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JLPTN4Intermediate15 min read

JLPT N4 Grammar & Conjugation Guide

JLPT N4 文法と活用ガイド

Level up your Japanese with this N4 guide. Learn intermediate conjugation forms, conditional patterns, and essential grammar.

The JLPT N4 bridges basic and intermediate Japanese. You'll expand your verb forms significantly, learning conditionals, passive, causative, and more. This guide covers the key conjugation patterns needed for N4 success.

New Conjugation Forms in N4(N4で学ぶ新しい活用形)

N4 introduces several important forms:

FormNameExample
Potential可能形食べられる (can eat)
Volitional意向形食べよう (let's eat)
Conditional (ば)ば形食べれば (if eat)
Conditional (たら)たら形食べたら (when/if eat)
Passive受身形食べられる (is eaten)
Causative使役形食べさせる (make eat)

Conditional Forms Deep Dive(条件形)

N4 requires understanding multiple conditional patterns:

  • たら: General "if/when" (most versatile)
  • ば: Hypothetical conditions
  • と: Natural/automatic consequences
  • なら: "If it's the case that..."
時間があったら、映画を見に行きましょう。
じかんがあったら、えいがをみにいきましょう。
jikan ga attara, eiga wo mini ikimashou.
If we have time, let's go see a movie.
!

When in doubt, use たら—it works in most situations!

Giving & Receiving Verbs(授受動詞)

N4 covers the giving/receiving verb system with て-form:

  • 〜てあげる: Do for someone (I → others)
  • 〜てもらう: Have someone do (others → I)
  • 〜てくれる: Someone does for me (others → I, grateful)
友達に日本語を教えてもらいました。
ともだちににほんごをおしえてもらいました。
tomodachi ni nihongo wo oshiete moraimashita.
I had my friend teach me Japanese.

Vocabulary Expansion(語彙の拡張)

N4 significantly expands your vocabulary:

  • Vocabulary: ~1,500 words total
  • Kanji: ~300 characters total
  • Compound verbs: 食べ始める, 読み終わる

Key N4 Grammar Patterns(N4重要文法)

Essential patterns for N4:

  • 〜ようになる: Come to be able to / start to
  • 〜ことがある: Sometimes / have experienced
  • 〜そうだ: Looks like / I heard that
  • 〜らしい: Seems like / apparently
  • 〜てしまう: Completely do / unfortunately do
毎日練習すれば、上手になりますよ。
まいにちれんしゅうすれば、じょうずになりますよ。
mainichi renshuu sureba, jouzu ni narimasu yo.
If you practice every day, you'll become good!

✓Summary

N4 key takeaways:

  • Master conditional forms (たら, ば, と, なら)
  • Learn passive, potential, causative, and volitional
  • Understand giving/receiving verbs with て-form
  • Expand vocabulary to 1,500+ words

Ready to Practice?

Practice N4 conjugation forms with our drill. Try conditional and passive challenges!

Start Practicing →

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