Japanese grammar, level by level
The JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) has five levels. N5 is the first and the easiest. N1 is the hardest. I sort the grammar here the same way, so you can learn it in order. Every point has a short article: what it means, how to build it, and how it can show up in your students' English.
The five levels
- JLPT N5 Beginner · 60 points Basic sentences, particles, the polite verb forms, adjectives, and everyday requests.
- JLPT N4 Elementary · coming soon The plain forms, conditionals, obligation, advice, and giving and receiving.
- JLPT N3 Intermediate · coming soon Nuance, inference, contrast, and longer sentences.
- JLPT N2 Upper-intermediate · coming soon Formal and written Japanese, and precise links between ideas.
- JLPT N1 Advanced · coming soon Editorial and academic Japanese, rhetoric, and fine shades of meaning.
The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list. These lists follow the common study books and sites, so a point may sit one level up or down in your textbook.