JLPT N4 Te-form helpers for real conversation
Helpers after the te-form add nuance: てみる means trying, ておく doing in advance, and てしまう・ちゃう completion or regret. ていく and てくる show change moving away or toward now, and stem helpers like 始める, 続ける, やすい, and にくい mark phases and ease. A frequent slip is reading てしまう only as regret when it often just means "completely".
15 N4 grammar points in this group
て / で (te de): and; because; then
Use て / で when you want to express and; because; then in a Japanese sentence.
朝起きて、コーヒーを飲みました。 — I woke up and drank coffee.
てみる (te miru): try doing
Use てみる when you want to express try doing in a Japanese sentence.
この料理を食べてみます。 — I will try eating this dish.
ておく (te oku): do in advance; leave done
Use ておく when you want to express do in advance; leave done in a Japanese sentence.
旅行の前にホテルを予約しておきます。 — I will reserve the hotel in advance before the trip.
てしまう (te shimau): completion and regret
Use てしまう when you want to describe either full completion or an action the speaker feels bad about.
宿題を全部してしまいました。 — I finished all of my homework.
てしまう / ちゃう (te shimau chau): finish completely; do accidentally
Use てしまう / ちゃう when you want to express that an action was carried out fully, happened by accident, or produced a regrettable result.
宿題を全部やってしまいました。 — I finished all of my homework.
ていく (te iku): go on doing; move away while doing
Use ていく when you want to express go on doing; move away while doing in a Japanese sentence.
これからも日本語を勉強していきます。 — I will keep studying Japanese from now on.
てくる (te kuru): come to; do and come back
Use てくる when you want to express come to; do and come back in a Japanese sentence.
ちょっと水を買ってきます。 — I will go buy some water and come back.
てよかった (te yokatta): glad that
Use てよかった when you want to express glad that in a Japanese sentence.
日本語を勉強してよかったです。 — I am glad I studied Japanese.
始める (hajimeru): begin to do
Verb stem + 始める = “start V-ing.
去年から日本語を勉強し始めました。 — I started studying Japanese last year.
出す (dasu): start doing; suddenly begin
The pattern is verb stem + 出す, and the result means “start ~ing,” usually with a sense of surprise or suddenness. English often translates it with “burst into,” “break into,” or just “start.
急に雨が降り出しました。 — It suddenly started to rain.
続ける (tsuzukeru): keep doing
Use 続ける when you want to express that an action keeps going over a period of time. It can function as an auxiliary verb attached to another verb, or as a standalone transitive verb meaning "to continue (something).
毎日日本語を勉強し続けています。 — I keep studying Japanese every day.
終わる (owaru): finish doing
Use 終わる when you want to express the N4 idea of “to finish; finish doing” in natural Japanese.
本を読み終わりました。 — I finished reading the book.
やすい (yasui): easy to do; prone to
Use やすい when you want to express easy to do; prone to in a Japanese sentence.
このペンは書きやすいです。 — This pen is easy to write with.
にくい (nikui): hard to do
Use にくい when you want to express that an action is difficult to perform.
この漢字は読みにくいです。 — This kanji is hard to read.
づらい (zurai): hard to do; emotionally difficult
Use づらい when you want to express that an action is hard to do; emotionally difficult.
この話は言いづらいです。 — This is hard to say.
More JLPT N4 grammar groups
- Conditionals and decisions (11)
- Giving, receiving, requests, and keigo (15)
- Passive, causative, and permission (12)
- Time, timing, and sequence (17)
- Plans, intention, and change (8)
- Soft examples, lists, and limits (13)
- Hearsay, appearance, and feelings (17)
- Guessing, certainty, and wondering (11)
- Nominalizers, quoting, and comparison (14)