbs place someone or something at a point and take に; others describe an activity and take で — and English gives no clue which.

Verbs and adjectives25

  1. 40The dictionary formThe form a verb has in the dictionary — and in casual speech, in front of nouns and inside most grammar patterns.
  2. 41The plain negativeHow to say "not" in plain speech: the a-row of a う-verb, the stem of a る-verb, and ない.
  3. 42The plain pastThe te-form with た in place of て — the casual past, and the base of a whole family of patterns.
  4. 43The potential formOne change for "can": the e-row plus る for a う-verb, られる for a る-verb, and できる for する.
  5. 44The volitional formThe plain counterpart of ましょう: let's do it, or I think I will.
  6. 45Transitive and intransitive pairsMany verbs come in pairs: one for doing something to a thing, one for the thing happening by itself.
  7. 46Adverbs from adjectives, and becomingく turns an i-adjective into an adverb, に does the same for a na-adjective, and both combine with なる for change.
  8. 47Linking adjectives with くて and でくて and で join an adjective to what follows, where English says "and".
  9. 48Too much, easy to, hard toすぎる says "too", やすい and にくい say "easy to" and "hard to", and all three attach to a stem.
  10. 49Looks like: そうそう on a stem says how something looks, or what looks about to happen, judged by the eye.
  11. 50てもいい and てはいけない: may, must not, need not, mustFour patterns built on te-forms that allow, forbid, excuse and oblige.
  12. 51てしまう: done for good, or done and regrettedてしまう marks an action as completely finished — and often as something the speaker wishes had not happened.
  13. 52てある: left that way on purposeてある describes a state that somebody brought about deliberately, usually as a preparation.
  14. 53ておく: doing something in advanceておく means doing something now so that it is ready later — or leaving something as it is.
  15. 54てみる: trying something to seeてみる means doing something to find out what it is like — not trying hard to manage it.
  16. 55ないで and なくて: without doing, and because notないで says how something is done or what is done instead; なくて gives a reason.
  17. 56Other people's wishes: たがる and ほしがるたがる and ほしがる describe what somebody else visibly wants, and they conjugate as う-verbs.
  18. 57Intentions and plans: つもり and よていつもり states what a person intends to do; よてい states what has been arranged.
  19. 58Thinking of doing, trying to doThe volitional plus とおもう says what you are thinking of doing; plus とする, what somebody tries or is about to do.
  20. 59Deciding and being decided: ことにする and ことになることにする reports your own decision; ことになる reports one made by others or by circumstances.
  21. 60あげる, くれる, もらう: who gives to whomあげる gives away from me, くれる gives towards me, もらう is receiving — and "me" includes my own people.
  22. 61てあげる, てくれる, てもらう: doing favoursThe three giving verbs after a te-form say who did a favour for whom.
  23. 62Asking for a favour: てくれませんか, ていただけませんかA giving verb turned into a negative question makes a request — and the more indirect it is, the politer.
  24. 63The passiveA new ending on the verb, the doer marked with に, and the person or thing affected as the topic.
  25. 64The causativeOne ending for both "make somebody do" and "let somebody do" — the situation decides which.

