JLPT N5 Grammar

Before learning any conjugation, it is essential that you fully understand the verb groups!

And here is a cheat sheet that you can print and put up everywhere in your house, in your office, at your friend's...!

Now, let's check if you can guess the group of any verb!
a) 見みる (miru, to watch) → Group
b) 読よむ (yomu, to read) → Group
c) 取とる (toru, to take) → Group
d) 仕し事ごとする (shigoto suru, to work) → Group
e) 遊あそぶ (asobu, to play) → Group
f) 帰かえる (kaeru, to go home) → Group

Great! Now that you know the verb groups, you can choose to learn the polite form (go to number ②) or the casual form (negative = ③/ past = ⑤ / volitional = ⑦). You don't know what to choose? Read this:

Well, no matter what you choose, you will eventually have to learn both of them, so I would start with the easier one: the polite form!

Once you know how to make the polite form of Japanese verbs, it is very easy to make a verb negative (I don't..., you don't..., he/she doesn't...), past (I did..., you did...), negative past (I didn't..., you didn't...) or even to say "Let's...!".
It only takes 5 minutes to learn how to do it!

Here is the simplified hiragana chart that will help you conjugate the polite form of group 1 verbs:

Now, let's check if you can make the polite form of any verb!
a) 来くる (kuru, to come) →
b) 帰かえる (kaeru, to go home) →
c) 待まつ (matsu, to wait) →
d) 寝ねる (neru, to sleep) →
e) 消けす (kesu, to turn off/to erase) →
f) コピーする (kopī suru, to photocopy) →

Be careful, this is the casual negative form, so you mustn't use it to talk to your teachers/boss...!

Here is the simplified hiragana chart that will help you conjugate the NAI form of group 1 verbs:

Now, let's check if you can make the negative form of any verb!
a) 買かう (kau, to buy) →
b) 売うる (uru, to sell) →
c) 掃そう除じする (sōji suru, to clean) →
d) 走はしる (hashiru, to run) →
e) 忘わすれる (wasureru, to forget) →
f) 見みる (miru, to watch) →

The TE form is one of the biggest challenges for beginners in Japanese but it is also extremely useful!
You can use the TE form to:
- link sentences
- make requests (you can be more polite by adding ください, kudasai)
But you can also combine the TE form with other verbs. For example, you can connect it to いる／います (iru/imasu) to create a continuous tense (聞きいている, kiite iru = to be listening...).
So, what are you waiting for? Let's learn how to conjugate it!

Here is the conjugation chart for the TE form of group 1 verbs:

Now, let's check if you can make the TE form of any verb!
a) 起おきる (okiru, to wake up) →
b) 持もって来くる (motte kuru, to bring) →
c) 呼よぶ (yobu, to call over) →
d) 話はなす (hanasu, to speak) →
e) 教おしえる (oshieru, to teach) →
f) 切きる (kiru, to cut) →

Did you practice the TE form with my previous video lesson? Well, good news: the casual past (TA form) is almost the same so you will learn it very easily!

Here is the conjugation chart for the TA form of group 1 verbs:

Now, let's check if you can make the TA form of any verb!
a) 引ひく (hiku, to pull) →
b) 死しぬ (shinu, to die) →
c) 来くる (kuru, to come) →
d) 忘わすれる (wasureru, to forget) →
e) 洗あらう (arau, to wash) →
f) 分わかる (wakaru, to understand) →

Learn how to say what you can do in Japanese with this short video!

Here is the simplified hiragana chart that will help you conjugate the potential form of group 1 verbs:

Now, let's check if you can make the potential form of any verb!
a) 書かく (kaku, to write) →
b) 料りょう理りする (ryōri suru, to cook) →
c) 言いう (iu, to say) →
d) 食たべる (taberu, to eat) →
e) 読よむ (yomu, to read) →
f) 出でる (deru, to go out) →

Learn how to invite your Japanese friends with this short video! This is the casual version of ～ましょう (mashō), so make sure you don’t use it with your teachers/boss!

Here is the simplified hiragana chart that will help you conjugate the volitional form of group 1 verbs:

Now, let's check if you can make the volitional form of any verb!
a) 買かい物ものする (kaimono suru, to shop) →
b) 寝ねる (neru, to sleep) →
c) 走はしる (hashiru, to run) →
d) 遊あそぶ (asobu, to play) →
e) 始はじめる (hajimeru, to start) →
f) 歌うたう (utau, to sing) →

So far, you have studied many conjugations and used them with different verbs. In this section, you will learn how to say "to give" and "to receive" in Japanese.

Notes:
- you can take out “私わたし　は (watashi wa)” and “私わたし　に (watashi ni)” to sound more natural.
- although it is grammatically correct, it is not natural to say that someone “receives from me” (私わたし　に　もらう, watashi ni morau). So try to use “I give” to someone (あげる, ageru) instead!

Now, let's check if you can translate these sentences in Japanese!

a) I got a gift.
b) My father gave me a watch.
c) I gave flowers to my mother.
d) My friend got a book from the teacher.
e) The teacher gave a book to my friend.
f) My friend will give me a manga.

