JLPT N4 Grammar Guide: 30 Key Patterns with Examples

Q: How many grammar patterns does JLPT N4 require?

JLPT N4 requires approximately 60–80 grammar patterns in total, building on the roughly 40 patterns tested at N5. The 30 patterns in this guide represent the highest-frequency and most commonly tested items at N4, including te-form extensions (てみる, てしまう, ておく, てある), modality forms (かもしれない, でしょう, らしい, ようだ), causative and passive, and conjunctions like ながら and たばかり.

Q: What is the difference between そうだ (appearance) and そうだ (hearsay)?

There are two そうだ patterns. Appearance そうだ attaches to verb stems or adjective stems and means 'looks like / seems to be' based on direct visual evidence: 雨が降りそうだ (It looks like it's going to rain). Hearsay そうだ attaches to the plain form of a verb or adjective and means 'I heard that': 明日は雨だそうだ (I heard it will rain tomorrow). The attachment point — stem vs. plain form — is the key difference.

Q: What is the difference between ようだ, みたいだ, and らしい?

All three express inference or hearsay but differ in register and source. ようだ is formal and based on observable evidence (病気のようだ — seems to be sick, based on what I can see). みたいだ is the casual equivalent (病気みたいだ). らしい can mean 'apparently' based on information received from outside, OR it can mean 'typical of / characteristic of' something. らしい is also more objective-sounding than ようだ.

Q: How do I form the causative in Japanese?

Group 2 verbs: drop る and add させる (食べる→食べさせる). Group 1 verbs: shift the final syllable to the あ-row and add せる (書く→書かせる, 飲む→飲ませる). Group 3: する→させる, くる→こさせる. The causative means 'make someone do' or 'let someone do.' The person being caused to act is marked with に (with transitive verbs) or を (with intransitive verbs in some dialects).

Q: What is the difference between てある and ている for resultant states?

Both express a resultant state, but てある implies that a human agent deliberately did the action for a purpose, while ている simply describes a resulting condition. 窓が開けてある (The window has been opened — someone opened it intentionally) versus 窓が開いている (The window is open — it's just in that state, no agency implied). てある always uses transitive verbs; ている can use either.

Q: What grammar is new at N4 that wasn't in N5?

N4 introduces many te-form extensions not in N5: てみる (try doing), てしまう (end up doing / regret), ておく (do in advance), てある (resultant state with agency), ていく / てくる (directional change), てほしい (want someone to do). N4 also adds modality: かもしれない, でしょう/だろう, そうだ (both types), ようだ, みたいだ, らしい. Causative (させる) and passive (られる) forms also appear at N4.

JLPT N4 grammar expands heavily on the te-form, adds modality expressions, and introduces causative and passive conjugations. This guide covers all 30 essential N4 grammar patterns with plain-form and polite examples, usage notes, and colloquial variants. Each entry is written to help you understand the pattern deeply, not just memorize a translation.

Covers: te-form extensions, modality and inference, conjunctions, time expressions, explanatory forms, causative, passive, N4 vs N5 comparison