Joining sentences20

  1. 65A clause in front of a nounJapanese has no who, which or that: a plain-form clause simply stands in front of the noun it describes.
  2. 66Turning a verb into a noun with の and ことA particle needs a noun, so a verb that is liked, forgotten or heard first becomes one with の or こと.
  3. 67Although, and not happy about it: のにのに joins what should have happened to what did, and lets the speaker's surprise or annoyance show.
  4. 68When: とき and the tense inside itとき is a noun meaning "time"; the tense in front of it says before or after, not past or present.
  5. 69Before and after: まえに, あとで and てからBefore takes the dictionary form, after takes the た-form, whatever the tense of the sentence.
  6. 70Two things at once: ながらThe ます-stem plus ながら: one person doing two things, with the main one at the end.
  7. 71Doing things like this and that: たり〜たりするTwo or more たり-forms give examples of what someone does, and する at the end carries the tense.
  8. 72Questions inside a sentence: か and かどうかA question in the plain form plus か can sit inside a larger sentence; かどうか is "whether or not".
  9. 73Saying and thinking: と and ってと marks what was said or thought; the quoted clause keeps its own tense and, if indirect, the plain form.
  10. 74In order to, and because of: ためにAfter a dictionary form, ために is a purpose you work towards; after a past form or a noun, it can also be a cause.
  11. 75So that: ように and ようにするように aims at a state you can only bring about indirectly; ようにする is making a habit or an effort of something.
  12. 76と for whenever and natural resultsA, と, B: whenever A happens, B follows by itself.
  13. 77The ば-form: what it takesA conjugated form that puts the weight on the condition: if A, then B.
  14. 78たら: if and when, the all-purpose conditionalThe plain past plus ら: once A has happened, B.
  15. 79なら: if that is so, given the topicTakes up what was just said and comments on it: if that is the case, then.
  16. 80ても and でも: even ifThe te-form plus も: even if A, B still happens.
  17. 81かもしれない: mightA plain form plus かもしれない: it is possible, but far from sure.
  18. 82はず and はずがない: should be, cannot beSomething the speaker expects to be true, because the facts point that way.
  19. 83そうだ for hearsay: I hear thatA complete plain form plus そうです: passing on what you heard or read.
  20. 84ようだ and みたいだ: it seems, it looks likeA judgement from what you yourself see or feel — and the word for like.

Register and expressions3

  1. 85Plain and polite styleEvery sentence chooses a style, and the choice says how close you are to the listener.
  2. 86Honorific verbsSpecial verbs that raise the person who acts — used for others, never for yourself.
  3. 87Humble verbsSpecial verbs that lower you and your side, so that the other person stands higher.

N3 Passive, causative, conjecture, polite language.

Steps 88 to 115 of 136

Particles2

  1. 88は and が in depth: contrast, focus and clausesは also contrasts, が also means "it is this one", and inside a clause the subject takes が.
  2. 89さえ, こそ, でも and なんか: words of emphasisさえ is "even" for an extreme case, こそ is "this one and no other", でも is a softer "even" or "something like", and なんか plays something down.

Verbs and adjectives6

  1. 90Commands and prohibitionsThe blunt command, the dictionary form plus な for "don't", and the firmer but gentler なさい of parents and teachers.
  2. 91ていく and てくる: away, towards, and over timeていく points away from the speaker and on into the future; てくる points towards the speaker and up to now.
  3. 92さしあげる, くださる, いただく: giving with respectWhen a superior, a customer or a stranger is involved, each giving verb has a respectful partner.
  4. 93The suffering passiveA passive built to say that somebody was put out by what happened — even when the verb has no object.
  5. 94Being made to do somethingCausative plus passive: somebody made me do it, and I did not choose to.
  6. 95Let me do itThe causative turned round: asking to be allowed to act, and announcing it humbly.

Joining sentences3

  1. 96と, ば, たら, なら side by sideFour ways to say if, and a short procedure for choosing the right one.
  2. 97らしい: apparently, and typical ofA plain form plus らしい: it seems so, from what I have heard or gathered.
  3. 98Must be: にちがいない and にきまっているTwo ways to say that something must be so: one considered, one emphatic.