Learn how to use correctly the location particles へ (E), に (NI), and で (DE) in Japanese with this short video!

And here is a cheat sheet that summarizes what you have just learned in the video!

Now, let's check if you can choose the correct particle to complete these sentences!
a) うち 【?】 勉べん強きょうする (uchi 【?】 benkyō suru, to study at home) →
b) 図と書しょ館かん 【?】 行いく (toshokan 【?】 iku, to go to the library) →
c) 外そと 【?】 遊あそぶ (soto 【?】 asobu, to play outside) →
d) 部へ屋や 【?】 パソコン が ある (heya 【?】 pasokon ga aru, there is a PC in the room) →
e) 学がっ校こう 【?】 いる (gakkō 【?】 iru, to be at school) →
f) 原はら宿じゅく 【?】 服ふく を 買かう (Harajuku 【?】 fuku wo kau, to buy clothes in Harajuku) →

In the video about the conjugation of the TE form, I used it to make requests. But there are many more ways to use the TE form!

Using the TE form to link sentences

Learn how to express a sequence of actions (for example, to talk about your daily routine) in Japanese with this short video!

Now, let's check if you can make long sentences in Japanese with this translation exercise!

a) I went to Akihabara and I bought a computer.
b) I go home, I eat dinner and I watch TV.
c) Please write your name here and wait over there.
d) I will go to Japan and study Japanese.
e) Take the Yamanote line and get off at Shibuya.
f) I read a manga and I drew a picture.

When people do something for you, it is not natural to say "they did this". You should express your gratitude by saying "they did this for me".
Learn how to describe when people do something for someone in Japanese with this short video!

About the particles used with てあげる (TE-ageru) and てくれる (TE-kureru)

With てあげる (TE-ageru) and てくれる (TE-kureru), we keep the same particle as the one used with the verb in the original sentence (before attaching てあげる・てくれる, TE-ageru/TE-kureru). For example:

- I play with my little brother
　　弟おとうと　と　遊あそぶ　
→　弟おとうと　と　遊あそんであげる。

- Could you play with my little brother?
　　弟おとうと　と　遊あそぶ　
→　弟おとうと　と　遊あそんでくれませんか。

- I explain to my little brother
　　弟おとうと　に　説せつ明めいする　
→　弟おとうと　に　説せつ明めいしてあげる。

- Could you explain to my little brother?
　　弟おとうと　に　説せつ明めいする　
→　弟おとうと　に　説せつ明めいしてくれませんか。

- I repair my little brother's bicycle
　　弟おとうと　の　自じ転てん車しゃ　を　直なおす　
→　弟おとうと　の　自じ転てん車しゃ　を　直なおしてあげる

- Could you repair my little brother's bicycle?
　　弟おとうと　の　自じ転てん車しゃ　を　直なおす　
→　弟おとうと　の　自じ転てん車しゃ　を　直なおしてくれませんか。

However, if the verb is not usually used with a beneficiary, the person for whom we do something is marked with の　ため　に (no tame ni, "for"). For example:

- I clean for my little brother
　　弟おとうと　の　ため　に　掃そう除じする　
→　弟おとうと　の　ため　に　掃そう除じしてあげる

- Could you clean for my little brother?
　　弟おとうと　の　ため　に　掃そう除じする　
→　弟おとうと　の　ため　に　掃そう除じしてくれませんか。

Now, let's check if you can use てあげる (TE-ageru) and てくれる (TE-kureru) with this translation exercise!

a) My mom made me a cake.
b) Could you write in hiragana, please?
c) I'll help you.
d) The teacher lent a book to my older sister.
e) Mr. Tanizaki bought a manga to his little brother.
f) Could you take a picture for me, please?

Are you comfortable with てあげる (TE-ageru) and てくれる (TE-kureru)? You can now learn with this short video how to express these actions from the point of view of the person who receives the favour, with てもらう (TE-morau)!

About the particles used with てもらう (TE-morau)

With てあげる (TE-ageru) and てくれる (TE-kureru), we keep the same particle as the one used with the verb in the original sentence (before attaching てあげる・てくれる, TE-ageru/TE-kureru). But with てもらう (TE-morau), the person who does the favour is most of the time marked with に (ni)! It is also possible to use the particle から (kara) with certain verbs. However, から (kara) is more natural if the favour was done by a place. For example:

- I got my parents to send me books.
両りょう親しん　に or から　本ほん を 送おくってもらった。

- I had books sent from my parents' home.
実じっ家か　から　本ほん を 送おくってもらった。

Now, let's check if you can use てもらう (TE-morau) instead of てあげる (TE-ageru) and てくれる (TE-kureru) in the following exercise!

a) 母はは　が　ケーキ　を　作つくってくれた。
b) 先せん生せい が　姉あね　に　本ほん　を　貸かしてくれた。
c) 駅えき員いん が　道みち　を　教おしえてくれた。
d) 谷たに崎ざきさん が　健けんさん　に　漫まん画が　を　買かってあげた。
e) お母かあさん が　子こ供ども　に　本ほん　を　読よんであげる。
f) 写しゃ真しん　を　撮とってくれませんか。