Written by YoruLearn Team · Last reviewed: June 2026

Get on iOS Join Android waitlist N5 Grammar Guide

All 30 N4 Grammar Patterns

#	Pattern	Meaning	Plain example	Polite example	Notes
1	ている	ongoing action OR resultant state	食べている	食べています	Context determines which meaning; 知っている = already knows (state)
2	てから	after doing (completed first)	食べてから行く	食べてから行きます	First action must fully complete before second begins
3	てもいい	may do / it's okay to do	入ってもいい	入ってもいいです	Question form: 〜てもいいですか (May I...?)
4	てはいけない	must not do (prohibition)	ここに入ってはいけない	入ってはいけません	Colloquial: ちゃいけない / じゃいけない
5	なければならない	must / have to do	行かなければならない	行かなければなりません	Colloquial: なきゃ / なきゃいけない
6	なくてもいい	don't have to do (no obligation)	行かなくてもいい	行かなくてもいいです	Contrast with pattern 5; no obligation vs obligation
7	たほうがいい	had better / should do	行ったほうがいい	行ったほうがいいです	Uses past-tense た before ほうがいい — this is a common mistake
8	かもしれない	might / perhaps	雨かもしれない	雨かもしれません	Attaches to plain form; expresses genuine uncertainty
9	でしょう / だろう	probably / right? (tag question)	雨だろう	雨でしょう	でしょう with rising intonation = seeks confirmation from listener
10	と思う	I think / I thought	行くと思う	行くと思います	行ったと思う = I think (they) went (past inside the quote)
11	そうだ (appearance)	looks like / seems (visual evidence)	雨が降りそうだ	降りそうです	Attaches to verb stem or adjective stem, NOT plain form
12	そうだ (hearsay)	I heard that / apparently	明日休みだそうだ	休みだそうです	Attaches to plain form; based on external information
13	ようだ	seems / appears (evidence-based)	病気のようだ	病気のようです	Formal; based on observable evidence or reasoning
14	みたいだ	seems (casual equivalent of ようだ)	病気みたいだ	—	Casual speech; same meaning as ようだ but more conversational
15	らしい	apparently / characteristic of	雨らしい	雨らしいです	Dual meaning: hearsay OR "typical of" (e.g., 男らしい = manly)
16	ために	in order to / because of	勉強するために来た	来ました	Verb (purpose) vs Noun (cause): 病気のために = because of illness
17	ながら	while doing simultaneously	音楽を聴きながら勉強する	勉強します	Both actions must share the same subject
18	たばかり	just did (very recently)	食べたばかりだ	食べたばかりです	Emphasizes recency; uses past-tense た
19	〜ばかり	nothing but / only (excessive)	ゲームばかりしている	—	Implies excessive repetition; often has a negative nuance
20	とき	when (at the time of)	行くとき / 行ったとき	—	Present/future verb = when about to go; past verb = when (already) went
21	まで	until / up to (endpoint)	5時まで働く	働きます	Time or location endpoint; contrast with までに (by the time of)
22	んです / のです	explanatory form	何で来たんですか	—	Seeks or provides an explanation / reason; softens questions
23	てみる	try doing to see what happens	食べてみる	食べてみます	Experimental attempt; not "try hard" but "give it a try"
24	てしまう	end up doing / completely (often regret)	食べてしまった	食べてしまいました	Completion or regret nuance; colloquial: ちゃう / じゃう
25	ておく	do in advance / leave as is	準備しておく	しておきます	Intentional preparation for a future situation; colloquial: とく
26	てある	resultant state (done by someone)	窓が開けてある	開けてあります	Implies human agency + purpose; transitive verbs only
27	ていく / てくる	go doing / come doing (directional)	暖かくなっていく / なってきた	—	いく = away from speaker/present; くる = toward speaker/present
28	てほしい	want someone else to do	手伝ってほしい	手伝ってほしいです	Desire directed at another person; contrast with たい (own desire)
29	させる / せる (causative)	make / let someone do	子供に食べさせる	食べさせます	G2: +させる; G1: あ-row +せる; agent marked with に
30	られる / れる (passive)	be done to / receive an action	先生に褒められた	褒められました	G2: +られる; G1: あ-row +れる; receiver is subject

N4 vs N5 — What's New at N4 Level?

N5 focuses on the basics: present/past tense, て-form for sequences, simple questions, basic adjectives, and particles. N4 pushes into modality, te-form extensions, and grammatical voice.

Category	N5 coverage	What N4 adds
Te-form	ている, てください, てもいい, てはいけない	てみる, てしまう, ておく, てある, ていく/てくる, てほしい
Modality / inference	Basic でしょう	かもしれない, らしい, ようだ, みたいだ, そうだ (both types)
Obligation	なければなりません (introduced)	なくてもいい, たほうがいい — full obligation range
Conjunctions	Basic が, でも, から	ながら, たばかり, ばかり, てから (more nuanced)
Quotation	Simple と言う	と思う with tense inside the quote
Voice	Not tested	Causative (させる) and passive (られる)
Explanation	Not tested	んです / のです explanatory form

Deep Dives: Tricky Pattern Pairs

そうだ (appearance) vs そうだ (hearsay)