Register and expressions17

  1. 99The regular honorificAny verb without a special honorific can be made one with お, the ます-stem and になる.
  2. 100The regular humble formお, the ます-stem and する: something you do for somebody you respect.
  3. 101ございます and the formal registerThe most formal way to say "there is" and "is" — and the vocabulary that comes with it.
  4. 102わけ: when the reason adds upわけだ draws a conclusion, and its two negatives mean very different things.
  5. 103ところ: a point in the life of an actionところ pins an action to one moment: just before it, in the middle of it, or just after it.
  6. 104ばかり: only just, and nothing butAfter the た-form ばかり means "only just"; after a noun or a て-form it means "nothing but".
  7. 105ようになる and ようにする: change and habitようになる reports a change that came about; ようにする is an effort to make something happen.
  8. 106ことがある: sometimes, and everAfter the dictionary form ことがある means "sometimes"; after the た-form it means "have ever".
  9. 107ば〜ほど: the more, the moreA word in its ば-form, the same word again, then ほど: as one thing grows, so does another.
  10. 108ずに: without doingずに is a slightly more formal ないで: one thing happens without another happening first.
  11. 109として: in the role ofA noun plus として says in what role, capacity or status something is done or seen.
  12. 110について and にかんして: what it is aboutについて marks what you talk, think or write about; にかんして is its more formal twin.
  13. 111によって: depending on, by, because ofによって names what something depends on, who made or did it, or what caused it.
  14. 112にとって: from where someone standsにとって says from whose point of view a judgement holds: important to me, hard for children.
  15. 113もの: how things are, how they were, and whyものだ states how things naturally are or used to be; ものの means "although"; a final もの gives a reason.
  16. 114かわりに: instead, and in returnかわりに means "instead of" or "on behalf of" — and after a clause, "in return for".
  17. 115ほど and くらい: how far something goesほど and くらい measure extent: "about", "so … that", and "not as … as".

N2 Stance, written style, politeness at work.

Steps 116 to 136 of 136

Register and expressions21

  1. 116Keigo at workInside and outside: your boss is honoured in the office and humbled on the phone to a client.
  2. 117にもかかわらず: despite the factsA formal "despite": something should have stopped the result, and it did not.
  3. 118にもとづいて: based onAn action that follows a law, a set of data or an experience, and does not depart from it.
  4. 119にたいして: towards, whereas, perOne phrase that aims an attitude at a target, sets two facts against each other, or gives a ratio.
  5. 120をはじめ: with this one firstName the best-known member of a group, then the group itself.
  6. 121ものの: true, butGrant the first fact in full, then admit that it did not lead where it should have.
  7. 122わけにはいかない: cannot in good conscienceNot "cannot" for lack of ability, but "cannot" because it would not be right.
  8. 123ざるをえない: no choice but toA formal "I have no choice": circumstances force an action the speaker would rather avoid.
  9. 124ばかりか and ばかりでなく: not onlyName one thing, then add a second that goes further.
  10. 125いっぽう: on the other hand, and more and moreOne word with three jobs: a contrast inside a sentence, a change of subject between sentences, and a trend that only goes one way.
  11. 126からこそ: precisely becausePut a reason in the spotlight: this, and nothing else, is why.
  12. 127うちに: while the window is openDo something inside a window of time before it closes — or notice what changed while you were inside it.
  13. 128にかぎらず and にかぎる: not only, nothing beatsOne verb, "to limit", in three phrases: not limited to, limited to, and the best there is.
  14. 129とともに: together with, and in step withA formal "with": beside a companion, in step with a change, or at the same moment as another action.
  15. 130しだい: depending on, and as soon asWhat a result depends on, and what will happen the moment something is done.
  16. 131うえで: after, and in doingAfter a た-form: do this first, then the next thing on that basis. After a dictionary form: in the course of doing something.
  17. 132つつ and つつある: while, and under wayA written ながら, a concessive "even while", and a change that is under way.
  18. 133The である styleThe voice of essays, reports and newspapers: plain verbs, and である where speech has だ or です.
  19. 134Linking without てIn writing, a clause often ends on the bare stem and a comma, where speech would use the te-form.
  20. 135ず and ずに in written JapaneseAn old negative that writing still uses: "did not …, and" and "without doing".
  21. 136Written connectivesSix words that open a sentence and tell the reader how it stands to the one before.

All topics as an overview What each level means