Topic
grammar
10 articles on grammar for Japanese learners.
JLPT N5 Grammar List: Everything You Need, Grouped by What It Does
The complete JLPT N5 grammar set — particles, verb forms, adjectives, sentence patterns — grouped by what each one actually does, not alphabetically.
Japanese Sentence Structure: Why the Verb Comes Last
Japanese word order for English speakers: SOV, particles instead of position, dropped subjects, and modifiers before nouns — with clear examples.
Japanese Numbers and Counters: A Practical Guide for Beginners
How to count from 1 to 10,000 in Japanese, why 4 and 7 have two readings, and how counters like 人, 枚, 本 and 個 work — with the ones you really need.
い-Adjectives vs な-Adjectives: The Difference
Japanese has two adjective classes that conjugate differently. How to tell them apart, the full conjugation grid, and the exceptions that catch everyone.
Cotobara vs Bunpro: Grammar vs Vocabulary (and Why You Need Both)
Bunpro is spaced repetition for Japanese grammar; Cotobara does the same for vocabulary. How they differ, and why most learners use one of each.
Japanese Politeness Levels: Plain, Polite (です/ます), and Keigo
です/ます, plain form, and keigo — how Japanese politeness levels work, which one to learn first, and when using the wrong register sounds wrong.
The Japanese て-form: How to Make It and Use It
The て-form connects actions, makes requests, and builds the progressive tense. The formation rules for every verb group, plus its main uses.
Japanese Particles Explained: は, が, を, に, で, and More
は, が, を, に, で, と, の and more — what each Japanese particle does, with clear examples and the distinctions beginners get wrong most often.
は vs が: The Difference Explained Simply
は marks the topic, が marks the subject — the most-asked question in Japanese grammar, explained with clear examples you can actually rely on.
Japanese Verb Conjugation for Beginners: The Three Verb Groups
Japanese verbs split into three groups, and once you can tell them apart conjugation becomes predictable. How to identify each group and conjugate it.