JLPT N5 · 85 lessons

JLPT N5 grammar list — every N5 pattern explained.

Foundations — your first JLPT grammar.

JLPT N5 is the entry level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. N5 grammar covers the essential patterns you need to form polite sentences, ask questions, talk about likes and dislikes, describe locations, and handle simple daily conversations. Most learners reach N5 within a few months of consistent study.

Topics covered at JLPT N5:

core particles (は, が, を, に, で, へ, と, も, から, まで)
です・ます polite forms
い-adjectives and な-adjectives
basic verb conjugations (present, past, negative, te-form)
questions, suggestions, and invitations
expressing want, desire, and ability

Follow the JLPT N5 grammar path by function

Use these clusters to study related patterns together instead of jumping through an alphabetical list. Each group teaches a different job that N5 grammar does in real sentences.

Sentence basics: to be, adjectives, existence

These are the building blocks of every N5 sentence: だ・です and じゃない・ではない state what something is, い- and な-adjectives describe it, and があります・がいます say it exists. The classic pitfall is using あります for people or animals, which take います, or negating an い-adjective with じゃない instead of くない.

だ・です (da desu): to be in Japanese じゃない・ではない (janai dewa nai): to not be い-adjectives (i-adjectives): Japanese i-adjectives explained な-adjectives (na-adjectives): Japanese na-adjectives explained があります (ga arimasu): there is or have がいます (ga imasu): there is someone なる (naru): to become お / ご (o go): polite or honorific prefix 方 (kata): the way of doing something んです (ndesu): to explain or emphasize のです (no desu): to explain or emphasize

Core particles

N5 particles mark each word's role: は sets the topic, が marks the subject, を the object, and に・へ・で mark destination, time, and place of action. The biggest trap is は vs が, followed closely by に vs で: に marks where something exists or goes, で marks where an action happens.

は (wa): topic marker が (ga): subject marker は vs が (wa vs ga): the beginner-friendly difference を (o / wo): object marker particle の (no): possessive particle に (ni): destination; time に/へ (ni / e): to; toward で (de): at; by と (to): and; with も (mo): too or also や (ya): and; or か～か (ka ka): or まで (made): until or as far as だけ (dake): only or just

Questions and sentence endings

か turns a statement into a question, while question words like どんな, どうして, and どうやって ask what kind, why, and how. Endings like ね, よ, and でしょう・だろう add the speaker's attitude: ね seeks agreement, よ tells the listener something new. Mixing up ね and よ can make you sound either unsure or pushy.

か (ka): question particle どんな (donna): what kind of どうして (doushite): why or how come どうやって (douyatte): how to do something はどうですか (wa dou desu ka): how about; how is ね (ne): isn't it; right よ (yo): you know; emphasis なあ (naa): sentence ending particle でしょう (deshou): probably or right だろう (darou): probably or right?

Requests, invitations, and suggestions

てください asks someone to do something, ないでください asks them not to, and をください requests an item. ませんか and ましょう invite someone along, ましょうか offers help, and ほうがいい gives advice. Beginners often use ましょう where ませんか would sound less pushy when inviting.

てください (te kudasai): please do をください (o kudasai): please give me ないでください (naide kudasai): please don’t do ませんか (masen ka): would you or shall we ましょう (mashou): let’s or shall we ましょうか (mashouka): shall I ほうがいい (hou ga ii): had better or should

Must, may, and must not

てもいいです grants permission and なくてもいい removes an obligation, while てはいけない・ちゃいけない forbid an action. なくてはいけない, なくてはならない, ないといけない, and casual なくちゃ all mean "must" at different levels of formality. The double negative confuses many learners: read なくては as "if you don't" plus いけない "it's no good".

てもいいです (temo ii desu): it is OK to; may I なくてもいい (naku temo ii): don't have to てはいけない (te wa ikenai): must not; may not ちゃいけない・じゃいけない (cha ikenai ja ikenai): must not do なくてはいけない (nakute wa ikenai): must do; need to do なくてはならない (nakute wa naranai): must do; have to do ないといけない (naito ikenai): must do なくちゃ (nakucha): must do; gotta do

Wants, likes, skills, and plans

たい expresses wanting to do something, がほしい wanting a thing, and つもり a plan you have already made. のが好き・のが上手・のが下手 turn verbs into things you like or are good or bad at, and にする states a choice. A common slip is using たい or ほしい about other people, which sounds odd in Japanese.

たい (tai): want to do がほしい (ga hoshii): want something のが好き (no ga suki): to like doing something のが上手 (no ga jouzu): to be good at doing something のが下手 (no ga heta): to be bad at doing something に行く (ni iku): go to do にする (ni suru): to decide on つもり (tsumori): plan to; intend to

Time, sequence, and te-form actions

ている describes ongoing actions or states, てある a state someone deliberately left, and てから, 前に, and とき place actions in order. もう and まだ contrast "already" with "still/not yet", and たことがある talks about experience. Watch まだ～ていません: "not yet" uses the ている form, not a past negative.

ている (te iru): ongoing action or current state てある (te aru): has been done; resulting state てから (te kara): after doing 前に (mae ni): before or in front of とき (toki): when; at the time もう (mou): already or anymore まだ (mada): still or not yet まだ～ていません (mada te imasen): have not yet たことがある (ta koto ga aru): have done something before たり〜たり (tari tari): do such things as A and B ないで (naide): without doing いつも (itsumo): always or usually 一緒に (issho ni): together with そして (soshite): and; and then それから (sore kara): and then; after that

Because and but: linking clauses

から and ので both give reasons; ので sounds softer and more objective, so it suits polite explanations. けど, けれども, でも, and しかし all mean "but" with different formality, and しかし belongs in writing. A frequent mistake is starting a sentence with けど in formal speech where でも or しかし fits better.

から (kara): because; since ので (node): because; since けど (kedo): but or although けれども (keredo mo): but or although でも (demo): but or even しかし (shikashi): but; however

Comparison and degree

は～より～です and より～ほうが compare two things, while 一番 and の中で～が一番 pick the top of a group. とても and すぎる express degree; すぎる means "too much" and attaches to verb and adjective stems. Learners often mix up which side より attaches to: it marks the thing being surpassed.

とても (totemo): very; extremely すぎる (sugiru): too much は〜より・・・です (wa yori desu): is more than より～ほうが (yori hou ga): more than 一番 (ichiban): the most or number one の中で[A]が一番 (no naka de ga ichiban): out of this group; A is the best

Practice this level in Hane

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Use this archive as your reading path, then practice the same kind of grammar, kanji, vocabulary, and reading recall in Hane. For the commercial-intent overview, visit the JLPT prep app page or the full Japanese learning app page.

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All JLPT N5 grammar lessons

N57 min read

ちゃいけない・じゃいけない (cha ikenai ja ikenai): must not do

ちゃいけない・じゃいけない (cha ikenai ja ikenai) means “must not do” — JLPT N5 grammar. Example: ここで写真を撮っちゃいけない。 (You must not take pictures here).