Type	Attachment	Source of information	Example
Appearance	Verb stem / adj stem	Direct visual evidence	雨が降りそうだ (It looks like rain)
Hearsay	Plain form	Information from others	明日は雨だそうだ (I heard it will rain)

てある vs ている for resultant states

Pattern	Implies agency?	Verb type	Example
てある	Yes — someone did it on purpose	Transitive only	窓が開けてある (Someone opened the window intentionally)
ている	No — just a current state	Intransitive preferred	窓が開いている (The window is open)

5 Common Mistakes on the N4 Grammar Section

Using plain-form before たほうがいい. This pattern always takes the past た-form: 行ったほうがいい, not 行くほうがいい. This is a consistent trap on the exam because the advice is about a future action but the verb form is past-tense.
Confusing そうだ (appearance) and そうだ (hearsay). Appearance そうだ attaches to the verb stem (降りそうだ); hearsay そうだ attaches to the plain form (降るそうだ). The attachment point is the only distinguisher in writing.
Mixing up ようだ / みたいだ / らしい. ようだ and みたいだ both mean "seems based on evidence" (formal vs casual). らしい means "apparently (from external info)" OR "typical of." Using らしい for personal observation is incorrect.
Wrong subject handling in causative sentences. In 子供に食べさせる, the child (子供) is the person caused to eat, marked with に. Many learners mark the causer with に instead. The causer is the sentence subject (unmarked or が/は).
Forgetting that ながら requires the same subject. ながら connects two simultaneous actions by the same person. You cannot say 私が食べながら、彼が話した because the subjects differ. Both clauses must refer to the same actor.

FAQ

How many grammar patterns does JLPT N4 require?

JLPT N4 requires approximately 60–80 grammar patterns total, building on the roughly 40 patterns tested at N5. The 30 patterns in this guide are the highest-frequency and most commonly tested at N4: te-form extensions (てみる, てしまう, ておく, てある), modality (かもしれない, でしょう, らしい, ようだ), causative and passive, and conjunctions like ながら and たばかり.

What is the difference between そうだ (appearance) and そうだ (hearsay)?

Appearance そうだ attaches to verb stems or adjective stems and means "looks like" based on direct visual evidence: 雨が降りそうだ (It looks like rain). Hearsay そうだ attaches to the plain form and means "I heard that": 明日は雨だそうだ (I heard it will rain tomorrow). The attachment point — stem vs plain form — is the key distinguisher.

What is the difference between ようだ, みたいだ, and らしい?

All three express inference but differ in register and source. ようだ is formal and evidence-based (病気のようだ). みたいだ is the casual equivalent. らしい has two meanings: "apparently" (from external information) OR "characteristic of" something (e.g., 男らしい = manly/masculine). Using らしい for direct personal observation is unnatural.

How do I form the causative in Japanese?

Group 2 verbs: drop る and add させる (食べる→食べさせる). Group 1: shift to あ-row and add せる (書く→書かせる). Group 3: する→させる, くる→こさせる. The person caused to act is marked with に (for transitive verbs). The causative can mean "make do" (compulsion) or "let do" (permission) depending on context.

What is the difference between てある and ている for resultant states?

てある implies a human agent deliberately performed the action for a purpose: 窓が開けてある (The window has been opened — intentionally by someone). ている with an intransitive verb simply describes the resulting state: 窓が開いている (The window is open — no agency implied). てある always uses transitive verbs.

What grammar is new at N4 that wasn't in N5?

N4 introduces te-form extensions: てみる, てしまう, ておく, てある, ていく/てくる, てほしい. It adds the full modality range: かもしれない, らしい, ようだ, みたいだ, and both types of そうだ. Causative (させる) and passive (られる) conjugations are new at N4, as is the explanatory んです form.

Keep studying

Japanese Potential FormYoruLearn guide →Japanese Passive FormYoruLearn guide →Japanese Causative FormYoruLearn guide →JLPT N4 Vocabulary ListYoruLearn guide →

Practice N4 Grammar with YoruLearn

The YoruLearn app delivers fill-in-the-blank grammar drills for every N4 pattern, with adaptive spaced-repetition review that prioritizes the patterns you find hardest — so your study time is never wasted on what you already know.

Get on iOS Join Android waitlist N5 vs N4 Differences