What N4 grammar adds
N4 grammar is less about brand-new sentence types and more about control. You already know how to say I study Japanese. N4 lets you say you study after work, because you want to pass N3, while listening to music, and that you have studied in Japan before.
The most important shift is connection. If N5 is a set of clear blocks, N4 is the mortar between them.
Complete N4 grammar checklist
| Pattern | Meaning | Similar structure reference |
|---|---|---|
| V-てから | after doing | N5: sequence |
| V-る前に | before doing | Time sequence |
| V-た後で | after doing | Time sequence |
| V-たり V-たりする | do things such as | N5: そして |
| V-ながら | while doing | Simultaneous actions |
| V-たことがある | have done before | Past experience |
| V-るつもりだ | intend to do | Personal intention |
| N の予定だ | be scheduled to | Scheduled plan |
| V-ることができる | can do | Ability |
| Potential form | can; be able to | Verb ability |
| V-なければならない | must do | Obligation |
| V-なくてもいい | do not have to | No obligation |
| V-なくてはいけない | must do | Conversational obligation |
| V-たほうがいい | should do | Advice |
| V-ないほうがいい | should not do | Negative advice |
| V-てもいい | may do | Permission review |
| V-てはいけない | must not do | Prohibition review |
| V-たらどうですか | why don't you do | Advice |
| V-たらいいですか | what should I do? | Asking for advice |
| V-ばいい | it is enough to; should | Suggested solution |
| V-るとき / V-たとき | when doing / when having done | Time clause |
| V-ると | when; whenever | Natural result |
| V-たら | if; when | Conditional |
| V-なら | if it is the case that | Topic-based condition |
| V-ば | if; when | Conditional form |
| N / な-adj なら | if N; if adjective | Conditional copula |
| V-ても | even if; even though | Concession |
| Plain form から | because | N5: basic reason |
| Plain form ので | because; since | Softer reason |
| Plain form し | and; besides | Listing reasons |
| Plain form んです | the thing is; explanatory | Explanation |
| Plain form と思います | I think | Opinion |
| Plain form と言います | say that | Quotation/reporting |
| Plain form かどうか | whether or not | Embedded question |
| N という N | N called; N known as | Naming/definition |
| N について | about; concerning N | Topic |
| N 以外 | other than N | Exclusion |
| N など | N and so on | Examples |
| N より N のほうが | N is more than N | Comparison |
| N ほど～ない | not as N as | Negative comparison |
| N くらい / ぐらい | about; approximately | Approximation |
| V-すぎる | do too much; be too | Excess |
| V-やすい | easy to do | Ease |
| V-にくい | difficult to do | Difficulty |
| V-始める | begin doing | Start of action |
| V-続ける | continue doing | Continuation |
| V-終わる | finish doing | Completion |
| V-出す | suddenly begin doing | Sudden start |
| V-てみる | try doing | Experiment |
| V-ておく | do in advance | Preparation |
| V-てある | has been done and remains | Resulting state |
| V-てしまう | finish; unfortunately do | Completion/regret |
| V-てあげる | do for someone | Giving a favor |
| V-てくれる | someone does for me | Receiving a favor |
| V-てもらう | have someone do | Requesting a favor |
| V-ていただく | humbly receive a favor | Polite favor |
| V-てくださいませんか | could you please | Polite request |
| V-ないで | without doing | Negative accompaniment |
| V-るまでに | by the time; before | Deadline |
| V-る間 / 間に | during; while | Time span |
| V-るところだ | be about to do | Action timing |
| V-ているところだ | be in the middle of doing | Action timing |
| V-たところだ | have just done | Action timing |
| そうだ（様態） | looks like; appears likely | Visual appearance |
| そうだ（伝聞） | I hear; it is said | Reported information |
| ようだ | seems; appears | Inference |
| ような N | N like; N such as | Similarity modifier |
| ように | so that; in the way that | Purpose/manner |
| ようになる | come to; become able to | Change |
| ようにする | make an effort to | Habit/effort |
| みたいだ | seems like; looks like | Casual inference |
| 受身形 | passive voice | Verb voice |
| 使役形 | causative voice | Verb voice |
| N しか～ない | only N | N5: limitation |
| N ばかり | nothing but; just | One-sided frequency |
| N まで | even; to the extent of | Emphasis/extent |
| N ほど | to the extent; approximately | Degree |
| Plain form でしょう | probably; right? | Probability/confirmation |
| Plain form かもしれない | might; perhaps | Possibility |
| V-たばかりだ | have just done | Recent completion |
| V-たまま | while remaining; as is | Unchanged state |
| V-るように言う | tell someone to do | Indirect instruction |
| V-ないように言う | tell someone not to do | Indirect prohibition |
| V-るようになる | come to be able to; become | Change |
| V-るようにする | make an effort to | Habit/effort |
| V-るために | in order to | Purpose |
| V-るのに | for doing; in order to | Use/purpose |
| V-るのに便利だ | be convenient for doing | Use |
| V-るのに時間がかかる | take time to do | Duration |
| V-るのは / V-るのが | nominalized action | Turning a verb into a topic |
| V-たらいいと思う | I think you should | Soft advice |
| なかなか～ない | not easily; hardly | Difficulty/frequency |
| どうしても | by all means; no matter what | Strong intention |
Examples you can reuse
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 宿題をしてから、テレビを見ます。 | Shukudai o shite kara, terebi o mimasu. | I will watch TV after doing my homework. |
| 週末は映画を見たり、友達に会ったりします。 | Shūmatsu wa eiga o mitari, tomodachi ni attari shimasu. | On weekends I do things like watch movies and meet friends. |
| 音楽を聞きながら勉強します。 | Ongaku o kikinagara benkyō shimasu. | I study while listening to music. |
| 雨が降っていますから、タクシーで行きましょう。 | Ame ga futte imasu kara, takushī de ikimashō. | It is raining, so let's go by taxi. |
| 時間がないので、今日は帰ります。 | Jikan ga nai node, kyō wa kaerimasu. | I do not have time, so I will go home today. |
| 京都に行ったことがあります。 | Kyōto ni itta koto ga arimasu. | I have been to Kyoto. |
| 来年N3を受けるつもりです。 | Rainen N3 o ukeru tsumori desu. | I intend to take N3 next year. |
| 薬を飲まなければなりません。 | Kusuri o nomanakereba narimasen. | I have to take medicine. |
Similar meanings to watch
- から and ので both give reasons, but から can sound more direct while ので often sounds softer or more objective.
- つもり and 予定 both talk about the future, but つもり is intention and 予定 is a schedule.
- なければならない and なくてはいけない both mean must, but なくてはいけない is very common in conversation.
- たり lists examples, not a complete list. Use と for complete noun lists at N5.
How N4 prepares you for N3
N3 grammar expects you to understand viewpoint and nuance. The difference between から and ので becomes the foundation for ために, おかげで, せいで, and ことから. The obligation pattern なければならない prepares you for べきだ, はずだ, and ざるを得ない.
When studying N4, always ask what job the pattern is doing. If you know the job, the N3 version will feel like a sharper tool rather than a new maze.