Introduction
Welcome to the JLPT N4 study guide at NihongoDoya. This page brings together every sentence pattern, particle and verb conjugation introduced across standard textbooks Book II (lessons 26–50), with worked examples, exam-style explanations and clear summaries on each lesson card. Whether you are revising for JLPT N4 or building Japanese from scratch, the cards above let you jump straight to the topic you need — and the linked Japanese word list and audio practice pages keep every pattern grounded in real speech.
What you will learn
- Plain form and its negative, past and conjunctive variants
- Conditional forms (たら, ば, なら, と) and when to choose each
- Passive (受身), causative (使役) and causative-passive structures
- Transitive vs intransitive verb pairs (あく / あける etc.)
- Polite humble (謙譲語) and honorific (尊敬語) keigo basics
- Compound expressions like ようになる, ようにする and ことになる
Who this level is for
JLPT N4 fits learners who have cleared N5 or finished standard textbooks Book I. The jump from N5 to N4 is mostly about plain form, conditionals and keigo, so expect more nuance and longer sentences in the example boxes below.
A useful weekly cycle for grammar study
- Read one unit on this page and copy the sentence pattern in your notebook.
- Drill three example sentences out loud, twice each.
- Match the unit with the related Japanese word list, learning ten new items.
- Listen to the unit on the matching audio practice page, first without the script, then with it.
- Review the previous unit for five minutes before moving on.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using passive and causative interchangeably — passive is "X is done", causative is "X makes / lets Y do".
- Confusing transitive and intransitive pairs such as あける / あく or つける / つく.
- Over-using たら and forgetting that ば and と have stricter contextual rules.
- Mixing humble (謙譲) and honorific (尊敬) keigo when speaking about yourself or customers.
Related study materials
Build a joined-up study cycle by combining this page with the matching JLPT N4 grammar guide, the JLPT N4 Japanese word list and the JLPT N4 audio practice page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the JLPT N4 syllabus take?
On average four to six months at one standard textbooks Book II lesson per week. Daily 30-minute sessions with the matching word list and audio scenes are enough for most learners.
Do I need to clear N5 first?
Yes — N4 builds directly on N5 sentence patterns. If you skipped a few N5 units, revisit them on the N5 grammar guide before tackling plain form and conditionals here.
Why is keigo introduced at N4?
Polite humble and honorific Japanese appear in everyday work and shop scenes from A2 onwards, and the JLPT N4 reading section regularly tests them.
Can I jump between this page and the Irodori Elementary 2 guide?
Yes — Irodori Elementary 2 covers many of the same A2 themes from a task-based angle, which makes it a strong companion for N4 grammar.
How do I move on to N3 after this?
Spend a week reviewing the N4 sentence patterns, take a full practice paper, then look for an intermediate Japanese textbook — Tobira or Quartet are common N3 starting points.